What is interprofessional education? 

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is vital to a student’s journey toward becoming a collaborative, patient-centered health care provider. IPE occurs when students from two or more disciplines come together to learn with, from, and about each other. These shared learning experiences build the mutual understanding, respect, and communication skills essential for delivering safe, effective, and team-based care.

At the University of the Pacific, interprofessional education is integrated across our health programs and takes place in classrooms, simulation labs, community events, and clinical settings. These experiences are designed to reflect real-world health care environments where collaborative practice leads to improved health outcomes and stronger communities.

The mission of Pacific’s interprofessional education is to prepare future health professionals to work across disciplines through intentional learning, teamwork, reflective practice, and shared service. Facilitated by the interprofessional education committee, IPE at Pacific fosters a culture of partnership, professionalism, and purpose, empowering students to lead with compassion and competence in today’s complex health systems.

IPE at Pacific

Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
Location: In person, Sacramento Campus
Professions involved: Clinical Nutrition and Social Work
Number of students: 32

Objectives

  • VE2. Advocate for social justice and health equity of persons and populations across the life span.
  • VE4. Value diversity, identities, cultures, and differences.
  • VE5. Value the expertise of health professionals and its impacts on team functions and health outcomes.
  • RR2. Collaborate with others within and outside of the health system to improve health outcomes.
  • RR5. Practice cultural humility in interprofessional teamwork.
  • C3. Communicate clearly with authenticity and cultural humility, avoiding discipline-specific terminology.
  • TT9. Operate from a shared framework that supports resiliency, well-being, safety, and efficacy.

Event Description

The IPE focused on an in-person event in Sacramento UOP campus with additional assignments before and after the activity. The activity will involved a collaboration between social worker and nutrition students and the considerations of the intersections of providing support and services around gardening, sustainability and determinants of health in a global perspective. Before meeting in the garden, coursework embedded in the respective programs prepared students with baseline knowledge related to working with refugee families and cultural needs. Clinical Nutrition students researched the mental health benefits of herbs, and Social Work students learned about the challenges faced by refugee families, community resilience and Horticultural therapy. On the event day, the Pacific Director of Sustainability guided a tour of the Sacramento campus garden that featured sampling teas prepared from the garden's stress-relieving herbs, including lavender, lemon balm, mint, and chamomile. After the event, interdisciplinary groups prepared academic posters featuring the application of social work and nutrition interventions for a refugee family case study.

Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Location: Sacramento Campus
Professions involved: Entry Level Nursing and Physical Therapy
Number of students: 90

Objectives

The objectives of the event were:

  • Objective 1: Describe the roles and responsibilities, along with range of qualifications for Nurses and Physical therapist.
  • Objective 2: Understand the demonstrate use of SBAR communication model.
  • Objective 3: Understand the importance of proper body mechanics among health
    care professionals (HCP) by demonstrating proper the use of Hoyer lift, gait belts,
    and hospital bed functions.
  • Objective 4: Demonstrate effective interprofessional collaboration in managing
    various aspects of a patient’s care within a hospital setting.

The objectives were aligned with 2023 IPEC competencies:

  • Competency 1: Work with team members to maintain a climate of shared values,
    ethical conduct, and mutual respect. (Values & Ethics)
  • Competency 2: Use the knowledge of one’s own role and team members’ expertise to address individual and population health outcomes. (Roles & Responsibilities)
  • Competency 3: Communicate in a responsive, responsible, respectful, and
    compassionate manner with team members. (Communication)
  • Competency 4: Apply values and principles of the science of teamwork to adapt one’s own role in a variety of team settings. (Teams and Teamwork)

Event Description

During this IPE event, students collaborated in hands-on workshop stations where they taught each other proper communication and mechanics, while applying didactic content to a patient scenario. Together, they practiced the safe use of durable medical equipment and mechanical beds, with physical therapy students guiding mobility strategies and nursing students demonstrating SBAR reporting and bed operation.

The 4.5-hour event included:

  • A high-fidelity station where PT and Nursing students collaborated to provide
    comprehensive nursing care and physical therapy for a hospitalized patient.
  • PT students demonstrated proper techniques for the use of Hoyer lifts and gait
    belts, while nursing students reviewed the various functions of a hospital bed, to
    promote proper body mechanics among HCP.
  • Nursing students reviewed the various components of an effective and efficient SBAR as a communication tool among HCP.

