Interprofessional Education
Interprofessional Education (IPE) focuses on an education process by which students from two or more different professions get together to “learn about, from, and with each other to enable collaboration and improve health outcomes.”
UNMC has been involved with IPE for the past three years and has taken the position that IPE is a priority for health professions education. UNMC administration has urged all colleges to be involved – even to the point of appointing an assistant dean for interprofessional education. There have been two IPE programs developed for students. One program is about the reasons for IPE and the importance that UNMC puts on incorporating IPE into the curriculum of the medical center. The second program is on ethics and professionalism where students work in interprofessional groups to develop their own code of ethics and then apply it to problem cases.
The College of Dentistry (COD) and the Lincoln Division College of Nursing (CON) have embarked on a hands-on approach of IPE. Starting with Children’s Dental Day in 2011, Lincoln Division CON students began participating in the clinical activities at the dental college. About 200 children are seen at each of the Dental Day clinics. In Lincoln, nursing students do vitals and other physical testing on the children and then join with the dental and dental hygiene students chair-side to assist with care. Up to 40 nursing students have been involved with Dental Day at the college and we expect this to continue both in Lincoln and in the Panhandle with West Division students from the Gering campus.
Dental SHARING Clinic is another point of activity between the COD and the CON. Lincoln nursing students do vitals and a visual check of the incoming patients. These have been very successful session and we plan to continue them as well as invite other health professions students from the Omaha campus to participate.
IPE Competencies Developed for UNMC:
- Respect the unique cultures, values, roles/responsibilities, and expertise of other health professions
- Work in cooperation with those who receive care, those who provide care, and others who contribute to or support the delivery of prevention and health services
- Communicate with team members to clarify each member’s responsibility in executing components of a treatment plan or public health intervention
- Forge interdependent relationship with other professions to improve care and advance learning
- Listen actively and encourage the ideas and opinions of other team members
- Describe the process of team development and the roles and practices of effective teams
- Develop consensus on the ethical principles to guide all aspects of patients care and team work
IPE Calendar (2012-2013):
February 1st – Children’s Dental Day
April 4th – SHARING Clinic
May 31st – Panhandle Dental Day
June 1st – Panhandle Dental Day
June 27th – SHARING Clinic (tentative)
September 26th – SHARING Clinic
All dates are subject to change
