An Autoethnographic Study of Interprofessional Education Partnerships

Authors

  • Samantha Hurst Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego.
  • Karen A. Macauley Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science: Beyster Institute for Nursing Research, University of San Diego. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0136-1188
  • Linda Awdishu Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3187-3264
  • Kathleen M Sweeney Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego.
  • Sophie S Hutchins Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science: Beyster Institute for Nursing Research, University of San Diego.
  • Jennifer M Namba Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4710-593X
  • Michelle L Johnson School of Medicine, University of California San Diego.
  • Peggy A Wallace School of Medicine, University of California San Diego.
  • Karen A Garman Kaiser Permanente - Southern California. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5120-5351
  • Amy M Zheng Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; School of Medicine, University of California San Diego. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2991-0748

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22230/jripe.2017v7n1a262

Keywords:

Interprofessional education, Simulation, Faculty development, Autoethnography

Abstract

Background: Thiis qualitative longitudinal study describes an Interprofessional Education (IPE) collaboration between a public university with medical and pharmacy schools and a private, non-affiliated university with a nursing school. The study explores the dynamics of the IPE partnership and lessons learned over a three-year period in which members of the collaborative directed three IPE simulations.

Methods and Findings: An autoethnographic inquiry technique was used to interview eight collaborators who designed and implemented a large-scale IPE simulation for approximately 300 students and 100 faculty members annually for three years. Two, 90-minute group narrative interviews were conducted and audio recorded for transcription and analysis. Five themes emerged: Natural Collaboration, Shared Vision and Commitment, Integrations and Synergy, All Hands on Deck, and Lasting Foundations. Collaborators agreed the joint effort was a positive experience with multidimensional returns on investment. They applied teamwork competencies to build the partnership, develop the IPE simulation, and overcome implementation challenges.

Conclusions: Thiis article provides readers with the opportunity to learn from those who have been intimately involved in the design and implementation of a large-scale IPE collaboration to enhance the shared learning process for health students and faculty. Findings highlight the complexity of building an IPE collaborative and the necessity to build partnerships with facilitators committed to communication.

Author Biographies

Samantha Hurst, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego.

As a medical anthropologist and qualitative methodologist, Dr. Hurst’s areas of expertise lie within cross-cultural medicine and community-based treatment strategies. She is particularly interested and involved in issues involving equity in health, cultural competency, ethnic and cultural health disparities, implementation science and global health policy. Author contributions: Dr. Hurst conceptualized and designed the auto-ethnography study, performed the final qualitative analyses, and in conjunction with all other authors drafted and approved the final version of this manuscript.

Karen A. Macauley, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science: Beyster Institute for Nursing Research, University of San Diego.

Dr. Macauley serves as the Director of Nurse Practitioner and Health Care Informatics. She conducts simulation research and has presented internationally on the use of standardized patients in nursing. She has developed the standardized patient/simulation program since inception which has grown to reflect a new creative experiential teaching method giving students opportunities to practice with live patient and simulated encounters in the laboratory. Author contributions: Dr. Macauley participated in the research and development of the manuscript in conjunction with all other authors. She participated extensively in the acquisition and review of data, serves as corresponding author, drafted all manuscript versions, and approved the final manuscript.

Linda Awdishu, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego.

Dr. Awdishu is the course chair for the Therapeutics series and is the Director of Interprofessional Education and Simulation for the School of Pharmacy. Author contributions: Dr. Awdishu was a member of the interview panel, drafted and approved the final version of this manuscript.

Kathleen M Sweeney, Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego.

In this role Dr. Sweeney leads inter-professional education, evidence based practice, and research programs within the health care service sector, inclusive of a focus on simulation as a teaching/learning method. She has presented at the national level, and her research interests include role transitions, translational science, and IPE facilitation with a focus on clinical outcomes. Author contributions: Dr. Sweeney collaborated in the initial phases of the study including data collection, coding analytics, and initial manuscript development.

Sophie S Hutchins, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science: Beyster Institute for Nursing Research, University of San Diego.

Dr. Hutchins has 25 years teaching experience in pre-licensure nursing education focusing mainly on Maternal-Child Nursing and Simulation. She is a Certified Nurse Educator and a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator. She has over 35 years of experience as a Labor and Delivery Nurse and 12 years experience in healthcare simulation. Author contributions: Dr. Hutchins in conjunction with all other authors drafted and approved the final version of this manuscript. She assisted with the design of the study, participated in the acquisition and review of the data, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

Jennifer M Namba, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego.

Dr. Namba is currently a Transitions of Care pharmacist at UC San Diego Healthcare System. She has also served as the medical ICU pharmacist at UCSD Hillcrest hospital and as a faculty preceptor for the ICU and cardiology rotations. Her research interests reside within acute care (critical care and heart failure), resuscitation, transitions of care, and the role of simulation in pharmacist training. Author contributions: Dr. Namba participated extensively in the acquisition of the data sample and in conjunction with all other authors drafted and approved the final version of this manuscript as submitted.

Michelle L Johnson, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego.

Dr. Johnson is the Co-Medical Director of the UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project which is an inter-disciplinary clinic with medical students, pharmacy students, nurse practitioner students and other learners. She is also a Co-Director of the Clinical Foundations course at UCSD where she is involved in medical student education including interprofessional education and simulation. Author contributions: Dr. Johnson participated in the review of data and in conjunction with co-authors, drafted and approved the final version of this manuscript.

Peggy A Wallace, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego.

Dr. Wallace is the director of the Professional Development Center at the UC San Diego, School of Medicine, home of the Standardized Patient Program. She is also the author of "Coaching Standardized Patients for Use in the Assessment of Clinical Competence". Her goals reside in providing realistic practice opportunities in a simulated environment where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from them before working independently with real patients. Author contributions: Dr. Wallace participated in the research and development of the manuscript, participated in the acquisition and review of data, and drafted and approved the final manuscript.

Karen A Garman, Kaiser Permanente - Southern California.

As a medical educator, with over 35 years of experience in the delivery of professional development programs to public and private healthcare organizations, Dr. Garman instructs physicians and other healthcare providers on how to become better leaders, teachers and patient communicators. Her research is in the application of positive psychology to develop healthcare providers' positive emotions and strengths by using positive feedback and other positive psychology interventions to benefit clinical patient outcomes. Author contributions: Dr. Garman conceptualized and designed the study with Dr. Hurst, participated in the acquisition of the data, and approved the final version of this manuscript.

Amy M Zheng, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; School of Medicine, University of California San Diego.

Dr. Zheng has served as the planning committee chairperson for the IPE since its inception. She has presented at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare and published the IPE curriculum on the Association of American Medical Colleges MedEd Portal. Author contributions: Dr. Zheng conceptualized and chaired the implementation of the IPE event. In conjunction with other authors, she participated in interviews, drafted and approved the final versions of the manuscript.

Downloads

Published

2018-01-09

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Articles: Empirical Research

License

JRIPE publishes original research in Interprofessional Practice and Education. It allows authors to maintain copyright in exchange for a limited term exclusive license to make the article publicly available; followed by a permanent non-exclusive licence to continue making the article available to users; and the right to make the article available through databases. It asks for 50 percent of any commercial fees payable for usage. Authors may, at any time, archive the work on their own site or that of their institution. Authors must indemnify the journal against damage; obtain any necessary permissions; and attest to the article’s originality and legitimate legal status.

Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute with the acknowledgement that this aricle was first published by the Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Education, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal.