Art and Aging: Use of Social Media for Geriatric Education

Social media as an educational tool for health care learning has untapped potential. Benefits of social media include peer-to-peer engagement, active learning and interprofessional training. Here we explored social media platforms as a vehicle to deliver short, pithy clinical pearls from evidence-based, peer-reviewed manuscripts. Key points from recent medical publications are paired with pre-existing artwork to provide visual reinforcement of the clinical pearl. Dubbed “Art and Aging”, the clinical pearl and artwork combination is posted on different social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, thus allowing for an expansive audience. Different hashtags and tags are used to increase followers and engagement on each platform. Over a 9 months period learner engagement increased by 150% and includes a diverse learner profile. These curated social media platforms show considerable promise for disseminating Geriatrics best practices. As yet, we do not know subject matter retention or whether it changes clinical practices - both questions which are future research objectives.

Geriatric Interprofessional Education: In-Person Simulation

Our in-person geriatric interprofessional training model is layered with scaffolds of active learning, tabletop team meeting simulation, assessment of older adult community members at risk for falls, and reflective feedback. The first step addresses knowledge acquisition via online didactic content. The second step reinforces the knowledge gained in the online didactics through in-person posters and interactive skills practice, followed by a profession-specific huddle to communicate patient assessment findings. The third step is an interprofessional team meeting simulation based on a case study of a complex geriatric patient. The fourth step is performing a supervised assessment on an older adult. The assessment incorporates the assessment tools practiced during the poster/skills session and team skills learned in the didactics and simulation. This is followed by the design of an interprofessional team-developed patient-centered plan of care. The event ends with a reflective debrief focused on interprofessional collaborative competencies.

Interprofessional survey on communication skills in veterinary and veterinary-related education in Germany

Background Communication is an indispensable skill in the everyday working life of a veterinary team. In German higher educational institutions, communication skills training is explicitly mentioned in the curricula of veterinary assistants, including veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians, and of animal keepers, but not for undergraduate veterinary medicine. Little is known about interprofessional education in veterinary medicine and related professions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe and explore the current interprofessional state of knowledge regarding communication skills of the aforementioned groups in Germany. Methods To explore the perception, assess the knowledge and identify the attitude regarding communication skills and interprofessional training, an online survey was distributed. The survey was sent to all five veterinary higher educational institutions, 38 schools for veterinary assistants and 15 schools for animal keepers throughout Germany. Results In total, 294 veterinary students, 111 veterinary assistant trainees and 62 animal keeper trainees participated. The majority of participants (98.07%, n = 458) perceived communication skills as highly important for their everyday work. In total, 413 participants (88.44%) felt that their communication skills needed improvement and more than half admitted having difficulties in effective communication (59.31%; n = 277). In addition, 62.74% of respondents (n = 293) were not sufficiently informed about the training content of their future colleagues. Most were convinced that training could positively influence on their communication with clients (95.72%; n = 447) and the team (92.29%; n = 431), and 76.45% of respondents (n = 357) wished to participate in an interprofessional training. Conclusions Results of this study confirm that communication skills are perceived as highly important for professional life. Students and trainees show a great interest in communication skills and interprofessional training. The findings indicate that appropriate adjustments to existing curricula are necessary in Germany.

Nurse’s Role from Medical Students’ Perspective during Their Interprofessional Clinical Practice: Evidence from Lithuania

Background: Attitudes towards interprofessional education are key factors that shape students’ behaviour during interprofessional practice. An interprofessional approach to training and practice is “unique”, important, and challenging. Interprofessional education allows for a deeper understanding and analysis of problems from perspectives different to those of “us”. The aim of the study was to assess medical students’ attitudes toward the nurse’s role during their interprofessional clinical practice. Methods: This study used a descriptive, correlational design. Results: Lithuanian medical students were statistically significantly more likely to think that the role of a nurse was clear and transparent to other professionals and that nurses exuded a high degree of professionalism, sought a high degree of involvement with the patient, and built deep relationships with the patients. Foreign medical students were statistically significantly more likely to believe that nurses worked more effectively alone than in a team and that they worked with the patients within their own professional field of knowledge rather than referring patients to other professionals. Conclusions: After 6 months of interprofessional training with nurses in the hospital, medical students gain a more clear professional picture of the role of the nurse.

Change of collective orientation through an interprofessional training with medical students and student nurses depending on presence and professional group

Background Teamwork is an important success factors for patient treatment. The willingness of a healthcare provider to work in a team can be descripted with the construct of “Collective Orientation” (CO). The level of CO can be trained and is related to team performance. In this study, we investigated the effect of a simulator-based interprofessional training on the subject of patient fall in a hospital setting upon participations CO. To evaluate whether the course could be integrated into a longitudinal education concept, the participants were medical students and student nurses. Since effects of simulations can be influenced by the perceived reality, the results were measured as a function of Presence. Method In this observation study, 62 medical students and student nurses took part in six one-day interprofessional simulation trainings with the topic patient fall. The primary outcome was the mean difference between the CO measured immediately before (T1) and after the training (T2). The Presence of the participants was measured by questionnaire immediately after the course (T2). Results Cronbach´s alpha for all scales and measurement points was higher than 0.69. CO increases over all professional groups from M = 3.42 (SD = 0.39) to M = 3.68 (SD = 0.54) significantly (p < .00; r = .5). Only the subscale “Dominance” in the professional group of the student nurses did not increase significantly. There was no correlation between Presence and the change in CO. Conclusion The questionnaires of CO and Presence can be applied to medical students and student nurses. The simulation course with the topic patient fall influences the CO and can be integrated in a longitudinal curriculum of teamwork training. The subscale “Dominance” of student nurses did not change. Preparatory learning units may increase the effects. The perceived reality of the scenario is not a main success factor.

‘Time is our utmost enemy’: First responders’ experiences of ‘While Waiting For the Ambulance’ assignments in rural environments – A phenomenological study

Firefighters around the world have the ability to provide first aid before ambulance staff arrive. In Sweden, this assignment is called ‘While Waiting For the Ambulance’ (WWFA). There is limited knowledge about WWFA in rural environments, therefore the aim of this study was to describe the WWFA assignment in a rural environment from the perspective of the firefighters and the ambulance staff. A descriptive design was used with a reflective lifeworld approach, including 16 telephone interviews with firefighters and ambulance staff. The COREQ checklist was applied. A directed responsibility emerges towards affected persons with a situation-adapted attitude during alarms in a WWFA assignment. The firefighters and ambulance staff are each other’s support with a simultaneous need for support from involved organisations. To strengthen this support, training is required, consisting of interprofessional training, feedback from relevant organisations about first aid efforts and expansion of WWFA assignments. Finally, there is a need for a more coordinated picture in order to provide better conditions for future action by the organisations involved, with increased opportunities to save lives in individual local environments.