| Learning Objective #1: Describe the process of developing an interdisciplinary course | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe the level of knowledge of pharmacology needed for the practice of nurses, physical therapists, physician assistants and acupuncturists. |
Abstract
Introduction
Interdisciplinary practice, the ideal of health professionals for the past two decades, has been difficult to accomplish. One of the reasons for this may be the educational process, during which students in various health professions programs are taught the same content in isolation from their soon to be colleagues. In this type of educational system, students do not have the opportunity to develop understanding of the degree of knowledge other professionals possess or how they use the same knowledge in different ways,
Educational institutions, especially small liberal arts colleges, are faced with severe fiscal limitations. Offering the same courses in different programs results in excessive use of fiscal and human resources.
Purpose
The purpose of this presentation is to describe a transdisciplinary collaborative partnership model that addresses the desire to enhance interdisciplinary education and practice and to address the fiscal concerns of a private college with a Division of Health Professions.
Goals
The Pharmacology Task Force composed of faculty from the nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant and acupuncture/oriental medicine programs was convened in the fall of 2001. The project goals were to review the existing pharmacology courses, prepare a brief history of the issues surrounding these courses, determine if the course content was clinically relevant, develop recommendations and identify opportunities for different disciplines to work together.
Results
Over the next two years the Task force accomplished each of the goals and designed a modular pharmacology course that will enable different disciplines to pick and choose among the modules to meet their specific clinical needs. Both Eastern and Western medicine pharmacology is included.
Through this collaborative model the task force members developed in depth understanding of the pharmacology content that their peers were teaching and the ways that the content was used in both the educational and clinical settings.
Back to Accepted Posters
Back to 37th Biennial Convention - Clinical Sessions
Sigma Theta Tau International