Interprofessional Journal of Healthcare and Research

Purpose: This qualitative study examines how engaging interprofessional student teams in global health mission trips affects critical thinking, interprofessional engagement, and collegiality in health profession students. Two pedagogical strategies that foster broad integrated knowledge and skills are the use of Interprofessional Education (IPE) and International service-learning (ISL) opportunities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)(2010), “Interprofessional education is a necessary step in preparing a ‘collaborative practice-ready’ health workforce that is better prepared to respond to local health needs.”
Methods/Discussion: Nineteen health profession students, 15 females, 2 males, from a regional university in the southern United States, representing a range of health education programs including nursing, biology/pre-med, and physical therapy, participated in two global engagement student learning 10-day health mission trips (Uganda and Bolivia). Both trips afforded students the opportunity to work with medically underserved and impoverished populations with limited resources. Students were organized daily into interprofessional health care teams which worked together as single units addressing the needs of the people which they served. Students completed two written assignments during their trips: daily reflective journals of their experiences working in interprofessional teams; and each student’s cultural story regarding a key cultural learning experience in critical thinking and collaboration. Each submission was then examined using a deductive six-step method of thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke) to determine how interprofessional teamwork affected collegiality and critical thinking in healthcare profession students.
Results/Outcomes: Thematic analysis of student reflective journals and cultural stories yielded two main themes with several sub-themes identifying the impact of international service learning in interprofessional healthcare teams. The first theme coded was critical thinking and problem solving, which supported sub-themes of balancing culture while providing optimal medical care, overcoming communication barriers due to language and health literacy, and providing optimal medical care with limited resources. The second main theme was IPE Collegiality and Collaboration which supported sub-themes of understanding roles and building relationships, improved skills and self-efficacy, and a renewed sense and appreciation for patient-centered holistic, and simplified healthcare.
Conclusions/Relevance: Combining IPE working in healthcare teams during global health mission trips has demonstrated positive effects on student’s critical thinking, collegiality, interprofessional engagement and mentoring. In addition, we found that these trips provide a unique environment which fosters an increase in their knowledge and respect for their role as a member of the healthcare team as well as the roles of other health professionals.

Interprofessional Education and Service Learning: Improving Critical Thinking and Collegiality Through International Health Mission Trips

Objective: There is limited evidence to fully justify a constant speed whole body spinning intervention for children with cerebral palsy to improve trunk stability and gross motor function. The purpose of this case report is to investigate the impact of an isometric trunk training during use of the Allcore 360 seated core muscle trainer on functional abilities and independence in a child with cerebral palsy.
Participant and Method: An 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level V participated in an isometric trunk training with constant speed twice per week for 14-weeks. Assessments were performed at baseline, 7 weeks and 14 weeks of intervention using the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (Dimensions A & B), Modified Functional Reach test, sitting posture in the wheelchair and response to trunk perturbation.
Results: Following the constant speed spinning intervention, improvements were found in trunk control, lower extremity coordination and sitting posture as well as increases in GMFM-88 and Modified Functional Reach Test Scores. Positive outcomes from the spinning training were obtained beyond improvements in trunk stability, since improvements in functional motor performance were also achieved.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the constant speed spinning intervention have been effective for improving trunk stability and physical performance in this child. However, further investigation should be needed to quantify and verify the positive result of the experiment in a larger population.

The effect of an isometric trunk training during spinning in a child with Cerebral Palsy: A case report

This case report presents the unique contributions of physical therapy using principles of motor learning in the rehabilitation of a canine patient post C5-C6 ventral slot procedure and subsequent rhizotomy of C6, with a secondary central cord infarct.
This case describes an eight-year old, MN, Rottweiler who presented to the physical therapy department as tetraparetic following a diagnosis of cervical intervertebral disc disease. Baseline assessment revealed a very low functioning dog, incapable of independent voluntary motor activity and requiring maximal assistance for all transfers and activities of daily living.
Principles of motor learning were incorporated into intense physical therapy treatments to promote neuroplasticity, including part-task practice, repetitions, specificity of tasks that are novel and challenging, and neuromuscular re-education models, such as proprioceptive, balance and perturbation training. This dog returned to independence and normal activities of daily living on a horse farm with minimal residual neurologic deficits.
This report is interesting because it describes a dog with severe cervical neurological comorbidities, whose prognosis was described as ‘poor’ for return to function by referring veterinarians. Additional studies need to be conducted to better understand how various motor learning approaches affect neuroplasticity and affect the overall functional outcome of canine cervical patients.

Interprofessional Journal of Healthcare and Research (Vol. 1, Iss. 1)

Items in this collection

Interprofessional Education and Service Learning: Improving Critical Thinking and Collegiality Through International Health Mission Trips

The effect of an isometric trunk training during spinning in a child with Cerebral Palsy: A case report

Contributions of Motor Learning in the Physical Therapy of a Working Dog: A Case Report

Language, Jargon, Culture, and Understanding

.repo-1h6ne0y{background:#ffffff;text-transform:uppercase;padding-right:1.5rem;}.repo-1h6ne0y:after{content:'';position:absolute;background:#adadad;transform:translateY(-50%);top:50%;left:0;width:100%;height:0.1rem;z-index:-1;}Items in this collection

The effect of an isometric trunk training during spinning in a child with Cerebral Palsy: A case report

Contributions of Motor Learning in the Physical Therapy of a Working Dog: A Case Report

Language, Jargon, Culture, and Understanding

Items in this collection