Columbus Publishers

International Journal of Nursing and Health Care Science

Volume 01: Issue 14

Boyce PS, et al.

summary that served as a mini-medical record, highlighting patient history, presentation, medications, and an assessment note with a recommended plan of care for each of the participating disciplines. Students were required to read the patient summary in advance of the session and review a separate student instructions document outlining roles and suggested issues to consider before the session. The IPE session was typically integrated into the course for the participating program, ranging from every student in the course serving as a participant in at least one IPE session during the semester, to a sample of students participating from a program/course to assess applicability of the IPE experience to the course and/or curriculum. In addition, the majority of participating faculty conducted a review of the patient case with students in advance of the session, and many required students to conduct reflection activities of interprofessional practice before and/or after their participation in the session. Given the significant restrictions to clinical practice sites, the IPE sessions often supplemented and/or replaced other training experiences during the semester.

The positive impact on student learning outcomes during IPE activities has been widely reported in the literature [55]. Moreover, Institute of Medicine’s [56] systematic review of IPE initiatives using the Kirkpatrick Model reported changes in behavior and organizational practice as an aftereffect of implementing IPE experiences. The purpose of the CUNY HHS SIM-IPE Pilot was to implement and assess a university-wide multi-focal vision for IPE.

The energy and dedication of CUNY HHS faculty volunteers throughout the duration of the pilot was contagious and the driving force to its success. The results of this pilot suggest that all faculty, student participants and observers were ready for interprofessional learning. The diligent, behind the scenes work of CUNY IPE faculty to design case scenarios that were complex and multi-layered added to the richness of the IPE sessions and spurred critical thinking skills among students. Student attitudes towards teamwork and collaboration significantly improved after the Sim-IPE sessions. All students agreed that the Sim-IPE session gave them a greater awareness of IPE core competencies. Through active experiential learning, reflection and application, students developed confidence in their ability to collaborate with other healthcare disciplines while learning the importance of team- based patient-centered care in improving patient outcomes. Student verbal testimonies spoke highly of their engagement in the Sim-IPE sessions while faculty feedback revealed a sense of fulfillment in enabling optimal learning experiences for their students. Faculty also expressed the added advantage of assessing students’ application of knowledge and skills through their demonstrated performance of their respective professional roles in the case scenarios.

## Implications

IPE program sustainability is often a concern due to obstacles that can impede successful implementation. Ways to overcome these barriers include institutional support, training, and development of faculty in Sim- IPE, development of interprofessional relationships amongst faculty, strong conceptual frameworks, and challenging communication and teamwork scenarios [57]. Keys to the success of the CUNY HHS Sim-IPE Pilot included the powerful institutional support from both CUNY and its multi-disciplinary faculty across campuses. Faculty training and development efforts by NYSIM fostered confidence in faculty to prepare students and facilitate Sim- IPE scenarios in the virtual environment. Using a strong conceptual framework and design for the Sim-IPE scenarios, fostered by a robust foundation, was further enhanced by enduring relationships among faculty which continue to flourish in the ongoing expansion of this initiative.

Future evolutions for CUNY’s IPE initiative include the incorporation of a modified Kirkpatrick model (Table 3) as the conceptual approach for IPE; adapting the IPE competency framework from the Universities of Alberta and British Columbia to reflect exposure, immersion and integration for students to develop the four IPE competencies (Figure 6); expanding the type and complexity of the IPE case scenarios; widening discipline engagement in the development of scenarios that address the social determinants of health, health disparities and implicit bias; and launching an annual HHS IPE Summit as an all-day faculty development opportunity to engage national experts and highlight CUNY experiences and expertise in IPE.