Patient Safety Interprofessional Training for Medical, Nursing, and Pharmacy Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Simulation
• Interprofessional Learning

Background:

• Patient safety education is crucial for medical, nursing, and pharmacy trainees.
• Interprofessional education (IPE) provides an optimal format for teaching patient safety core concepts.
• This activity was designed to meet IPE core competencies in communication and teamwork.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare learners for clinical practice by contextualizing patient safety, communication, and teamwork.
• To fulfill interprofessional education core competencies.
• To adapt the training for various educational settings.

Main Methods:

• A 1.5-hour large-group activity involving a case study from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
• Sequential case presentation and debriefing by faculty from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy.
• Guided student reflection on disciplinary roles, communication, and conflict resolution.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant increases in student awareness of disciplinary roles and responsibilities.
• Improved understanding of communication errors in healthcare settings.
• Enhanced knowledge of strategies for addressing interdisciplinary conflicts.

Conclusions:

• The IPE offering effectively increases awareness and knowledge across three healthcare disciplines.
• The training improves understanding of potential communication errors.
• Students gain insight into the importance of interdisciplinary interactions for patient safety.