Vicki Verge, Faculty of Social Work

This fall, a cohort of social work students participated in an interprofessional learning experience with the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. This event emphasized the importance of social work practice in addressing the intersection of individuals and their environments in healthcare settings. 

During the event, a screening of Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story, depicted the tragic death of Greg Price and highlighted systemic issues in healthcare, including the need for improved communication. 

“‘Greg’s Wings’ provided a meaningful learning experience for students, particularly in the context of healthcare collaboration and the challenges faced within this system,” said Vicki Verge, Instructor and Faculty-Field Liaison, Faculty of Social Work.  

Greg’s story highlights the important role of social workers in promoting client-centered, relationship-based care. According to Ferguson et al. (2020), social work practices emphasize building strong relationships between healthcare practitioners and clients to achieve holistic health and psychosocial outcomes. 

“The insights gained from the film and discussions align with the definition of social work as a practice-based, relationship-centered profession, where effective change hinges on these connections,” said Vicki. 

Students reflected on systemic flaws and the importance of teamwork through panel discussions and small group dialogues. The event introduced the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC) Competency Framework, which outlines key domains, such as Role Clarification, Team Communication, and Collaborative Leadership, crucial for effective teamwork in healthcare. By emphasizing collaborative, relationship-focused care, the event aimed to foster a deeper understanding of how professionals can work together to improve patient care and outcomes as discussed in Gilbert et al. (2010). 

“Interprofessional education (IPE) in health sciences programs is important as it allows students from different colleges and programs to learn with, from and about one another. IPE intends to prepare future healthcare professionals with fundamental skills necessary to navigate complex environments, where teamwork, respect, and shared decision-making are emphasized,” said Vladan Protudjer, Interim Director and College of Nursing Lead, Office of Interprofessional Collaboration, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

“By learning together, the goal is for students to, among other things, develop shared knowledge, improve communication skills, and understand each other’s roles within a healthcare team, which are important collaborative skills. Each profession/discipline often offers a unique lens through which a person’s situation is viewed, therefore highlighting the importance of a holistic, team-based care. This collaborative, person-centred approach may reduce errors, enhance safety and improve care outcomes,” said Vladan.

Social workers are integral to healthcare teams, addressing complex and multifaceted issues such as mental health, substance use, family dynamics, and social determinants of health, which affect clients’ physical and emotional well-being. Their understanding of the interplay between social, emotional, and psychological factors is critical to improving health outcomes as noted in  Celebrating Allied Health Professionals (2024). Increasing the number of staff, including social workers, in Manitoba’s healthcare system will enhance teams’ ability to meet diverse patient needs, fostering better health outcomes across the province. 

The event allowed students to build competencies necessary for interprofessional education, ensuring that future social workers and healthcare providers are equipped to work together and improve the quality of care within Manitoba’s healthcare system, as outlined in Social Work and Primary Care (CASW, 2024). 

To attend an upcoming Interprofessional Education event and film screening, please contact Vicki at: Vicki.Verge@umanitoba.ca  

Banjo is one of 25 Rady Faculty of Health Sciences students that took part in the Interprofessional Experience in an Indigenous Community this summer. The program is designed to give students the chance to learn about an Indigenous community and its culture while developing collaborative skills with students in different health professional programs.

The students, from the Rady Faculty’s five colleges, were placed in interprofessional teams and spent two weeks living and working on one of six Manitoba First Nations. The program, which is in its third year, is run by the Office of Interprofessional Collaboration (OIPC) and supported by the RBC Experiential Learning Travel Initiative.

Sesan Banjo, student in the International Dentist Degree Program, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.

Banjo, who has lived in Canada for over three years, said his placement on Pinaymootang First Nation was an eye-opening experience.

“I could relate to some of the things that were happening there because I also come from a place where so many amenities are scarce, and there is health inequality,” he said. “The Indigenous people are very proud of their culture and heritage, and Africans are also proud of their culture and their heritage. We got to connect that way.”

On the First Nation, the students shadowed professionals in a range of programs – from health centres to schools to personal care homes. Lisa Mendez, interprofessional practice coordinator, OIPC, said it’s up to the First Nations how the student teams will collaborate with the community.

“I really want the community to showcase what they feel would be important for future health care professionals to know,” Mendez said. “For example, the students participate in cultural experiences like pipe ceremonies and sweat lodges, and take part in outdoor activities like fishing and boating.”

