Background: Interprofessional palliative care programs increase healthcare learners’ self-efficacy in their knowledge and skills in palliative care, end-of-life care, and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP). Program evaluations from the Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s Interprofessional Palliative Care program note students’ desires for shadowing palliative care providers. Shadowing is an educational intervention that involves students learning from, with, and about other healthcare professionals, but not necessarily with them.
As shadowing may be an incentive for students to enroll in often non-required interprofessional palliative care programs, this project explored how shadowing a palliative care team in practice contributed to learners’ recognition of IPEC competencies and social determinants of health (SDoH) in a reflection essay following the experience. Constructivist learning theory provides a theoretical framework for why shadowing should result in positive learning outcomes. It proposes that active learning in an authentic and rich environment paired with the opportunity to reflect and integrate learning with prior knowledge is what builds learners’ understanding. This talk addresses the conference theme “Preparing Students for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice,” and fulfills priority criteria of measurable learning outcomes and addressing factors beyond clinical care.
Method: Thirty-seven students from 13 health professions were accepted to the Interprofessional Palliative Care program in 2023 and 76% (Nf 28) of students submitted a reflection essay on their shadowing experience. Directed content analysis was used and codes were determined a priori using definitions of collaborative practice from the 2023 IPEC competencies and definitions of social determinants of health from Healthy People 2023. Independent coding was completed at the sentence level by a doctor of occupational therapy student and a medical student. Inter-rater reliability was moderate (Cohen's kappa = .523, p < .001) and all discrepancies were resolved via discussion among coders, an advanced practice nurse, and a cognitive psychology researcher.
Results: Preliminary analysis of 18 reflection essays indicated 34% of sentences across all student essays described IPEC competencies and 22% described SDoH. The majority of essays included themes of roles & responsibilities (94%) and communication (89%). Relatively fewer essays contained themes of teams and teamwork (28%) and values and ethics (17%). The most frequently recognized SDoH were 1) social and community context and 2) health care access and quality, which were both mentioned in 61% of essays.
Conclusion: Shadowing palliative care teams paired with a written reflection essay assignment can contribute to students’ recognition of IPEC competencies and SDoH.
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 (National Center OICPD). The National Center 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 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.
The National Center OICPD (JA#: 4008105) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs).
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™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.
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.
Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
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.
Learners can claim CE credit by completing the Daily Evaluation.
