Interprofessional education in a student-led emergency department: A realist evaluation

Abstract

This paper reports a realist evaluation undertaken to identify factors that facilitated or hindered the successful implementation of interprofessional clinical training for undergraduate students in an emergency department. A realist evaluation provides a framework for understanding how the context and underlying mechanisms affect the outcome patterns of an intervention. The researchers gathered both qualitative and quantitative data from internal documents, semi-structured interviews, observations and questionnaires to study what worked, for whom and under what circumstances in this specific interprofessional setting. The study participants were medical, nursing and physiotherapy students, their supervisors and two members of the emergency department's management staff. The data analysis indicated that the emergency ward provided an excellent environment for interprofessional education (IPE), as attested by the students, supervisors and the clinical managers. An essential prerequisite is that the students have obtained adequate skills to work independently. Exemplary conditions for IPE to work well in an emergency department demand the continuity of effective and encouraging supervision throughout the training period and supervisors who are knowledgeable about developing a team.

Framing IPE. Exploring meanings of interprofessional education within an academic health professions institution

“…In 1998 the concept of interprofessional education (IPE) was introduced at the institution and as a result, three clinical education wards were established at three different teaching hospitals. A few years later a clinical education emergency department was also established (Ericson et al, 2017;Ponzer et al, 2004). These IPE learning environments for students from both the undergraduate medical programme and the nursing programme were well established and integrated within the organisation at the time of the study.…”

Strategies for improving clinical teaching in the emergency department: Applicable to clinical teachers and especially emergency medicine

“…Clinical teaching is provided in the designated part of the hospital's ED for teams involving medical, nursing, and paramedical learners. The Ericson (2017) study showed that the emergency ward provided an excellent environment for IPE (14).…”

A review of interprofessional training wards: Enhancing student learning and patient outcomes

“…Twenty studies used a combination of quantitative data (questionnaires with Likert scale) and qualitative data (semi-structured interviews, observations, and critical incident method) to study their research questions (Freeth et al 2001;Hylin et al 2007;Mackenzie et al 2007;Morison and Jenkins 2007;Hallin et al 2009;Jakobsen et al 2010;Hylin et al 2011;Jakobsen et al 2011;Dando et al 2012;Ericson et al 2012;Lachmann et al 2012;Brewer and Stewart-Wynne 2013;Lachmann et al 2013;Hood et al 2014;Lachmann et al 2014;Morphet et al 2014;McGettigan and McKendree 2015;Ericson et al 2017). Seven studies used solely qualitative methods (Freeth and Nicol 1998;Fallsberg and Hammar 2000;Jacobsen et al 2009;Carlson et al 2011;Sommerfeldt et al 2011;Falk et al 2013;Hallin and Kiessling 2016).…”