In healthcare communication, we often focus on the one-on-one relationships between patients and clinicians. Healthcare, however, is a team endeavor with many players and relationships. Clinical and social healthcare professionals learn their crafts in separate programs with sometimes very different training methods and philosophies. However, there is more overlap than differences when it comes to communication skills. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we created innovative learning experiences for students in Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Social Work to work together while learning foundational interprofessional communication skills. We developed a simulation based on the premise of a missing patient to pull together core communication skills like Motivational interviewing (OARS), giving and receiving feedback effectively, and a mnemonic for empathic statements (NURSE). Using a fictional scenario allowed learners to focus on practicing communication skills and relationship centered care without the need or stress to apply clinical knowledge. The scenario is fun and engages the learner in a safe space. Students are instructed to use their interprofessional communication skills to solve the mystery of the missing patient, follow their role instructions, stay in character, and improvise where needed. Students and facilitators, who also have a role, debrief between six scenes as well as at the end in breakout rooms. A final reflective large group discussion focuses on how effective team communication promotes better patient outcomes. In this Lightning Talk, the pre-recorded session will dive into the experiential activity and give participants a few snapshots of our role play experience, including debrief and reflection. We will then share our experiences using this activity via Zoom and breakout rooms, and designing the teaching session to meet the needs of multiple professions. During the Lightning Talk, we can share our lessons learned, as well as a worksheet for conducting this activity at their home institutions.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (OICPD). The OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the OICPD is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The OICPD maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.
Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change
