A Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Case Study to Promote Interprofessional Learning (IPL) Between Audiology and Biomedical Science Students in Higher Education.

Modern and effective patient care requires specialist healthcare professionals working together. Interprofessional learning (IPL) seeks to provide opportunities for different healthcare disciplines to learn with, from and about each other. This study focused on the delivery and evaluation of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) case study workshop to facilitate IPL between two Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulated courses: Biomedical Science and Audiology. The 2 h online workshop consisted of 1) defining the roles, responsibilities and skills of the two healthcare professions, 2) the structure of the Biomedical Science and Audiology departments, 3) routes to HCPC registration, 4) core curriculum of both degree programmes and 5) interpreting interdisciplinary data related to a CMV patient case. The workshop was interactive, with the virtual learning environment promoting peer discussions and the use of online polling. Student responses were collected through an online questionnaire. A total of 108 respondents completed a post-event survey and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed there were no significant differences in the responses between the two student cohorts in response to each of the survey statements (p > 0.05). A total of 82.4% of students agreed that they need to know the role of other healthcare professionals for their future practice, whilst 84.2% agreed that the CMV case study was a good format to facilitate effective IPL. A total of 93.5% of respondents recognised the importance of both professions in diagnosing a patient with CMV. Thematic analysis identified four common themes, including appreciation of shared roles, recognition of similarities in registration pathways, working together to provide holistic patient care and the role of clinicians in the patient journey. This novel collaboration between Biomedical Science and Audiology facilitated effective IPL whilst meeting the interprofessional education HCPC requirements. Collaborative working is an essential component of delivering effective patient care and allied healthcare degrees need to provide opportunities within their curriculum to foster this. We hope this study encourages other higher education institutes to expand and develop their current IPL activities to include a broader spectrum of healthcare courses.

Comparison of students' readiness from six health education programs for interprofessional learning in Vietnam: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional education (IPE) is expected to help prepare undergraduate health profession students to collaborate with other healthcare professionals in realising quality of care. Studies stress the necessity of students' readiness for interprofessional learning (IPL) in view of designing IPE programs. The present study aims to determine students' IPL-readiness and looks at related differences in students enrolled in different programs and at different phases in their educational program. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was set up among 1139 students from six health programs at HueUMP, using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: The overall mean RIPLS score was 68.89. RIPLS scores significantly differed between programs and between phases in the educational programs. Medical students presented a lower readiness level for IPL than students from other programs. In contrast to a significant increase in RIPLS scores of students in the clinical phase in Vietnamese traditional medicine, medicine, and pharmacy, a decrease in RIPLS scores was observed in students in the clinical phase in odonto-stomatology. CONCLUSIONS: The differences could be related to differences in educational programs and the study phases in a particular program. These results offer insights to direct the design and implementation of IPE in health education curricula and especially underscore the need to provide IPE throughout the curriculum.

Designing a wholly online, multidisciplinary Master of Cancer Sciences degree.

BACKGROUND: Improving oncology-specific knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals is critical for improving the outcomes of people with cancer. Many current postgraduate education offerings may be inaccessible to busy professionals, contain minimal consumer input or do not focus on the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care. In response to these needs, a Master of Cancer Sciences degree was developed. Our aim is to describe the development of the Master of Cancer Sciences. METHODS: We describe the development of the Master of Cancer Sciences, including its theoretical and its pedagogical underpinnings. RESULTS: Our approach to curriculum design was guided by Kern's Six-Step Approach to Medical Curriculum and underpinned by the Seven Principles of Online Learning. These approaches were further underpinned by the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning which informed our approach to audio and visual information design. The pedagogy is interactive, experiential, interprofessional and importantly, includes consumers as educators. In practice, learning activities include peer feedback, multidisciplinary team meeting simulations, group work and clinical role plays. The online environment was visually shaped through infographics, high-quality educational videos and gamification. CONCLUSION: We have designed a Master of Cancer Sciences that is one of the first wholly online, cancer-specific Masters' programs. Its industry-led curriculum using evidence-based pedagogical choices utilises a range of novel digital formats and integrates the consumer perspective to provide a holistic overview of the field. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of learning outcomes is ongoing.

Creating an interprofessional education package on patients' spiritual needs.

