Linking Interprofessional Community Health Experiences With Nursing Education

Abstract

Background: Ensuring that nurses and other health care professionals are trained to work together in teams is critical. Problem: Recent literature describes interprofessional education (IPE) programs that meet community health needs. However, there is a need for descriptions of IPE programs embedded in the communities they serve. Approach: Bridging the Gaps (BTG) is a collaboration between academic health institutions/universities and community organizations in the northeastern United States. BTG links IPE with the provision of health-related services for under resourced communities. This article describes the development of one BTG Community Health Internship Program (BTG CHIP) affiliate site (BTG, Lehigh Valley). Outcomes: Since inception, 114 interns completed the program as part of BTG CHIP, Lehigh Valley, for a total of 3192 days of service provided to the community. BTG CHIP, Lehigh Valley, serves as a case study for establishing similar community-based IPE programs. This article describes challenges, opportunities, and replication strategies.