The University of Oklahoma Mothers’ Health Initiative (OUMI) was established in 2019 as an opportunity to better serve pregnant and nursing mothers in the community using an interprofessional approach. A secondary aim of this project was to provide real-time learning for interprofessional student teams of one student each from nursing, dental hygiene and nutritional sciences. Each week, the teams provided patient education for pregnant women and/or women with small children during their women’s clinic visit. Patient education focused on the benefits of breastfeeding, nutrition for mothers, infants and small children, and oral health and hygiene. The dental hygiene students also conducted oral screenings. Students were briefed and de-briefed by faculty from their respective programs on the roles of their professions in pre- and post-natal care and general interprofessional communication and teamwork competencies. Pre- and post-test surveys were given to participants and students to evaluate the impact of the sessions on their care and their learning . Overall, program evaluations indicate that students appreciated the opportunity to practice their skills while learning about, from and with students from other professions. Patients and their families received comprehensive education on relevant topics from interprofessional teams of students. Ultimately, lessons learned from this project serve as a model of interprofessional education and collaboration for future projects for interprofessional teams aiming to impact the health of their communities.
Disclosures:
In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education’s Standards for Commercial Support, adopted by the Joint Accreditors for Interprofessional Continuing Education, the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education has a conflict of interest policy that requires that all individuals involved in the development of activity content disclose their relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. All potential conflicts of interest that arise based upon these financial relationships are resolved prior to the educational activity.
Jennifer Mackey, Cathy Leslie, Elise Townsend, Alison Naber, Susan Anderson, Kathrin Eliot, Karen Luce, Kathryn Konrad, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Tracy Cleveland, Sabina Kuperschmidt, Kory Zimney, Chelsea Wesner, Brooke Burk, Megan Mahowald
declare no vested interest in or affiliation with any commercial interest offering financial support for this interprofessional continuing education activity, or any affiliation with a commercial interest whose philosophy could potentially bias their presentation.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
