Background/Significance: TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based framework to optimize team performance across the healthcare delivery system and is quickly gaining notice as a gold standard for interprofessional team skills. One of the four teachable-learnable skills is communication which is the core of the TeamSTEPPS framework. Prior to graduation, students rarely, if any, have opportunity to actually communicate with other healthcare professionals while in his/her professional role. The ability to communicate concisely and accurately is paramount for professionals to provide safe quality care and a must in healthcare education curricula.

Methodology: The study was a continuous quality improvement (Cal) project that involved multiple undergraduate programs: nursing; allied health sciences (PT, PA, and OT); and pharmacy. Students enrolled into a separate course where they were provided educational material concerning SBAR, a video case scenario, and evidence based supplemental material. Students were then paired with a different discipline. Based on a change in the scenario and using Hamilton's 2008 SBAR Rubric, each student pair exchanged plans of care.

Results: A total of 21 0 students participated in the cal project with 93% being paired with a different discipline. A total of 80% completed the assignment and of those who completed 96% received feedback.

Conclusions: SBAR is a teachable skill that is easily recognized by all students as a safe and effective method of communicating among providers. Interprofessional Communication Activity is needed at the entry level for all professions. Recommendations for online learning for communication skills include a) start with face-to-face interactions, b) anticipate technical issues & navigation barriers, c) progress with the incorporate Skype, Web Ex, etc. to increase personal contact and reduce reading time.

Background/Significance: National studies identified medical errors directly correlate to communication problems among of health care teams. Team training which includes tools and strategies for improving communication decreased incidents of adverse outcomes, reduced length of stay in intensive care units, and minimized nurse turnover. Safe, quality health care is dependent on interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional teamwork demands accurate, concise communication, role clarification, situation awareness, and mutual support.

Methodology: This ongoing interprofessional study is being conducted at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as a component of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is an element of the Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation process. The ultimate purpose of this project is to demonstrate how TeamSTEPPSTM training influences Interprofessional teamwork among student groups. The initial continuolJs quality improvement (CQI) project was conducted in the fall, 2010 with 2 groups. Each group, composed of 3 medical students and 3 nursing students, selected a faculty mentor. Utilizing a pre-post-test design, a panel of faculty experts evaluated each group on the use of team skills while caring for a simulated cardiac patient, before and after a TeamSTEPPSTM intervention. The TeamSTEPPSTM intervention was delivered using a variety of teaching/learning tools such as YouTube. Data was obtained using a modified version of the Clinical Teamwork Scale and post encounter group debrief. Additionally, the post-test simulations were integrated into the Annual Interprofessional Fall Symposium. The audience composed of faculty, staff, and students rated the performance in a game-like atmosphere. The winning team received a small stipend.

Results: Both groups demonstrated excellent teamwork skills after the TeamSTEPPSTM intervention. The debrief session provided input from both students and mentors. This input was used to modify the next phase of the project to be conducted spring, 2011 after IRB approval.

Conclusions: Students verbalized the simulated environment provided a "safe" friendly environment to develop teamwork skills. These students also stressed the experience provided an opportunity to develop an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a different discipline. Faculty mentors expressed excitement related to the opportunity to interact with students from other schools.

Methodology: Interprofessionalleaders and educators from two local hospital systems and 3 health colleges developed a 9-component "ICE Pack" that included a unanimously-endorsed, detailed hand hygiene and aseptic technique (HH/AT) checklist. This teaching and assessment module was delivered to 34 nursing/medical student and PGY-1 resident/nurse intern pairs. Learners completed an evaluation at the end of the module. Retention of checklist skills was retested two to three months after participation in the module in a subset of participants.

Results: Learner pairs participating in the two-hour module achieved 100% mastery of the HH/AT checklist and rated the experience highly valuable (Mean=4.4 on 5-point scale). After re-testing several weeks later, deterioration in percentage of steps performed correctly was evident for all learner groups: nursing students (39%), medical students (80%) and residents (38%).

Conclusions: A community-wide HH/AT checklist was developed and an ICE Pack of materials created. These materials were portable, standardized the teaching and assessment of HH/AT skills, and were designed for interprofessional pairs of learners. Retention of checklist steps was disappointing in retested participants. Multiple, simultaneous strategies for improving compliance with infection control mandates appear necessary.

