Lightning Talk Description: Teamwork, an integral component of interprofessional (IP) collaboration, consists of multiple types of behaviors by a single individual. Teams create their own culture, with members holding shared behavioral norms and expectations. In longitudinal IPE experiences, what teamwork behaviors do students, as individuals and as teams, use to support a shared culture of teamwork?
PURPOSE: In this Lightning Talk, we examine students’ perceptions of their teams’ behaviors while working with community-based volunteers as an effort to determine how students use and adapt specific IP teamwork skills over time. Identifying salient teamwork behaviors for students can improve their learning of effective teamwork skills for better education and practice.
METHODS: To explore students’ perceptions of team behaviors, we created a 15-item teamwork instrument for students engaged in a longitudinal community-based IPE experience. Items were developed using a mix of free coding and template coding on multiple years of student teamwork reflections. Students rated each item describing the team’s behavior at that point in time on a 5-point scale from “Not yet discussed” to “Routine practice for our team”; instruments were completed four times. Items were aggregated at the team level, where Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess team consensus cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was utilized to explore the factor structure of the teamwork assessment instrument. Furthermore, we employed non-metric multidimensional scaling to visualize the degree of response similarity among teams, taking into consideration the alpha value at each timepoint.
RESULTS: 724 student responses were aggregated into 181 teams. PCA results yielded a strong, two-factor solution. Items loaded onto two factors explaining 60% of the variance; 11 focused on performance of tasks to complete the work (“tasks”) and 4 items loaded on responsiveness to team members’ needs (“supports”). Overall, there was a high level of consistency among responses (.92). However, most teams’ responses demonstrated fluctuations in teamwork behavior over time.
CONCLUSION: Early learners who engaged in a longitudinal community-based IPE experience appear to develop a fluctuating understanding of their internal team processes over time, suggesting that continued practice of teamwork skills with the same team allows for growth and experience of the richness of IP teamwork. Teamwork behaviors focused on completing the team’s tasks and supporting members dominate. The Summit Theme contributing to the evidence is addressed through this study’s novel approach of teamwork consensus for understanding students’ IP teamwork experiences and skill development.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (National Center OICPD). The National Center OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
The National Center OICPD (JA#: 4008105) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs).
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.
Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.
Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
Learners can claim CE credit by completing the Daily Evaluation.