Gwen Traverse, director of health, Pinaymootang First Nation Health Program, said there was a need in her community for someone to conduct dental care presentations. So when Banjo arrived, he was tasked with delivering an oral health campaign in the school.

“Dental presentations are something our current therapist doesn’t have time to do. When we have these extra sets of hands, it enhances our programming,” Traverse said. “I really enjoyed having the students out here, and I’ll continue partnering with the university. I think it’s one of the best things that my community has done, because not only are we creating relationships, but we’re also enhancing programming at the same time.”

At the end of each day, Banjo met up with his team, comprising two nursing students and a medical student. They discussed their day, and they’d learn about each other’s training and future plans. 

“We’ve become very good friends,” Banjo said.

Courtney Silvari, student entering her second year of occupational therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

Courtney Silvari, who is entering her second year of occupational therapy in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, spent her placement on Lake Manitoba First Nation. Her group, made up of a nursing student and dental hygiene student, split their time between working in the health centre and community involvement. Her group met informally throughout the day to discuss their experiences.

“It’s cool to explore the different learnings and the styles of the different professions,” Silvari said. “It’s interesting to see where there are educational gaps and identify them. It is more clear, for instance, what the nursing students had learned that we hadn’t. I think identifying these gaps helps us build a bridge between the professions and promotes good communication between them as well.”

Before leaving for the First Nation, Mendez partnered with Ongomiizwin – Education to provide orientation sessions and a sharing circle for the students to meet their team members and discuss topics such as racism and its impact on Indigenous health, cultural safety and becoming allies. The team members also met for a post-experience sharing circle.  

The team that visited Lake Manitoba First Nation included Courtney Silvari, occupational therapy student, Alex Leclair, nursing student, and Kayla Mcmillan, dental hygiene student.

The communities of Norway House Cree Nation, Misipawistik Cree Nation, Poplar River First Nation and Hollow Water First Nation also took part in the program this summer.

Banjo said one of his goals heading into the placement on Pinaymootang First Nation was to learn how he could partner with Indigenous communities when he finished dental school.

“I saw the way things were run so it gives me a very, very good perspective as to if I’m going back what I can expect, so the two weeks was a very, very good experience for me,” he said.

For Silvari, the experience gave her a new perspective.

“I am now a lot more open to being an occupational therapist in a First Nations community because I’ve gained a little bit of first-hand experience and knowledge,” she said. “I think that the best way to learn about different cultures is to immerse yourself in them, so I think it’s a really great experience and I would definitely suggest others do it.”

The Engaging in our Community #RFHScollaborate event at Bannatyne campus held last week helped these students by supporting them to learn more about each other while also discovering more about their local neighbourhood.

Organized by the Office of Interprofessional Collaboration, Services for Students at Bannatyne and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, last week’s event drew more than 400 first-year students in the Max Rady College of Medicine and the Colleges of Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy and Rehabilitation Sciences to participate in community site visits, Indigenous Games, and an opportunity for reflection and debrief back on campus.

Gaining an understanding of the inner-city neighbourhood – especially one just a stone’s throw from the gleaming classrooms and state-of-the-art facilities in which most of the students will be honing their respective skills – is what makes the community site visits a vital learning exercise. Students visited such organizations as Siloam Mission, Pathways to Education, Dufferin Community School, Winnipeg Harvest, North Point Douglas Women’s Centre and Hugh John Macdonald School.

Simran Diocee, a first-year respiratory therapy student who went to Siloam Mission, found the community site visit enlightening.

“I always thought Siloam was mostly a homeless shelter,” he said. “I didn’t realize they supplied medical and dental services too.”

Following their bus tours, students returned to the Burton Cummings Community Centre where they participated in Indigenous Games, a series of fun teambuilding exercises that required students from across the Rady Faculty to work together while also getting to know one another better.

For Diocee, the Indigenous Games component represented more than just an entertaining diversion and informed him about a patient population he will serve in the future.

“They’re a big part of the community,” he said. “Learning from them can help bring all our professions together to work a little more closely.”

As part of the Rady Faculty Office of Interprofessional Collaboration initiatives, this year, students from each of the colleges are organized into inter-professional cohorts of seven. The students will remain in these cohorts for two years of their respective programs. At the end of each term, each cohort is given an assignment that’s meant to capture what the students have learned to date.