Methods: A medical errors/patient safety theme was added to the 2008 cardiovascular PBL domain. An introductory lecture begins with 10 pretest questions, and then discusses the findings of the 10M reports, basic patient safety science principles (medical error genesis, failure mode effect analysis, human factors engineering, and root cause analysis) and principles of apology. Based on Joint Commission Patient Safety Goals, "patients" in the domain "experience" typical medical errors and their attendant morbidity and mortality. Stimulus questions and reference materials with cases enable students to learn independently and within small group. Patient safety/medical error questions are included on the final domain examination.

Results: Students rated the lecture overall as 3.6/5, average rating for all lectures was 3.9/5. Average performance on 10 pretest questions was 50%. Average performance on the 4 final examination questions was 79%. Faculty comments were positive.

Conclusions: The addition of an introductory patient safety/medical errors curriculum to a PBL domain was efficient and effective in increasing student knowledge. Preceptors were appreciative. The curriculum committee voted to expand this curriculum to every PBL domain. Students and their faculty preceptors are learning this material together.

Methods: Three GME-sponsoring institutions cooperatively developed a list of 21 patient-safety competencies, a sixty-question multiple-choice examination (MCE), and 4 instructional modules. The MCE and two of the modules have been delivered. Module 1 focused on basic patient safety science principles and involved a short pre/post test and participant evaluation. The second module consisted of mock root cause analyses discussed in small groups and was evaluated by participants.

Results: Pre/post knowledge assessment increased from 59% to 81 %. Likert ratings of Module 1 were 4.04-4.39/5 and of module 2 were 4.09-4.42/5. Residents preferred the small group format to lecture. On the multiple choice examination, PGY-2 residents that completed the 2 modules performed at a level equivalent to residents with an additional year of training. Scheduling of modules presented difficulties.

Conclusions: The call for improvement of patient safety-related competencies begs for cooperative, centralized efforts. as these are not specialty-specific and are suited to delivery to multiple types of learners. We created 2 well-received educational modules and increased resident patient safety knowledge. Scheduling difficulties were frustrating and continue to challenge this effort.

Methodology: The present paper describes the design, planning, cost, and support staff time required for conducting an interprofessional simulation of the intensive care setting, including a methodology for maximizing resources and opportunities for 64 physical and occupational therapy students over a four hour time period. Qualitative analyses of student experiences are also presented.

Results: Students were able to participate in a simulated intensive care unit for individuals with severe burns as both direct participants ("clinicians") as well as by viewing their peers via a live video stream ("observers"). Debriefings allowed for feedback from peers, faculty, and standardized patients. Qualitative analysis of the self- and peer-evaluations and the final group debriefing revealed themes regarding range of motion measurement, patient-centered care, role delineation and teamwork, and simulation logistics.

Conclusions: Simulation-based learning is highly-valued and well-liked by students, but requires considerable staff and monetary resources beyond the time the primary faculty member might spend developing a new laboratory or learning activity. The actual cost of a simulation could vary considerably between institutions depending on the level of fidelity and technology available or desired, the salary of the staff that are utilized to plan and conduct a simulation, and the availability and quality of technological infrastructure (e.g., video servers, cameras). Interprofessional simUlation experiences provide an opportunity for health professions students to learn with and from students in other disciplines. This high-volume method maximized the use of resources, including space, personnel, student time, and standardized patient time.

Background/Significance: The Interprofessional Curriculum is an annual four-week educational module for students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health Professions. For several years, the curriculum has included an interprofessional case study involving root cause analysis and small group discussion to evaluate an adverse event and develop recommendations aimed at sustainably improving systems and processes to achieve better patient care safety, quality, and value. In 2010, the simulation portion of the curriculum was expanded into a pandemic influenza context.

