Affiliations: Health Systems and Workforce Research Unit, Alberta
Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Siegrid Deutschlander, Ph.D.,
Research and Evaluation Consultant, Health Systems and Workforce Research Unit,
Alberta Health Services, 10301 Southport Lane SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2W 1S7,
Canada. Tel.: +1 403 943 0549; Fax: +1 403 943 2875; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Objective: This article discusses the strategies and challenges of
implementing interprofessional education interventions with students from
different disciplines. It reviews two models of interprofessional education in
academic prelicensure curricula including the extra-curricular and the crossbar
models by considering ease of implementation, program reach and sustainability.
It also introduces the interprofessional enhancement approach as an additional
curriculum development strategy. Results: The Alberta Interprofessional Education for Collaborative
Patient-Centred Practice project used the Interprofessional Enhancement
Approach by integrating course content into existing placement courses for
nursing, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, and physiotherapy students. The
students conducted their regular discipline-specific placements at various
clinical sites in southern Alberta, Canada that were supplemented by three
interprofessional strategies: mentoring, workshops and online discussions. The
intervention reached over sixty individuals including students, preceptors and
faculty. Conclusion: As compared to other approaches (extra-curricular and
crossbar models), this approach shows that IP course content can be added to
placement courses without restructuring complete curricula. This article
intends to initiate further discussions about different IP education models in
prelicensure education.
Keywords: Health care education, IP competencies, IP mentoring
