Strengthening interprofessional education: Nursing and medicine collaborate on renal lecture
An established relationship between faculty from the Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) and the Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing was formed through their joint participation in the PACER (Professionals Accelerating Clinical and Educational Redesign) training grant initiative from 2016 to 2018. This collaboration was made possible by a training grant that brought the two programs together around shared goals in clinical and educational redesign. Faculty members continue to meet regularly through an interprofessional education (IPE) workgroup to explore opportunities for collaboration and co-teaching across programs.
In Fall 2023, Dr. Lisa Singleterry, Director of BSON and member of the WMed IPE workgroup, saw an opportunity to connect Natalie Kuhn, a seasoned outpatient dialysis nurse with over a decade of experience with Fresenius (MI) and Winona Health Dialysis (MN) and with WMed faculty working on an Acute Kidney Injury simulation. Although the nursing students were unable to attend because the simulation is scheduled during the nursing students’ summer break, the initial outreach led to a valuable partnership between Kuhn and WMed’s Internal Medicine Physician, Dr. Diane Peirce.
Dr. Peirce invited Kuhn to co-lecture on Renal Replacement Therapy for second-year medical students. The session, held in Fall 2023, featured hands-on props including dialyzers, dialysis needles, peritoneal dialysis catheters and central venous catheters. The collaborative spirit between Kuhn and Peirce made the preparation and delivery of the lecture both enjoyable and impactful. Course coordinator Dr. Kelsey Grellinger praised the session, and student feedback highlighted it as particularly informative.
Building on this success, Kuhn was invited to present alongside Dr. Peirce at WMed Grand Rounds in December 2023. The collaboration continued into Fall 2024 and 2025, with Kuhn returning to lecture on Renal Replacement Therapy. Dr. Temprine extended the presentation time to allow for more student engagement, which proved valuable students asked insightful questions and showed strong interest in the topic.
In a powerful expansion of the lecture in 2025, Kuhn invited one of her dialysis patients from Fresenius to speak with students for an hour following the session. This firsthand account offered students—who had not yet begun clinical rotations—a rare and meaningful opportunity to hear directly from a patient living with kidney disease. The experience underscored the importance of person-centered care, a shared passion between Kuhn and Peirce.
The collaboration extended beyond renal education. In April 2024, Kuhn invited Dr. Peirce to observe a stroke simulation in NUR 3300 (Nursing Therapeutics II), co-taught with Master Faculty Specialist Susan Houtrouw. Dr. Peirce, who leads stroke simulations for WMed medical students, provided valuable feedback and offered a physician’s perspective to nursing students, enriching their learning experience.
This ongoing interprofessional partnership between nursing and medicine has been marked by a shared commitment to holistic, patient-centered education. Kuhn and Peirce continue to model the power of collaboration across disciplines, enhancing the educational experience for future healthcare providers.
For further collaboration or inquiries, Dr. Diane Peirce can be reached at @email.