Occupational Therapy/Respiratory Therapy Collaboration: Understanding Roles and Early Mobility Simulation

Abstract

Topic/Problem Statement: Students enrolled in healthcare programs must learn to work collaboratively to best serve patients. Outside of one’s own profession, roles of additional team members may not be clearly understood. Occupational and respiratory therapists work collaboratively as part of early mobility teams in intensive care units. Students of identified programs need to learn each other’s roles and purpose to best work collaboratively within these teams. They must also learn to communicate effectively to ensure patient safety. Context: Occupational therapy students and respiratory students both presented on their roles and scope of practice to the other discipline. Additionally, handouts were created to aid each discipline in the practice of early mobility. Following the presentations, the students completed two early mobility simulation activities. From this experience, student outcomes involved role and scope of practice recognition, the benefits of interprofessional peer teaching, and identifying the components of interprofessional collaboration and teamwork. Approach: The occupational therapy profession will need to focus on interprofessional education in the classroom to be better prepared for evolving healthcare reform impacted by emerging areas of practice within the profession (Mroz, Pitonyak, Fogelberg, & Leland, 2015). The Institute of Medicine (2003) endorsed peer-to-peer teaching to better improve healthcare quality (Buring et al., 2009). The occupational therapy students presented to the respiratory therapy students the role of occupational therapy, importance of functional and early mobility, and how to perform a stand-pivot transfer. Next, respiratory therapy students presented the role of respiratory therapy, an overview of different types of oxygen equipment, and knowledge of oxygen parameters. All students then participated in two interprofessional simulation activities requiring teamwork to transfer a patient safely while maintaining all necessary equipment, monitoring vital signs, and assessing the patient appropriately. Reflection/Discussion: At the end of the simulation, students debriefed with occupational and respiratory therapy faculty and the standardized patient. Students voiced a better understanding of one another’s roles and scope of practice. They emphasized the need for teamwork and communication when working with any patient. Many students voiced learning from the other discipline during both the presentation and simulation. The students were asked to participate in a survey at the end of the debriefing focused on the peer teaching experience. Results indicate most students agreed the interprofessional activity will help with their therapy role in the future, was time and effort well spent, and that each discipline has a responsibility to teach others. Faculty plan to continue the interprofessional activity in the future. References: Buring, S. M., Bhushan, A., Broeseker, A., Conway, S., Duncan-Hewitt, W., Hansen, L., & Westberg, S. (2009). Interprofessional education: Definitions, student competencies, and guidelines for implementation. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 73(4), article 59. Mroz, T.M., Pitonyak, J.S., Fogelberg, D., & Leland, N.E. (2015). Health policy perspectives – Client centeredness and health reform: Key issues for occupational therapy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69, 6905090010. Retrieved from http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2436567