Abstract
Effective interprofessional communication is essential in preparing speech-language pathology (SLP) students for work readiness, encompassing critical elements such as confidence in engaging with diverse professionals, critical thinking skills, communication proficiency, and an understanding of interprofessional roles and boundaries. This study explores the implementation of interactive oral experiences as a simulation-based learning approach, utilizing unscripted interactions to replicate authentic communication scenarios within three distinct work settings: a special child care centre, a residential care home for the elderly, and a hospital environment. In these settings, clinical educators acted various caregivers of patients, teachers or healthcare professionals and engage in interactions with the SLP students, focusing on case management issues through three tailored case scenarios in each setting.
The interative oral experiences aimed to enhance students’ interprofessional communication skills by providing real-time feedback from clinical educators across five key areas: communication skills, clinical reasoning, interprofessioinal collaboration, professionalism, and lifelong learning. Quantitative results indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ confidence when engaging with other professionals, caregivers and patients. Additionally, there was a notable enhancement in their perceived communication abilities, critical thinking skills and knowledge on interprofessional roles, which are vital for effective interprofessional communication.
Over 86% of participating studetns reported that the interactive oral exprience significantly improved their perceived interprofessional communication abilities and work readiness. This positive feedback underscores the value of simulation-based learning in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in real-world settings. To fuerther enrich the findings, qualitative feedback was collected through interviews with both students and clinical educators, providing deeper insights into the impact of the interactive oral experience on students’ learning and professional development.
The results of this study highlight the important of integrating interactive oral experieince into SLP training programs to foster essential interprofessional communication skills. By simulating authentic interactions and providing constructive feedback, clinical educators can better prepare students for the complexities of collaborative practice in diverse healthcare and educational settings. This approach not only enhances students’ confidence and competence but also promotes work readiness and a culture of lifelong learning and professional growth within the field of speech-language pathology.