Core Competencies
The NIHC’s IPE curriculum is grounded in the nationally recognized Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, developed by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). These competencies serve as the foundation for our didactic curriculum, ensuring that learners develop the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes essential for effective, team-based, patient-centered care. The four primary competency domains identified by IPE are:
- Values and Ethics
Promoting ethical decision-making, cultural humility, and mutual respect across professions. - Roles and Responsibilities
Fostering a clear understanding of professional roles to optimize team performance. - Communication
Encouraging active listening, respectful dialogue, and shared decision-making to enhance collaboration. - Teams and Teamwork
Supporting effective team dynamics, collaborative leadership, and a unified approach to achieving health outcomes.
Core Didactic Curriculum
IPE Foundational Lesson
All students begin with the asynchronous IPE Foundational Lesson, which introduces the principles of Interprofessional Practice & Education, provides an overview of the NIHC, and includes a baseline interprofessional readiness survey.
Exploring Healthcare Teams (Fall – Year 1 or Beginning Learners)
First-year students participate in this didactic activity focused on the Roles & Responsibilities domain. Learners explore the diverse roles within healthcare teams and how interprofessional collaboration enhances patient care and community health.
Safe & Effective Communication (Spring – Year 1 or Beginning Learners)
This activity centers on the Communication domain. Students work in interprofessional teams to practice structured communication techniques, emphasizing clarity, respect, and person-centered care.
Collaborative Clinical Case Conference (Fall – Year 2 or Advanced Learners)
Students engage in a simulated, team-based case study focused on the Teams & Teamwork domain. Together, they analyze a complex patient scenario and co-develop an interprofessional care plan.
Root Cause Analysis & Error Disclosure Workshop (Spring – Year 2 or Advanced Learners)
Focusing on Values & Ethics, this workshop challenges students to collaboratively investigate a medical error, conduct a root cause analysis, and practice transparent error disclosure in a simulated environment.
Experiential & Service Learning Opportunities
In addition to the core didactic curriculum, students have access to a wide range of experiential learning and service-based IPE activities. These opportunities allow learners to apply interprofessional principles in real-world settings, deepen their understanding of collaborative care, and serve diverse communities. Explore our current offerings by clicking the links below.