Nursing scholar recognised for global impact at international conference

A leading nursing scholar at Northumbria University has received two awards for her globally impactful work on interprofessional collaboration.

Dr Vikki Park, an Assistant Professor in Nursing, received two awards that celebrate and honour remarkable achievements for interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

Interprofessional collaboration is recognised as a key strategy in global health by the World Health Organisation and its partners. Interprofessional education and collaborative practice brings together those working in different professions to learn with, from and about each other, to improve the quality of health and social care for all.

Dr Park was presented with her awards at the Interprofessional.Global All Together Better Health conference in Doha. The awards follow Dr Park’s appointment to leadership roles in both the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) – a leading UK charity which works to promote workforce development as well as influence, and improve health and social care policy – and InterprofessionalResearch.Global- the global network for interprofessional education and collaborative practice research.

Dr Park is the new co-lead for the research priority group for CAIPE, which has a long-established partnership with Northumbria University, and was elected co-chair of InterprofessionalResearch.Global’s communications working group.

Her roles with both organisations are creating innovative collaborations with external partners that will benefit teaching and research at Northumbria, as well as further informing the development of interprofessional educational provision at the University.

Interprofessional.Global, the global confederation which brings together renowned and emerging scholars, leaders and decision-makers committed to interprofessional education and collaborative practice research, invited Vikki to represent the UK at their Partnership Symposium - setting new global priorities. As a result of this, she has been asked to work as an advocate for global leadership in this field.

“It is an honour to be appointed to these leadership roles, representing Northumbria and the UK within the regional, national and global interprofessional community, and it is an even bigger honour to be recognised by my global peers for my work in this area with these awards,” she said.

Dr Park, who is based within Northumbria’s Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, said that the current global crisis of shortages in the healthcare workforce means it is even more vital for health and social care professions to work and learn with, from and about each other to promote high-quality, safe and holistic care.

“Interprofessional education and collaborative practice is very important as it offers a way of facilitating teamworking, respect and understanding within teams, during students’ education and throughout their future careers,” said Dr Park.

“This is why we are passionate that it is embedded within the health and social care curricula at Northumbria University to ensure we prepare the future workforce to be collaborative-practice ready.”

Northumbria University offers a vast range of courses across health and social care professions, including nursing, midwifery, social work, and occupational therapy. For more information visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/study