This article outlines the experiences of a Scottish healthcare chaplain. After a student nurse expressed a dated view of chaplains, I realised it was my responsibility to refresh it. After reflection I planned, developed and implemented an interprofessional education session for nursing, midwifery and allied health professional (NMAHP) students on clinical placement. I had to develop awareness of learning theories, preferences and styles, and explore different methods of delivery. Since NMAHP students can be undergraduate, postgraduate, school leavers or career changers, the session is multi-generational and interprofessional. Attendee feedback was used to review the learning session. This package was developed and shared with my team but may be of value to other healthcare chaplains or spiritual care educators to introduce spiritual care to NMAHP students on clinical placement. It will also be a useful resource for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to expand their understanding of the role.

Indigenous-led First Peoples health interprofessional and simulation-based learning innovations: mixed methods study of nursing academics' experience of working in partnership.

Background: Collaborative, Indigenous-led pedagogical and research approaches in nursing education are fundamental to ensuring culturally safe curriculum innovations that address institutional racism. These approaches privilege, or make central, Indigenous worldviews in the ways healthcare practices are valued and assessed. With the aim of informing excellence in cultural safety teaching and learning, and research approaches, this study draws on the experiences and key learnings of non-Indigenous nursing academics in the collaborative implementation of First Peoples Health interprofessional and simulation-based learning (IPSBL) innovations in an Australian Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program.Methods: An Indigenous-led sequential mixed method design was used to investigate non-Indigenous nursing academics' experiences in the design, development and delivery of two IPSBL innovations. A validated survey (the Awareness of Cultural Safety Scale, (ACSS)) was administered to nursing academics before and after the innovations were delivered. Phenomenological interviews were also conducted following the implementation of the innovations.Results: Of the 27 staff involved in the delivery of the innovations, six nursing academics completed both pre-and post-surveys (22%). Nine (33%) participated in phenomenological interviews. There was a non-significant trend towards improved scores on the ACSS following the delivery of the innovations. Nursing academics' perceptions of the innovations' relevance to their practice were enhanced. An increased awareness of culturally safe academic practices was reported among those actively involved in innovations.Impact statement: Indigenous-led approaches in teaching and research promote excellence within mandatory cultural safety education for nurses and midwives.Conclusions: This study confirms the importance of educating the educators about cultural safety in teaching and learning, and research approaches. It also provides important insights into how non-Indigenous nursing academics can work within Indigenous-led pedagogical and research approaches to design culturally safe curriculum innovations.

Evaluating student knowledge about sexual exploitation using an interprofessional approach to teaching and learning.

The aim of this study was to qualitatively assess student perceived impact of a novel interprofessional approach to delivering education on sexual exploitation (SE). This article reports on research that we designed, delivered and evaluated to develop an interprofessional community of learning, enabling SE to be discussed with second-year undergraduate students. Participants came from a broad range of specialties. Following the study, students reported an increased level of awareness, understanding and confidence when working with SE. This interprofessional education session has since been incorporated into the nursing, midwifery and allied health programme in a local university and is part of a second-year undergraduate module on knowledge and skills for safe practice.

Attitudes of dental and chiropractic students towards a shared learning programme-An interprofessional learning model.

INTRODUCTION: Interprofessional learning (IPL) is the first stage towards the goal of interprofessional collaborative care. To enhance IPL experience, the School of Dentistry, International Medical University developed an IPL model based on the core competencies and the learning outcomes for dental and chiropractic students in their second and fourth year, respectively. The model was based on experiential learning and adult learning theories in addition to Miller's framework for clinical competencies. METHODS: The programme was developed as a student-centred, collaborative approach to achieve the learning outcomes for dental and chiropractic students. Second-year dental students (n = 46) and chiropractic students (n = 23) in their fourth year participated in the programme. The focus of the programme was to address the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) amongst dental students and to provide the chiropractic students with the opportunity to assess and identify risk factors for WMSDs in the dental setting. The readiness for interprofessional learning scale (RIPLS) questionnaire was completed prior to the interprofessional education programme and once again afterwards to determine dental and chiropractic students' awareness of roles and responsibilities of the other profession, and their attitudes to interprofessional education and teamwork. RESULTS: Dental and chiropractic students showed similar levels of readiness for shared learning. The results of this study suggest that the IPL programme contributed to the development of the students' positive perceptions towards the positive professional identity and the roles of other healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION: This study provides initial support for the integrated interprofessional learning experiences within the school. The results of the study will shape future curricula changes to further strengthen interprofessional education and subsequent interprofessional collaborative care.

