IPE: interprofessional education for HCAs

Abstract

This article is written for both HCAs and their educators and provides a brief overview of interprofessional education (IPE)—also known as ‘interprofessional learning (IPL)’—of relevance to the HCA workforce. The notion of IPE has been popularised in recent years, with the need for healthcare practitioners to build capacity within and between different professional disciplines. The motivation for this is often that IPE and the improved multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) it contributes to can have a direct, positive impact on the quality of patient-centred care. When HCAs are in the process of returning to education after a considerable time, they might not be familiar with the notions of IPE or MDT, or even have considered the relevance of either to the care they provide to patients and their families and carers. This article provides an insight into and an explanation of both IPE and MDT, using worked examples from practice. It also places value on the experiential learning that HCAs bring to the context of IPE for others. The everyday work and interaction at the front line of patient care of HCAs places them in an ideal position to share accounts of their experience from practice, so that others might learn from them. Finally, a key set of learning objectives in relation to IPE is presented, so that when HCAs contemplate their own IPE learning, whether formal or informal, they are better equipped to consider key elements that might be of direct relevance to their own contribution to practice.

The impact of an educational intervention on home support workers' ability to detect early pressure ulcer damage

“…Variations in learning ability were also of concern, with similarities noted to that of individuals recognised as experiencing low health literacy. The literature concludes that a transformative style training for HSWs is the way forward (Cavendish, 2013 andHayes, 2014). This should also include structured education to ensure HSWs of different ability and ethnic background benefit from the training provided.…”

“…This will support nurses in the community and further the goal of improving safe delegation of care provision and maintain patient safety. The writer believes that health educators could benefit from combining transformative style learning with clinical supervision (Hayes, 2014 andThomas et al, 2014). Therefore, the educators involved in health and social care education need to adapt to the growing needs of the HSW in terms of how and what they learn and what they need to know.…”

“…Worryingly, visual skin assessment is predominantly undertaken by HSWs, with little evidence to support their proficiency to perform this role (Samuriwo, 2010). Therefore, it is essential to measure HSW knowledge regarding this specialised clinical practice, then apply appropriate educational interventions and teaching techniques to address any deficiencies identified (Hayes, 2014).…”

“…However, Hayes (2014) believes that HSW work experience in itself cannot be ignored, and stated that learning through practice is a valuable means of education. Swedberg et al (2013) noted that self-learning is not to be disregarded in the community setting: large geographical areas and unreasonable staff ratios lead favourably to this approach.…”