Methodology: In the simulation exercise, each interprofessional team encountered five patients in an urgent care setting. Two of the five patients presented influenza symptoms, and a third influenza patient entered the room ten minutes into the simulation. In addition to clinical evaluation of the patients, students were expected to recognize and discuss numerous safety threats-based on National Patient Safety goals-that were embedded into the scenarios. In the card sort activity, teams of health services management stUdents categorized 24 index cards (where each card identified a leadership action or organizational response for coordinating and managing the influenza outbreak) into one of four urgency/priority categories. By design, about 80% of the cards were sorted into the "High Urgency/Immediate Priority" category.

Results and Conclusions: In total, more than 250 students participated in the 2010 simulation. To evaluate curriculum effectiveness, a pre/post survey of knowledge, skills, and attitudes measured significant increases in participants' agreement that, for example, "Interprofessionallearning is an effective strategy for teamwork skill development" (p-value=.0002). Improvement opportunities were noted in the percentage of students correctly recognizing and responding to patient safety hazards embedded in the simulation such as a wrong medication dose and patient fall risks.

Background/Significance: According to the 1999 Institute of Medicine report To Error is Human, between 44,000 and 98,000 patients die each year due to medical errors. The literature is abundant with examples of communication failures among health professionals and how that adversely affects patient care.The West Michigan Interprofessional Education Initiative, led by Grand Valley State University, was created in response to the core competencies established for health professionals by the Institute of Medicine. An important patient care outcome is safety. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital (HDCH), a member of Spectrum Health, addressed the culture of safety within this setting. Patient Safety behaviors were developed as part of a safety transformation initiative to improve the safety and quality of our community's health care. Hospital-wide training for all employees was undertaken and in the two years since the training was implemented there has been a significant decrease in the defined safety dashboard incidents. The safety program research builds on the work at HDCH, and the West Michigan Interprofessional Education Initiative team's work on providing interprofessional education learning experiences to health professions students.

Methodology: The specific aims are to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of simulation and safety rounding on basic safety behavior knowledge (communication) and satisfaction with selected learning experiences of students and staff on a 24 bed unit in the 206 bed children's hospital; (b) to determine the effect of the safety program on select indicators on the safety dashboard for the pilot unit which include 1) the number of serious safety events rate; 2) the number of incident reports; 3) the precursor to serious safety event rate ratio.

Results: The current proposal is developed as a component of an educational and practice partnership to promote patient safety education and interprofessional practice by Grand Valley State University in partnership with Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners. This educational safety program will be for undergraduate nursing, phYSician assistant students, third year medical students, residents and clinicians on the pilot unit.

Conclusions: We are anticipating that the study will assist in filling a gap in the literature on the evaluation of safety content through the use of simulation, that there will be increased satisfaction by the students and staff, and the knowledge gained will increase safety behaviors thus improving patient care.

Background/Significance: Patients' emotional and spiritual perspectives are integral to the healing process, yet often not addressed within the healthcare system. Providing. patients with a voice that allows them to express their journey, concerns, hopes and fears to their healthcare providers is key in delivering patient-centered care. Some patients already use novel strategies like poetry to make sense of their illnesses and to communicate with other patients and providers. When Robert Hawke, an award winning actor and comedian, was diagnosed with cancer, he struggled to make sense of his illness and communicate with his healthcare providers. Turning to his natural coping mechanism - comedy - Robert co-created and starred in a play called "Norm Vs Cancer: A Terminally Funny One-Man Show". Initially, Rob performed this play outside the clinical environment. There is huge potential for new communication mediums within the clinical environment, as they could provide healthcare professionals with a unique lens into the patient experience. We have begun piloting the utility of this play for multiple communication and education strategies in healthcare by:
1. Inviting interprofessional groups (including patients) to watch the play within the healthcare environment and immediately following, participate in a facilitated discussion about patient-centered care.
2. Developing the play for medical school curriculum. In addition to learning about patient centered care from a renowned thought leader in nursing, these medical students also participated in an exercise to understand the personal impact of illness from the patient perspective.

Next Steps: Our goal is to formally evaluate:
1. The impact of this performance on providers' understanding and application of patient centered care principles.
2. The impact of this performance and developed curriculum on medical students' training.

Methodology: The cultural improvement is based on the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) developed by Dr. Peter Pronovost at Johns Hopkins University. CUSP is a five step intervention that includes: 1) education staff on the science of safety, 2) identification of defects, 3) assignment of an executive partner to the unit, 4) learning from at least one defect per month, and 5) implementation of team work tools. At the beginning of a project, and then twelve to eighteen months later, we conduct surveys of the unit culture to identify changes.

