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Interprofessional Learning IN Practice Settings

IPE logoThe majority of IPE efforts have been in classroom or simulation settings. It is extremely important that learners experience interprofessional Learning IN Practice. They need exposure, experience, reflection, and education about interprofessional teamwork in authentic practice settings. They need to see the connection between what they have learned in the classroom and what is occurring in the "real world"!

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  • Preceptors and staff will ROLE MODEL interprofessional collaboration every day.
  • Learners are VALUE-ADDED for interprofessional collaborative practice.
  • Learning IN Practice must be INTENTIONAL and EXPLICIT.
  • Interprofessional practice experiences in the "real world" are the most valuable of all IPE
  • Experience collaborating with other professions and seeing a variety of teams in action is necessary for building their skills as a future practitioner
  • Many missed opportunities exist....they say they are literally passing learners of other professions in the hallways of their rotations but do not get the opportunity to interact with each other
  • They want more....interprofessional experiences are highly desired by learners
  • Value fostering this type of training for learners and see the future impact for redesigning the healthcare system
  • Students can add value to the practice by assigning them value-added work related to patient-care
  • Preceptors learn new skills for interprofessional collaborative practice
  • Enhance team-based care at their practice-site
  • Recruitment tool for learners to work in their practice-site upon graduation if team-based care is a priority
  • Access to many professional development opportunities
  • Improved patient outcomes and satisfaction
  • Exposure and implementation of new models of care using a team-based approach
  • Potential to improve income with additional reimbursements utilizing team-based models of care
  • Potential marketing tool to attract patients to experience patient-centered team-based care
  • Opportunity for interprofessional learners to provide enhanced care for your most complex and time-consuming patients
  • Interprofessional learners can be change agents to improve your collaborative culture and transform your practice
  • Interprofessional students will provide you with many opportunities to learn from them
  • Opportunity to share precepting of interprofessional students with others to enhance your efficiency

If you are currently practicing with interprofessional student teams in your setting complete the Interprofessional Learning in Practice Database form and email it back to Serra Goodman at sgoodman@kumc.edu.


Easy Ideas for Preceptors
to Enhance the Focus on Interprofessional Collaboration with Learners

  • Develop a collaborative partnership with preceptors of other professions in your practice setting
    • You could share the precepting load! 
  • Incorporate interprofessional collaboration as part of your orientation, objectives, and/or syllabi for your rotation
  • Provide feedback to your learners specifically on how they are working with the interprofessional team (focus on the four competency domains of values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, and teamwork)
  • Debrief with learners specifically about interprofessional collaboration
  • Collect written reflections from your learners about interprofessional collaboration while on your rotation
  • Facilitate journal clubs or patient presentations with interprofessional learners
  • Develop specific assignments for interprofessional learners
    • Interprofessional quality improvement project
    • Patient-related tasks to complete together and report back to the team