Best practice interprofessional stroke care collaboration and simulation: The student perspective

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Neurology
• Interprofessional Healthcare

Background:

• Interprofessional practice (IPP) is crucial for optimal stroke care.
• Limited curriculum space often restricts comprehensive IPP training for health science students.
• There is a need for effective, evidence-based IPP simulations in stroke management education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief, embedded interprofessional practice team simulation in enhancing stroke care knowledge and IPP competencies among students.
• To assess the impact of the simulation on students' understanding of collaborative care planning and interprofessional collaboration (IPC).

Main Methods:

• A total of 302 students from four professions participated in 55 teams, engaging in a collaborative care plan simulation for stroke patients.
• Students' pre- and post-simulation interprofessional collaborative competency assessment scale (ICCAS) ratings were compared.
• Anonymous programme evaluations included the ICCAS and open-ended questions to gather qualitative feedback on role clarification, communication, and teamwork.

Main Results:

• A significant improvement in ICCAS ratings was observed across all professions and experience levels post-simulation.
• Open-ended responses indicated positive perceived changes in role clarification, communication, and teamwork.
• The simulation demonstrated effectiveness in improving stroke best-practice knowledge and IPC competencies.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional team simulation is an effective and efficient learning strategy for health science students in stroke care.
• The simulation positively impacts stroke best-practice knowledge and interprofessional collaboration competencies.
• This approach is beneficial for students irrespective of their prior interprofessional experience.