Creation of an Interprofessional Clinical Experience for Healthcare Professions Trainees in a Nursing Home Setting

Abstract

Successful interprofessional teams are essential when caring for older adults with multiple complex medical conditions that require ongoing management from a variety of disciplines across healthcare settings. To successfully integrate interprofessional education into the healthcare professions curriculum, the most effective learning experiences should utilize adult learning principles, reflect real-life practice, and allow for interaction among trainees representing a variety of health professions. Interprofessional clinical experiences are essential to prepare future healthcare professionals to provide quality patient care and understand the best methods for utilizing members of the healthcare team to provide that care. To meet this need, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Geriatric Education Center has developed an Interprofessional Clinical Experience (ICE) to expose future healthcare providers to an applied training experience with older adults in the nursing home setting. This paper outlines how this program was developed, methods used for program evaluation, and how the outcome data influenced program revisions.

Primary care nurses’ awareness of and willingness to perform children’s oral health care

“…Moreover, they could also help to diagnose caries in their early stages by referring children to dental clinics for further examination and preventive procedures or possible treatment. Studies have shown that these auxiliary workers have a considerable impact on preventive activities and are a potential target for educational interventions [25-27]. …”

Dental participation in geriatric interprofessional education courses: A systematic review

“…Only one study was published in 1981 and the other 6 were published between 2012 and 2015 indicating the recently increasing interest in research in this area. All publications originated from the United States . Three originated from the same centre, University of Alabama at Birmingham Geriatric Education Center, with 2 of them reporting on the same training experience and sample .…”

“…All publications originated from the United States . Three originated from the same centre, University of Alabama at Birmingham Geriatric Education Center, with 2 of them reporting on the same training experience and sample . The earlier one reported more details on the content and methodology of the programme, while the most recent one on the outcomes …”

“…Interprofessional care for elderly people is important due to the complexity of older patients, and the small number of specialists in the field . A patient‐centred collaborative practice among physicians, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, social workers, lawyers, and other formal and informal caregivers may lead to better continuity, quality and outcomes of care for the elderly patient at lower costs …”

Oral and Dental Health Knowledge of Nursing and Midwifery Students

“…These routine checkups at community health centers provide an opportunity for healthcare professionals to assess the ODH of young children, to provide prophylactic treatment, including oral and dental examinations and fluoride therapy, and to refer a child to a dentist when a disease is diagnosed. Studies suggest that these individuals have a significant influence on preventive activities and constitute the target group for educational interventions (25,26). It is therefore very critical to educate these healthcare professionals appropriately in order to enable them to give proper advice and promote ODH in society (27, 28).…”