Developing Student Interprofessional Team Communication
Learning Materials for an Interprofessional Education (IPE) Event
F.
1
Jensen ,
C.M.
2
Glazebrook ,
C.
3
Bergen ,
4
I.Toews ,
5
G.Pereira ,
M.
6
Wener ,
R.
7
Grymonpre ,
N.
8
Kleiman ,
9
P.Wener
1.Faculty of Nursing, 2.Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, 3.Department of Occupational Therapy, 4.Faculty of Medicine, 5.Department of Physical Therapy, 6.School of Dental Hygiene, 7.Coordinator University
of Manitoba Interprofessional Education Initiative, 8.Faculty of Pharmacy, 9.Department of Occupational Therapy
Interprofessional Team Communication Working Group (WG) University of Manitoba Interprofessional Education Initiative
Introduction and Background
Method
The Canadian Interprofessional Health
Collaborative(CIHC) framework identifies six
competencies for interprofessional collaboration.1 The two
competencies, interprofessional communication and
patient-centred care, are foundational and facilitate the
other four competencies.
A working group of faculty members, from seven different
academic units, engaged in an iterative process to develop
explicit IP team communication objectives and then to
develop learning activities aligned with these objectives.
Working group members subdivided into 3 groups focusing
on online learning materials, face to face learning and
developing a tool to rate student group team communication.
In final preparation for the IP event, the 3 faculty groups
shared their work to further refine the student learning
materials.
Most healthcare education programs teach students
interpersonal communication skills. However, students
learn little about Interprofessional (IP) Communication
where learners from different professions develop
communication skills that facilitate communication with
each other in a collaborative, responsive, and responsible
manner.
Developing the Learning Materials
Interprofessional Team Communication
Learning Objectives
Demonstrate the
ability to work together
respecting and valuing
the professional and
personal knowledge of
others.
• As evidence by building on statements made,
accepting responsibility to include others, and
soliciting input from group members
Facilitator
Receipt of
learning
materials
Facilitation
of face-to
face casebased
session
Online
introductions to
IPE small learning
group
• Debrief questions for facilitators to use, during the event, to help
prompt discussion about the team’s communication during the 3
team communication debrief opportunities. Each debrief was
approximately 10 minutes. (Bergen & Toews, 2011)
• Development of a “Facilitator Feedback Assessment Tool” to assess
the groups ability to apply IP team communication skills, which
reflected the student team’s progress in meeting the IP team
communication objectives. (Wener & Wener, 2011)
Three sessions were offered in March 2012, October 2012 and March
2013. Approximately 250-440 students participated per session from
5-8 academic units. Student participants in the “Learning Health
Promotion Interprofessionally” event varied with each offering and
included students from the Faculties of Nursing, Medicine, Kinesiology
and Recreation Management, Social Work, Clinical Psychology,
Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy,
Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy and Human Ecology. Students were
at different years and levels of undergraduate or postgraduate
training. Pre-learning activities included an IP team communication
reading in order to develop student knowledge of team
communication, viewing an online video of a team in action and
completing an assessment of the team’s communication using the
McMaster Team Communication Observation Guide (TCOG), in order
to provide an opportunity to practice assessing team communication.
During the 3 hour session the students were prompted to pause and
debrief specifically around the group’s communication. Post-event,
facilitators assessed and graded the team communication abilities of
their student group.
Reprinted with permission from CIHC
Facilitator Training Of
IP Communication
Skills and Health
Promotion
• An online pre-reading material titled “Introduction to
Interprofessional Team Communication”. (Jensen & Glazebrook,
2011)
• A direction guide for learners to view an online vignette on IP team
communication (Communication 2 Module: online ipe.com)2, using
the McMaster Team Observation Communication Guide (TOCG) to
rate the level of communication in the vignette.
Results
Canadian Interprofessional Health
Collaborative Competencies(CIHC)1
Overview and Flow of the “Learning
Health Promotion Interprofessionally”
Student Event
Learning Materials Developed
Demonstrate the
ability to respectfully
state one’s opinion
and actively listen to
others.
• As evidenced by the ability to include others, and
soliciting input from group members
Discussion and Conclusions
Through the IP event students applied the team communication
skills they learned, in a team setting. We believe we have a
sustainable IP learning opportunity that explicitly teaches IP
team communication embedded as a mandatory session within
the curricula of 13 academic units. The team communication
learning materials are being refined, including adding one
additional team communication learning objective and a Student
IP Team Communication Assessment Rubric to improve the
quality of the IP learning experience.
References
1. Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (2010) A national interprofessional
competency framework. http://www.cihc.ca
2. Institute of Interprofessional Health Sciences Education (n.d.) Communication module.
Online IPe,.com: McMaster University: Hamilton, Canada.
Student
Introduction of IPE
Health Promotion
Event by Home
Course Instructors
Receipt of
learning
materials
Online
introductions to
IPE small learning
group
Acknowledgements
Completion of
online quiz &
video
Face-to
face casebased
session
Accept shared
responsibility for
developing strategies
in the assigned case
study.
• As evidenced by equal member participation and
consideration of all viewpoints
The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of the University of Manitoba IP
Health Promotion Working Group and the University of Manitoba IP Faculty Development
Working Group in creating learning materials for the “Learning Health Promotion
Interprofessionally” event, and as well Ms. Maria James Research Assistant, and Ms.
Corrine Bakun Office Assistant.
Correspondence
Ms. Fiona Jensen: Fiona.Jensen@ad.umanitoba.ca
Ms. Pam Wener: Pam.Wener@med.umanitoba.ca
Interprofessional Education Initiative