IPE Guidebook

Learn to work together before you work together.
Health problems are rarely solved by one profession alone. An older adult living alone with diabetes needs medical care, but also medication management, rehabilitation, nutrition, and social support. This guidebook prepares students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and other health fields for interprofessional education (IPE), where they learn with, from, and about one another so they can deliver safe, patient-centered, team-based care.
Written for students rather than faculty, the IPE Guidebook for Students in the Health Professions is a practical companion for every stage of IPE, from the first classroom session to clinical and community placements.
Inside you will find:

• The foundations of IPE: what it is, why it matters, and the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice
• A guide to the healthcare team: the roles, scopes of practice, and areas of collaboration across clinical, rehabilitation, and health-promotion professions
• Communication skills for interprofessional settings, including active listening, clear speaking and writing, nonverbal cues, structured handoffs, and handling conflict
• Teamwork, leadership, and followership, along with role allocation, accountability, and collaborative problem-solving
• How to take part in IPE activities: discussions and presentations, case analysis, simulation, project work, and online learning
• Clinical and community placements: what to observe, how to practice patient-centered care, and how to cope with common challenges
• Reflection, assessment, and feedback: reflective journals, self- and peer assessment, portfolios, and plans for continuous learning
• Ready-to-use appendices: a self-assessment checklist, reflective questions for each stage of IPE, ethics guidelines for community placements, an introduction to the health professions, and an IPE glossary