AIPPEN IPE 2025 Session 2: Driving IPE success: Building social capital among faculty

Presenter: Christie van Diggele

Christie van Diggele will share her findings from interviews with faculty, following the introduction of a new interprofessional learning curriculum at The University of Sydney. Using the lens of social capital theory, we will discuss ways to collectively shape a positive attitude towards IPE within our own organisations, and build on existing strengths.

About our presenter:

Christie van Diggele, PhD, SFHEA, MEd, BEd is a Lecturer in Academic Professional Development at The University of Sydney Business School. Prior to this, she worked as the Interprofessional Learning Lead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney. In 2024, Christie received a PhD (USyd) for her thesis titled: ‘Integrating interprofessional learning into curricula.’

Article: https://fohpe.org/FoHPE/article/view/716

Downloadable resource package for student led IPL activities at the clinical/placement site: https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/industry-and-community/collaborative-health-education-sydney-.html

Further Resources: Kent, F., Anakin, M., Brewer, M., Cockerell, K., Gum, L., & Tannous, C. (2022). AIPPEN Guide to facilitating interprofessional education.

[Infographic]. https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2871288/Guide-to-facilitating-interprofessional-education.pdf

Break Out Room summaries:

Heidi Waldron, Curtin Medical School (Room 6): Misconceptions / misunderstandings: not every health profession 'sees the need' for IPL even when it may seem obvious to most. Faculty support and accreditation great support and drivers. Clinicians buy in can be challenging, partly because of (1) worry it diminishes clinical placement hours, for example nursing students; but this concern is shared by both staff and students; (2) staff work commitments if doing shiftwork; (3) preconceived views of disciplines, such as 'medicine' being a certain way (stereotypes). IPL offer ways of introducing students to disciplines in a positive way. Pitch - challenging (1) often ratios of students to staff is disproportionate, example nursing 750 students and 2 staff champions! How to share the load? Often needs a very long lead in so staff can timetable a year in advance.

Megan Anakin (Room 5): Misconceptions: certain professions should be leading IPE, only certain professions should be involved, focus on doctor and nurses, not understanding other professions work together, not clear on the role of each health professional, IPE is viewed as second class so not as important as other skills and knowledge

How can we pitch to our colleagues: Brining students on board in their first year normalises the experience can help persuade colleagues with their enthusiasm, show outcomes and advantages of IPE to colleagues, acknowledge that not everyone will feel comfortable teaching students outside of their profession, workload allocation might recruit academics as facilitators/teachers who are there for the wrong reasons, a faculty approach to involving staff as a core activity, inviting colleagues to come along and co-facilitate by watching the first time then taking on leading one activity the next time, orient staff with simple messages: Kent, F., Anakin, M., Brewer, M., Cockerell, K., Gum, L., & Tannous, C. (2022). AIPPEN Guide to facilitating interprofessional education. [Infographic]. https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2871288/Guide-to-facilitating-interprofessional-education.pdf

Philippa Friary (Room 4) shared the following:

Parallels with cultural safety

Misconceptions depend on the experiences and understanding of the individual.

What do they know already? How do they know this?

As educators we can sometimes make assumptions about what people know.

Role of facilitator is not to be the expert in all areas.

Teaching style is different in IPL can be overwhelming.

Not as important as the discipline-specific skills.

Its just that teamwork thing.

Time and impact on facilitators.

Identity and confidence.

How to sell it?

Its fun!

A level of richness that is not understood

So many new opportunities come out of this

Might take time at the start but this pays off over time.

Research collaborations.

Its real life.

Be smart about who to engage and why with to share your message about bringing people along.

Who do we need to put energy into to promote IPL – people who are new,

Include into orientation

Need champions and designated roles. Organisation support and leadership.

Resources and short cuts.

Hanna Olson IPE (Room 1): Trust with academic leaders, trying to protect students. Elements of trust need to be embedded, maintaining conversations and keeping an open dialogue.

Krista Reed-AIP (Room 2): Discussed the need to educate staff on what IPE is and what IPE is not- interdisicplinary vs multidisciplinary. We discussed the need to create IPL with interdisciplinary teams, including education designers, tech, etc. We disccused some common barriers such as workloads, being remote, etc.

Christie Van Diggele (Room 3): Our group discussed faculty and student bias and stereotypes that may exist between disciplines, and whether they do exist or if they are misconceptions/misunderstandings. We also spoke about how we can work to reduce bias/stereotypes through exposure to IPE and roll modelling appropriate behaviour as faculty.

We also discussed the definition of IPE and associated misconceptions.

People within our group were at the early stages of implementing an IPE curriculum (and interdisciplinary curriculum between science and health), so we discussed ways to get started and shared resources.