Design thinking is a flexible method of problem solving that is actively used across many sectors to support innovations in thinking about challenges and opportunities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, design thinking has been used to design solutions for health professions, education and mental health support for providers and learners, design and use of better PPE, and design of lived environments around public health challenges. The pandemic’s lasting impact will require new skills to redesign health professions education and collaborative care. Design thinking is an approach to create solutions to the challenges present in daily life through rapid prototyping and testing.
The 2021 Nexus Innovation Challenge is a nine-month, longitudinal experience for teams to learn and apply design-thinking principles to solve challenges and design opportunities within their clinical and educational environments. Using mapping tools, prototyping and visualization models, this program is designed for teams to grow practical skills and apply them to a specific initiative in their own contexts, focusing on the intersection of interprofessional education and collaborative care. The Nexus Innovation Challenge is a long-term investment in the work you and your team are already doing in your own context.
This experience is hosted by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, in partnership with the National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment, providing expertise on optimizing the interprofessional clinical learning environment, and SmithGroup, a nationally recognized design and architecture firm providing design thinking expertise and mentorship.
To learn more about the program, visit the Nexus Innovation Challenge website, or contact nexusipe@umn.edu to schedule a quick call to discuss your team’s project idea.
Early bird registration ends Dec. 31, so gather your team and apply today. Limited space is available.