Connecting the Classroom and Clinic Through Teamstepps

Integrating Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) training into universities healthcare curriculum and University Health clinics' onboarding processes presented an exciting opportunity to elevate communication, teamwork, and patient care quality. This initiative creates a seamless connection between academic programs and their clinical environments, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence. Academic partners included faculty, curriculum developers, and students, initially with the College of Psychology, who assigned over 120 students annually to multiple University Mental Health Clinics. Practice partners consisted of healthcare providers, clinical educators, and administrative staff at University Health clinics, initially focusing on mental health services.
Key stakeholders in this initiative include academic representatives such as professors, instructors, and curriculum developers who received TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer certification. Clinical representatives included psychologists, physicians, nurses, medical assistants and other NSU Health employees, while administrative support came from IT personnel and evaluation specialists. Student representatives, particularly leaders from student organizations, also played a crucial role.
Engagement of learners in this lightening talk will have a better understanding of how the initial steps for a project focused on connecting the classroom and clinic can advance interprofessional care.
Metrics for evaluating the project included team performance, measured by communication improvements, coordination, and patient safety outcomes using validated TeamSTEPPS tools. Knowledge and skills acquisition were assessed through pre- and post-training evaluations, simulations, and practical exams. Attitudinal changes were evaluated through shifts in perceptions of teamwork and collaboration.