IPE Learning Activities for Classroom Implementation

Interprofessional teams indicate what they would like to learn about other professions in their group. Uni-professional groups develop short video presentations to convey key information about their profession (education/licensing, scope of practice, myths/misconceptions, etc.).
Materials: Basic recording device and editing apps
Contributed by: Naomi Eichorn (neichorn@memphis.edu)

Students work in interprofessional pairs. Students explain five basic features of their profession to each other in layman’s terms. In the large group, students introduce their partner and describe what they’ve learned about their profession.
Contributed by: Tara Minor (tara.j.minor@vumc.org)

Icebreaker activity in which interprofessional students, facilitated by musicians, interact and ‘communicate’ with each other using simple instruments. Activity is followed by a debriefing session with question prompts addressing tendencies for professionals to rely on discipline-specific jargon, consequences of poor communication, and potential solutions.
Materials: Simple instruments (boomwhackers, glockenspiels, etc.)
References: Eichorn et al. (In Press, Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice); Additional information about the activity available at University of Memphis website.
Contributed by: Naomi Eichorn (neichorn@memphis.edu)

Simple icebreaker activity adapted from TeamSTEPPS resources. Teams of 4-6 students compete to create the longest paper chain using provided materials (white, pink, yellow, and blue paper; single scissor; single roll of scotch tape) in 3 increasingly challenging 5-minute iterations of activity: (1) team collaborates to form single-color chain from white paper; (2) team forms paper chain following specified 2-color sequence, only team leader communicates verbally; (3) team forms more complex 4-color sequence without any verbal communication. Debriefing (~20 min) examines helpful and unhelpful team dynamics, team communication behaviors, and issues related to role designation. Instructor manual and informal assessment tool available from contributor by request; additional materials available from TeamSTEPPS. Multiple faculty facilitators recommended. Instructors can expect initial student skepticism and confusion to gradually give way to understanding and insight.
References: TeamSTEPPS Fundamental Course Module 1. Introduction available at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website.
Contributed by: Cheryl Scott (cscott@cbu.edu)

Icebreaker activity to demonstrate need for effective communication and awareness of challenges in intercultural communication. Detailed instructions, materials and related resources available at University of Washington website. Total activity time is approximately 90 minutes.
References:  The University of Washington Center for Health Sciences: Interprofessional Education, Research and Practice
Contributed by: Cheryl Scott (cscott@cbu.edu)

Students from various professions are arranged in small groups. Students explore each other’s roles and responsibilities by adding their perceptions of each profession (other than their own) to flip chart sheets. After about 15 minutes, the students examine the sheet for their own profession, clear misconceptions, edit, add missing information, and explain.
References: Parsell, Gibbs, & Bligh (1998) (link to pdf)
Contributed by: Cheryl Scott (cscott@cbu.edu)

Designed for beginning students in any profession. The focus of the activity is two-fold: (1) students learn to listen holistically, paying attention to non-verbal cues as well as language; (2) students learn to listen empathically, without jumping to an immediate “fix” for a problem. Students are organized in interprofessional pairs or small groups and pull cards from separate decks to create a patient scenario (e.g., I couldn’t pay for my medicine because my mother is sick.). Students help one another demonstrate empathy for patients in the scenario. To use this activity, please contact the contributor.
Contributed by: Gina Defranco (gina.defranco@lmunet.edu)

The who, what, when, and why of interprofessional practice. Designed to introduce first-year students to the concept of IPE.
Contributed by: Jeremy Buchanan (jeremy.buchanan@lmunet.edu)

Interprofessional groups of students are given a picture of 32 different items. The team is instructed they have been shipwrecked and must reach a group consensus on five items they will keep with them to survive and be rescued.  First, individual students post to the discussion board the 3 items they deem most important and their reasoning to support their choice.  After all group members have posted, the group chooses some technology form and collaborates to reach a consensus on which 5 items are most important.  Faculty facilitators provide feedback on the team process and debrief the learning activity through the discussion board.
Contributed by: Alicia Williams (williamssa1@etsu.edu)

 Designed for groups of students in the same profession. Introduces roles of RN/APN/NP, pharmacist, and social worker. After pre-reading (4 separate readings, < 20 pages), students complete Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT) and Group Readiness Assurance Test (GRAT) along with three separate activities: matching survey, jumbled case study activity, and identification of non-clinical professionals impacting patient care and well-being. Includes introduction to TeamStepps.
Contributed by: Jeremy Buchanan (jeremy.buchanan@lmunet.edu)

