Fostering Inter-Professional Education through Service Learning: The Belize Experience

Service-learning and interprofessional education are forms of experiential learning that instill confidence in students. This pilot study used a post-service learning survey to explore the benefits of interprofessional education in a service-learning experience with students. Findings indicated that this service-learning experience contributed to the development of cultural awareness, and professional skills, as well as increased team attitudes and perceptions related to the respective roles of occupational and physical therapy students. The following report describes students' perspectives and satisfaction concerning professional development, interprofessional education, and cultural awareness utilizing quantitative and qualitative descriptors.

Students’ Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Coursework: An Australian Case Study of the Master of Environment and Sustainability

Over the past decade we have seen a global increase in interdisciplinary sustainability degrees. These degrees are relatively understudied due to their recent emergence. To better understand the challenges and benefits of this type of coursework and learning experience, we must explore students’ perspectives. Rarely explored from the student viewpoint are: (1) highly interdisciplinary instruction that transcends more than four disciplines; (2) the potential effect of students’ incoming disciplinary background. This case study seized an opportunity to gain insights and perceptions from students across very diverse backgrounds within a shared interdisciplinary program. We surveyed 61 students enrolled in a highly interdisciplinary degree (Master of Environment and Sustainability; Monash University, Melbourne, Australia) and compared responses of students from STEMM, non-STEMM and mixed incoming degrees. Students’ specific disciplinary backgrounds were diverse, including physical sciences, engineering, marketing, business, fashion, law and education. We used a mixed methods approach to analyze survey data. The dominant perceived benefits of interdisciplinary training reported were: (1) career relevance; (2) expanded knowledge and perspectives of sustainability issues; (3) confidence in envisioning sustainability solutions. The main perceived challenges reported were potential confusion from rapidly upskilling into new domains and disciplinary jargon. Interestingly, respondents in this case study viewed these challenges as an authentic reflection of professional sustainability practice rather than a pedagogical issue. In line with this, students showed a preference for pedagogical approaches that simulated real world scenarios and developed career skills. Disciplinary background did not generally influence students’ views. All students identified similar challenges, benefits and pedagogical preferences, with one difference. Students from mixed prior degrees and non-STEMM disciplines showed a possible trend towards valuing cross-disciplinary teamwork more than those from STEMM backgrounds. Overall, our findings suggest that the diverse student cohort within the highly interdisciplinary sustainability program of this case study generally viewed this mode of education as beneficial, career-relevant and accessible. This case study may additionally encourage interdisciplinary educators from other fields, such as health professions, to also include more diverse domains and student cohorts in their programs.

Undergraduate health professions students' perceptions of athletic training students before and after an interprofessional case study program

Students pursuing careers in health professions may initially approach their training with preconceived ideas and perceptions of those who practice different health-related careers. Little research has been conducted on athletic training students and professional stereotypes or athletic training students and interprofessional education in general. Because interprofessional education may provide some positive effects on stereotypes, the goal of this study was to measure undergraduate health professions student stereotypes of athletic training students before and after an interprofessional case study program. Undergraduate nursing and public health interprofessional case study program participants assessed various relational and intrapersonal capabilities for their own professions and the athletic training profession, pre-post-program. For nursing student participants with athletic training students on their team, perceptions of their own profession and the athletic training profession significantly (p <.05) increased as compared to those with no athletic training student on their team. For public health student participants, although scores increased, no significant differences were found. Interprofessional collaborative experiences may decrease negative stereotypes of other professions, including athletic training.

Athletic training students' engagement in interprofessional education in the classroom and during clinical education

Interprofessional education is an area of emphasis within healthcare. Little is known regarding what other healthcare professions athletic training students engage with during interprofessional education. Therefore, our purpose was to identify the healthcare students that athletic training students engage with in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical education. We used a cross-sectional survey design with open-ended questions to survey 90 athletic training program directors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an analysis of variance to determine differences between demographic characteristics and engagement with other healthcare students in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical education. The alpha level was set at .05. Overall, athletic training students regularly engaged with students from other healthcare professions in the classroom/laboratory and during clinical education, with physical therapy and nursing being most common. Unfortunately, more than 30% of respondents indicated no engagement with other healthcare professions during clinical education or in the classroom. It was concluded that athletic training faculty need to capitalize on opportunities to expose athletic training students to other healthcare students, as well as utilizing teaching and evaluation strategies that foster interprofessional education and practice. Similarly, students need to capitalized on opportunities to engage in interprofessional practice.

Creating an Interprofessional Education Experience Through Short-Term Study Abroad

Context

Student interest in and national recognition for the value of global education is expanding. Opportunities for interprofessional education (IPE) are a required component of athletic training education and education of other health care professions.

Objective

To describe the development of a short-term study abroad IPE course in the international setting of Australia.

Background

While some literature is available for discipline-specific study abroad experiences, limited information is available for implementing IPE in the international setting.

Description

Two faculty leaders from athletic training and speech language pathology, with IPE experience, designed and conducted a 17-day immersive study abroad experience for 12 students from 7 health care professional programs (athletic training, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, premedical, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology).

Clinical Advantage

Students desire unique, global learning experiences but may have trouble studying abroad for full semesters due to the lockstep nature of curriculum within their professional education programs. Having students learn from, with, and about each other in an international setting may enhance their preparation for collaborative practice.

Conclusions

Short-term study abroad opportunities offer an alternative to satisfy student interest in global education while meeting programmatic requirements for IPE. Inclusion of faculty leaders from different disciplines fosters interprofessional learning.

Care Across Campus: Athletic Training, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy Student Experiences in an Interprofessional Simulation

Context:

This study explored health care students' experiences after participation in an interprofessional simulation. Interprofessional education incorporates students from several health care professions in a controlled, collaborative learning environment. Athletic training students are not well represented in interprofessional education literature.

Objective:

This study sought to explore the attitudes of athletic training, nursing, and occupational therapy students toward other professions after their participation in an interprofessional simulation.

Design:

This article describes the results of the qualitative portion of a mixed-methods study. Focus group discussions related to elements of the Interprofessional Attitude Scale to explore participants' attitudes toward other professions. Researchers analyzed transcribed focus group discussions for themes.

Setting:

This study occurred in a private midsized Midwestern university.

Patients or Other Participants:

Seventy-nine students, representing athletic training, nursing, and occupational therapy, participated in the simulation; a sample of 13 of these participated in the focus groups.

Intervention(s):

Students in all professions cared for or observed the care of a standardized patient from the time of a spinal cord injury on the football field through an ambulance ride and subsequent emergency and inpatient care. Students collaborated and communicated with one another. Faculty conducted debriefing after the simulation and before the focus groups.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Focus groups included relevant questions from the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale, and themes were identified from participants' responses.

Results:

Researchers identified 4 themes from the focus group discussions: collaboration, respect, knowledge of other professions, and communication. These themes also mirror elements of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice.

Conclusions:

After the simulation, students expressed positive attitudes toward other professions. This study suggests that athletic training, nursing, and occupational therapy students have positive attitudes toward each other's professions after an interprofessional simulation activity.