Enhancing Neurology Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Competence Using an Interprofessional Education Series in an Ambulatory Setting
Rebecca Burdett1, Tara Jennings2, Brooke Neuman1
1University of Pennsylvania, 2Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Background:
APP utilization has been increasing in the historically physician-driven ambulatory setting. Unfortunately, educational needs of APPs have not been well researched. This includes APPs working in ambulatory neurology practices. Although APPs train in their respective specialty, the patients frequently present in clinic with a wide variety of neurological problems beyond their specialty. The APP may not have appropriate education in other neurological subspecialties and may be ill-equipped to deal with all of the patient’s complaints. We designed and implemented an ongoing series to address this education gap.
Design/Methods:
Monthly hour-long cross-subspecialty virtual presentations were held discussing 11 distinct areas of neurology over a year's time. Demographic information was collected (clinical role, years of experience, and current subspecialty). Pre-and post-series surveys were collected to analyze provider’s competence in managing different neurological conditions. The survey questions were formatted in a 5-point Likert scale.
Results:
Pre-series data indicated that APPs were confident within their subspecialty but lacked confidence when dealing with cases outside their expertise. Following the educational series, surveys were collected from 6 nurse practitioners. The results demonstrated improved overall competence outside their specialty for 4 out of 6 participants, with all participants reporting increased competence in their specific subspecialty. Additionally, 4 out of 6 participants noted increased departmental support. Informal feedback aligned with these quantitative findings, emphasizing enhanced competence and confidence in managing diverse neurological cases.
Conclusions:
In a growing APP-utilized neurology setting, this series bridged gaps in education and competence. The neurology APP interprofessional series boosted participant competence and confidence in managing diverse neurological conditions across subspecialties. This increased competence, combined with positive feedback, underscores the value of interprofessional education in supporting APPs and enhancing patient care.