Students from various colleges within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences participate in a simulated clinical scenario during the interprofessional education event.
Interprofessional Rady Faculty student event highlights collaboration across health-care disciplines
Simulation labs at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus were packed with students from the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences on Oct. 16 for an interprofessional education event aimed at fostering collaboration across health-care disciplines. The event was hosted by the Office of Interprofessional Collaboration.
“Everyone in the health-care field — regardless of what they specialize in — has something to contribute to patient care and to improving the health-care system. Through interdisciplinary learning, students learn with and from others,” said Dr. Francis Diaz, event co-lead and fourth-year pediatrics resident at the Max Rady College of Medicine.
Students practiced collaborative leadership, teamwork and relationship-focused care — with an emphasis on the person receiving care rather than clinical diagnosis.
“They explored their roles within a health-care team and how to collaborate effectively to support the patient,” Diaz said.
More than 260 students gathered in small groups comprising undergraduate students from the Max Rady College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Rehabilitation Sciences. Students from the University College of the North in The Pas and Thompson joined online as part of UM’s partnership in nursing education with the Northern institution.
Why is there a need for interdisciplinary collaboration in health care?
“Health care is complex. There aren’t enough health-care providers, such as physicians and nurses. So, it’s really important in team-based care to emphasize that roles sometimes overlap,” said Vladan Protudjer, event co-lead and interim director of the Office of Interprofessional Collaboration.
Protudjer said overlapping roles offer many benefits, but also create challenges — particularly confusion and a lack of clarity around team members’ roles and responsibilities.
“In a team, the question should be: ‘Who is best positioned — based on their scope of practice, skill set and training — to provide care for the person in need?’” he said.
Interprofessional communication is another key aspect students must learn, Protudjer said: “It’s really important to speak up respectfully for the benefit of the patient and to communicate roles in concerning situations, even when it’s uncomfortable.”
Responding to health care challenges as one team
During the event, simulated clinical scenarios were acted out by standardized patients — actors trained to portray patients — at the Clinical Learning and Simulation Program’s simulation labs.
One scenario involved a parent of a seven-year-old boy named Malcolm, who has cerebral palsy. As Malcolm was being discharged from the hospital, students had to discuss the discharge plan with his parent — someone understandably frustrated by complications during the hospital stay.
Working together, students addressed the parent’s concerns, applying their communication and teamwork skills in a sensitive, real-world context.
The activities taught Oluwadamilola Taiwo, a fourth-year nursing student, that working as one team with professionals from other disciplines is essential.
“It showed me how intertwined our work is and how I can rely on others outside my scope to ensure the best care for our patients,” Taiwo said. “That goes a long way to ensure that patients leave with the best impression every time they visit the hospital.”
Sofia Ebeo, a fourth-year pharmacy student, said the practical skills she learned are important to know before entering health care.
“It’s one thing to be an expert in our own fields, but it’s another to also understand the expertise of other people on your team and how you communicate with each other, as well as with your patients,” Ebeo said.
Dustin Erickson, a third-year medical student, said hearing perspectives from fellow students was beneficial.
“It’s cool to hear how students from other disciplines approach the same problem differently — it’s incredibly valuable,” said Erickson. “This was a great experience, and I’m really excited to see where this program goes from here.”
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Learn more about interprofessional education at the Rady Faculty, visit: umanitoba.ca/health-sciences/student-experience/interprofessional-collaboration