(319) Pitt BEAT (Bridging Education and Team-based Care): Multidisciplinary Student Learnings from Real-World Blood Pressure Assessment

Objective : Describe students’ self-assessment of their blood pressure measurement skills and learnings following completion of standardized training and a Pitt BEAT Signature Experience, where students measure patients’ blood pressure in various community settings.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study design was used. Students in professional programs in medicine, nursing, dietitian nutritionist, pharmacy, and physician assistant studies were invited to participate. Students within these programs were required to complete American Medical Association (AMA) training modules on blood pressure assessment. Students were then invited to participate in a Signature Experience and a 2-minute post-survey. The survey collected demographics, confidence ratings on blood pressure assessment skills, and two open-ended questions to assess learning points from the Signature Experience and the impact of the training modules on the real-world experience. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data. Content analysis of open-ended responses was conducted.

Results: Approximately 270 students completed a Signature Experience, of which, 88 students completed the survey (9 dietitian nutritionist, 16 medicine, 7 nursing, 56 pharmacy). On a scale of “very confident” (1) to “not at all confident” (5), means for confidence with proper positioning, cuff size selection, manual measurement accuracy, and automated measurement accuracy were 1.36, 1.43, 1.49, and 1.73 respectively. Students shared four key learning points from their Signature Experience and three key learning points regarding how the AMA training modules prepared them to measure blood pressure.

Conclusions: Students across four health science disciplines expressed high levels of confidence in their blood pressure measurement skills after participating in online modules and a real-world Signature Experience. This study demonstrates how standardized blood pressure assessment training paired with hands-on blood pressure measurement augments student learning and confidence in blood pressure assessment.