ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the interprofessional education and interprofessional continuing education to ensure the best team-based care for vulnerable individuals in academic programs and professional practice. Nurses and leaders face rising expectations and new realities with the complexity of healthcare and the consumer-driven quest for quality and options for optimal care. The emphasis on interprofessional collaborative practice and team performance has come by way of lessons learned from the past on how professional identities are constructed and how particular disciplines socialized their future members in academic programs. In creating partnerships on interprofessional teams, team members must develop a capacity to exchange information and consider other viewpoints without being restricted by existing social identities and hierarchies. In the US, national accreditation bodies provide the standards and oversight for continuing education and continuing professional development. Nurses have the most patient contact during assessments, diagnoses, and treatments, and can therefore articulate how holistic team-based care can be delivered.
