The effect of interprofessional simulations on pharmacy and physician assistant students' learning of advanced cardiac life support concepts

Abstract

Background: The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) defined core competencies for IPE in 2011, and use of simulation in interprofessional education (IPE) continues to be developed in prelicensure health education programs.

Interprofessional education activity: In this prospective, observational study, interprofessional student teams addressed reversible causes of cardiac arrest in weekly simulations during an Emergency Medicine course. Each simulation was followed by sequential team debriefs, first regarding the IPEC core competencies of interprofessional communication, teamwork, and roles and responsibilities, and second regarding the patient-related content of the case.

Discussion: Twenty-eight pharmacy students and 60 physician assistant students completed the course. A didactic knowledge exam was administered before, immediately after, and 150 days after the course. Both disciplines' exam scores significantly increased from baseline to the end of the course and from baseline to the 150-day follow-up. Students also completed the validated Interprofessional Perceptions Survey before and after the course. Both disciplines demonstrated significant increases in Team Value, Efficiency and Interprofessional Accommodation components.

Implications: Participation in this simulation-based course resulted in 150-day retention of advanced cardiovascular life support knowledge and improved interprofessional perceptions in both pharmacy and physician assistant students.

Keywords: Advanced cardiac life support; Interprofessional education; Pharmacy; Physician assistant; Simulation.