 Designed with a clinical focus in mind. Video involving hip fracture and conflict among team members. Discussion involves roles of professionals in resolving conflict. Contact contributor for curriculum.
Contributed by: Jeremy Buchanan (jeremy.buchanan@lmunet.edu)

Team-based case involving a car accident. Involves discussion of outside agencies (e.g. law enforcement). Contact contributor for curriculum.
Contributed by: Jeremy Buchanan (jeremy.buchanan@lmunet.edu)

 Discuss topics or cases with relevance to multiple disciplines (e.g., poverty, prematurity). Students from each profession explain and clarify clinical details related to their discipline. Student team compiles a summary of the information into a shared resource.
References: Slusser et al. (2018) (link to article); similar activity described in this presentation. Sample implementation described in Eichorn et al. (In Press, Communication Disorders Quarterly).
Contributed by: Naomi Eichorn (neichorn@memphis.edu)

Collaborate with interprofessional faculty to initiate involvement.  Select one or two online courses in the discipline’s curriculum to incorporate IPE.  Online students from various professions are assigned to small interprofessional online learning groups.  Each group is assigned a faculty facilitator with some groups having an interprofessional pair of facilitators. The students participate in four, two-week modules; each focusing on one IPE competency. Activities are asynchronous but require each student group to collaborate using technology of their choice. Modules include video and PowerPoint instructional material, an abstract learning activity focused on the module topic, discussion board reflections by students, and case-based interactions with a standardized patient through the discussion board.  Curriculum available upon request.
Contributed by: Alicia Williams (williamssa1@etsu.edu)

 IPE activity designed to provide students with low-stakes opportunity to practice interacting with caregivers and developing interprofessional care plans. Activity involves two case studies representing the same child at different ages (age 2 and 8). Patient actors play role of caregivers. Original activity included Audiology, SLP, Nursing, Optometry, and Public Health. Learners, facilitators, and actors complete Collaboration and  Satisfaction About Care Decisions (CSACD) to evaluate team performance. Additional post-simulation debriefing with actors to discuss outcomes and areas of strength/weakness.
Reference: Eichorn et al. (In Press, Communication Disorders Quarterly), Supplementary materials include full case study and other implementation details.
Contributed by: Naomi Eichorn (neichorn@memphis.edu)

Two-hour case study discussion incorporating Nursing, PT, OT, Speech Pathology, Medicine, and Pharmacy students. Learners discuss outpatient and inpatient stroke-related cases, then complete a pre- and post-class survey.
Contributed by: Leslie Hamilton (lhamilt4@uthsc.edu)

Second and third-year students shadow a team member for one half-day each semester and reflect on the experience. They are assigned groups of people they are permitted to follow who may fall outside the definition of health care team, e.g. maintenance/housekeeping, lab technician, clergy, security, x-ray technician, registration personnel, dieticians, etc. Students do a total of 4 half-days over the course of two years. Contact contributor for specifics.
Contributed by: Jeremy Buchanan (jeremy.buchanan@lmunet.edu)

 Second-year interprofessional students are “locked” in an escape room with a case to solve. They have 30 minutes to answer 5 questions on the case in order to “escape.” Interprofessional faculty observed the teams and evaluated their teamwork. Contact contributor for curriculum.
Contributed by: Jeremy Buchanan (jeremy.buchanan@lmunet.edu)

(originally named Interdisciplinary Family Health): Interdisciplinary student teams make home visits to volunteer families to help families maintain or improve their health. Multiple student teams report regularly to the class to discuss their experiences and lessons learned.
References: Horne & Medley  (2001) (link to pdf); Davidson & Waddell (2005) (link to pdf). Additional information about the program available here and here.
Contributed by: Nancy Hart (nhart9@uthsc.edu)

Students prepare for the activity by independently completing the values card sort in advance. Results are printed and shared in an interprofessional meeting or uploaded to discussion board. Prior to meeting, individuals also review the professional code of ethics for their profession. Group leaders facilitate a discussion on personal values and professional ethics. Each person share 3-4 key points from their profession’s code of ethics.  Group members work together to integrate these points into an interprofessional code of ethics for the group, then debrief with faculty team. Access Values Card Sort activity here.
Contributed by: Alicia Williams (williamssa1@etsu.edu)