Collaboration between nursing and health sciences professionals is critical
Interprofessional education (IPE) training is becoming increasingly important in health-care settings and requires collaboration from a team of health-care providers. Saskatchewan Polytechnic hosted IPE events in March to bring School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences students together to gain a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of their peers.
The virtual education sessions involved more than 1,200 students and nearly 200 faculty facilitators from Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert campuses.
“IPE can lead to better coordination of care, reduced medical errors and improved patient satisfaction. These events are part of the commitment from the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences to prepare our students for their future practice as members of a health-care team,” says Stacey Shand, interprofessional education coordinator at Sask Polytech.
Working in small groups, students were presented with first-person narratives describing an Indigenous patient and their family member’s journey through the health-care system. This year the IPE events focused on Indigenous health concepts, supporting Sask Polytech’s commitment to miyo wâhkôhtowin (good relations).
“With support from their facilitators, students engage in a reflection and discussion about the Indigenous patient’s health-care story,” says Anna Power-Horlick, interprofessional education coordinator. “The primary goal of IPE is to help students understand health experiences from the perspective of patients and their support people. The discussion provides an opportunity for students to learn from each other and to experience the importance of team communications to support patient and family centered care.”
Students began the interactive learning experience by listening to a patient narrative video, pre-recorded in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Following the video, faculty facilitators guided students through a discussion where they reflected on what they learned and how this might impact their studies and future in a health-care career. An Elder provided additional insight into Indigenous perspectives on health and healing with a pre-recorded video as well.
“I really appreciated the insight Elder Willie Ermine offered during the IPE experience. His words provided important information about traditional health practices and how traditional medicine has its place in western culture. As someone going into the health field, I value his point of view,” shares Blaine Maxwell, a Dental Hygiene student.
Maxwell adds, “The patient and family narrative was relatable on many different levels, in both my personal and professional life. I appreciated the knowledge that was passed on between the speaker as well as the other students I was able to collaborate with. This IPE event further expanded my knowledge of how different people from different backgrounds view and navigate the world.”
The importance of teamwork and communication is made clear as students discussed the patient narrative video. “Collaborating with other health-care professionals during the IPE event gave me a greater scope of what to expect in practice and what is required of me as a member of the health-care team,” shares Onome Omonigho, a Continuing Care Assistant student.
With the growing complexity of health-care systems and the increasing demand for quality care, IPE training has become essential in preparing health-care professionals to meet the challenges of modern health care and to provide patients with the best possible care. The experience of working with patient narratives incorporates the accreditation standards for Nursing and Health Sciences programs as well as the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative National Competency Framework.
The following nursing and health sciences programs participated in the 2023 IPE events: Collaborative Nurse Practitioner, Combined Laboratory and X-ray Technology, Continuing Care Assistant, Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Health Information Management, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical Radiologic Technology, Mental Health and Addictions Counselling, Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy, Practical Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Registered Nursing Bridging Program for Internationally Educated Nurses, Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Therapeutic Recreation. Thank you to everyone involved in making this learning experience a success.
Learn more about the School of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing.
Published April 2023.