Regional Forum highlights cross-subject learning at UON

Last week (Thursday 14 September) University academics shone a light on collaborative learning at Waterside at a forum for an international higher education body.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is an approach to higher education that provides students on different courses with opportunities to learn with, from and about their peers.

At UON 16 courses within the Faculty of Health, Education and Society are linked by such a ‘collaborative curriculum’, boosting students’ class-based studies with a greater understanding about what their peers do, and preparing them for health, education and social care careers.

The Forum was held for the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education, an opportunity for CAIPE members to find out how individual institutions deliver IPE.

The Forum meets twice a year and for this event delegates heard first-hand accounts of the successes of UON projects* such as ‘Waterside General’. This pop-up, on-campus ‘hospital’ environment was created by academics to provide clinical placement hours for student nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associate Professor Alison Power is UON’s IPE lead and a CAIPE Board Member. She organised the Forum: “We take a lot of pride in our approach to Interprofessional Education at University of Northampton, so it was wonderful to welcome CAIPE members to Waterside and showcase our achievements. Our visitors were clearly impressed.

“Although the event happened less than a week ago, I have already received communication from attendees wanting to collaborate in the future, helping to place University of Northampton more prominently on the ‘IPE map’.

“We also hope to establish IPE opportunities with the medical school at Northampton General Hospital, which will be a fantastic opportunity. Although we don’t have a medical programme at UON, it’s vitally important our students have good working relationships and open communication with doctors to ensure the workforce is cohesive and service users receive seamless, high-quality care from an interprofessional/interdisciplinary team.”

Professor Elizabeth (Liz) Anderson, Joint Chair of the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education, adds: “CAIPE members were warmly welcomed to the University of Northampton where many Faculty members shared their interprofessional learning along with a member of their patient experience group.

“Attendees were updated on the strategic plans for alignment of the many programmes for both common and interprofessional learning. The University utilises their modern simulation units for innovative interprofessional learning and have produced a common pathway for all professions to follow when attending interprofessional and uni-professional simulations, which includes pre-learning. The meeting brought connections within Midlands clinical teams who wish to support more practice-based interprofessional learning. A truly inspiring day with learning for all.”

*Delegates also heard about:

• The UON Health Academy – an innovation in supporting mental health and wellbeing for Nursing students.
• Human Factors – a Midwifery and Paramedic Science Study Day.
• Inter-Physiotherapy Education (Podiatry, OT, Midwifery).
• Paramedic Science – working with others.
• Post-registration IPE – innovative/alternative learning approaches.
• Creating IPE resources – challenges and successes.
• Hearing Service Users’ and Carers’ Voices in IPE: Rachel Love, Service Users and Carers.
• ‘Lessons’ from Education.
• Curriculum 24 at UON.
• Interprofessional Simulation at UON.