Integration of the Saline Process on Holistic Patient Care to Improve Student Understanding of Interprofessional Team Roles, Values, and Ethics

Abstract

Description of the Problem: Healthcare practitioner students currently report feeling underprepared to provide holistic and spiritual care to their patients upon transitioning into practice, and there is currently little data on the efficacy of holistic care-focused interventions on interprofessional outcomes. The goal of this research was to assess the impact of an interprofessional training session on holistic care on student perceptions of interprofessional 1) roles/responsibilities and 2) values/ethics.

The Innovation: A live, interactive interprofessional training session to address holistic patient care was implemented in fall of 2017.  Students’ pre- and post-training perceptions of their confidence in study outcomes were assessed using a survey instrument.

Critical Analysis: Significant positive changes were seen in students’ perceived ability to participate in team discussions and clarify misconceptions regarding their role in healthcare following the training. Students had high confidence in interacting ethically at pre-test and sustained that confidence. 

Next Steps: Live, interactive educational interventions with skills practice and group discussions can help to increase students’ awareness of team roles and responsibilities, as well as expand their understanding of the values and ethics within healthcare professions.