A collaborative approach to embedding IPL in practice

The importance of Inter-professional Education is well documented.  In 2009, while working with students in clinical practice at Pilgrim Hospital (United Lincolnshire Trust). It was realised that clinical support was required for inter-professional education.  This led to approach other universities within the East Midlands to ascertain which Universities had clinical placement provision at Pilgrim Hospital and whether they would wish to participate in the development of an Undergraduate inter-professional Education (IPE) project.

Therefore, the project is a collaborative development between the Trust and several universities across the East Midlands. The project has three parts: Inter-professional Education in practice, Simulation and E-learning resource Hub (Under development).  Only IPE in practice will be presented here.

The project is guided by the University of British Columbia (UBC) model of inter-professional education (Charles, et al., 2010).The main components of the model are: Exposure, Emersion and Mastery. According to Charles, et al., (2010), theoretical knowledge is a prerequisite for effective learning. In this project, exposure stage entails introducing students to concepts of Inter-professional Education, for example, being exposed to different professional roles and understanding themes of the project. Emersion involves undergraduate students from different healthcare professions participating in the Inter-professional activities to learn with, from and about one another to improve collaboration and the quality of care (WHO, 2010).  Like the UBC framework the goal of ‘mastery’ is  to  “Encourage  the development of  advanced level of critical  thinking skills, a high degree of self-reflection and a deeper  understanding of the contribution of one’ s own and the other professions within the health and health delivery” (Charles, et al., 2010 p 16).

Using the themes of dignity, communication and safeguarding, students from different professions students carry out inter-professional learning activities. The following are clinical areas within Pilgrim Hospital which have been involved in this project: Gynaecology and Midwifery, Gastroenterology and Endocrinology and Stroke Unit. Building on the success of these pilot clinical areas, there is a plan to expand these IPE learning opportunities to other clinical areas and other hospitals within the Trust.  This initiative has particular significance in contemporary practice as dignity, communication and safeguarding form the central themes in a number of recent government strategy documents.

This  an ambitious and complex project to manage and implement, due  to number of universities and clinical staff engaged in the project and  also the challenges of developing IPE learning opportunities to meet the needs of a wide range of students from different healthcare professions at different times of the year. Many lessons have been learnt:

• Establishing a network of healthcare professionals from universities across the East Midlands and the Trust involved.
• There will always be challenges when implementing Inter-professional Education in practice but what is required is creativity in managing these challenges. In addition, clinical facilitators  who are committed and demonstrate a greater awareness of the value of inter-professional learning and are enthusiastic for engaging students actively in IPE activities.
• Sustaining IPE activities in practice requires full involvement of the   clinical staff and full support of academic leads and management in clinical practice. Jointly Universities, clinical staff and the Trust invest time, resources and financial support to implement and expand the project. 
• Embedding a sustainable IPE activities in practice also requires creating a culture of IPE in the clinical practice whereby all clinical staff are aware of the importance of IPE and can make the most of any opportunities to teach students inter-professionally when they arise. Staff should view IPE as an integral part of their clinical practice role.
•  A staff from any profession can facilitate a group of students from different professions working on IPL activity.
• The involvement of service users or patient is important.