GeriWard: An Interprofessional Curriculum for Health Professions Student Teams on Systems-Based Care of the Hospitalized Older Adult

Abstract Introduction This resource is an interprofessional team-based curriculum for health professions students on systems-based practice and care of the hospitalized older adult. The overarching goal of the curriculum is to provide skills, knowledge, and a team-based experience that ensures graduating students are able to approach the care of older adults in the hospital from a systems-based perspective. Methods This resource contains a 2.5-hour learning exercise where students are exposed to an interprofessional model that is central to patient care. Students actively engage in the learning process by presenting the patient case back to their peers and faculty supervisors. Results This resource was piloted from June through November 2010 in six separate 2-hour workshops. All participating students showed improvement in attitudes toward interprofessional education pre- and postcurriculum. Students rated knowledge and self-efficacy on the competencies higher after participating in the curriculum. After the program, 88% of participants felt confident identifying indications for bladder catheters and risk factors for pressure ulcers, compared to only 60% before the curriculum. Using a 5-point Likert scale, over 90% of students agreed that they learned skills they would apply to future patient care. Discussion These direct experiences can increase students' self-assessed ability to care for hospitalized older adults within a team dynamic, and address how systems issues can directly affect patient care.