The University of British Columbia model of interprofessional education

Abstract

The College of Health Disciplines, at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has a long history of developing interprofessional learning opportunities for students and practitioners. Historically, many of the courses and programmes were developed because they intuitively made sense or because certain streams of funding were available at particular times. While each of them fit generally within our understanding of interprofessional education in the health and human service education programs, they were not systematically developed within an educational or theoretical framework. This paper discusses the model we have subsequently developed at the College for conceptualizing the various types of interprofessional experiences offered at UBC. It has been developed so that we can offer the broadest range of courses and most effective learning experiences for our students. Our model is based on the premise that there are optimal learning times for health and human services students (and practitioners) depending upon their stage of development as professionals in their respective disciplines and their readiness to learn and develop new perspectives on professional interaction.

Learning to promote patient dignity: An inter-professional approach

“…However, Charles et al (2010) asserted that, in uni-professional education, students see the world through the eyes of their own profession, decreasing the likelihood of seeing it through the eyes of other professions.…”

“…These authors argued that the division of professional responsibilities is rarely or cohesively integrated in a manner that meets the needs of clients, largely because of poor communication and misunderstanding (Charles et al, 2010).…”

Past experiences, current realities and future possibilities for HIV nursing education and care in Canada

“…More recently, in 2000 Paquin and Lambert [17] argued that the provision of HIV and AIDS education for nurses resulted in improved care for PHAs. Finally, a team of health professionals affiliated with the University of British Columbia recently initiated an interdisciplinary course for senior students in the health and human service professions focused on HIV prevention and care [18,19] . More than 400 students have completed the course which continues to be offered at this time.…”

Effective Teaching and Learning in Interprofessional Education in Child Welfare

“…The literature review creates a conceptual framework from which university based IPE may be explored and understood. scaffolding a continuum of interprofessional skills (Charles, Bainbridge & Gilbert, 2010) and learning "with, from and about" other professionals CAIPE, 2002). Thistlewaite and Moran (2010) synthesized IPE learning outcomes from 88 sources published between 1988 and 2009 identifying six broad themes in the literature: teamwork, roles/responsibilities, communication, learning/reflection, the patient and ethics/attitudes.…”

“…The workshops were an example of what Charles, Bainbridge and Gilbert (2010) consider an "exposure" experience on their "exposure, immersion, mastery" continuum of interprofessional skills. While researching IPE, our experience as professors at UBCO and conversations with scholars and practitioners informs us that IPE in child welfare is virtually absent in undergraduate pre-professional programs.…”