This year’s Rankin Lectureship will focus on improving interprofessional practice by members communicating together in a way that emphasizes their particular strengths and skills.
Interprofessional practice is the process of professionals working together for a common purpose, commitment and mutual respect.
“The greatest resource for improving interprofessionalism learning and practice is the knowledge, wisdom and energy of professionals who adapt to challenging situations in their everyday work,” according to the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s website.
Dr. Madeline Schmitt, ambassador at the National Center of Interprofessional Practice and Education, will speak on solutions to balance the knowledge and performance gap of interprofessional practice.
The lecture will focus on the framework of learning and the factors involved in social decision-making.
Schmitt has conducted research on interdisciplinary education for more than 40 years. She is also an editor of the “Journal of Interprofessional Care” and a founding board member of the American Interprofessional Health Collaboration.
As a nurse-sociologist in the field of interdisciplinary education, Schmitt has a wide range of experience in research and teaching, according to the National Center of Interprofessional Practice and Education
She is a professor at the University of Rochester, where she served as the Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing and Interprofessional Education until retiring in 2005.
Schmitt said that learning about interprofessional teamwork is important for student nurses.
“We need to do better in helping our students learn about interprofessional teamwork and how to respond when it is not working in a clinical setting,” said Schmitt. “If we share the responsibility of ultimate patient outcomes, it can overcome a lot of barriers.”
The event is on Monday, April 27 in the Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitor Center at 5 p.m. followed by a question and answer portion from the audience. This event is free and open to the public.