Interprofessional education (IPE) is defi ned as ‘occasions when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care’ (Freeth et al. 2005). For IPE to be achieved there must be interaction between the participants. This is what differentiates IPE from common/shared learning. Because care pathways can break down between clinical and non-clinical staff and between non-clinical staff from different departments, the defi nition applies to all staff in health and social care and the word
‘profession’ in the defi nition should be thought of in broad terms.
A porter, cleaner or a member of clerical staff may work in a profes- sional manner. IPE in the workplace should include opportunities for all types of staff to interact. Another term often used is interpro- fessional learning (IPL). This is the learning that comes from the interaction between professions (Freeth et al. 2005). The aim of IPE during educational programmes is to prepare practitioners for col- laborative working and it lays the foundation for continuing IPE throughout your career. It should take place in both the classroom and the workplace, although some educational institutions may fi nd it diffi cult to introduce IPE into the classroom, if for example they only deliver nursing programmes. The benefi ts of IPE for all types of staff can go beyond improving care; it can improve working rela- tionships, build mutual respect and consequently improve job sat- isfaction and reduce stress.
Freeth et al. (2005) describe four types of interprofessional learning:
1. Exchange-based 2. Action-based 3. Simulation-based 4. Observation-based
Some of these activities require organisation and facilitation;
however, students and practitioners can take responsibility/owner- ship of interprofessional learning in the practice setting. This can be achieved by shadowing other professionals, joint patient consulta-
tions and making the most of opportunities during everyday, work- based activities. It may, for example, be useful to spend an hour or two shadowing an ultrasonographer, a social worker or a mental health nurse. A fi nal-year student midwife could spend time working with a medical student during their obstetric placement – a patient consultation, ongoing assessment of a lady during labour or a fi rst assessment of a newborn baby could be conducted together. This enables both students to learn about each other’s roles and respon- sibilities along the care pathway.
Discuss your IPL opportunities with your mentor/link lecturer at the start of each of your practice placements. Find out what is avail- able and when you may be invited to take part in an activity that has been organised for you; alternatively, you may need to initiate an activity for yourself. Before undertaking any IPE activities, agree with your mentor the aims and learning outcomes, and after the activity discuss any uncertainties or queries.
Interprofessional learning takes place during multidisciplinary working, but only if you are conscious of it and make the most of it.
Activity
During your practice placements you will work with or come into contact with other disciplines.
• Refl ect on a recent experience of working with another discipline.
• What did you learn about the other discipline?
• How can you use this knowledge to improve the client experience?
• Will this new knowledge/understanding alter your own practice – clinical or non-clinical?
Practice is made up of clinical and non-clinical tasks – for example, administration or passing on a message – and care pathways may break down due to poor execution of such tasks.
Refl ection
Refl ection is used to maintain and improve our own practice;
however, refl ection also needs to be used to improve women’s expe- riences of moving through the health and social care system.
Consider keeping refl ective accounts of your interprofessional learn- ing in your practice portfolio as this will provide evidence of your
learning to work collaboratively. Working in collaboration to provide seamless care is an employment skill and therefore any improve- ment in knowledge or skills as a result of IPE should be included in your personal development plan to help you to write a CV and prepare for interviews.
The Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy has published a Midwifery Student Employability Profi le (2005). This includes a list of refl ective questions that students may use as a prompt to refl ect on their developing skills. One of the sets of questions is about teamwork and working with others, but there are several sets of questions each exploring a different topic.
Consider using this document to assist you with work applications and interviews.
Practice, both clinical and non-clinical, impacts on other depart- ments and professionals. The way we work, the actions we take or do not take or the information that is not passed on may cause delays in the woman’s care pathway or the service may appear unprofes- sional. For example, if the ultrasound department is expecting a woman for an anomaly scan and has not been told that she has had a miscarriage, she may be caused unnecessary distress and valuable ultrasound appointment time may be lost as the department will have allocated an appointment to a woman who no longer needs it.
There must be robust lines of communication between departments along care pathways.
The NMC’s Standards of Profi ciency state that a midwife must ‘con- tribute to the development and evaluation of guidelines and policies and make recommendations for change’ (NMC 2004). Guidelines and poli- cies often affect another department or profession and therefore this type of improvement activity should be done in consultation, involv- ing other members of staff. IPL can take place during this type of service improvement activity and this is one way in which practi- tioners can continue to learn about other professions throughout their career. IPL, multidisciplinary working and service improve- ment are closely linked, support each other and are described by Barr et al. (2005) as being three cogs in a machine which drive each other.
Conclusion
IPE and uni-professional education support one another. Both are necessary so that practitioners recognise when collaboration is required and when responsibility for an aspect of care is theirs alone (Freeth et al. 2005). It has been demonstrated that good interdis-
ciplinary team working is essential for client care and safety, and key elements required for successful collaboration have been dis- cussed. Continue to refl ect on your IPE experiences and interprofes- sional working throughout your career as this should be part of your continuing professional development. Your goal should now be to develop beyond professionalism to interprofessionalism.
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