Interprofessional Student Quality Improvement Project in a Federally Qualified Health Center

Abstract

Background: Quality improvement (QI) and interprofessional competencies are needed to adequately prepare the health care workforce. A nurse-led, federally qualified health center provided university students from multiple health care programs a volunteer opportunity to collaborate on a QI project influenced by social determinants of health. Method: Working in dyads, students surveyed patients to understand what they want to learn while waiting to see their provider. Analysis prioritized healthy lifestyles and nutrition topics. Students identified, provided, and evaluated culturally appropriate educational materials, including language and literacy in their preferred modality. A healthy lifestyles/nutrition video, recipes in English and Spanish, and a pamphlet were delivered. Results: Patients deemed some materials helpful, and patients and staff provided feedback for the next project phase. Students achieved basic interprofessional and QI competencies and described project satisfaction. Conclusion: The hands-on approach allowed students to develop beginning interprofessional and QI competencies for their future professional practice. [ J Nurs Educ . 2020;59(10):585–588.]

Teaching Social Determinants of Health in Nursing Programs

“…Students developed compassion, enhanced their professional development, and increased community engagement as well. For instance, in a quality improvement project, nursing students worked with students from other disciplines to provide evidence-based interventions to patients living in a disadvantaged community 17. Students agreed that this experience met the program competencies and improved their understanding of SDoH.…”

“…Most studies assessed student outcomes. Only one reported how students' skills affected patients' perceptions 17. The effectiveness of the teaching strategies is included in Supplemental Digital Content Table 1 (available at: http://links.lww.com/NE/B447).…”

“…Yet, most studies concerned student outcomes; teaching strategies' impacts on patient health remain unknown. Patients' experiences were infrequently assessed, with only one study indicating how students' skills influenced patients' learning 17. Some patients were notified of students' changes (eg, a “healthy lifestyle” bulletin board); however, the authors did not state whether patients made healthy changes based on students' interventions or patients' perceptions thereof.…”