Interprofessional and collaborative care planning activities for students and staff within an academic nursing home

With an aging population, there is an increasing need for health professionals interested and trained in collaborative geriatric care and long term care (LTC). The development of academic nursing homes is an innovative solution that exposes health professional students to the LTC practice setting and is uniquely suited to interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities. This report describes Interprofessional Team Experiences in an academic nursing home, and discusses the IPE curriculum and student outcomes. The academic nursing home is a partnership between a LTC provider and an academic institution in Atlantic Canada. Key features of the planning and implementation involved the creation of a steering committee and the development of interprofessional team experiences for students and collaborative team meetings for staff. Student learning was assessed using post-placement evaluations and pre- and post-test surveys using the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey. Students' self-reports demonstrated increased interest in LTC practice and increased interprofessional competencies. Consultations with staff, physicians, family and residents were the basis of the evaluation of the academic partnership. Positive impacts were identified for residents, students, and staff, demonstrating that the site was a valuable setting for IPE for students and staff alike. The components of the collaborative partnership and learning activities described can be modified and applied in similar settings to foster student and staff collaboration. The implementation and systematic evaluation of similar collaborative learning initiatives in LTC settings is encouraged to further enhance services to an aging population.