Quality improvement projects conducted by interprofessional teams of learners: Implementation and impact.

Students in their second year of the Vanderbilt Program of Interprofessional Learning (VPIL) complete team-based quality improvement (QI) projects in their assigned clinic as part of the core curriculum. This report describes the creation and implementation of the student teams' QI curriculum and investigates how clinical preceptors view the project impact. Between 2012-2019, the VPIL teams designed and implemented 69 improvement projects. Improvement projects fell primarily into three categories: improving clinic care delivery (n = 25, 36%), patient education and health coaching (n = 21, 30%), and quality measures such as screening tests/prophylaxis (n = 10, 14%). Clinic preceptors received a survey about the sustainability and effectiveness of the projects. Survey feedback was received from 44/69 (64%) preceptors. Many (70%) projects resulted in perceived improvements, and some projects (34%) had improvements that are still in use. Despite barriers and challenges, interprofessional student teams can successfully learn the basics of QI and work together to design and implement a project. These projects have the potential to make meaningful changes in clinic practices and are helpful to the clinic preceptors.

Bridging Didactic Learning and the Complexity of Practice Through Clinical Immersion: Evaluating the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Trainee Experience.

ABSTRACT: In this article, we discuss the development and evaluation of the Vanderbilt Nursing Education Program for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (VEP-SANE), a 3-day clinical immersion (CI) program, including the lessons learned and the challenges experienced with the completion of two trainee cohorts. To bridge didactic learning and the complexity of practice, the VEP-SANE team designed an innovative, competency-based CI. Fifteen trainees from Cohort 1 and 19 trainees from Cohort 2 met requirements for CI participation. Trainees in Cohort 1 represented the advanced practice registered nurse specialties of emergency, women's health, and pediatrics. For Cohort 2 recruitment, enrollment was expanded to include family and midwifery advanced practice registered nurse specialties. Trainees were required to complete online training modules before CI participation. Online surveys assessed trainee perceptions about levels of knowledge and confidence related to sexual assault nurse examiner competencies (pre/post CI), each CI session, and the overall CI experience. Separate focused discussions were conducted with trainees and faculty after each CI. Both cohorts rated CI sessions as "excellent" or "very good" over 93% of the time. Perceived levels of knowledge and confidence increased from pre-CI to post-CI for both cohorts. Similar CI strengths were identified across trainees and faculty including speakers, high interactivity, safe environment, reality of cases, and surrogate practice. All trainees indicated readiness for preceptorships and interest in a virtual community of practice. Suggestions included more time for laboratory sessions, documenting photos, and interaction with individuals from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and presenters. Future efforts focus on CI conversion to a virtual format because of the impact of COVID-19, increased VEP-SANE community of practice interaction, and expanded engagement with practicing sexual assault nurse examiners.

An Educational Tool for Promoting Transitional Health Care Planning by Nurses From the Hospital to the Community.

Although nurses are an invaluable component of successful health care transition, a large gap exists on methods to educate future health care professionals regarding roles and necessary transition components. The Transitional Nursing History tool introduces prelicensure students to transitional health care planning needs and the essential roles of nurses. The Transitional Nursing History tool provides experiential student learning, promotes understanding of determinants of health influences on transitional planning needs, and encourages active student engagement. Students report increased recognition of the value of transitional health care planning and actively apply the concepts in other clinical settings.

The Vanderbilt Program in Interprofessional Learning: Sustaining a Longitudinal, Clinical Experience That Aligns Practice With Education.

PROBLEM: Designing and sustaining a longitudinal, clinic-based interprofessional learning experience is logistically challenging, which has limited the educational opportunities available in health professions schools. The authors discuss the Vanderbilt Program in Interprofessional Learning (VPIL), which addresses some of the challenges facing clinic-based interprofessional experiences. APPROACH: VPIL places first- and second-year students from 4 professional degree programs (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work) in Nashville, Tennessee, on teams where they work and learn together in authentic clinical environments over a 2-year period. The program was implemented in 2010 and includes 3 components: a summer immersion experience, seminar-based classroom and simulation sessions, and a weekly clinical experience. Students also complete a capstone quality improvement project. VPIL administrators have set up structures at the institutional, clinic, faculty, and student levels that have contributed to the sustainability of the program. OUTCOMES: Between 2010 and 2019, VPIL admitted 398 students who participated on 91 clinical teams. In addition, 55 clinical preceptors and 12 core faculty trained students for future collaborative practice. The program has received consistently high ratings from students, who have produced 69 quality improvement projects at their clinics. These projects have addressed aspects of the care delivery process and produced durable materials, showing that the program has contributed to important innovations in the health system. NEXT STEPS: VPIL faculty continue to improve the curriculum and administrative structures and work to expand the program to reach a wider variety of health professions students. Going forward, lessons from the program could assist educators in creating opportunities for students to learn interprofessionally and deliver high value health care in increasingly complex delivery systems.