Value of pre-licensure interprofessional education on post-licensure interprofessional collaboration: Perceptions and experiences of practicing professionals.

Interprofessional education (IPE) allows students in health professional programs to practice providing collaborative patient care before graduating. Understanding the perceptions and experiences of health care professionals' IPE received prior to entering the workforce is key for improving IPE programs. This study investigated participants' post-licensure interprofessional collaboration (IPC) experiences, how IPE helped prepare them for IPC post-licensure, their perceptions of the IPE they received as students, and their suggestions for improving IPE. This qualitative descriptive study included 20 healthcare workers from seven professions who graduated from two of three co-located post-secondary educational institutions. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis revealed five themes and six sub-themes: (a) Quality of care; (b) Role clarification; (c) Interpersonal skills (sub-themes: communication and self-confidence); (d) Co-location; and (e) Need for IPE improvements (sub-themes: additional IPE exposures, shadowing experiences, mandatory IPE, and informal peer learning). These findings appear to reinforce the perception that pre-licensure IPE may support the development of skills for IPC among practicing health professionals.

Exploring the Efficacy of a Virtual First Year Interprofessional Education Event.

Interprofessional education (IPE) activities are utilized in health education programs to develop interprofessional collaboration (IPC) competencies. All first-year healthcare students at three postsecondary learning institutions attend a mandatory introductory IPE event annually. During the 2020/2021 academic year, the event was moved from a face-to-face activity to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This study examined whether the virtual IPE activity was effective in supporting the development of interprofessional competencies for first-year healthcare students. Two hundred and six students attended a synchronous didactic presentation on IPE competencies and discussed a simulated case in interprofessional groups of eight students and two faculty facilitators. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) was used to measure the students' opinions on interprofessional competencies. Paired t-tests were used to compare the pre- and post-scores. One hundred and nine (52.9% response rate) students completed the survey. Surveys from 99 students with matched pre- and post-scores were included in the study. The ICCAS competencies showed improvements (p < 0.05) in all of the students' self-reported IPE competencies following the activity compared to before the training. Our findings indicate that the virtual IPE activity is effective in facilitating the development of IPC for first-year healthcare students.

Pilot of a community-based interprofessional "student-infused" pulmonary rehabilitation program in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Background: With the increasing prevalence of chronic pulmonary conditions in New Brunswick and Canada it is necessary to consider innovative interventions to improve access to rehabilitation and supportive care for affected clients. In Fall 2018 we piloted a pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program for persons with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to demonstrate a novel approach of bridging interprofessional education of students in health care fields with provision of care in a community setting. Methods: An 8-week PR program was implemented and evaluated using a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-testing to measure the effects of the program's exercise and educational interventions on persons with COPD. Participants were assessed using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and a custom questionnaire that rated the participants' activities of daily living and the PR program. Results: Seven participants completed our PR program. Following the intervention, participants' self-reported health demonstrated a statistically significant improvement. Even though changes on the 6MWT and SGRQ were not shown to be statistically significant, there was evidence of clinically meaningful improvements in those measures. On average, participants walked 25 m further postintervention and showed clinically meaningful improvements on the SGRQ. Conclusions: This pilot project demonstrated that a community-based PR program with active involvement of students from multiple health care programs can have positive outcomes for clients with COPD. It also illustrated how educational programs can provide an innovative means for increasing access to rehabilitation and supportive care for clients in the community.

Partnering for Patti: Shaping future healthcare teams through simulation-enhanced interprofessional education.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-enhanced interprofessional education (sim-IPE) is a growing component of undergraduate health curricula, preparing learners for the practice environment and, in doing so, redefining practice culture. The Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC) has established a national competency framework of integrative competency domains focused on fostering core skills, attitudes, and values in an effort to evolve interprofessional collaboration (IPC). This framework serves as the foundational underpinning for IPE within all health professions. Partnering for Patti is a sim-IPE experience collaboratively developed by faculty from Bachelor of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy programs within two Atlantic institutions leveled for third-year nursing and respiratory therapy students. This event provides an opportunity for participants to enhance their knowledge of the six CIHC IPE domains, and improve their understanding of and appreciation for IPC. Within this context learners must work together, and rely on the expertise of both professional groups to critically think through and improve a declining client scenario. Once complete, debriefing and reflective journaling help participants solidify learning and deduce new frames of understanding. It has been hypothesized that this event enhances student knowledge of CIHC IPE domains, and creates a deeper appreciation for, and understanding of IPC. The primary objective of this research was to determine if participants' understanding of CIHC IPE domains improved, and if perceptions of their own and the other profession were reframed as a result of this innovation. METHODS: This article describes the educators' approach in setting up and delivering this learning experience and the results of this event through students' perceptions. This cross-sectional study used a descriptive mixed-methods design. Two data collection tools were used to explore changes in participants' perceptions and event feedback. RESULTS: Data analysis found that the majority of participants identified value in this IPE learning experience. Qualitative and quantitative findings suggest participants developed a deepened appreciation for IPC and an improved understanding of the CIHC IPE competency domains. DISCUSSION: The evaluative findings of this study support the value of Partnering for Patti as a novel IPE learning experience. Although it is unclear to what degree objectives were met, findings strongly support continued integration of this learning experience.