Laura Macdonald, one of the event organizers and an Associate Professor with the School of Dental Hygiene, said the collaborative aspects of the cohort will benefit the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences students in their school work and in their future careers as health-care professionals.

“This is the beginning of a two-year journey as these students learn to be inter-professionally minded as they proceed through the rest of their curriculum,” she says. “Now that these students have met each other they will learn how to draw on each other and learn to respect each other’s roles and responsibilities as they grow, develop and understand their own profession.”

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Over 60 students from the Colleges of Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy and Rehabilitation Sciences participated in the daylong event, which gave students the opportunity to play the role of patient and caregiver in a hospital setting.

Working with mentors from across the colleges, the purpose of the event is to provide students with the opportunity to understand the patient experience; practice skills required for inter-disciplinary teamwork; experience day shift issues and responsibilities; and practice clinical skills in a safe environment.

With the recent integration of the colleges into the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), Dayshift is an excellent opportunity to reflect the direction of the new faculty, according to Fiona Jensen, senior instructor in the College of Nursing and IPE coordinator.

“IPE Dayshift provides our students with an opportunity to learn about, with and from others in a simulation practice setting,” she said. “Health care delivery is evolving and the more we can bring together students in Interprofessional Education events such as Dayshift, the better prepared and knowledgable they will be when they begin their health careers,” she said.

Communication between team members and across disciplines is a major benefit of IPE Dayshift, according to third year nursing student Katherine Edmund.

“The communication aspect is the biggest thing,” she said. “Finding out how to transmit information and how to provide the best possible care to our client.”

Jaclyn Peters, a second year physical therapy student in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CoRS), said she appreciated the opportunity to work with students from other disciplines.

“I’m enjoying learning about the different professions, their scope of practice and how we can all come together and take care of the patient,” she said. “I’m also finding out where physical therapy comes into play and how my perspective can correlate with others to get the patient home.”

Juan Monterrosa, a recent graduate of the CoRS occupational therapy program, returned to this year’s Dayshift to serve as a mentor.

“I wanted to come back,” he said. “Dayshift gives a realistic experience of working together and figuring out where it is that you fit. For professions that aren’t necessarily working together all the time, this event provides an opportunity to advocate and educate the other professions of the things that we can do to prevent readmissions and medical complications and get a fuller picture of patient care.”

“I believe our students found it much more interesting when they were being taught by other students who can relate their experiences with them. I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said Advit Shah, (B.Sc. Pharm, U of M) Pharmacy Technician Program Coordinator at MITT and event organizer.

“It’s about building bonds and working together. The technicians can help the pharmacist refer patients to other healthcare professionals now that they know their function. And it works in the opposite direction as well. These other healthcare students and professionals get a chance to see what our technicians can do.”

L-R: Heather Sandhu, Jasdeep Sandhu, Andrea Tracy, Jessica Adria, Kailyn Reimer, Kristine Petrasko, and Advit Shah.

The event was hosted at MITT on Pembina Highway in Winnipeg. The student volunteers from the University of Manitoba were each doing a rotation in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at the Deer Lodge site.  The students collaboratively presented on the health care implications of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (widely referred to as COPD) within their respective fields. The students prepared a lecture explaining how a pharmacist, physiotherapist, respiratory therapist and social worker would treat a patient presenting with these conditions, along with how each member works on the team at the site. The session also allowed the U of M students to learn about the pharmacy technician students in regards to their scope of practice.  This allowed all groups to better understand how to work together once in practice.

Kristine Petrasko (B.Sc. Pharm, U of M) works in the Pulmonary Rehab Clinic and helped coordinate the U of M students for the event. “The event was about cross education – It provided an opportunity for everyone to learn what each discipline could do for each other, and most importantly, for the patients.  Learning more about each other’s needs and abilities in practice essentially helps the students learn how to communicate with each other more effectively.  This can only help to benefit the patient in the end.”

In addition to the presentation, the U of M students did a case review and practiced working in groups with therapy devices which included: inhaled respiratory devices, blood pressure machines and secretion clearance aids.  As a learning opportunity the event was very well received. Students took ownership of their professions and started laying the ground work for interprofessional collaboration for when they are working with the public. Participants of the most recent event included: 24 MITT pharmacy technician students, five U of M students, four representatives from the U of M Interprofessional Education (IPE) Advisory committee from each of the disciplines, along with the IPE Advisory chair Ruby Grymonpre.  The team at Deer Lodge is looking forward to contributing to future events.