Meeting Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice via a Pharmacist and Nurse Practitioner Student Phone Simulation

Background

In 2003 the Institute of Medicine identified interprofessional education (IPE) as a tool to address the lack of consistent, high-quality health care to patients.  While many educators appreciate the need and value of IPE, several barriers exist to providing quality IPE activities in a curriculum. One barrier is the logistics of coordinating student and faculty interaction across different professions' schedules and courses. An innovative solution employed to address this difficulty is a phone-based simulation. A phone-based activity overcomes the scheduling barrier as it gives the student the ability to coordinate with their partner outside of class time. It also provides a unique context for simulating a feasible work place scenario. This podium presentation will describe the creation, implementation, and assessment of a phone-based simulation between nurse practitioner students and pharmacy students.

Methods

NP and pharmacy faculty created a phone-based activity that simulates a primary care provider contacting an anticoagulation clinic pharmacist regarding a specific clinical question. Faculty met with the students prior to the simulation and discussed the value of IPE. Only the NP student was provided the case prior to the call. First year NP students enrolled in Pharmacology for Advanced Practice and third year pharmacy students participated in this activity as a component of their individual course. The objectives of the simulation were focused on 1) communication across professions and 2) clinical knowledge (assessment, clinical decision making, therapeutic monitoring). During the phone call the NP student conveys information about the simulated patient to the pharmacist and asks questions. The pharmacy student identifies the clinical question and asks follow-up questions. The pharmacy student then has a chance to refer to online resources and then call the NP student back with a researched response to the question.  This simulation met the Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice.

Results

Assessment of this activity focuses on outcomes related to interprofessional attitudes, organization of information presented, professionalism and confidence and knowledge in managing anticoagulation therapy. Feedback was given to the professions’ class as a whole instead of individual feedback. Faculty additionally solicited student feedback regarding organization and perceived value of the activity.