LINC Common IPE Experience: Igniting BSN Student Engagement with Other Professions
First Place Winner

Background/Introduction: Early introduction of interprofessional education (IPE) for nursing students is supported by healthcare professional organizations (IPEC, 2016) and the new AACN Essentials Document (AACN, 2021). In Fall 2020, the Linking Interprofessional Networks for Collaboration (LINC) initiative at UT Health San Antonio developed a university-wide Common IPE Experience for all incoming healthcare students. In 2021, we evaluated accelerated (ABSN) and traditional BSN (TBSN) student responses to communication and teamwork evaluation items.

Purpose: The purpose of the Common IPE Experience was to introduce students to IPE, facilitate interprofessional socialization, and prepare students for future IPE activities. This presentation describes the Common IPE Experience and links the post-module and cumulative outcomes to the main competencies for Essential Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships.

Methods or Processes/Procedures: This Common IPE Experience involved one introductory socialization module, and two case-based online modules focused on teamwork and communication competencies. Modules were completed synchronously in interprofessional groups of 3-4 students. Three post-module evaluations included engagement, satisfaction, and IPEC competency, 5-point Likert-type items. A similarly structured evaluation was administered for the cumulative experience.

Results: Nursing student responses on communication and teamwork ranged 4.19 to 4.71 on the 5.0 scale. Responses from ABSN (n = 93) and TBSN students (n = 213) were compared using independent t-tests. ABSN students had significantly lower scores on teamwork items (n = 10 across Module 2, 3, and Cumulative) than did TBSN students (scores differed by .20 to .30).

Limitations: Cross-sectional survey did not allow for matching of student responses across modules.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Nursing students reported a high degree of agreement with the teamwork items. Reasons for the differences in ABSN and TBSN warrant deeper exploration. The LINC Common IPE Experience provided nursing students with the opportunity to socialize with other professions while applying communication and teamwork skills that meet competencies for IPEC and AACN Essentials Domain 6.

Cynthia Wall
Phd, APRN, PCNS_BC, CNE

Biography

Dr. Wall, PhD, APRN, CNE is an Associate Professor/ Clinical at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio School of Nursing. Dr. Wall serves as the SON member on the Didactic IPE Subcommittee for the UT Health SA Linking Interprofessional Networks for Collaboration (LINC). In July 2022, the UT Health SA LINC Quality Enhancement Initiative was recognized nationally with the Award for Institutional Excellence and Innovation in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Health Care by the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions.

Email: wallc@uthscsa.edu

Co-Author(s)
Andrea Berndt, Ph.D
Meredith Quinene, D.H.Sc., M.P.A.S., PA-C
Sadie Trammell Velasquez, M.D., FACP
Joeseph Zorek, Pharm.D., BCGP, FNAP