INTEAM – Interprofessional Team Training in Virtual Reality
The INTEAM project aims to foster teamwork between the two professions of physician and nurse already during study by means of an interprofessional team training using VR simulations.
Duration: June 2022 – June 2023
Status: Completed
Educational Level: Tertiary Level
Topic: Digital Tools
Keywords: Interprofessional Collaboration, VR, Medical and Nursing Education, Team Training
Initial Situation
Collaboration between the medical service and the nursing service is crucial for high quality patient care. This interprofessional collaboration can present a challenge. It is therefore essential to promote the participants’ team skills already during training. Currently, however, virtually no interaction takes place between medical and nursing students during their training.
Follow-up Project
The follow-up project INTEAM+ investigated the extent to which objective metrics can contribute to the evaluation of team performance in a medical context. Parameters such as heart rate (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA) and eye tracking were examined to determine whether and how they can be used to measure and map teamwork, coordination, and team leadership.
Objectives
The INTEAM project aimed to promote interprofessional collaboration between medical and nursing students during their training. Through a joint team training using VR simulations, important competences such as structured communication, emergency management and mutual role understanding were to be strengthened. In this way, a foundation for better collaboration in everyday professional practice was to be created.
Method
The interprofessional team training consisted of a 30 minute e learning module, a one hour on site VR simulation, and a 30 minute debriefing. The e learning video conveyed content on “red flags” for headaches, epileptic seizures and structured communication (ISBAR). On site, the students were introduced to the VR technology and worked together in mixed pairs from nursing and medicine. They jointly practised coping with emergency situations and interprofessional collaboration. The debriefing served reflection. At different time points the participants answered questionnaires on acceptance, effectiveness and feasibility. Organisational and technical issues were documented in addition.
Results
The development of the INTEAM interprofessional team training was successful and could be conducted and evaluated in a pilot study with 21 interprofessional teams. The participants rated the training as user friendly, meaningful and easy to use. Occasional symptoms of discomfort occurred, though no one had to terminate the simulation because of them. The students felt present in the simulation; perceived workload appeared rather high, as would be expected for a stressful emergency team scenario. After the training there was an improved self assessment (of the ability to care for a patient with a seizure) as well as better patient hand over compared to before the training.
Implemented Translation
Whether medical and nursing students should engage during their studies is beyond doubt. The question of how remains to be resolved. Our INTEAM project has shown that such training is accepted and even strongly desired by the students. The feasibility and integration into the curricula of both study programmes are desired by both involved institutions, the University of Bern and Berner Fachhochschule, but must be further advanced.
Neher, A. N., Wespi, R., Rapphold, B. D., Sauter, T. C., Kämmer, J. E., & Birrenbach, T. (2024, November 4). Interprofessional team training with virtual reality: Acceptance, learning outcome, and feasibility evaluation study. JMIR Serious Games, 12, e57117. https://doi.org/10.2196/57117
Wespi, R., Schwendimann, L., Neher, A., Birrenbach, T., Schauber, S. K., Manser, T., Sauter, T. C., & Kämmer, J. E. (2024, September 11). TEAMs go VR—Validating the TEAM in a virtual reality (VR) medical team training. Advances in Simulation, 9(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-024-00309-z
