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Interprofessional Conference to Focus on Dental Hygiene and Nursing

October 16, 2012

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland’s Schools of Dentistry and Nursing are teaming up to host The Oral Systemic Link: Creating Collaborative Initiatives conference on December 10.  

This conference will focus on the partnership of dental hygiene and nursing, while addressing the larger issues of professional cross-fertilization and institutional challenges.  Its goal is to provide participants with information related to interprofessional education, research, and practice while stimulating ideas to advance it. 

Attendees will receive an in-depth look at opportunities for the two professions to work in tandem to provide optimal patient care while overcoming all issues related to access to care and fragmented care delivery.  Additionally, participants will explore ways to raise awareness about interprofessional education, suggest learning experiences to help students understand the value of diverse professional collaborative efforts, and recommend future workshop ideas for their respective institutions. 

“Facilitating interactions among health care professionals and students is critical to improving the health of our nation. We must teach and model excellence in order to transform our health care system, said Shannon Idzik, DNP, CRNP, assistant professor and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. “Oral disease, often called a silent epidemic, plagues the most vulnerable populations of our nation. Nursing and dental hygiene have come together to share a common goal of optimizing interprofessional education and patient care.”

The conference will be held at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

For more information about the conference, visit http://nursing.umaryland.edu/oral-systemic.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largestnursing schools, and is ranked eleventh nationally. Enrolling more than 1,700 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment