Start of interprofessional healthcare training in cooperation with the St. Pölten UAS
Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems) and St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences recently signed a cooperation agreement on interprofessional education in the health and social professions. Students from several degree programmes at both universities will work together on an interdisciplinary basis. Patients in particular will benefit from even better care in the future. Around 300 students have now started their first joint course as part of the cooperation at University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten.
In many cases, illnesses, emergencies and medical issues require experts from several healthcare professions to work together in order to find the best treatment and solution for patients.
Learning from case studies
In order to prepare students from different professions accordingly, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems and University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten (UAS) launched a joint course for students this winter semester. In it, 300 students from both universities work on case studies and learn how to find the best solutions for patients in interprofessional collaboration.
"The first courses are currently running as part of the collaboration. In small groups and plenary sessions, practical lessons and theory, the students are learning everything they need for successful interdisciplinary collaboration in the future," says UAS lecturer Julia Glösmann, who is coordinating the project at St. Pölten UAS.
Social aspects of illness and health
The cases for which the students train relate to various illnesses, rehabilitation or births, for example, and also deal with social aspects such as the loss of employment, family worries or the situation of people with a migration background. In small groups, students learn not only the best medical treatment, but also how to communicate with patients and relatives.
The St. Pölten UAS is involved in the Dietetics, Physiotherapy, Social Work and Health and Nursing degree programmes, while KL Krems is involved in the Bachelor's degree programme in Medical Science. in 2023, the courses will take place at the St. Pölten UAS, with some also planned at Karl Landsteiner Private University in the coming years.
"Experiencing the tasks and limits of the professions"
"The pressure on the healthcare system is increasing considerably: there are more and more older people and patients with chronic illnesses who require rehabilitation and care. There is a need to improve interprofessional and person-centred cooperation between members of the health and social professions. Our students learn this particularly intensively in the new cooperation," says Christine Pomikal, Head of the Department of Health at St. Pölten UAS.
"In a joint workshop lasting several days, students from various degree programmes and healthcare disciplines are given the opportunity to work on practical patient cases in an interprofessional setting," explains Simone Nemeth, a member of the project team at KL Krems' Teaching Unit and the main contact person for the cooperation. "In a protected environment and with the support of mentors from the respective professions, students can learn about the areas of responsibility and the limits of their own and other professions. The aim is to teach and practise interprofessional exchange in a practical and comprehensive way during their training."
"Those who are socially secure can be healthy. It is therefore important that in the event of health problems and emergencies, those affected and their relatives are accompanied by social work experts in addition to medical staff," says Christine Haselbacher, Head of the Department of Social Work at St. Pölten UAS.
