How to run Talking Walls: an interprofesional education resource
Abstract
Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to improve interprofessional skills(communication, team work etc) in order to provide the optimum care for clients and patients. Talking Walls is a form of IPE which is easy to conduct within veterinary practices as part of in-house training or within undergraduate education of veterinary nursing students and veterinary students. The session uses flipcharts to explore the roles and duties of both professions and aims to overcome prior misconceptions and stereotypical views and to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the veterinary team. This paper describes how to run a Talking Walls session.
Within the first volume of The Veterinary Nurse an article by Branscombe (2010) examined the concept and importance of interprofessional practice (IPP) and highlighted the key point that ‘interprofessional education is a significant factor in increasing awareness of other professions’. Described as occurring when individuals ‘from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes’ (World Health Organisation, 2010), interprofessional education (IPE) is gaining increasing recognition and emphasis in the healthcare professions. The importance and signifi-cance of good teamwork would be evident to those who have worked in a hospital or veterinary practice. It is not only the medical skill of the individuals in a team, but also human factors such as communication skills, teamwork and an understanding of the roles of others, which if inadequate can lead to poor quality of care for the patient involved (Firth-Cozens, 2001; Cole and Crichton, 2006; Tokuda et al, 2011). IPE therefore aims to develop interprofessional skills for the mutual benefit of qualified professionals, students, patients and owners.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting The Veterinary Nurse and reading some of our peer-reviewed content for veterinary professionals. To continue reading this article, please register today.