IPEC Domain/Competency 

Roles and Responsibilities

Sub-Competency

RR1 Include the full scope of knowledge, skills, and attitudes of team members.

RR4 Differentiate each team member’s role, scope of expertise, and responsibility in advancing individual, community, and/or project outcomes.

Goals and objectives

• Describe the roles, responsibilities, and areas of expertise of a variety of healthcare professions.
• Differentiate between the scopes of practice and responsibilities of healthcare team members.
• Recognize the importance of understanding team members' expertise in supporting effective interprofessional collaboration.
• Identify professions they may interact with in future practice and when those professionals' expertise may be needed.

Materials

• Classifying Health Workers (WHO)

Activity description

Students review the WHO Classifying Health Workers resource and work in small groups to investigate assigned healthcare professions. Groups identify each profession's role, scope of expertise, primary responsibilities, and contributions to patient and community outcomes, then share their findings with the class. The activity concludes with a discussion of how the expertise of different professions supports collaborative, team-based care.

Activity extension could be to provide students with a case/scenario and students apply their knowledge by identifying healthcare professions who should be involved in the care of a patient, family, or community.

Debrief Questions

• What profession did you learn about that was unfamiliar to you?
• What differences did you notice among the roles and responsibilities of various healthcare professionals?
• How do these professions contribute to achieving positive health outcomes?
• Why is it important for healthcare professionals to understand one another's roles and expertise?
• How might this knowledge improve teamwork and collaboration in practice?

Optional Closing Reflection:

Students will complete the following statement: "One healthcare profession I understand better now is (example), and its primary contribution to the healthcare team is (example)."

Use

To educate students on the roles and responsibilities of various team members in a medical setting.

References:

WHO (2019) Classifying Health Workers: Mapping Occupations to the International Standard Classification. World Health Organization. Geneva. Link

Suggested Citation: CHBS IPE and IDE Council. (2026). Overview of Roles in Healthcare Setting. CHBS IPE & IDE Instructional Toolkit. James Madison University.