Case Study: Stimulating Interprofessional Education and Collaboration During a Clinical Rotation
Dr. Brush is the clinical instructor for a group of eight nursing students, assigned to a 4-week clinical rotation in a state hospital for patients with mental illness. This psychiatric setting serves as a clinical practicum site for many students, including dental, medical, music therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, psychology, social work, and therapeutic recreation students. This setting will provide many opportunities for practicing communication skills (e.g., therapeutic communication, active listening, patient teaching, and interprofessional communication). Dr. Brush is excited about this clinical experience because he anticipates that students will have the opportunity to assess and care for persons with chronic mental illnesses in collaboration with the interprofessional treatment teams on each unit. He believes that this is the perfect opportunity for the students to engage in a true Interprofessional Education (IPE) learning experience in which they can demonstrate some of the Core Competencies of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice that they have been learning.
In planning for the students’ clinical rotation, Dr. Brush communicates with the educational liaison on each of the clinical units to which students would be assigned. He finds that the staff enjoys having students and are used to them caring for one or two specific patients during their entire clinical rotation. However, the liaisons report that they have observed that the students are often “just sitting around” during their clinical shift when the patient(s) to which they are assigned do not require their constant attention. The liaisons explain that staff have very little direct “control” of the students’ learning experiences. Some staff have overheard students complaining that they find this clinical rotation to be boring. Many staff members say they would like to have more involvement and collaboration with students but do not know how to accomplish this, or if it is “their place” to do so. Students sometimes attend interprofessional treatment team meetings, but, depending on the unit, they have varied levels of contribution to the overall plan of care.
Dr. Brush explains to the liaison that his goal is to provide a positive and collaborative learning experience for the students focused on interprofessional communication. He wants the students to be excited about mental health nursing and see how the mental health concepts they will learn here can be applied in all healthcare settings. All of the unit liaisons agree that true interprofessional communication and team collaboration involving professional and nonprofessional staff, a variety of students, and the patients are possible and would improve the quality of patient care on the units. The liaisons agree to collaborate with Dr. Brush, interested staff members, and others providing care in the setting to encourage and create effective IPE experiences, not just for nursing students, but for all staff and students providing care in this setting.
Discussion Questions
- Review the definition of a true IPE experience in Chapter 1. Identify at least three benefits of participation in IPE activities centered on Interprofessional Communication for the students and staff who provide care on the psychiatric units referred to in this case study.
- Give one example of an IPE activity that might be easy to implement on one of these units. Include any professions with which you are familiar who may be in this type of setting.
- Identify at least three possible barriers to the implementation of this IPE activity.
- Propose a strategy to reduce each of the three identified barriers to IPE on the unit, and identify specifically how you will demonstrate Sub-competencies CC3, CC4, CC6, and CC7, as appropriate, in addressing these barriers.
- Identify at least three intended and measurable outcomes (for staff, students, and/or patients) of the successful implementation of your IPE activity on a unit. Be sure to identify how you will “measure” the difference in behaviors of staff, patients, and/or students from before your IPE activity to after it has been implemented. Keep in mind that terms such as “more” and “less” are not measurable unless you can quantify them.
