Effect of an Academic-Community Simulation Education Program on Attitudes of Participants Regarding Interprofessional Collaborative Practice

Background: Interprofessional education, a component of health care provider’s professional training, provides opportunities for the development of the collaborative skills needed to work effectively to promote a safe, patient centered and community oriented workforce (Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2011). Simulation education utilizing role-play has been identified as a best practice approach to prepare future health care practitioners to engage in meaningful collaboration (Murdoch, 2013).  New models in health care including the Federally Qualified Health Center and medical home utilize a team-based approach to provide coordinated, comprehensive care for vulnerable and underserved populations (American Nurses Association, 2013). These health care delivery systems necessitate strong collaborative skills by all health care providers practicing in these settings. Historically, physicians, nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel, such as medical assistants, have worked in professional silos with little communication, leading to medical error and fragmentation of care (Lancaster, 2015). Although there is increasing interaction in practice among these health care providers, the growing literature on evidence-based interprofessional education lacks descriptions of pre-practice collaborative education with nurses and assistive health care providers.

In response to a community partner request to participate in their newly established training program for medical assistants, a collaborative education project between University BSN students and community health center medical assistant students was created. The Simulation Education Program, developed by University BSN faculty in consultation with the community health center medical assistant faculty addresses the core competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPEC, 2011) and course objectives of the BSN and medical assistant programs. In the Simulation Education Program BSN students review clinical skills, facilitate laboratory practice of those skills and then engage in simulated scenarios where those skills are put into practice with the medical assistant students. The students provide feedback to each other throughout the program and there is a debriefing at the end of the session.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the effect the Simulation Education Program facilitated by BSN nursing students for community health center medical assistant students on participant attitudes regarding interprofessional collaborative practice.

Methods: Following IRB approval, 11 University BSN students and 21 community health center medical assistant students were enrolled in the study. BSN students and medical assistant students engaged in simulated clinical scenarios focused on the development of communication skills. Participants completed the IPAS, Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (Norris, 2015) before and after the program. Differences between the pre and post Simulation Education Program and IPAS total mean scores and domain mean scores will be analyzed using a paired t test.  Additionally, pre and post focus groups were conducted. Qualitative data from the focus groups will be explored using thematic analysis.

Results: At this writing, data is being collected and transcribed. Data analysis is expected to be complete by December 2015.