Q: With the number of health sciences degrees under the Belmont umbrella, has the university embraced interprofessional education?
A: “Yes … and in fact the diversity of our programs, coupled with our state-of-the-art simulation and practice laboratories, create rich opportunities for cross-disciplinary IPE at Belmont that are simply not available to students in most universities.
“We constantly review our curriculum to assure alignment with emerging science and patient needs. For example, preventing hospital-acquired infections is a major concern for patients, as well as for our clinical partners. We provide specialized, team-based training in these areas while keeping in mind that our care must be marked by compassion for best patient outcomes.”
Q: How does the training translate into clinical practice after graduation … particularly when you add physicians to the mix who aren’t trained on site at Belmont?
A: “We continually monitor practice standards and survey employers to ensure that our graduates are equipped with the most current skills. At present, this translates into robust practice and residency experiences with area physicians and with our local med school partners at Meharry and Vanderbilt. This is important to all of us. Strategic initiatives are underway to increase these traditional training opportunities and further supplement them with laboratory practice, particularly in high risk areas like obstetrics and pediatrics.”
Q: We focus on IPE in terms of creating clinical teams, but do those with operational oversight come into play at all … and should they?
A: “Yes, administrators will play a critical role in creating the successful patient care teams of the future. Today, they are faced with the unique challenge of re-tooling the existing workforce and assimilating new graduates into a constantly changing system of care. They are being asked to do this while controlling costs and keeping patients safe, and the challenges don't stop there. Add an emerging infection like Ebola to the mix, and the need for flawless communication and care management across disciplines becomes crystal clear. IPE can equip us with the skills to do just that. “
