Paper
Monday, November 5, 2007

507
This presentation is part of : Perspectives on Nursing Education
Interprofessional Education: Preparing Clinicians to be Safe Effective Care Providers
Jane H. Barnsteiner, PhD, RN, FAAN, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA and Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Learning Objective #1: to state 3 essential features of interprofessional education.
Learning Objective #2: to state 3 strategies to successful implementation of interprofessional education

The work of the Institute of Medicine and others has clearly demonstrated that when healthcare professionals understand each others’ roles and are able to communicate and work effectively together, patients are more likely to receive safe, quality care. In contemporary healthcare professional curriculums there are few opportunities to bring faculty and students from multiple disciplines together, such as nursing, medicine and pharmacy, for the purpose of understanding each others roles, and learning and practicing collaboration and teamwork. Designing and implementing interprofessional education is challenging. This presentation explores the concept of interprofessional education, offers strategies for fostering its growth, and shares examples of successful implementation and impact, making a case for interprofessional education as foundational for preparing health professions students for interprofessional practice upon graduation.