Dr.Marguerite Lawrence
Sacred Heart University, USA
Abstract Title:Bridging Minds: Enhancing Asynchronous Family Nurse Practitioner Education Through Interprofessional
Biography:
Research Interest:
Abstract Title: Bridging Minds: Enhancing Asynchronous Family Nurse Practitioner Education Through Interprofessional Collaboration
Purpose:?
The study examined the learning outcomes of an on-campus residency, noting the various instructions from a Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner program as well as Male Urogenital Teaching Associates (MUTA) and Gynecologic Teaching Associates (GTA) teaching in a graduate level nurse practitioner program.
Background:
Professional organizations across the nation and globe emphasize the significance of interprofessional education (IPE) in preparing students for effective collaborative practice. According to the World Health Organization IPE occurs "when two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other". The Institute of Medicine's interprofessional learning continuum model underscores the necessity for IPE to commence during foundational (undergraduate) education and intensify during graduate education.
The Health Professions Accreditors Collaborative (HPAC) are advocating for IPE in curriculum to foster student mastery of interprofessional core competencies. Moreover, with the increasing prevalence of online graduate programs and the shift to online delivery, it is crucial to identify methods to ensure that all students have access to IPE opportunities, regardless of the program delivery mode.
As noted above, the shift from traditional Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) nursing education to online and asynchronous learning has been driven by several factors, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated rapid adaptation to remote learning environments. This transition is reshaping the landscape of graduate nursing education, emphasizing flexibility, accessibility, and technological integration. Offering IPE in an online learning environment has the potential to overcome geographical and programmatic barriers, such as scheduling conflicts, by bringing students together for collaborative learning activities.
?? To mitigate the issues of decreased opportunities of IPE in the asynchronous platform, many graduate nursing programs are adopting blended approaches, incorporating both synchronous (required on campus residency days) and asynchronous elements to enhance interaction and provide real-time feedback while maintaining the flexibility that asynchronous learning offers.?
?? Methods and Results:?
Two cohorts (first semester N=10 and final semester N=20) of FNP students at a small, private university in the northeastern U.S. were assessed following a one and two day on-ground residency. Eight quantitative questions using a five-point Likert scale and two qualitative questions were used to assess student’s response to the questions regarding instructors, meeting course objectives, engaging with the faculty and interaction with peers.? Descriptive statistics were used with a Fisher's exact test.
One hundred percent of students noted meeting the learning objective of suture skills presentation and of the EKG Review course by a physician assistant. One hundred percent responded meeting the learning objectives by the MUTA and GTA instructors. An overall response of 75 % and 90% noting meeting learning objectives from the NP instructors.
? Conclusion:
Healthcare has transitioned to a collaborative model. Offering Interprofessional Education (IPE) for graduate students is crucial to prepare them for real-world experiences and enhance their collaborative skills. To ensure that all students have access to IPE, faculty can consider requiring an on-campus component for those enrolled in online programs. Participants in our study indicated that the residency IPE met the learning objectives and possibly deepened their appreciation of the role of interprofessional collaboration in providing quality healthcare.
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