An interprofessional education pilot project examining the issue of substance abuse with nursing and crime and justice students

Interprofessional education (IPE) and collaboration is an important component of nursing education but may be limited in schools of nursing with limited access to other health profession students. This paper describes an innovative pilot educational program whose purpose was to bring two seemingly disparate majors together in an interprofessional capacity to collaborate on their shared experience of caring for and interacting with individuals dealing with substance use disorder. At the end of this experience students majoring in nursing as well as students majoring in crime and justice recognized individuals impacted by substance use face many challenges both in and out of the acute care setting. Students also recognized the value of working together interprofessionally to facilitate positive outcomes.