The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, School of Nursing and Department of Speech Communication hosted a two-day interprofessional education (IPE) seminar during March.
The second annual “Culturally Competent Communication Seminar” was designed for sophomore nursing students and second year pharmacy students to learn about culture in health care settings from a collaborative approach.
Teams of nursing and pharmacy students engaged in case studies focused on developing cross-cultural communication skills. The students gained knowledge on the differences and health preferences among diverse patients, as well as how each other’s professions address goals and patient needs.
The seminar was organized and conducted by Dr. Min Liu, assistant professor of speech communication, Dr. Rhonda Comrie, associate professor of primary care/health systems nursing, and Drs. Lakesha Butler and Terri Poirier, pharmacy faculty members. It added value to the health sciences curriculum. Comrie noted that the program is the first of several opportunities for nursing and pharmacy students to interact throughout their programs.
“It is important to expose our students to IPE opportunities, so they can learn to collaborate with other members of a health care team,” said Liu. “With SIUE’s existing professional programs related to various health fields, there is a wonderful opportunity to develop more IPE programs like this.”
“The topic of cross-cultural communication is an especially important topic due to changing demographics of patients encountered in all health care settings,” said Butler, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice. “Health care professionals, including nurses and pharmacists, must possess skills to effectively communicate with all patients from various cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the seminar topic is a mutually important topic among nursing and pharmacy.”
Photo (L-R): Keely Vasatka, School of Nursing student; Dr. Cathy Santanello, School of Pharmacy; and Keith Marry, School of Pharmacy student.