Interprofessional Education

IPE Student and Faculty Research

2025

• Implementation of a Transition of Care Model at a College Counseling Center: Stephanie Wheatley, Weber State Student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, did her quality improvement project that aimed to implement a Transition of Care Model (TCM) and student pamphlet (My Path) at a college counseling center (CCC) to support clinician decision-making processes, empower student participation, and enhance campus and community connections. 

• A Comparison of Satisfaction Between Three Cryotherapy Modalities: Students and faculty from Athletic Training conducted a study to compare patient satisfaction between cryocompression modalities ranging from ~$15 for a frozen elastic bandage to ~$3,000-4,000 for the Game Ready 2.1.

• A Comparison of Intramuscular Temperature between Three Cryotherapy Modalities: Students and faculty from Athletic Training conducted an additional study that compared the effectiveness of the Game Ready 2.1 Pro (~$3,000), the NICE1 System (~$4,000), and a frozen elastic bandage (~$15) with a non-stick coating layer in lowering intramuscular temperature in recreationally-active individuals. 

• Exploring the Role of mTOR-Akt Signaling in Retinotectal Arborization and ASD-like Behaviors in Zebrafish Exposed to Valproic Acid: Weber State University Students Norah Mead-Fajardo from the Department of Microbiology, and Sylvia Martinez and Selafina Ngalu from the Department of Chemistry investigated how valproic acid (VPA) exposure affects mTOR-Akt signaling in zebrafish, focusing on its impact on retinotectal arborization and ASD-like behaviors.

• Development of a Comprehensive Interprofessional Education (IPE) Strategic Plan: An Academic Quality Improvement Project: Laura K. Jones, a student in the WSU Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, completed a quality improvement project to incorporate IPE within the college, thereby aligning academic practice with best practice. The literature indicates that incorporating interprofessional collaborative experiences for students leads to improved patient outcomes and the ability for new graduates to better function in complex healthcare environments. A multidisciplinary committee was utilized to develop a comprehensive 5-year IPE strategic plan that, when implemented, will provide healthcare students with opportunities to develop interprofessional skills and competencies.

• Student Insights on an Interdisciplinary Engineering Capstone Project with a Clear Client-Customer Relationship: For years, Travis Price, from the Department of Health Sciences, has wanted to be able to teach the fluid dynamics of the nephron of the kidney in a hands-on and interactive way. There are currently no models available that can do this. A casual conversation with Randy Hurd from the Mechanical Engineering department lead to the development of a project in which ME students built a mechanical nephron complete with adjustable valves, pumps and hoses. This machine allows students to manipulate different vessel diameters, which allows them a real-life, tactical way to explore how the kidneys effectively filters our blood. 

• The Effects of Different Sports Beverages on Rehydration Among Runners: Students and faculty from Athletic Training conducted a study to test rehydration. Endurance runners require recovery methods specific to their training and competition. Many endurance athletes prefer hydration, nutrition, sleep, and rest as the best and most effective way to recover. Many individuals do not learn how to assess how much hydration they will need before and after their run. Athletes should take responsibility for identifying their rehydration strategy, which means assessing their hydration status before exercise, assessing sweat rates, and the adequacy of current drinking behavior, and estimating the need for salt replacement. Dehydration, impairing both physical and mental performance, has already been established through studies and research. In cases of hypohydration, an individual's cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and homeostatic temperature regulations have to work at greater intensities. While hydration has been studied numerous times before, this study adds insight into the reliability of the techniques we utilize in the athletic training field, the hydration needed by recreational runners, and the level of rehydration from new leading brands.

• Improving Discharge Processes for Children with Tracheostomies Transitioning from Facility to Home: Students and faculty from the Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing conducted this study. There are over 8,000 children living at home on a ventilator in the United States. As technology advances, pediatric patients are surviving complex medical issues that used to claim more lives. Parents who desire to take these children home must complete discharge training. Adequate training results in decreased ER return rates. Parents of children discharged with tracheostomies are not fully prepared to handle home hypoxic emergencies, which can result in unnecessary return to an emergency room. This study aims to support parents by providing a safe learning space during discharge teaching to simulate effectively handling their child’s home emergency hypoxic events.

Ghana

Interprofessional education is a way to break down barriers in healthcare and allow students to learn from others outside of their field. Our Ghana study abroad trip incorporated students from medical laboratory science, nursing, social work, interior design and construction management.

We traveled to the campus of Ghana Make a Difference to help build a new school for their rescued children, upgrade existing structures, screen community members for upcoming surgical medical missions, and check the overall health of the children at the school and the surrounding communities.

Nursing, social work and medical laboratory science students worked together to provide medical screenings for hundreds of patients in Accra, Ghana.

Learn about the Ghana Study Abroad program by visiting the Study Abroad website or by watching the Medical Fieldwork in Ghana video.