Online interprofessional simulation for undergraduate health professional students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report describes the Obstetric and Neonatal Simulation (ONE-Sim) workshop run in a remote learning format for medical and midwifery students in an interprofessional setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the observation of students as participants in the online learning of using Personal Protective Equipment and simulation-based learning of perinatal emergency management. This was followed by their mutual interaction and reflections. This paper aims to understand the role of synchronous remote learning through simulation and its impact on interprofessional interactions. We describe the experience of medical and midwifery students with the ONE-Sim workshop, facilitated by medical (obstetric and neonatal) and midwifery educators. Formal thematic analysis will be performed as part of the ongoing study; however, initial direct observation demonstrated that students reacted positively to the online ONE-Sim workshop and engaged well with facilitators and peers. Students mutually interacted amongst themselves, shared their previous experiences, knowledge of roles as medical and midwifery practitioners and how they see themselves in those roles in a perinatal emergency setting. The initial observations demonstrate that interprofessional education delivered in an e-learning format can be useful and meaningful, and may be utilized across a number of specialties.

Clinical academic research internships for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals: a qualitative evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Nurses, midwives and allied health professionals are integral to research, yet rarely engage simultaneously in research and clinical practice. Clinical academic internships offer a route for accessing academic research training. AIM: To determine facilitators and barriers to nurses' participation and engagement in research internships, and to suggest improvements for future programmes. DISCUSSION: The experiences of ten health professional research interns were explored, using a method based on a synthesis between grounded theory and content analysis. Four categories emerged: integrating clinical and research aspirations; support - or lack of it; the hidden curriculum; and the legacy effect. Respondents identified facilitators and barriers to engagement in these categories, including unforeseen challenges. CONCLUSION: Formal support is necessary but is insufficient for fostering engagement and maximising benefits. Participation must be supported by colleagues and enabled by institutional structures. The potential effects of internships on engagement with research is considerable but requires collaboration between all stakeholders. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Deeper institutional engagement is needed so that internship opportunities are fully supported by all colleagues and practically enabled by institutional structures. Future schemes should attempt to promote opportunities to collaborate through group projects to reduce researchers' isolation.

Results of cross-faculty 'capstone' assessments involving nursing and performing arts students.

This article describes how 'capstone' assessments were created to provide two different student groups, nursing and performing arts students, with a lived experience of learning together about their own fields of practice. Capstone assessments combine 'live' human simulation with self-reflection and peer review. A capstone assessment is the integration of a body of relatively fragmented knowledge and learning to form a unified whole and can be used as a transitional assessment and a bridging experience to connect knowledge between modules or courses. The capstone assessments involved two faculties and four modules, three nursing and one performing arts. Case studies were designed to represent real-life situations that students were likely to encounter during their careers, either playing a patient as an actor or performing a caring role as a nurse. Assessments for the capstone simulation were formative, and involved the students engaging in self-reflection and peer review. Videos were available to enhance the self-reflection and peer-review process. Evaluation was undertaken through verbal feedback during debrief, written feedback, video footage and nursing student and acting student peer review. The experience of capstone assessments for two diverse student groups provided valuable learning from their own and from a different group outside their subject area.

Midwifery students' experiences of problem solving based interprofessional learning: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional learning is identified as one of the most innovative ways to encourage students of different disciplines to communicate with each other in interprofessional teams. A review of existing studies identified that inter-professional learning with nursing and midwifery students learning together had not previously been reported. AIM: This qualitative study sought to explore perceptions and experiences of midwifery students from interprofessional learning with nursing students. METHODS: This study was an exploratory qualitative study employing focus groups. Participants were 30 female students in the fourth year Bachelor of Midwifery at one university in Iran who undertook the surgical training course in midwifery in their seventh semester by inter-professional learning based on problem solving. Data were analysed according to the six steps of the concurrent thematic analysis method. FINDINGS: One main theme of challenging approach in learning emerged and two sub-themes 1) being challenged in a simulated clinical situation and 2) demonstrating professional knowledge. CONCLUSION: Interprofessional learning by challenging students of various professions during shared interprofessional learning can be followed by positive outcomes such as improved critical thinking, interprofessional communication, teaching-learning motivation and independent learning.

