What is Currently Happening with Interprofessional Education at KUMC?

Foundations of Interprofessional Collaboration

A foundational program offered to ALL students at KUMC (including some programs from Lawrence, Salina, and Wichita campuses) ensures leaners from each profession have been exposed to interprofessional education. The foundational programming focuses on the four interprofessional competencies (values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, and teamwork). In addition, key components from the TeamSTEPPS® national training model for improving collaboration and communication within healthcare teams is also included. 

See our Overview of Foundations of Interprofessional Collaboration: Introduction to TeamSTEPPS®.

Additional interprofessional education activities

Many learners participate in several other learning activities before graduation. Examples of additional activities include:

• Interprofessional patient cases, discussions, and panel presentations
• Interprofessional simulations
• Interprofessional teaching clinics; Family Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Caritas Duchesne Clinic, Lawrence Memorial Hopspital and others coming.

How is this different from education in the past?

To prepare the workforce of tomorrow we must prepare our health providers with an understanding of the knowledge and expertise that every profession brings to the table when providing quality care for patients.

In the traditional model:

1.  Students from different health professions learned in a classroom receiving the same learning experience without reflective interaction among students from the various professions.
2. A faculty member from a different profession led a classroom learning experience without relating how the professions would interact in an interprofessional manner of care.
3. Learners participated in a clinical care setting led by an individual from another profession without sharing decision-making or responsibility for patient care.

The new model:

The new model is all about collaboration and incorporation of the four competency domains in all settings: classroom, labs, simulations, and practice-based experiences. It enhances the experiences of learners, professors, preceptors, and patients. It is fully realized that IPE will not take-away from fulfilling profession-specific requirements and educational needs... those are still valued!

But, looking for opportunities to train students in a collaborative and team-based model is now an additional priority!

WE NEED YOU TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THESE CONCEPTS AND SKILLS IN AUTHENTIC PRACTICE SETTINGS!