Results: Over the course of our work we have found clear correlations between irnproved safety culture and outcomes such as infection prevention. The improved culture has also demonstrated sustainability as seen in a median rate for central lineassociated bloodstream infections for a thirty-six month time period in a number of Michigan intensive care units.

Conclusion: It is the combination of adaptive work (cultural improvement) and technical work (evidence-based interventions) that holds promise for building capacity for sustainable improvement. The presentation will provide this experience coupled with data from our past and present projects to demonstrate the importance of this combined approach.

Background/Significance: Interprofessional educational experiences are becoming increasingly popular and the evidence for IPE in the training of future health professions is mounting. The importance of interprofessional education (lPE) has gained new ground as a means to improve quality patient care (Remington, 2006). It has been promoted as a method to promote teamwork and increase the ability of health care professionals to learn and work collaboratively (D'Eon, 2005). In order to achieve this goal, a summit of health care educators recommended that students should be trained in interprofessional teams (Institute of Medicine, 2003). However, despite the evidence supporting the incorporation of IPE into curricula, alignment of curricula and student schedules is daunting. This project attempts to circumvent these barriers.

Methodology: The project is based on a virtual patient, located in the web-based DxR Clinician and VirtualPT Clinician websites, both of which are licensed to Grand Valley State University. Students in each of the PT, OT and PA departments are assigned to a group consisting of members from the other professions. These interprofessional student groups will then convene and collaboratively work through an assigned case at any point during the course of the semester that is agreed upon by each student group. This problem-based learning project requires students to independently seek additional information and reflect upon the interactions with each discipline in determining and examination and patient management plan. Student reflection and documentation of the comprehensive patient management plan is achieved via a worksheet that is to be completed by the students and submitted at the end of the semester. A large group debrief will be held at the conclusion of the semester.

Results: There are no results at the time of this abstract. More information will be shared during the presentation at the IPE Conference.

Conclusion: There are no conclusions at the time of this abstract. More information will be shared during the presentation at the IPE Conference.

Background/Significance: The need for competent nurses and pharmacists is increasing as the aging population in the United States burgeons. In the Institute of Medicine report, Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), increasing the abilities of interprofessional teams to work together to improve the safety, timeliness and efficiency of patient care was one strategy identified to enhance quality of care (including medication management).

Methodology: On pre and post-tests, students identified which of 15 professional role functions could be performed by both nurses and pharmacists. Qualitative analysis using axial coding to discover themes was done of students' and older adults' perceptions about the experience.

Results: Post-test frequency percentages indicated an increase in the number of students who recognized that their roles overlap on all but one of the fifteen roles. Qualitative analysis of students' perceptions revealed a number of themes including appreciation for the perspective and expertise of another professional to the patient care outcomes. Four themes emerged from the elders' perceptions of the experience; they clearly valued the interaction with the students as a "team". Elders identified six improved medication outcomes as a result of the experience.

Conclusions: As a result of conducting this pilot with three cohorts of students between 2 universities, 2 colleges, and 25 elders, the following recommendations should be considered: obtain a letter of agreement between the college deans to cover student liability issues well in advance; involve nursing students who have already completed a pharmacology course; establish stellar rapport between interdisciplinary faculty in order to role model inter-disciplinary collaboration in the classroom and as supervisors of the students' joint care plan preparation; explore educational cultural differences and acknowledge them openly the first time students meet. Additional recommendations to launching a similar pilot will be shared and suggestions sought for improving and expanding this seminar/clinical experience.

Background/Significance: A new model of interprofessional education, identified as the Interprofessional Model for Teaching Responsible Client-Centered Practice (IMTRCP), was developed by a group of faculty from varying health profession programs. The model derives from sharing ideas of different models and approaches from our own unique professions as well as adding the perspective of higher education in the text A New Agenda for Higher Education: Shaping a Life of the Mind for Practice (Sullivan & Rosin, 2008). The model was designed to increase students' understanding of the roles and expertise of the various health professions and to foster client - centered practice.

