Applying interprofessional education to the practice setting.

Abstract

Interprofessional education is a key requirement identified in various professional and regulatory body education standards in the UK. However, recent high-profile investigatory reports into adverse incidents in NHS organisations have demonstrated failures of translating interprofessional education into practice. This paper explores how a university in the south of England uses service improvement projects to address this. Working with key senior clinicians, small groups of students from a variety of professional backgrounds collaborate to address an identified problem in practice to bring about better, safer practice to benefit patients. This style of learning enables students to acquire essential attributes in preparation for employment, such as critical thinking, teamworking, ethical practice and leadership.