Students completed an individualized pre- and post-IPE survey.

Date: Friday, February 7, 2025
Location: Sacramento Campus
Professions involved: Entry Level Nursing and Sacramento State SLP
Number of students: 60

Objectives

The objectives of the event were:

  • Objective 1: Describe the roles and responsibilities of Nurses and Speech and Language Pathologists.
  • Objective 2: Identify epidemiology, pathophysiology, assessment, treatment, and complications of dysphagia.
  • Objective 3: Understand the importance of oral hygiene and perform oral care.
  • Objective 4: Identify clinical indicators and steps of nursing swallow screen vs formal swallow evaluation in at risk populations.

The objectives were aligned with 2023 IPEC competencies:

  • Competency 1: Work with team members to maintain a climate of shared values, ethical conduct, and mutual respect. (Values & Ethics)
  • Competency 2: Use the knowledge of one’s own role and team members’ expertise to address individual and population health outcomes. (Roles & Responsibilities)
  • Competency 3: Communicate in a responsive, responsible, respectful, and compassionate manner with team members. (Communication)
  • Competency 4: Apply values and principles of the science of teamwork to adapt one’s own role in a variety of team settings. (Teams and Teamwork)

Event Description

The IPE event combined didactic teaching with hands-on activities focused on dysphagia and oral care. Through collaborative learning and practical experience, students deepened their understanding of each discipline's role in managing swallowing disorders and promoting oral health in a clinical setting to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

The 3-hour event included:

  • A discussion group reviewing education, licensing and credentialing requirements, and practice settings for each discipline.
  • Individual attempt to achieve various levels of thickened liquid based on IDDSI levels.
  • Partner activity to learn ideal assisted feeding techniques that can prevent risk for aspiration.
  • Partner oral assessment and care practice.
  • Individualized post-IPE survey and reflection

News

Photo shows a group of students at a recent IPE event.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit IPE

This activity aimed to foster collaboration between social workers and speech pathologists within Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). By bridging expertise and research, this activity sought to empower NICU professionals to advance holistic and impactful solutions for their patients and their families.

Learn More (PDF)
A group of four students is working together on an IPE exercise.

Mechanical Ventilation IPE

In complex medical environments, coordinated efforts between Speech-Language Pathologists and Physical Therapists are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes. This event fostered cross-disciplinary learning to strengthen communication, mutual respect, and clinical integration between future healthcare professionals.

Learn More (PDF)
Photo shows a student standing and asking a question at a microphone. She is surrounded by other students who are all seated.

Gender Affirming Care IPE

The activity combined didactic content with practical components, including case analysis and intervention development, as well as lectures and a five-guest speaker panel who shared their real-life experiences with different aspects of Gender Affirming Care currently being done in several locations in California.

Learn More (PDF)

Testimonials

Photo shows the smiling face of Fidel Rodríguez, MSW Candidate

“ All of the IPEs gave us some form of knowledge about what other professions do to support clients, and more exposure helps us become familiar with what real-world collaboration is like. We need to be comfortable with these types of interactions, and these learning opportunities are essential for us to achieve this. “

— Fidel Rodríguez, MSW Candidate

Photos shows the smiling face of faculty member Jessica Beaudoin.

"Creating interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities is so essential for me as a faculty member.  When I was a student, I never had the chance to participate in IPE – the first Speech Language Pathologist or Occupational Therapist I met was on the job, in a hospital. IPE enables my students to learn with their allied health colleagues before they enter a patient care environment."

—Jessica Beaudoin, Assistant Clinical Professor

Participating Schools

School of Health Sciences
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy

Leadership

Jessica Beaudoin

Asst. Clinical Professor

Jessica Beaudoin

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Deepti Vyas

Professor

Deepti Vyas

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Assistant Professor

Angelica Amatangelo

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Malinda Thao

Interprofessional Education and Assessment Coordinator

Malinda Thao

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Get Involved

If you are interested in learning more about interprofessional education activities at University of the Pacific, please get in touch with us by email. 

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