Unpacking interactions among student teams in a practice-based IPE setting: a qualitative evaluation study

ABSTRACT

In many healthcare settings, teams change composition regularly, so healthcare students must be trained to function effectively in dynamic teams before entering the workforce. Interprofessional clinical rotations provide an ideal venue for learners to practice these skills, but little is known about how student teams interact in such settings. In this qualitative observational evaluation, learners from multiple health professions at a single institution participated in scheduled clinics in low-income housing communities for older adults. Interprofessional student teams met with program participants for care coordination, health and wellness assessments, and assistance in setting and achieving health goals; team composition changed from week-to-week. A purposive sample was selected from video-recorded encounters between student teams and their program participants. The aim of this study was to explore team interactions and document learner behaviors. Two researchers independently reviewed discrete segments of each video, recorded their observations and reflections, and then the team discussed, categorized, and identified relevant examples of both effective and ineffective behaviors. Four major themes were observed: inclusiveness, leadership, joy of practice, and sharing of clinical knowledge. Students demonstrated both positive and negative examples of behaviors that aligned with each theme. Understanding how students behave on teams in dynamic settings where patient care is taking place can help educators establish practice-based interprofessional education models that better prepare learners to function effectively and strategies that may improve team interactions.

KEYWORDS:

• Behavioral observation
• clinical education
• interprofessional
• qualitative
• teamwork

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Danah Alsane, PhD, for her efforts in collecting the video observations that were used for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Kimberly Battle

Kimberly Battle is a clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University

Kelly S. Lockeman

Kelly Lockeman is an associate professor in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of Evaluation and Assessment for the VCU Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care.

Alan W. Dow

Alan Dow is a professor in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and was Assistant Vice President of Health Sciences for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care at the time the study was completed.

Krista L. Donohoe

Krista Donohoe is an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Lauren Hanley

Lauren Hanley was a medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University at the time the study was completed.

Patricia W. Slattum

Patricia Slattum is Professor Emeritus in the School of Pharmacy and Professor in the Virginia Center on Aging at Virginia Commonwealth University.