IPE Spotlight
Faculty/Staff
Jeannie Osellame, MSN, RN
Professional Background
I received my BSN from Montana State University and MSN from Gonzaga University. Over the years I have worked as a RN in various roles in the acute care setting and have been in academics teaching undergraduate nursing for the last 12 years.
When and how did you get involved in IPE and IPP?
My campus director Dale Mayer was one the first people to spear head Interprofessional Education ( IPE) efforts here at U of M partnering with MSU nursing. Dale is very passionate about IPE and her enthusiasm has been contagious. About 5 years ago she invited me to the monthly IPE lunch and learn her group was sponsoring at the time. I am the simulation coordinator for the Missoula CON campus so at the meeting I was connected with colleagues who do simulation in their respective disciples, from this interaction the IPE Simulation sub committee was formed. Our group consists of representative from the U of M school of Medicine, Pharmacy, MSU Nursing and as late Athletic Training program. Over the last 5 years we have put on 2 IPE simulation events a year, the fall event focuses on acute care scenarios and the spring is more of an outpatient rehabilitation focus. Not only are these events valuable for our students it has been great fun to get to work with my IP colleagues. Combining our resources, ideas and students has opened so many more doors and possibilities than if we were doing things ourselves.
What experiences have you had that reinforce the value of IPE and IPP in healthcare?
My involvement in IPE has shown me that students are not only hesitant and nervous about working together they really don’t know as much about their colleagues’ scope of practice as we assume. After involvement in an IPE activity, the students have more Insight into the capabilities of their IPE peers and feel more comfortable knowing their peers also know more about what they can do. Providing the students, the opportunity to practice working as a team in a safe environment promotes confidence and comradery that is carried into practice, i.e. pharmacists are our friends. IPE helps students realize they are not alone in the care environment and they learn how to utilize each other to best meet the needs of their patients. When I take my students, who have been involved in IPE activities into the clinical environment they are more likely to reach out to their IP colleagues and interact in sync with them and not in silos as in the past.
What current IPE-related activities are you participating in?
- Spring IPE simulation event April 24th.
- Volunteer facilitator Spring 2020 Interprofessional Education (IPE)Seminar.
- Partner with Physical therapy in the fall for a two-discipline activity.
How should students, faculty and practicing healthcare professionals who are interested in IPE get involved?
The governing IPE committee puts on several events each year that are open to all health care fields. There are online resources as well as many IPE champions on campus, however, remember IPE means 2 or more disciplines collaborating, reach out to a fellow peer/discipline it doesn’t have to be anything huge!
Student
Rebecca Hammerquist
Academic Background
I am currently a junior at Montana State University Missoula campus pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. For the past three years I have worked for a non-profit based out of Bozeman (Sealants for Smiles!) which focuses on providing preventative dental care to children in public schools, I also work as a certified nurse’s aide (CNA) on the Neuro Ortho Floor at Providence/Saint Patrick Hospital.
What current IP or IPE related work are you participating in?
I am the nursing program and Montana State University representative for the IPE student group in Missoula in conjunction with University of Montana. We recently held a trivia night at a local brewery fielding questions about each profession and collected cans of food for the local food bank. We are currently focusing on collaborating with other groups within the university system and engaging programs that do not have an IPE requirement.
What do you find most valuable about IPE?
My interest in IPE began 4 years ago when my son was experiencing some health problems and atypical development. We were seeing multiple doctors within the hospital and traveling throughout the state to see specialists. To address his delayed development, we put him in speech and physical therapy for a year and our health team truly took the approach of early intervention. I was both impressed and disappointed with the communication between the team, leaving me feeling that I was the messenger between the different disciplines. For someone who is not well versed in the field of medicine, this can be incredibly intimidating and almost impossible. Now in nursing school I feel my son’s past has given insights into different fields. As health professionals we are separated and focused on our career paths, we forget that we are all working together to reach the same goal: short term and long-term success for our patients. My first semester of nursing school I took a one credit IPE elective class that consisted of interacting with our peers in different programs and that acted as a foundation for the start of the nursing program.
What moment or circumstance reinforced the importance of IPE and collaborative practice for you?
Working at St. Patrick Hospital on the Neuro Ortho floor I see how each profession works together to get patients home. All the patients need to be cleared by Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy prior to discharge and our stroke patients meet with speech therapists for swallowing evaluations before they are allowed to eat or drink. This interprofessional approach is essential for these patient’s because their conditions are multilateral and require different expertise for them to be successful.
What avenues have you found most successful for getting involved with IPE and/or IP practice?
I recommend networking within the university system. Opportunities for interprofessional education and collaboration continue to arise, such as Montana's Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars’ program. Professors from each health profession program are involved in this IPE work and they continually communicate opportunities with our IPEstudent group!
