Interprofessional Learning Pilot Week
The increased complexity of contemporary healthcare and increasing clinical demand makes interprofessional teams common in the healthcare workplace and exposure to cross-professional working is advocated during pre-registration healthcare education. Professional and regulatory bodies advocate the benefits of interprofessional working and in some cases make this a requirement upon qualification. However, embedding interdisciplinary working can be difficult given demands on timetabling and diverse curricula.
We sought to undertake an intensive interprofessional leaning experience to facilitate skills associated with shared leadership, negotiation, collaborative decision making and communication – all important in effective team working.
We developed a series of four scenarios focussed on a single patient who had experienced a stroke. Each scenario considered different stages of a patients’ journey namely; prior to admission, acute hospital care, rehabilitation and community care. Scenarios were developed collaboratively between staff in dietetics (Hazreen Majid, Grainne Ford), occupational therapy (Parag Sawant, Elaine Hall), physiotherapy (Caroline Belchamber, Louise Stanley, Katherine Chambers, Fiona Lucas), podiatry (Simon Otter), speech and language therapy (Lucie Rochford, Sophie MacKenzie).
A total of 110 students from five different professions (dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry and speech & language therapy) were divided into eight equally balanced interprofessional groups. Firstly, each group undertook preparatory work for one of the 4 scenarios. Then all students rotated round each of the care settings taking part in practical skills sessions, learning from one another and facilitated by staff from each profession (figures 1-3). Importantly, we sought to maximise the use of our clinical and high-fidelity simulation facilities to facilitate an authentic learning experience. Finally, students developed a shared interdisciplinary presentation including a care plan, presented to other students/staff. These plenary sessions were designed to enable students to focus on collaborative working between professions to achieve shared goals.
Students actively reported how much they had learned about the varied skills other professions offer and how this seeks to meet patient-centred goals in a more holistic manner. There was a desire to participate in more of these learning opportunities ideally earlier in their course.
The work from this Interprofessional Learning pilot week will inform the Interprofessional Learning units being developed for re-validation across the Allied Health Professional courses within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. In addition to this the team are collaborating on the write up of the evaluation of the successful pilot of this interprofessional Learning week.
Figure 1 students undertaking a ‘spot the mistake quiz in an acute care simulated scenario
Figure 2, students learning how to use a communication mat in a role play situation to facilitate rehabilitation
Figure 3 students practicing how to safely undertake wheelchair transfers as part of community focussed care.
