Examining student perceptions of an inter-institutional interprofessional stroke simulation activity.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Patient Care Simulation

Background:

• Interprofessional educational (IPE) activities are crucial for enhancing collaborative practice and patient care.
• Developing effective IPE curricula requires innovative approaches, such as inter-institutional collaborations.
• Simulations offer valuable opportunities for health professions students to practice teamwork.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an inter-institutional interprofessional stroke simulation.
• To examine the impact of this simulation on student interprofessional growth.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the IPEC Competency Self-Assessment tool in measuring changes.

Main Methods:

• An interprofessional stroke simulation was designed for students from various health professions programs across multiple institutions.
• A pre-post-study design was employed, utilizing the 16-question IPEC Competency Self-Assessment tool.
• Paired t-tests were used to analyze quantitative data collected via an online platform.

Main Results:

• Significant positive changes were observed in both the values (p < 0.0001) and interaction (p = 0.0003) domains of the self-assessment.
• Student reflections highlighted enhanced understanding of leadership and team roles in patient care.
• The IPEC Competency Self-Assessment tool effectively detected changes in interprofessional competencies.

Conclusions:

• The inter-institutional IPE stroke simulation effectively fostered interprofessional competencies among health professions students.
• The study supports the use of the IPEC Competency Self-Assessment tool for measuring interprofessional development.
• The methodology provides a framework for establishing successful inter-institutional IPE partnerships.