Promoting Affirmative Transgender Health Care Practice Within Hospitals: An IPE Standardized Patient Simulation for Graduate Health Care Learners.

Introduction: Transgender patients frequently experience discrimination within health care settings due to provider lack of knowledge and bias resulting in poor service delivery. Team-based interprofessional collaboration is becoming a best practice for health professionals to improve patient-centered care and address these health disparities. Methods: A team-based interprofessional education simulation activity was developed as a teaching activity at a university for graduate health care learners in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, social work, and health care administration programs over 2 years (N = 494). The simulation focused on a transgender patient brought to the emergency department (ED) after a workplace assault. Students were placed in interprofessional teams and asked to critique the initial ED interaction with the patient and then complete a team huddle and discharge planning meeting with a standardized patient. Student preparedness to engage in the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies was assessed through a posttest measure. Results: Student learners reacted overwhelmingly positively to the activities of the workshop. The averaging of 2 years of data yielded students responses of strongly agree and agree at 90% or higher for all IPEC core competencies, as well as for educational objectives of the workshop. Discussion: Reducing the structural, interpersonal, and individual stigma experienced by transgender patients requires institutions to offer experiential learning opportunities for future health care providers. This interprofessional education simulation experience focusing on transgender patients calls attention to the negative impact of stigma while also promoting competency in interprofessional practice.

Clinical experiences to promote student education of psychological and social aspects of mental health: a case report.

OBJECTIVES: This case study describes and reports one university's occupational therapy (OT) curriculum design regarding the utilization of clinical fieldwork level II experiences to promote mental health as a core to the education of occupational therapists. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Graduates (190) of a Connecticut University were queried through a survey to determine the influence of OT fieldwork level II on student development of knowledge pertaining to psychological and social aspects of mental health. The respondents also provided feedback on the efficacy of such an experience in preparing for practice across all practice settings. RESULTS: Quantitative and qualitative themes indicate that University alumni recognize significant educational benefits acquired through the experience of a mental health/psychological-social fieldwork level II experience. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health concepts as represented by psychological and social aspects are embedded in all domains of occupational therapy. Beginning with its strong foundational influence to the profession, there has been of late, a recent resurgence of knowledge and practice implications as noted by various official professional publications. The major finding of the study was that graduates indicated that a clinical experience in mental health did contribute significantly to their holistic practice skills. Recognizing the potential benefits of a psychosocial fieldwork level II experience with new, accentuated methods for student learning, may foster the development of mental health skills for utilization across all practice settings.

Assistive technology: a compensatory strategy for work production post mild brain injury.

This case study describes the changes in the quantity of work production of a 32 year-old male paralegal secondary to a mild brain injury from a racquetball racket blow to the frontal lobe area. The case illustrates how a work analysis can serve as an effective evaluation tool and how the utilization of assistive technology can circumvent executive functioning challenges and improve work production and client self-reported self-esteem. This evaluative and intervention process may be highly effective in mild-brain injury where executive functioning disorders cannot be identified through typical methods. Yet a detailed comparison of work productivity pre and post injury through work samples, interviews, and observations may be a powerful system to differentiate changes in executive functioning.