Interprofessional education internships in schools: Jump starting change

Abstract

Placing our practicum students into an interprofessional education (IPE) practicum without prior course work is an unorthodox idea, however, it was discovered that the road to IPE success is not along a single pathway. This multi-case study explores the experience of seven cohorts of pre-service professionals from the faculties of Education, Nursing, Justice Studies, Kinesiology and Health Studies and Social Work who engaged in a 14-week, full-time interprofessional internship in inner-city schools. Findings suggest that this IPE practicum provided a forum for students to develop sophisticated communication skills and more fully respect the scope and breadth of each other's practice while working towards improving the quality of care for children through interprofessional collaboration. The discussion raises issues related to: the unique challenges of IPE in community-based settings, where lack of mentoring and issues related to "authenticity" emerge; "othering" and the ways in which discourse re-inscribes racist ways of knowing; and the value of co-constructed learning and the need to respond to emerging needs in context rather than in a linear, sequential process. Over two years, it was discovered that a seemingly backward approach to IPE moved our agenda forward in directions we had not anticipated.

Collaborating across agencies and professionals to provide interprofessional practice: A case analysis

“…Generally, students report IPE clinical experiences positively (e.g. Reeves, Freeth, McCrorie, & Perry, 2002;Salm, Greenberg, Pitzel, & Cripps, 2010). What is unique about this study is the degree of student independent learning and the linkages between the academic environment and the clinical agency.…”

Understanding interprofessional relationships by the use of contact theory

“…Targeting pre-licensure professional groups has taken the form of orientation classes, integrated curricula, simulation exercises and short-term workshops of varying lengths (Cameron et al, 2009;Oandasan & Reeves, 2005;Pollard et al, 2004;Salm et al, 2010). Just as evaluation of such education has been limited, linking these strategies to a theoretical approach is also rare.…”

Collaboration is key: The actual experience of disciplines working together in child care

“…This finding shares some of the perceived perceptions toward educators working in early childhood settings in Australia and the possible hierarchy between education and medical professionals, as already stated by Cumming and Wong (). While disciplines working together may be more common within a health care setting, there continues to be limited information of this shared understanding for a similar process in an educational setting (Salm et al ., ), especially the early childhood sector (Anderson, ). It appears that one of the biggest barriers is a lack of understanding about what each of the professions do, leading to cultural variation between the disciplines.…”

“…While the academic literature can guide inter‐professional education in health care settings, limited information to help guide a similar process in relation to educational settings is available (Tourse, Mooney, Kline, & Davoren, ; Salm et al ., ), especially in the early childhood sector (Anderson, ). Despite the evidence suggesting strategies and frameworks for supporting inter‐professional teamwork in early childhood settings, there are relatively few empirical studies on how such practices work within Australia (Wong et al ., ).…”