An Interprofessional Geriatric Experiential Learning Experience: Its Impact on Physical and Occupational Therapist Students

Abstract

Introduction. Accreditation standards for physical therapist (PT) education require the inclusion of interprofessional education (IPE) in order to prepare health care professionals to work in collaborative environments. Additional guidelines document the need to educate PT students in the care of older adults; however, a gap in readiness for entry-level practice exists. Therefore, there were three purposes of this study that were to 1) examine the impact of an IPE experiential learning project on PT and occupational therapist (OT) students' knowledge and attitudes toward each other's professions, 2) examine students' comfort, value, and ability to work with another profession, and 3) assess the project's impact on PT and OT students' attitudes toward older adults. Methods. Physical therapist and OT student groups, under the supervision of faculty, evaluated a community dwelling older adult over 3 visits and developed a comprehensive wellness program, which was provided by the students on visit 4. Students completed 2 surveys: the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS) and Kogan's Attitude Towards Old People Scale (KAOP), prior to and at the conclusion of the project. Results. The Wilcoxon’s signed rank test showed significant increases after the completion of the IPE project in the total ISVS (P < .001) median scale scores for all students and on the subscales regarding the ability (P < .001), value (P < .001), and comfort (P < .001) in working with others. Significant increases were observed for all students on the total KAOP scale scores (P < .001) and the positive subscale scores (P < .001); significant decreases were observed in the negative subscale scores (P < .001). Discussion and Conclusion. This study demonstrates a successful IPE experiential learning project used to enhance PT and OT students' abilities, values, and comfort with collaborative practice and enhancement of PT and OT student groups' attitudes toward older adults.

Uncovering Ethical Dilemmas in International Service-Learning: A Grounded Theory

“…In a typical ISL experience, students travel for 7 to 14 days to low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) to learn clinical skills under the supervision of a faculty member 1,3 or DPT program alumnus . Although current research shows that ISL experiences are beneficial to students, 6–15 viewing ISL merely as a learning encounter for students minimizes the shared responsibility of reciprocal benefit to the community and the need for ethical conduct within a diverse, complex, and dynamic setting. 17 Studies that have considered the host's perspective point to the challenges associated with such experiences, such as language and cultural barriers impacting a therapeutic alliance, 14 potential for dependency, 34 and concerns regarding follow-up.…”

“…International Service-Learning in physical therapy literature has been studied disproportionately as it pertains to the student benefit 6–15 versus patient/client benefit or the effects it has on the host community. 34–36 The benefits to students include (1) improved cultural competence 6–9,11,13–15 ; (2) improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills 6,10 ; (3) improved interpersonal skills and global awareness 11,12 ; (4) improved communication skills 6,8,10,14 ; (5) desire to promote global programs 11 ; (6) improved professionalism 6,8–10,14 ; and (7) enhanced sense of social responsibility. 8,9,12,14 By highlighting the benefits of ISL, universities potentially increase their marketability by attracting students who may hold the widely prevalent view that international experiences are valued by employers and consider engaging in such experiences for professional development.…”

“…34–36 The benefits to students include (1) improved cultural competence 6–9,11,13–15 ; (2) improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills 6,10 ; (3) improved interpersonal skills and global awareness 11,12 ; (4) improved communication skills 6,8,10,14 ; (5) desire to promote global programs 11 ; (6) improved professionalism 6,8–10,14 ; and (7) enhanced sense of social responsibility. 8,9,12,14 By highlighting the benefits of ISL, universities potentially increase their marketability by attracting students who may hold the widely prevalent view that international experiences are valued by employers and consider engaging in such experiences for professional development. 37,38 Universities may also benefit from donors who seek to give money to institutions that support global health programs.…”

“…1–3 This learning model is supported by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) 4 and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education 5 because of its positive influence on students. 6–15 Although the number of ISL experiences is growing steadily, 1,16 it is unclear to what degree faculty, students, and supervising alumni consider the ethicality of these experiences. Students and educators, in their desire to be altruistic, may overlook ethical situations arising in the context of ISL and may feel ill-equipped to handle them.…”