Symposium to build future health care providers’ teamwork and cultural competency

Interprofessional Education and Practice Symposium action
Graduate and undergraduate students from the nursing, communication sciences and disorders, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work and early childhood education programs come together for the annual Interprofessional Education and Practice Symposium.

To introduce students to the dynamics of interprofessional teamwork and the effects of local culture, the Waldron College of Health and Human Services will host the fifth annual Interprofessional Education and Practice Symposium (IEPS) on Nov. 4.

The annual event provides future practitioners with an opportunity to consult and work with colleagues from six disciplines.  The goal this year will be to prepare a comprehensive plan for helping a child with multiple disabilities from southwest Virginia and her family deal with a daunting set of physical, cognitive and medical conditions. To increase cultural fluency, the symposium will explore the Appalachian culture and how health care providers can optimally operate within it.

"This is a critical experience,” said WCHHS Associate Dean Corey Cassidy. “Students will move beyond the boundaries of a regular classroom to engage in dialogue between colleagues with whom they will be interdependent in their professional roles.”

The symposium brings together graduate and undergraduate students from the nursing, communication sciences and disorders (COSD), occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work and early childhood education programs. In interprofessional groups, each moderated by a faculty member, the students will assess and develop care plans based on their detailed study of the challenges facing the patient and his family.

In the process, students will be enlightened by their fellow students' different assessments, methodologies and viewpoints, Cassidy said. 

To frame the Appalachian culture and the need for competency in the many cultures in which the student healthcare providers will work, Theresa Burris, assistant professor and director of the Appalachian Regional & Rural Studies Center, will present two sessions on the Appalachian culture and points to consider while working with this family.

“Understanding the heritage, environment and cultures of the Appalachian region is as important when working on teams with other professionals who may have different cultural perspectives as it is when working with clients,” Cassidy said. “It is important to find common ground from which to serve our patients or clients.”  
The WCHHS Equity Committee will host an Appalachian-inspired luncheon for the IEPS faculty and student participants featuring Rick Cox, instructor of Appalachian Studies.

WCHHSPanelArt-1
At the the WCHHS Equity Committee panel to explore community substance abuse and its impact on health and human services, from left: Rhoda Janosik, director of the RU Aware Program; Lt. Scott Shaffer, Crime Prevention Specialist for the Radford University Police Department; Linda Ely, assistant professor of nursing; Megan Hebdon, assistant professor of nursing and Susan Schoppelrey, professor and associate director of the School of Social Work.

The WCHHS Equity Committee will host an Appalachian-inspired luncheon for the IEPS faculty and student participants featuring Rick Cox, instructor of Appalachian Studies.

On Oct. 14, the WCHHS Equity Committee also hosted a panel to explore community substance abuse and its impact on health and human services.

The panel was part of the college-wide character campaign, to clarify how the college’s disciplines serve the community and identify collaborative opportunities and impediments. 

The interdisciplinary panel featured:

  • Rhoda Janosik, director of the RU Aware Program
  • Lt. Scott Shaffer, Crime Prevention Specialist for the  Radford University Police Department
  • Linda Ely, assistant professor of nursing
  • Megan Hebdon, assistant professor of nursing
  • Susan Schoppelrey, professor and associate director of the School of Social Work

“In a lively way, the panel addressed many considerations related to working professionally with individuals who are impacted by substance abuse,” Cassidy said. “The impact of substance abuse on our community and communities across the country is ominous and there is great potential - and need - for joint efforts that make a positive contribution.”

Oct 24, 2016
Don Bowman
(540) 831-5182
dbowman@radford.edu