I had a really great IPHE experience this past placement at St. Martha's. There were 4 of us which had a case.  We met once a week to discuss our individual professional roles in general and in terms of the patient's care. Through this I got to watch a modified barium swallow assessment with the group and sit in on 3 family conferences together. We completed a presentation to nursing students and other professionals in the hospital. I also got to do most of my initial assessments with the OT student and a great home visit experience! 

The IPHE project I took part in at SMRH was a great experience for me. It helped me a lot to work better in a team setting to provide patient care. One of the major benefits, I found, was it gave me the confidence and reassurance to ask questions about things I didn't know. Rather than taking the time to research different outcome measures or terms I'd never heard of, I realized it's okay to just ask someone. I also benefited by learning the roles of other health professions and their scope of practice in the neuro rehab setting. The last beneficial thing I learned from my IPHE experience was how much roles overlap and how much one profession's main concern or scope of practice influences my physiotherapy treatment and outcomes. For example, the dietician and nutrition problems a patient may experience directly affects the patient's fatigue levels and ability to participate in therapy. I worked with a great group of students and I will stay in touch with those individuals down the road when I have questions I'm unsure of.

By: Heather Isenor (Class of 2014).