Evaluation of learning from Practical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training and its impact on patient outcomes in Australia using Kirkpatrick's framework: a mixed methods study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of the Practical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training (PROMPT) simulation using the Kirkpatrick's framework. We explored participants' acquisition of knowledge and skills, its impact on clinical outcomes and organisational change to integrate the PROMPT programme as a credentialing tool. We also aimed to assess participants' perception of usefulness of PROMPT in their clinical practice. STUDY DESIGN: Mixed methods approach with a pre-test/post-test design. SETTING: Healthcare network providing obstetric care in Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Medical and midwifery staff attending PROMPT between 2013 and 2015 (n=508); clinical outcomes were evaluated in two cohorts: 2011-2012 (n=15 361 births) and 2014-2015 (n=12 388 births). INTERVENTION: Attendance of the PROMPT programme, a simulation programme taught in multidisciplinary teams to facilitate teaching emergency obstetric skills. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Clinical outcomes compared before and after embedding PROMPT in educational practice. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Assessment of knowledge gained by participants through a qualitative analysis and description of process of embedding PROMPT in educational practice. RESULTS: There was a change in the management of postpartum haemorrhage by early recognition and intervention. The key learning themes described by participants were being prepared with a prior understanding of procedures and equipment, communication, leadership and learning in a safe, supportive environment. Participants reported a positive learning experience and increase in confidence in managing emergency obstetric situations through the PROMPT programme, which was perceived as a realistic demonstration of the emergencies. CONCLUSION: Participants reported an improvement of both clinical and non-technical skills highlighting principles of teamwork, communication, leadership and prioritisation in an emergency situation. An improvement was observed in management of postpartum haemorrhage, but no significant change was noted in clinical outcomes over a 2-year period after PROMPT. However, the skills acquired by medical and midwifery staff justify embedding PROMPT in educational programmes.

An Interprofessional Learning Workshop for Mammography and Sonography Students Focusing on Breast Cancer Care and Management Via Simulation: A Pilot Study.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The literature surrounding interprofessional education claims that students who learn with, from, and about one another in well-designed interprofessional programs will practice together collaboratively upon graduation, given the skills to do so. The objective of this study was to examine attitudes to interprofessional practice before and after an interprofessional learning (IPL) activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 35 postgraduate medical imaging students attended a week-long mammography workshop. The sessions provided a range of didactic sessions related to diagnosis and management of breast cancer. An IPL session was incorporated on completion of the workshop to consolidate learning. Props and authentic resources were used to increase the fidelity of the simulation. Participants completed pre- and post-workshop questionnaires comprising an interprofessional education and collaboration scale and a quiz to gauge knowledge of specific content related to professional roles. Responses to each statement in the scale and quiz score, pre or post workshop, were compared, whereas responses to open-ended questions in post-workshop survey were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Seventeen paired surveys were received. There was a significant total improvement of 10.66% (P = .036). After simulation, there was a statistically significant improvement in participants' understanding (P < .05) that IPL offers holistic care to the patient and that teamwork is useful for reducing errors in patient care. Simulation helped participants develop more awareness of their role within the profession, improve their understanding of other professionals, and gain more realistic expectations of team members. CONCLUSION: This pilot study confirmed learning within an IPL simulation improved attitudes toward shared learning, teamwork, and communication. Simulation provides opportunities for learning in a safe environment, and technology can be used in diverse ways to provide authentic learning.

Student midwives and paramedic students' experiences of shared learning in pre-hospital childbirth.

AIM: To explore the experiences of midwifery and paramedic students undertaking interprofessional learning. METHOD: A one day interprofessional learning workshop incorporating peer assisted learning for undergraduate pre-registration midwifery and paramedic students was developed based on collaborative practice theory and simulation based learning. Twenty-five student midwives and thirty-one paramedic students participated in one of two identical workshops conducted over separate days. Videoed focus group sessions were held following the workshop sessions in order to obtain qualitative data around student experience. Qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti) was used to collate the transcriptions from the focus group sessions and the video recordings were scrutinised. Thematic analysis was adopted. RESULTS: Four main themes were identified around the understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities, the value of interprofessional learning, organisation and future learning. Students appeared to benefit from a variety of learning opportunities including interprofessional learning and peer assisted learning through the adoption of both formal and informal teaching methods, including simulation based learning. A positive regard for each other's profession including professional practice, professional governing bodies, professional codes and scope of practice was apparent. Students expressed a desire to undertake similar workshops with other professional students. CONCLUSION: Interprofessional learning workshops were found to be a positive experience for the students involved. Consideration needs to be given to developing interprofessional learning with other student groups aligned with midwifery at appropriate times in relation to stage of education.

General and acute medicine in Australasian hospitals.

The complex undifferentiated patient, often elderly, is not obviously the responsibility of a clinician who specialises in single-system pathology. A clinician with more general skills and an ability to work in a multidisciplinary team is required. New partnerships are developing for these clinicians outside the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. A workforce expert in traditional skills for patient care as well as in new skills, away from the bedside, will help the future Australasian hospital care for these complicated patients. International perspectives could be of value.