Let's Get

Abstract

Topic/Problem statement Effective communication and collaboration among professional caregivers from various disciplines is a necessary platform in any healthcare setting and it is essential for safe, effective patient care and optimal outcomes. An essential component that introduces risk for safety in all these settings is prescribing, administration, and education for medication management. Greater understanding of these issues among members of the healthcare team can promote greater understanding for patients and lead to improved health and decreased costs. Context The project involves students completing a Master of Social Work degree and nurse practitioner students in three different specialty tracks in the Master of Science in Nursing Program. The goal of the project was to make pharmacy consultations available to all interested students to encourage discussion among disciplines and help them integrate knowledge and experiences they were exposed to in clinical settings. Grounding There is evidence that student reflection and engagement of students in the learning process are important to achieve academic success. It has long been recognized in nursing that reflective practice is inherent to the learning process, but the intentional incorporation of reflection into curriculums has not been consistent. This project incorporated student participation and reflection as part of active learning. Approach Students across disciplines receive communication about general topics for each of the 12 pharmacy consultations for the upcoming semester. Students are encouraged to reflect on the topics and submit reflection questions related to the topics based on gaps in their knowledge and based on patient cases to which they have been exposed. Students working in interprofessional teams are encouraged to work together to reflect on and submit case questions. Students are sent the pharmacy online weblinks a week prior to each consultation and again encouraged to submit relevant questions for the registered pharmacist. Reflection/Discussion/Lessons Learned It was anticipated that interprofessional student teams would work together on difficult patient cases and reflect on gaps in knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics so they could learn from one anothers perspectives to enrich their understanding individually and as a team while benefiting patients in their caseloads. Reflections on various issues in pharmacology based on topics disseminated at the beginning of the semester was open to other students in the courses, but the first order was on those interdisciplinary students working in interprofessional teams in the community. It was a coordinated effort to maintain communication among student groups so they could arrange time for the pharmacy consultations. The most significant barrier was unanticipated issues arising for the pharmacist, which led to occasional rescheduling, making it difficult for students who had arranged their time so they could participate. The other barrier was occasional technological issues that hindered ability to open the online consultations. References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2016, February). TeamSTEPPS Curriculum Materials. Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/teamstepps/curriculum-materials.html Enuku, C., & Evawoma-Enuku, U. (2015). Importance of reflective practice in nursing education. West African Journal of Nursing, 26, 52-59. Peixoto, N.M., & Peixoto, T.A. (2016). Reflective practice among nursing students in clinical teaching. Revista de Enfermagem Referencia, 4(11), 121-131.