Dr. Goodwin, along with other nursing, social work and pharmacy faculty, directly supervise pharmacy, social work, nursing and nurse practitioner students in the interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives described. Dr. Goodwin is an assistant professor in the University of Maryland School of Nursing program at Shady Grove/Rockville campus and the Director of the BSN program. She has participated in developing IPE initiatives with pharmacy, nursing and social work at both clinics discussed in this presentation.
Developing expertise in IPE and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in patient care is essential to educating healthcare professionals prepared to function effectively within today's emerging patient-centered healthcare teams. When disciplines work collaboratively, communication and teamwork are enhanced, thus improving quality of care (Institute of Medicine, 2015; Jennings, et al., 2016). But multiple barriers prevent IPE in ambulatory community settings, including limited space, fewer resources, and fewer disciplines and/or patients available at the same time.