Teamwork and Communication: Emergency Response in the Acute Care Setting

Nursing, pharmacy, and social work students partner together virtually engage in simulated patient emergencies. Students examine concepts derived from the TeamSTEPPS® framework and assess their own teamwork in an emergency.

Palliative Care and End-of-Life Discussion

Nursing, nurse practitioner, communication sciences and disorders, medical, and physical therapy students collectively place a patient with ALS and the patient's family at the center of caring during the end-of-life experience, and consider the impact of terminal illness on the patient-caregiver relationship. These scenarios have been designed so that theoretical concepts surrounding end-of-life are realized in ways that are centered on the patient/family experience; patients and families are recognized as members of the interprofessional healthcare team; and goals and interventions are planned collaboratively.

Interprofessional Education Simulations

Communication sciences and disorders, physical therapy, and nursing students have participated in interprofessional simulation experiences in the Eleanor M. Luse Center for Speech, Language and Hearing. Teams of students interviewed and gave recommendations to a standardized patient with swallowing and mobility issues related to ALS. Feedback was unanimously positive, and the standardized patient shared after the scenario: "I don't know what you're teaching these students, but it's working!"

Communication sciences and disorders students who are training to become speech-language pathologists also rotated through three scenarios with speech language pathologists, with the goal of teamwork to provide patient-centered care. Exercises included: describing autism to a Spanish-speaking parent with the help of a medical interpreter, emotionally supporting a mom of a child with hearing loss, and providing treatment options for an anxious parent of a child who stutters.

Contact Danra Kazenski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP at dkazensk@med.uvm.edu to participate in a future simulation.

Online Case Conferencing

First students interview Mrs .Kim in an online virtual clinic and receive feedback about their interview skills. Then students from graduate nursing, physical therapy, social work, pharmacy and communication sciences and disorders participate in an online IP case conference and plan the care of this frail elder and her family.

Practice opportunities

Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

The Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program prepares leaders across the health and education professions to serve children with special health needs and their families.

SASH Clinical rotations

A pair of dietetic and nurse practitioner students interview elder in their home as part of the SASH wellness annual assessment. Students are able to share their unique perspectives with each other for the benefit for the residents of senior housing facilities.

Appletree Bay Primary Care

Nurse practitioner and pharmacy students are assigned to a common schedule of patients. Pharmacy students current medication, and provide nurse practitioner students ideas about monitoring for side effects, lab monitoring needed and also provide patient education.

IPE Course Options

NH 50: Applications to Health: From Person to Systems (1 credit, undergraduate)

This course introduces first-year College of Nursing and Health Sciences in all majors to interprofessional education covering a range of topics related to their future careers.

NH 051: Examining Interprofessional Practice (3 credits, undergraduate)

Examines three behaviors that lead to four conditions which lead to 50% of deaths in Vermont, while investigating the disproportionate impact on people of color. Students will build interprofessional practice skills like teamwork and communication through small group work and case studies.

PRNU 121: Gerontology. (3 credits, undergraduate)

This interprofessional education course focuses on the societal implications of aging and provides a foundation for the care of the older adult. Students examine the nature of aging emphasizing the challenges of older adults while advocating for health promotion to minimize the risk of morbidity and functional decline of older adults in the community and care facilities. Factors that affect the older adult’s ability to maintain independence are explored. Common physiologic, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual concerns will be presented. Also see: https://www.uvm.edu/cnhs/news/learning-through-service.

NH 396: Fundamentals of Critical Inquiry (3 credits, graduate)

Interprofessional research/evidence-based practice course; instructs students from a variety of healthcare professions to develop skills in research/clinical question development, appraisal of literature and practice guidelines, experimental, quantitative and qualitative studies, and a fundamental understanding of evidence to inform their practice. Prerequisite: Graduate student standing. View full course description.

Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate (12 credits)

Integrative health involves a blend of traditional medical care and complementary care to provide the best individualized whole-person treatment. Taking care of the whole person involves many different aspects of health. Learn more >>