The University of Notre Dame Australia is proud to announce a new partnership with Saint Louis University in the USA to deliver new interprofessional learning for Nursing and Health students. The collaboration will make SLU’s world leading Interprofessional Education (IPE) program available to Notre Dame’s Nursing and Health Sciences students, enriching student learning and better preparing graduates as leaders in collaborative practice in contemporary healthcare settings.
It builds on Notre Dame’s enduring commitment to developing well-rounded, ethical and job-ready health care leaders
SLU’s IPE program, recognised as globally leading, brings together students from multiple health professions to learn from and with each other. A core component of the program is IPE 2100: Interprofessional Collaboration and Healthcare in a Global Context, which introduces students to the essential skills of interprofessional teamwork, ethical decision-making and communication in local and global healthcare environments.
Students also participate in a peer-reviewed team project, which encourages them to engage with real-world health issues in creative, collaborative and evidence-based ways. This project is followed by critical reflection where students relate how their individual identity influences their interprofessional identity, providing unique disciplinary expertise to a collaborative care team.
“Interprofessional education has benefitted our students and, in turn, their future patients and communities after graduation by helping them understand the capabilities of shared expertise in providing safer and more efficient healthcare,” said Professor Anthony Breitbach, Director of Interprofessional Education at Saint Louis University.
“It also has a positive impact on the patient experience and provider job satisfaction, creating a more holistic healthcare environment overall.”
Professor Breitbach further highlighted the international value of the exchange, saying “creating this linkage between UNDA and SLU provides our students, faculty and staff with a unique opportunity to learn from each other across continents, diverse systems and cultural contexts. This will uniquely prepare them to be change agents and professionals in a wider global context.”
Notre Dame Senior Director of Academic Development Professor Sally Egan said “This comprehensive approach aligns with both institutions’ commitment to service, justice and transformative education. For Notre Dame, it represents an opportunity to embed a globally recognized model of collaborative learning into its uniquely values-driven academic culture.”
The partnership builds on shared Catholic values and a mutual dedication to developing future health leaders who are both highly skilled and deeply attuned to the dignity and needs of every person they serve.
Media Contact: media@nd.edu.au