Interdisciplinary Education from a College of Nursing and School of Medicine

We examine a newly designed, interdisciplinary education program and clinical rotation for the first-year obstetrics and gynecology resident, implemented at the University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, between the College of Nursing midwifery faculty and the School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The barriers to program development, along with the advantages and disadvantages of collaboration between nursing and medical schools, are reviewed. The clinical experience, consisting of 5 clinical shifts, was designed using the conceptual model of collaborative intelligence. A formal rotation with the midwife was constructed for the first-year resident on the labor and delivery unit, providing care to intrapartum and postpartum women and families. The program included didactic and clinical teaching, with an emphasis on the normal physiologic process of birth and introduction to the midwifery scope of practice and philosophy of care. Formative evaluation of the clinical rotation demonstrated strong interest for continuation of the program and an ability to appreciate midwifery components of care in a limited exposure. Moreover, program development was successful without requiring large curricular changes for the resident. Future planning includes expansion of the program with increased emphasis on the postpartum and breastfeeding woman and continued program evaluation. The long-term success of such collaborations will depend on the continued support of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in developing and improving interdisciplinary educational teams. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health.