Global Cafe: IPE Student Training Care Homes: A Longitudinal Study
Presenter: Dr. Melanie Stephens (University of Salford, UK)
18 June 2024
13:00 UTC/14:00 British Summer Time/9:00 Eastern Time
Co-sponsored by the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE).
Moderator: Dr. Alison Power
Description:
This work explores the positive impact engagement in an interprofessional student training care home experience had on student and care home staff knowledge, skill, and personal development and resident outcomes. The findings illuminate the longer-term impacts of IPE in care homes, and explores future directions for such initiatives in this environment.
Abstract:
Interprofessional education (IPE) is a process that that brings together students from different disciplines to learn from, with and about each other. This model is not often utilised within UK care home settings. Building on the findings of a feasibility study (Stephens et al., 2022) the team investigated the long-term impact of IPE in five care homes in Greater Manchester. From May to December 2023, students from a range of disciplines, such as Nursing (Adult, Learning Disability and Mental Health Fields of Practice), Physiotherapy, Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, and Sports Rehabilitation, were continually placed within five care homes. There were four six-week cycles of IPE conducted, during periods of ‘overlap’, where students were out on placement at the same time. In each cycle, the students attended weekly meetings to address the goals of residents as a collaborative team. A mixed-method evaluation ran alongside the IPE scheme which had two components: weekly digital surveys were administered to students and care home staff to measure the impact involvement has on their development, and a smaller sample of students, staff and residents involved took part in qualitative semi-structured interviews. This work explores the positive impact engagement had on the participants knowledge, skill, and personal development, and illuminates the longer-term impacts of IPE in care homes, and explores future directions for such initiatives in this environment.
Author(s): Stephens, M., Kelly, S., Chadwick, A., Clark, A., Walker, S., & Chesterton, L.
Melanie Stephens
Dr Melanie Stephens is an Associate Professor in Adult Nursing at the University of Salford, England. Prior to joining the University 22 years ago, Melanie worked across many interprofessional teams in the fields of Diabetes, Burns and Plastic Surgery, ICU and Tissue Viability. After joining the university Melanie became lead and then Head of Interprofessional Education in the School of Health and Society leading the development of innovative interprofessional and international education and placement opportunities for undergraduate students. Melanie is now a health and social care researcher, who still contributes to the under and postgraduate programmes. She has conducted interprofessional studies with colleagues regarding collaborative learning in practice, virtual wound care clinics and placements in Uganda, and more recently the impact of interprofessional student training care homes, and nurse led diabetic foot clinics and self management education programmes in Uganda. Melanie Stephens (worktribe.com) Melanie’s passion for interprofessional working, learning and research stems from the transformational impact it has on the affective domain. Findings from her own PhD summarises her philosophy that education and practice should allow learners to make conscious decisions about the kind of person and professional they want to be, requiring a degree of self-awareness, critical thinking and reflective skills. Permitting the learner to create their own professional identity which arises from valuing orientation to the many rules, roles and values and being equipped to actively participate in formulating, evaluating and questioning policies, practices and procedures.
Author email: m.stephens@salford.ac.uk