Enhancing Care Transitions for Older People through Interprofessional Simulation: A Mixed Method Evaluation

Introduction: The educational needs of the health and social care workforce for delivering effective integrated care are important. This paper reports on the development, pilot and evaluation of an interprofessional simulation course, which aimed to support integrated care models for care transitions for older people from hospital to home. Theory and methods: The course development was informed by a literature review and a scoping exercise with the health and social care workforce. The course ran six times and was attended by health and social care professionals from hospital and community (n=49). The evaluation aimed to elicit staff perceptions of their learning about care transfers of older people and to explore application of learning into practice and perceived outcomes. The study used a sequential mixed method design with questionnaires completed pre (n=44) and post (n=47) course and interviews (n=9) 2-5 months later. Results:Participants evaluated interprofessional simulation as a successful strategy. Post-course, participants identified learning points and at the interviews, similar themes with examples of application in practice were: Understanding individual needs and empathy; Communicating with patients and families; Interprofessional working; Working across settings to achieve effective care transitions. Conclusions and discussion:An interprofessional simulation course successfully brought together health and social care professionals across settings to develop integrated care skills and improve care transitions for older people with complex needs from hospital to home

Immersive clinical simulation in undergraduate health care interprofessional education : knowledge and perceptions

Background: Interprofessional simulation at the undergraduate level has been tested but is still very scarcely used due to curriculum and logistical issues. Over a 3-year period we have conducted extracurricular immersive simulation sessions for multiprofessional groups of final year healthcare students. Methods: Following ethical approval, a series of scenarios requiring various combinations of healthcare professionals' inputs were designed for students attending the simulation sessions on offer. Another team of faculty were involved in the creation of a questionnaire to test students on discipline specific knowledge and about their perception of multidisciplinary working. Students recruited to the study were semi-randomly selected to either a control or experimental group which determined whether they completed the knowledge questionnaire prior to or after simulation exposure. Results: Participants were 237 students from Adult/Children/Learning Disability/Mental Health Nursing, Paramedic, Radiography, Physiotherapy, and Pharmacy. Questionnaire data analysis showed that experimental group students reported a higher perceived level of knowledge of other professions and were more confident about working as part of a multidisciplinary team than control group students (P<0.05). Although positive for both groups, experimental group students expressed greater appreciation for pre-qualification interprofessional learning opportunities. The experimental group outscored the control group by 3.23 percentage points on the discipline knowledge questionnaire (p<0.05). Conclusions: The study shows that even limited interprofessional simulation exposure enabled students to acquire knowledge of other professions and develop a better appreciation of interprofessional learning. Discussions during the debriefings highlighted the fact that interprofessional training is important and valued by students, especially if it is well contextualized and facilitated through the exposure to realistic scenarios.Peer reviewedSubmitted Versio

Effects of a single interprofessional simulation session on medical and nursing students’ attitudes toward interprofessional learning and professional identity: a questionnaire study

Background Participation in simulation-based interprofessional education (sim-IPE) may affect students’ attitudes towards interprofessional learning (through gaining experience with others) and their professional identity (by increasing the ‘fit’ of group membership). We examined this in two questionnaire studies involving students from four universities in two areas of the UK. Method Questionnaire data were collected before and after students took part in a sim-IPE session consisting of three acute scenarios. Questionnaires included the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and measures of professional identity derived from the social identity theory literature. In Study 1, only identification with Professional Group (doctor or nurse) was measured, while in Study 2 identification with Student Group (medical or nursing student) and the immediate interprofessional Team worked with in the simulation were also measured. Linear mixed effects regression analysis examined the effect of the simulation session, and differences between medical and nursing students, sites and identity measures. Results A total of 194 medical and 266 nursing students completed questionnaires. A five-item subset of RIPLS (RIPLSCore) was used in analysis. In both studies RIPLSCore increased for all groups following participation in sim-IPE, although this was larger for nursing students in Study 1. Nursing students had consistently higher RIPLSCore scores than medical students at one site. Effects of the session on identity varied between sites, and dimensions of identity. Notably, while positive emotions associated with group membership (Ingroup Affect) increased for Student Group, Professional Group and Team, the sense of belonging (Ingroup Ties) and importance (Centrality) of the group increased only for Team. Nursing students had consistently higher identification scores than medical students. Conclusions Participation in a sim-IPE session can improve attitudes towards interprofessional learning. It can also enhance professional identity, particularly as related to emotional aspects of group membership, with possible benefits for wellbeing. Changes in identification with the immediate Team suggest positive psychological consequences of ad hoc Team formation in the workplace. Differences between medical and nursing students suggest their differing opportunities to work with other professions during training may change baseline attitudes and identity. However, a single sim-IPE session can still have an additive effect

Selected Interprofessional Activities at the University Clinical Skills & Simulation Center

Interprofessional simulation has been a mainstay of a Jefferson education for almost a decade. Since the opening of the Hamilton Building in 2007, opportunities for interprofessional simulation have grown exponentially at the University. In response to this rapid growth, an Interprofessional Simulation Curriculum Committee (ISCC) was established by Dr. Michael Vergare, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs in 2010. Committee members include representatives from nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and pharmacy. The overarching goal of the ISCC is to promote and support the development of interprofessional education via simulation as a teaching/ learning strategy for faculty and students on campus. To achieve this goal, the committee offers both individual consultation, as well as faculty development programs

Changes in PT and OT Students’ Self-Efficacy Using an Interprofessional Case Based Experience

This poster describes an interprofessional simulation activity for physical therapy and occupational therapy students and a research study exploring the impact of the learning experience

Using Interprofessional Education & Simulation-based Learning in Health Profession Curricula to Improve Competence & Confidence: A Systematic Review

Objectives of Presentation: ● Describe the types of interprofessional education (IPE) simulation-based learning experiences in current health professions curricula. ● Discuss benefits for implementation of IP simulation into pre-licensure health profession programs. ● Explain how IP simulation-based learning improves workforce competency and confidence in entry-level health ● professionals. PICO: What is the impact of interprofessional education simulation activities in improving workforce competency and confidence in entry level health professionals? Presentation: 44 minute