Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching: A Pilot Study of the Design, Development, and Implementation of Structured Interprofessional Co-Teaching Sessions

Abstract

Introduction High levels of interprofessional collaboration are beneficial for patients and healthcare providers. Co-teaching may be one method for creating a collaborative environment. This pilot study designed, developed, and implemented Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching on an inpatient medicine service. Methods Ten Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching pairs designed 30-minute, structured co-teaching sessions with learning objectives, evidence-based content, interactive teaching strategies and a Take-Away of key content with the help of a coaching team. Each session was presented by a nurse and senior doctor to nurse and resident learners. Our assessment blueprint included: 1. Anonymous surveys assessing the overall rating of each session and 2. Pre- and post-anonymous surveys assessing measures of interprofessional collaboration and communication between nurses and residents before and after the series of ten co-teaching sessions. Results Data from ten post-session surveys included 121 of 156 participants (77.6%). Attendance at each session ranged from 13–19 participants with 8–17 participants completing a survey per session for an average of 12.1 surveys analyzed. All Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching sessions scored in the excellent range between 1.00 and 1.43 on a Likert scale (1 is excellent and 5 is poor). In response to the question “What did you like best?”, interactive teaching strategies was the most frequent spontaneous answer. A significant correlation between the number of interactive teaching strategies and enjoyability of the session (p-value=0.01) was observed. Measures of interprofessional collaboration and communication did not change significantly in the pre-intervention compared to post-intervention period. Conclusion We created a unique model of interprofessional co-teaching on an inpatient service. The overall excellent ratings of our interactive sessions indicate that Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching is a valued form of learning. Our structured format is adaptable to various medical settings and could be expanded to include additional allied health professionals. We plan further studies to assess if Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching improves measures of interprofessional collaboration.

Agreement of Nurses’ and Physicians’ Attitudes on Collaboration During the Covid-19 Pandemic Using the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration

“… 4 Our data did not show significant improvement in the attitudes of nurses and residents toward collaboration. 4 …”

“…Two adjacent units on the floor where the pilot study of Nurse-Doctor Co-Teaching had taken place 4 were excluded, and one Oncology Floor where the nurses were employed by the affiliated cancer center (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), instead of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, was excluded.…”

“… 4 To measure collaboration in the nine consecutive days before and after the co-teaching innovation, we used a non-validated survey for nurses and residents. 4 Our data did not show significant improvement in the attitudes of nurses and residents toward collaboration. 4 …”

The Need for and Perceptions of Interprofessional Education and Collaboration Among Undergraduate Students in Nursing and Medicine in South Korea

“… 1 The literature suggests that high levels of interprofessional collaboration lead to better patient outcomes, improved patient satisfaction, and higher workplace satisfaction among healthcare professionals. 2 , 3 Accordingly, healthcare professionals are increasingly required to cooperate and collaborate more closely in the delivery of care. 2 …”

“… 2 , 13–15 In particular, the importance of close collaboration involving nurses and doctors equally and actively has been highlighted to ensure the quality of care and better outcomes in the delivery of healthcare. 3 However, thus far, studies on IPE in nursing and medical education in Korea have mostly been conducted on introducing the IPE concept 16 , 17 and faculty or student perceptions, thus revealing that both have fewer opportunities to experience a systematically designed formal IPE program. Hence, there is limited evidence on the levels and differences in student perceptions of IPE 17 , 18 and that of their IPE competency.…”