BREASTFEEDING | HUMAN
MEDICINE IPE
Through our Mississippi CHAMPS program, CHEER worked with the Bower Foundation, Inspire Health, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), to script and create the Breastfeeding | Human Medicine IPE in 2020. CHEER received grants to distribute the IPE across disciplines, nationally and globally! The project leveraged existing partnerships and collaborations to scale up medical and professional breastfeeding education and promote a culture of support for people who choose to breastfeed.
What IS a Breastfeeding IPE?! An Interprofessional Education module brings nursing, medical, and other professionals in the health field together and stresses the importance of working as a medical team. It could also be used by lactation counselors, public health professionals, families, and all breastfeeding supporters. As far as we know, this was the first-ever breastfeeding IPE!
What is IN the IPE? The Breastfeeding | Human Medicine IPE module included “real life” scenarios with fun, real-life breastfeeding mom scenarios, interactive Q&A, interviews with health care professionals about why breastfeeding matters, and short PowerPoints™ about breastfeeding.
BREASTFEEDING IPE MATERIALS AND VIDEOS
The Breastfeeding IPE includes descriptions and resources for creative education in breastfeeding programs. People could take the IPE to learn more about how their state or local breastfeeding agency can promote creative education among health professionals in hospitals and the community!
The Breastfeeding | Human Medicine interprofessional education was intentionally developed with interviews, photos, and content that are tailored to diverse audiences. People could take the IPE to learn more about the racial disparities and improvements in Mississippi and beyond!
Nurses are in a unique position to promote health equity and support breastfeeding families!
Watch the trailer for the first ever breastfeeding interprofessional education module!
BREASTFEEDING IPE IN THE NEWS
The Bower Foundation awarded CHEER a grant to promote the Breastfeeding | Human Medicine Interprofessional Education (IPE) module! The IPE was a collaborative effort between the University of Mississippi Medical Center, CHEER, and the Bower Foundation to expand education about breastfeeding across multiple medical disciplines.
CHAMPS launched a breastfeeding education module across all seven of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s health professions schools thanks to a grant from the Bower Foundation. The Inter-Professional Education (IPE) unit on breastfeeding contained video segments featuring real-life scenarios such as a prenatal clinic appointment, an in-hospital breastfeeding assessment, and a postpartum breastfeeding support group.
This article provides an evidence-based perspective on the lifelong benefits of breastmilk compared to formula. It also highlights the efforts and initiatives of UMMC to promote breastfeeding education across the board, one of which is the Interprofessional education (IPE) program.
