Future-proof healthcare professionals: Innovative approaches from canada, the netherlands, and the united states of america

Innovation skills are part of 21^stcentury skills, a broad skillset that supports healthcare professionals to better sustain, or future-proof, a career in the modern workplace. Educational programs and services in healthcare need to prepare students to innovate in order to address complex needs of aging and changing demographics in global populations. Early career healthcare professionals will benefit from skills and adaptability to tackle challenges and innovate their practices. Engagement in innovation that involves technology cultivates such new skill sets, fosters leadership, and positions these healthcare professionals as critical players in shaping the future of their professions. In this article, we describe examples of integrating 21^st century skills into three categories: Curriculum and instruction, professional development, and learning environments, based on a partnership framework for 21^stcentury learning. Our shared examples offer an international perspective on the topic of innovation, describing efforts within occupational therapy, nursing, and social work programs in Canada, The Netherlands, and the USA. In the area of curriculum and instruction, we include initiatives to build innovation skills both within a single course and integrated opportunities throughout the curricula. From the professional development perspective, new professional roles and programs have emerged with a focus on technology. Finally, educational support systems have fostered innovative learning environments for interdisciplinary education with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and creativity. In all examples, interprofessional collaboration between education and practice was a leading strategy to prepare healthcare professionals across the globe with necessary 21^st century leadership skills for innovative practice.