Preparing Students for Collaborative Practice: An Overview of the 2012 Jefferson Health Mentors Program

Abstract

Abstract This resource is a curriculum featuring four key modules preparing students for collaborative practice. At our institution, students from six professional programs (first- and second-year medical, physical therapy, occupational therapy, couples and family therapy, nursing, and pharmacy students) participate in the four modules in the resource. These modules include the following: (1) obtaining a comprehensive life and health history, (2) preparing an interprofessional wellness plan, (3) assessing patient safety in the home, and (4) healthy behavior and self-management support. Concepts of teamwork and professionalism are interwoven throughout the 2-year curriculum. A multifaceted educational design was used in the development of each of the four team-based modules, and each module concludes with a faculty-facilitated interprofessional small-group session. Assignments evaluate achievement of module-specific and program objectives. Individual reflection papers assess what students value and personally learn from their participation. Midyear self- and peer evaluations assist in measuring professionalism, and year-end surveys are administered to assess student attitudes toward teamwork, collaborative care, and understanding of discipline-specific roles. Course evaluation data have been increasingly positive over the last 5 years with each round of quality improvement. With the implementation of the updated and revised curriculum this academic year, the curriculum has received its highest rated student course evaluations, with 78%-93% of students from all six professions agreeing that each module helped in their achievement of program goals.

Keywords

• Interprofessional Education Collaboration (IPEC)
• Teamwork
• Chronic Disease
• Collaborative Practice
• Wellness
• Self-Management Support