Educators' Interprofessional Collaborative Relationships: Helping Pharmacy Students Learn to Work with Other Professions

Navigating Supervision and Interprofessional Relationships in Health Psychology

Previous literature has focused on either individual models of supervision, developing trainees' interprofessional competencies, or on developing and maintaining interprofessional relationships outside of training. For psychologists in medical settings, these concepts are inextricably linked, and supervision must combine these professional practices to successfully meet the needs of psychology trainees, patients, and interprofessional colleagues, in an increasingly integrated healthcare landscape. This paper presents a model for advancing interprofessional collaborative practice competencies in supervision as health psychology trainees progress through the developmental stages of clinical competency, while supervising psychologists also maintain interprofessional relationships. The Interprofessional Collaboration Supervision Model (IPCSM)for Psychology describes trainee, patient, and interprofessional team factors for supervising psychologists to consider in supervision, as well as various interventions to deploy when these interrelated dynamics impact training. Case examples are provided along with discussion on how to implement this model in supervision.

Supporting nursing and allied health student placements in rural and remote Australia: a narrative review of publications by university departments of rural health

University departments of rural health are Commonwealth-funded to improve recruitment and retention of the rural allied health and nursing (including midwifery) workforce, primarily through student placements. We examined publications by university departments of rural health that were focused on allied health and nursing students undertaking placements in rural Australia, to understand the characteristics, main findings and implications of the research conducted. Interprofessional learning was a key feature of placements and placement education, although other activities such as community engagement added to placement experiences. Factors such as quality supervision and being involved in the community contributed to a positive placement experience and increased rural practice intention. Tracking studies showed a relationship between rural placements, rural practice intention and rural practice. Rural placements occurred across a variety of settings and in locations consistent with the policy framework. Embedding university departments of rural health in rural communities enabled staff to build relationships and increase placement capacity.

Interprofessional education and practice guide: profiling readiness for practice-based IPE

Practice-based interprofessional education (IPE) is both a valuable and complex model of practice education. To support educators design, deliver, and implement high-quality practice-based IPE, this guideline was developed in conjunction with a placement profile. Underpinned by educational theory, this guideline and placement profile identifies key factors to consider before, during, and after practice-based IPE. Development of the profile has involved interprofessional collaboration as well as international feedback via conference workshops. The profile has been trialed in two clinical sites involved in practice-based IPE and refined following consultation with and feedback from educators. Educators can also use the profile to track site development over time and evidence resource and support requirements. Through use additional features may become relevant and users are encouraged to add or amend as is most beneficial to their site.

Pharmacist trainees narrow scope of interprofessional collaboration and communication in hospital practice

Early curricular exposure to interprofessional education (IPE) is intended to acclimatize health professional trainees to shared-care in the practice settings they will ultimately join. However, IPE activities typically reside outside actual organizational and social systems in which interprofessional care is delivered. We aimed to explore how pharmacist trainees experience collaborator and communicator competency roles during team-based workplace-based learning. Participants maintained written diaries reflecting on interprofessional collaboration and communication during an eight-week hospital clerkship. Diary entries and transcripts from semi-structured follow-up interviews were analyzed from the social constructivist perspective using reflective thematic analysis. Participant accounts of on-ward activities represented most collaborator and communicator roles outlined in pharmacy and interprofessional competency frameworks, but were predominantly between the pharmacist trainee and physicians. Pharmacist trainees did not routinely engage with other health professions on a daily basis. Additionally, reported encounters with other team members were typically information exchanges and not episodes of authentic interdependent or shared care. Interactions were almost completely devoid of perceived interpersonal or role conflict. These findings offer insight into how pharmacist trainees perceive and develop competencies for team-based care. Further work is required to understand how such limited scope of interprofessional communication and collaboration might ultimately impair quality patient care.

Enhancing pre-licenced pharmacists' communication and interprofessional collaboration utilizing the RIPE model of interprofessional learning: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Interacting and engaging with other health care professionals can enhance communication and collaboration within the multidisciplinary healthcare team, contributing to improved patient safety and patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the student learning experience utilizing the Reflective Interprofessional Education Model (RIPE) model of interprofessional learning.

METHODS

Qualitative study utilizing data from seven (7) focus groups sessions. Data were transcribed verbatim using a transcribing service; and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's 6-phase process for thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Fifty-five Master of Pharmacy pre-licenced students (male n = 25; female: n = 30) participated in the study. The 7 focus groups consisted of 6-8 participants ranging between 18 and 28 min in duration. Thematic analysis generated four key themes: (i) Time management: managing interruptions in a time pressured acute care environment is challenging but necessary; (ii) Learning the Lingo: patient-centered communicating and engaging patients and family in care; (iii) Communication: developing interprofessional communication as a vital skill for healthcare professionals; and (iv) Teamwork: recognizing the importance of teamwork, relationships and respect.

CONCLUSIONS

Students found the simulated, acute care setting challenging for effective communication and collaboration with other health professional team members. It was also perceived that critical patient information can be lost or misinterpreted if there is poor interprofessional communication and collaboration, contributing to iatrogenesis and poor patient outcomes. Effective collaboration was perceived to be beneficial to enhancing confidence with engagement and communication, appreciation and respect for the expertise of other healthcare professions.