Methodology: A pilot interprofessional educational workshop was held that incorporated 4 students each from the professions of nursing, occupational therapy, physician assistants, and social work. Four learning activities, Cafe Conversations, case studies, and a small and large group debriefing exercise were developed. Students rotated through four stations representing the four concepts of the IMTRCP model. Each student completed demographic information, a pre and post workshop survey using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS). In addition, qualitative data were obtained during the cafe conversations (prior to the interactions), the two debriefing exercises, and to seven general evaluation questions.

Results: Based on paired t-test results (N=16), 10 items from the RIPLS and 3 from the IEPS changed significantly from the pre workshop surveys compared to the post workshop surveys. Significant items from the RIPLS and IEPS supported all the model concepts except communities of different professions. Individualized open coding, combined axial and selective coding were done with 3team members to derive the qualitative themes. The five themes, moral/ethical, role issues, competencies, client - centered care and shared internalized values, supported the model more completely as communities of different professions emerged from the responses.

Conclusion: The quantitative and qualitative data both support the IMTRCP model. The Workshop served as a way for students to understand the value of other professions and the team approach to client centered care.

Background/Significance: The current health care system in the United States is extremely complex. Advances in technology and a deeper understanding of the human response to illness have created an environment that challenges health professionals in the provision of safe, quality health care. Education of such professionals must evolve with the changing environment. The Institute of Medicine (10M) convened an interprofessional team to develop recommendations for changes in the education of health professionals to meet these challenges (2003). One specific recommendation of the 10M is that all health care professionals should be trained to function in interprofessional teams; however professional education has traditionally occurred in silos, with no formal exposure to the roles of other health professionals. This leaves the new graduate unprepared to work as a member of the health care team.

Methodology: A simulated primary care office was created in a suite of eight patient rooms; standard patients were scripted to reflect specific chief complaints and placed in each room. Nursing students in their first clinical semester of a baccalaureate program provided nursing assessment while physician assistant students in their didactic year provided medical assessment. After gathering the nursing assessment, the student nurse communicated the findings to the physician assistant student. Both students then returned to the patient for the medical assessment. Upon completion of the exam, the two students discussed the patient findings and conferred on the appropriate treatment plan. Each student participated in the development of the plan.

Results: No formal research is being conducted on this project. Comments from the students include "I really enjoyed working together to help the patient", and "this experience helps me solidify what I have learned and continue to practice my skills while in a rea/life situation".

Conclusion: This project has been very beneficial for all the students involved, so much so that this IPE experience has been instituted twice a semester, every semester. The simulation, cases and logistics of this IPE simulation experience continues to evolve and improve with each semester.

Background/Significance: The Interprofessional Wellness Clinic was begun in January 2004 with the objective of developing an interdisciplinary collaborative clinic utilizing Optometry, Pharmacy, and Nursing students and faculty to facilitate the understanding and appreciation of the contribution of each profession to the total management of diabetes. Additionally, each patient receives discipline-specific education and management from each profession, resulting in much improved understanding of their disease state, medications, modifying factors, and personal support from multiple disciplines.

Methodology: AII examinations and consultations are performed by students in their respective disciplines under the direction of faculty members of each profession, providing very practical experience in working with patients and various medical conditions. Each patient in the clinic receives comprehensive care from each of the represented disciplines followed by appropriate patient education from each profession. After all disciplines complete their evaluations and provide specific patient education they confer as a group to perform an interdisciplinary review with each discipline relating their respective examination findings and patient management recommendations to all members participating in the clinic. After each patient participates in the clinic, a letter is composed which outlines the findings of the clinic with appropriate recommendations for further care. This letter is sent to the patient's primary care physician and any other health care professional involved in the care of the patient.

Results: In the near seven year existence of this clinic, there has been statistically demonstrable acceptance of the clinical procedures and outcomes by its patients. Students have consistently expressed their positive view of the clinic with respect to working with the patients individually and the educational experience of the interdisciplinary setting.

Conclusion: The Interprofessional Well ness Clinic exemplifies a collaborative effort involving Optometry, Pharmacy, and Nursing at Ferris State University and is designed to provide interdisciplinary health care for patients in the Ferris and local communities.