Faculty and leaders from the College of Education and Health Professions collaborate during the interprofessional education workshop.
More than 45 faculty and administrative leaders from the College of Education and Health Professions recently gathered to brainstorm and discuss the integration of interprofessional education across the college’s various programs and departments.
The college hosted a one-day interprofessional education workshop led by Indiana University’s Barabara Maxwell, associate dean and director of the Indiana Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.
“The COEHP Interprofessional Education Council was thrilled to host this workshop for all COEHP faculty,” said Luzita Vela, Council Chair and Director of the Master of Athletic Training Program. “Our mission is to create a community that embraces, embodies, and implements the principles of interprofessional practice. This is important because research consistently shows that professionals who use interprofessional collaborative practice improve outcomes for individuals, populations, and professionals.”
Interprofessional education and practice involves preparing students to work in professions outside their immediate field of study. Through interprofessional practice, professionals can be better equipped to collaborate across disciplines.
The College of Education and Health Professions established its Interprofessional Education Council in fall 2022. With representation from various sectors of the college, the council members aim to educate and train faculty, students, and staff on best practices in interprofessional education. Creating a community that embraces and promotes interprofessional practice is one of the action points of the WE CARE Strategic Plan.
“The diversity of COEHP is a strength for us, particularly as we think about interprofessional collaborative practice, because many of the complex challenges we see in schools, health care and communities require a team-based approach to be managed effectively,” Vela said.
The one-day workshop guided faculty and leaders in developing a better understanding of interprofessional education, setting goals, exploring different interprofessional education frameworks, and finally developing a detailed college-wide interprofessional education plan that can be implemented over the long term.
Faculty from the college’s education and health sectors grouped together strategically throughout the day to spark interprofessional dialogue and ideas.
“It was a real gift to have time for COEHP faculty to step outside their silos and intentionally develop new relationships around a shared vision,” said Emily Richardson, clinical instructor of nursing at the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. “I was encouraged by the interdisciplinary efforts that exist across the college and am grateful for the group brainstorming sessions to create potential new initiatives.”
“The workshop left me feeling extremely optimistic about strong interprofessional experiences for our students and our community,” she added.
