Evaluation of an Interprofessional Team Training Program to Improve the Use of Patient Safety Strategies Among Healthcare Professions Students.

PURPOSE

To assess whether our introductory TeamSAFE (Team Simulation and Fearlessness in Education) program improved student knowledge of effective teamwork skills; impacted their perception of their own teamwork skills and preparedness for teamwork in clinical practice; and augmented their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare team members.

METHODS

Students completed an online learning module, then attended a simulation-based workshop to practice patient safety and teamwork skills. A pre-post-test design was used to assess knowledge of TeamSTEPPS® concepts and perception of teamwork skills among 959 students from 7 health professions. We conducted a qualitative analysis of student responses to open-ended questions about their perceptions of teamwork skills.

RESULTS

Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: 1) put patients first; 2) recognize that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; and 3) embrace the unknown. Quantitative analysis suggested that students gained knowledge from the workshop. Item analysis using item response theory showed that items have difficulty and discrimination in the lower range.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that the workshop was effective in improving knowledge of teamwork skills, improving student self-perception of teamwork skills and practice readiness, increasing understanding of the roles and responsibilities of students from different health professions, and understanding the importance of patient safety.