More than 300 West Coast University students worked together in person and in online groups to hone skills needed in the workplace at the largest Interprofessional Education (IPE) Day event yet.
WCU Center for Graduate Studies Executive Director and Associate Provost Danielle Sperandeo said the day’s focus was providing a medical scenario as inclusive as possible for the students from each WCU program.
“IPE Day is all about students collaborating. We don’t want them to collaborate with students who think exactly like them, we want them to interact with their peers who are trained very differently in healthcare. This year, we brought together more programs than we’ve ever included before,” Sperandeo said. “When students are out there caring for patients, they’re going to be interacting with a multitude of healthcare professionals. They have to have an appreciation and a respect and an understanding for what those professionals contribute to overall patient care and understand how it all comes together.”
WCU PharmD Assessment Director Richard d’Assalenaux said work groups formed during IPE Day were set up to mimic the kind of collaboration the 376 students would experience as professional health care workers.
“The future of healthcare is going to be dependent on professions getting together so you don’t have duplication of services, you don’t have confusion between who is doing what, because patients have these chronic conditions that require treatment from such as physicians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, in-home health care and in the hospital, and dental hygiene,” d’Assalenaux said. “And we also need somebody who’s like a healthcare administrator to make sure that they can connect all those pieces together.”
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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