PRESS START TO BEGIN SIMULATION


By Marcia Frellick I


nterprofessional training has gained prominence in the RN-to-BSN program at Drexel University in Philadelphia with a 10-week program launched in fall 2015 focusing


on patient safety. Nurses watch video scenarios with actors including anesthesiologists, surgeons and other care providers fromseveral disciplines, and use online simulation to respond as a nurse in a specific emergency. Gloria F. Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and professor at


Drexel’s College ofNursing andHealth Professions, provides an example from the course: A patient arrives for a routine procedure. A nurse is working with an anesthesiologist who can’t access the airway but brushes aside the nurse’s concerns that the patient has been hypoxic for too long. The nurse sees the anesthesiologist is not following protocol. The nursemust use the TeamSTEPPS model—a system developed by the Agency forHealthcare Research andQuality that encourages open communication and calling out procedure violations. Nurses in the class videotape themselves and submit their


responses. Members comment as a group and rate the re- sponses. “A problem with claims and suits against nurses is failure to act,”Donnelly said. “This programraises the nurse’s level of awareness of her obligation to speak up. Your license is on the line.” TheRNs already work daily with other disciplines; the course


helps thempractice in a safe, simulated environment and take what they’ve learned back to their workplace. They learn skills such as when to be the leader and when to let others lead. Karen Goldschmidt, PhD, RN, department chairwoman of


the RN-to-BSN program says they chose to focus on video simulations, instead of putting nurses togetherwith students from other disciplines, because the nurses’ experience level was hard to match. “I have students in my program who are ages 21 to 75,” she said. She said she sees the value in learning together simultaneously, and looks at the video training as a first step toward that goal.


18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 • Visit us at NURSE.com Nurses reflectonthe videoexperience aspartof the class. She


said reaction has included statements such as, “I need to speak up” and “I need to findmy voice.” “We’re giving themthe tools throughTeamSTEPPStomake thathappen,”Goldschmidt said. Among them are the “CUS words”: state your Concern, let


the team know you areUncomfortable and state that this is a Safety issue and why, and state what action you will take. She said shewas surprised to findmany studentswere uncomfort- able even taping their responses in the comfort of their own home. Somewere uncomfortable critiquing each others’ work. Nurses in the Drexel program also learn to work with other


disciplines in a community andpublichealth course.Theyanalyze a systemthatprovides health services such as a senior center,meal delivery service or diabetic care program, and research howthe service is funded,howstaffwork together,howmanypeople they serve and whether they have a nurse on staff. “We have to get them out of the acute caremindset,”Goldschmidt said. Students in the program also can choose, instead of the


public health course, to travel on the annual trip to Paraguay with physicians, nurse practitioners and PAs to help with issues such as diabetes control and to repair medical facilities in an underserved population. •


Marcia Frellick is a freelance writer. TO COMMENT, email editor@nurse.com.


Connect and collaborate with your colleagues


Learn about the interprofessional approach via our growing list of CE modules.


Visit CE.Nurse.com/Interprofessional-CE


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