Bianca Beyer Award

In addition to being a PhD student at McMaster University, I have held various nursing roles in direct practice, education, and research. As the Canadian population ages and the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) increases, managing patient care becomes more challenging and complex. No one provider can meet the various physical, psychological, and social needs required of many patients. The need for interprofessional care becomes critical where the expertise of multiple providers is necessary to address numerous patient needs.

Educational opportunities for learning how to work in interprofessional teams are varied and inconsistent. Based on my work experience in providing interprofessional education (IPE) to undergraduate students and health care professionals in various practice settings, I am interested in examining, how different approaches to IPE impact collaboration among health care team members. My doctoral research examines the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation of a new theory-based IPE intervention and examines its effects on collaboration among home care providers caring for older adults living with MCC. I anticipate study results will contribute to the body of knowledge linking IPE, collaboration and patient outcomes in the context of managing chronic disease for community-living older adults.

Receiving the Bianca Beyer Scholarship allows me to commit to full-time doctoral studies in McMaster University`s Aging Community and Health Research Unit supporting my goal of becoming a nurse scientist. It is my intention to design and evaluate new IPE approaches for health care and other providers in community settings that will ultimately lead to positive outcomes for patients, families and communities.