Preparing the student for an IPE placement
When preparing for a student placement that embeds IPE, it is important to apply the general principles of placement planning.
To support the student’s transition to placement, supervisors may wish to:
- Establish what prior learning and/or experience students have had with IPE
- Provide students with exposure to IPE prior to their placement to assist their understanding of the knowledge and skills required.
Supervisors may find it useful to provide an IPE overview, example case studies, self-reflection activities, and professional development opportunities to students to support their engagement with this topic area.
Example resources
Video resources
- ‘WHY Interprofessional Collaborative Practice’ (00:01:18) could be used by supervisors to provide prospective students with an overview of the importance of inter-collaborative practice
- Interprofessional case conference debrief (00:04:41)
Case studies and self-reflection:
An example case study and reflective questions have been included below:
Physiotherapy IPE written example: A client has been seen by a private physiotherapist for four weeks and their knee pain has not been improving. They may need to see an Orthopaedic Surgeon. The physiotherapist needs to write a referral to the Orthopaedic Surgeon. Prior to doing this, he/she refers the client for an MRI of their knee. The physiotherapist also writes to the original referrer, the client’s GP, to provide feedback on the intervention and client outcomes to date. The physiotherapist also advises the client to check with their pharmacist, when collecting the script for the pain medications, to ensure they client are receiving the best possible doses at the best possible times of day. The client divulges to the physiotherapist that this problem is starting to affect their mood and ability to complete everyday activities, specifically paid employment. They now require assistance with domestic duties. After years of being actively involved in sport and recreation, they are starting to feel unwell and unfit because of such an extended period of inactivity. Reflective questions 1. What are some examples of Interprofessional Practice that you can identify in the above scenario? 2. While developing the collaborative care plan, who else might the physiotherapist involve in the client’s care? 3. What have you learned from this activity? |
Other IPE case study examples:
- Health Education and Training – The Learning Guide (2020) (page 65)
- Flexible activity sheets ‘Ready to use’ General Curriculum | Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE) (utoronto.ca)'
- IPL Learning Resource (Developed through a partnership between Sydney Local Health District, the University of Sydney, Mental Health Coordinating Council, Health Education and Training Institute, Sydney Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Network and NSW Health)
- IPE simulation scenarios Edith Cowan University including video clips, proposed learning format and competencies and a facilitator manual for each topic