Occupational Therapy Students’ Demonstration of Interprofessional Competencies During Simulation: An Observational Analysis

Abstract

Quality care and patient safety are primary goals in health care, with interprofessional collaboration as a crucial strategy to achieve them. This study reports the behavioral outcomes of Occupational Therapy (OT) students applying core competencies, like Communication and Teamwork, during a longitudinal case-based team simulation activity designed to enhance interprofessional education (IPE). The activity was designed to improve implementation of IPE competencies during a collaborative teamwork exercise with standardized patients. A content analysis using the Interprofessional Collaborator Assessment Rubric (ICAR) assessed 21 graduate OT students’ deployment of IPE core competencies while participating in a semester-long interprofessional simulation (Sim-IPE) activity. Findings revealed that OT students effectively demonstrated core competency behaviors, providing insights beyond self-reported data. The Communication domain had a mean score of 3.51 (SD = 0.40), while the Team Functioning domain mean was 3.27 (SD = 0.44). The overall mean for all observed behaviors was 72.29, indicating a transition from "competency" to "mastery" in communication, and a "competent level" in team functioning. These behaviors occurred 85% of the time during opportunities. Observational insights refined educational practices and advanced IPE initiatives, better preparing OT students for their transition from campus to community. Observational insights contributed to refining educational practices and advancing interprofessional education initiatives while preparing OT students for their transition from campus to community.