More than 125 students gathered for an interprofessional learning opportunity designed to prepare future clinicians and healthcare providers on suicide assessment.
During the first-ever Suicidality Assessment Workshop, Huskies enrolled in five clinical programs across the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) built interprofessional collaboration skills. Students and faculty from audiology, dietetics, physical therapy, speech-language pathology (SLP) and nursing joined forces for a workshop led by NIU Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) team members Tim Paquette, Aubrey Hense and Alan Masline.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. That means clinicians and healthcare providers are likely to encounter individuals who may be struggling with mental health concerns including suicidality.
Megan McKenna, clinical coordinator and clinical assistant professor in the School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, said it’s important to educate students on actionable steps to take in the face of the current mental health crisis.
“Healthcare fields need more providers who are willing to work together to support patients’ needs,” McKenna said. “Interacting with students from other disciplines not only builds connections across programs but also equips students with the skills needed to provide the best possible care to their future clients and patients.”
Student Wellness and CCS staff introduced an instructional model of assessment to help identify individuals displaying signs of suicidal ideation or behavior based on their level of distress. Presenters then reviewed how students can express care for the individual in distress, engage in active listening, make appropriate referrals and follow up with the individual.
“I believe that this experience offered a lot of knowledge and realistic situations and examples that are applicable to everyday life and our healthcare careers,” said SLP graduate student Dara Vancea. “It was important that colleagues and I discussed these situations to build up our confidence to discuss this challenging topic with clients.”
Students were presented with client scenarios in varying levels of distress which allowed them to brainstorm questions and next steps for the client by engaging in conversation with students from other disciplines.
“It was so exciting to hear all of the ideas the students had in response to the scenarios presented,” said School of Nursing professor Jeanette Rossetti. “They were engaged and shared thoughtful next steps. Having the opportunity to explore how to communicate with someone in distress with their peers was such a valuable exercise.”
Danica Billingsly, audiology clinical coordinator and clinical associate professor, said she is grateful to colleagues and students in CHHS for participating in this training.
“Our professions are full of helpers, but being a helper can be really hard – both in direct communication with someone who is struggling, and in handling our own responses to that experience,” Billingsly said. “Learning and practicing with tools in a low stakes, interprofessional setting helps us get over the fear and awkwardness of asking the questions that have to be asked and helps us plan for self-protection and care after the fact.”
This event is just one example of CHHS’ efforts to promote collaborative education opportunities for students using the Interprofessional Education Collaborative’s (IPEC) core competencies as a guidepost.
“Working with an interdisciplinary team allowed us to appreciate diverse perspectives and leverage our own expertise,” said graduate student Emily Korte, who studies nutrition and dietetics. “This collective effort fostered an environment of care and empathy, skills that are necessary to prioritize the mental and physical wellbeing of our future patients.”
CHHS faculty plan to continue to unite departments and disciplines through interprofessional events that prioritize meaningful student experiences.
Learn more about the College of Health and Human Sciences.
Source: NIU Today CHHS News
This is so important! It’s great to see NIU bringing together students from different health fields to learn about suicide assessment. Collaboration like this can really improve patient care.
This is such an important topic. It’s great to see NIU bringing together students from different health programs to learn about suicide assessment. Collaboration like this will really help future clinicians provide better care.
I love the emphasis on teamwork in your post! In my nursing program, interprofessional learning really opened my eyes to different perspectives.