RESEARCH REPORT Improving Interprofessional Communication Confidence Among Physical Therapy and Nurse Practitioner Students Denise Cooper, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, Megan Keiser, RN, DNP, CNRN, SCRN, ACNS-BC, NP-C, Karen Berg, PT, DPT, OCS, and Erica Sherman, PT, DPT, MBA Introduction. Educators identi fied a de- ficiency in interprofessional communi- cation education in a midwestern university’ s Doctor of Physical erapy (DPT) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. While several professional organizations stress the importance of in- terprofessional communication, few studies have focused on such communication be- tween DPT and DNP students. e purpose of this study was to assess DNP and DPT students’ knowledge and perception of con- fidence in interprofessional communication after a simulation-based learning activity conducted via telephone consultation. Dur- ing the activity, students used the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) method with a clinical case study. Methods. e study used a nonrandom sample of 52 first-year DPT and 19 second- year DNP students. Participants completed a questionnaire prior to an educational in- tervention consisting of SBAR and in- terprofessional education (IPE) modules. e activity was conducted using an online audio conferencing tool. Students then completed a postintervention question- naire and reflective questions. Results. Data analysis (descriptive statis- tics, analysis of variance with change scores, and qualitative data analysis) showed that DPT students had significantly higher changes in SBAR combined knowledge and attitude scores compared to DNP students after simulation activity. Discussion and Conclusion. Introducing interprofessional communication such as SBAR approach in DPT and DNP curricula using realistic, simulation-based learning activities with clinical case studies may help students improve their confidence in in- terprofessional communication. Key Words: SBAR, Simulation, In- terprofessional communication, Nurse practitioner, Physical therapist. Collaborative interprofessional education (IPE) is an expanding area in the curriculum of academic health care programs. e World Health Organization (WHO) noted that IPE occurs when 2 or more students from different professions learn about and from one another to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. 1 Several factors that challenge in- terprofessional communication can lead to in- effective communication and compromise patient safety. ree factors in particular can negatively impact patient outcomes: attitudes toward interprofessional communication, a lack of knowledge and confidence in effective com- munication techniques with other health care professionals, and a lack of experience and skill using standardized interprofessional communi- cation tools such as SBAR. 2-4 e WHO’ s Framework for Action on Interprofessional Edu- cation and Collaborative Practice publication noted that IPE is a necessary step for preparing a practice-ready health workforce. 1 e In- terprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel identi fied 4 core competencies for in- terprofessional collaboration (IPC): values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork. 5 BACKGROUND As focus of health care shifts to a more col- laborative approach, the need for each health care provider to step out of their professional silo and communicate with other health care professionals continues to grow. 6 Providing collaborative IPE to health care students can help them learn how to communicate inter- professionally and develop their professional identity as part of an interprofessional team. 7 A 2013 Cochrane Systematic Review supports IPE’s value in improving IPC and patient care, with most of the studies focusing on physi- cians, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and a variety of other health care professionals. 8 Few studies specifically address communication between physical therapist and nurse practitioner students. 8 Health care students who are encouraged to develop interprofessional communication skills through simulation-based learning ac- tivities can be expected to gain confidence, begin to develop their professional identities, and enter the clinical portion of their curric- ulum better prepared to participate in in- terprofessional communication. Integrating IPE activities throughout the curriculum— particularly early in the program—can help foster effective interprofessional communi- cation in new practitioners. 9 For more than 20 years, failures in com- munication have been the leading root cause of sentinel events reported to e Joint Com- mission. 10 Researchers have hypothesized that ensuring open, clear communication within health care would result in the single, greatest reduction in the number of adverse events in the patient care environment. 10 To reduce errors, communication must be effective, effi- cient, and share the expected, necessary in- formation between health care professionals. Health care professionals may have different expectations about what and how information should be communicated. To help improve interprofessional communication and collab- oration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has recommended that health care practitioners be educated using a standard communication tool. 11 e strategy of having each health care provider use a standardized format to communicate has been shown to reduce communication failures. 12 e Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) tool—derived from Denise Cooper University of Michigan-Flint School of Nursing, 303 East Kearsley St., WSW 2172, Flint, MI 48502 (deniser@umflint.edu). Please address all correspondence to Denise Cooper. Megan Keiser University of Michigan, Flint. Karen Berg University of Michigan, Flint. Erica Sherman University of Michigan, Flint. e authors declare no conflicts of interest. Received January 8, 2018, and accepted December 4, 2018. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s Web site (www.aptaeducation.org). Copyright © 2019 Academy of Physical erapy Education, APTA DOI: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000092 Vol 33, No 3, 2019 Journal of Physical Therapy Education 177 Copyright © 2019 Academy of Physical Therapy Education, APTA Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.