Innovative IPE training draws faculty to UNTHSC
By Alex Branch
Preparing health professions students to work in high-performing teams is key to UNT Health Science Center’s vision of producing the health care providers of the future.
But to succeed, those students’ teachers need equally extraordinary team skills.
That’s why faculty members from UNTHSC, Texas Christian University and University of Texas at Arlington are participating in a new Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPE) Faculty Development Program at UNTHSC.
The program, now in its second cohort, is a collaboration between the UNTHSC Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice and The Center for Innovative Learning.
“Just like many students were historically taught in silos, many faculty members also trained in silos,” said David Famer, PhD, Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice. “Our goal is to help these faculty members incorporate core IPE competences into their courses and also collaborate with each other to create new IPE opportunities for students.”
The program consists of online learning modules and five 90-minute interactive sessions held at UNTHSC. The curriculum is innovative and fun. A recent session called Game of Roles – a takeoff on the hit TV series Game of Thrones – focused on learning the roles and responsibilities of other health professionals and building a culture of mutual respect.
In one exercise, participants working in interprofessional teams were tasked with drawing pictures that embodied their perception of the roles and responsibilities of a certain heath profession. Afterward, the group compared the images to the realities.
“It opened our eyes to some of the false stereotypes we all place upon other roles but also made us aware of the many areas where our roles overlap and blend together,” said Lisa Bashore, Associate Professor of Nursing at Texas Christian University. “When I am not teaching, I work in a local pediatric institute with medical students, medical assistants, social workers, physicians, residents, etc. Itisso important for us to understand our roles and how we complement each other.”
Another program session takes the form of an IPE escape room. Others focus on effective IPE team facilitation strategies and integrating collaborative practice into existing courses and clinical experiences.
The program grew out of a suggestion from students, who felt instructors could benefit from learning new and innovative ways to incorporate IPE core competencies into their curriculums, said Robin Bartoletti, MIS, PhD, Assistant Director at the UNTHSC Center for Innovative Learning.
The program is open to health professions faculty from all North Texas universities. For more information, contact Cynthia Carroll, Interprofessional Education and Practice Assistant Director, at 817-735-5475 or by email.
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