Learning in Health and Social Care 

About: Learning in Health and Social Care is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Interprofessional education & Professional development. It has an ISSN identifier of 1473-6853. Over the lifetime, 185 publications have been published receiving 5060 citations.

Investigating the factors influencing professional identity of first‐year health and social care students

Abstract: Interprofessional education (IPE) involves students from different professions being brought together to learn about each other's profession. Several models of IPE exist, and central to the debate around which of these models is the most appropriate is the question of the stage of training in which to implement these programmes. Currently, however, there is no consensus on this question. Debate so far has revolved around the strength of professional identities, or lack thereof, amongst pre-qualifying students and how this may influence interprofessional learning. The potential role of professional identity in IPE seems to be unresolved. The present article adds to this debate by investigating the level of professional identity when students commence their professional studies; the differences in the level of professional identity between students from a range of professions; and the factors which may affect the initial levels of professional identification. Data were collected by questionnaire from the first-year cohort of Health and Social Care (HS profession; previous work experience in HS understanding of team working; knowledge of profession; and cognitive flexibility. Some explanations for these findings are presented and the implications are discussed.

Attitudes of health sciences students towards interprofessional teamwork and education

Abstract: Relatively little is known about the specific attributes of health professional students which may influence their attitudes towards both interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional education. A survey was distributed to all pre-licensure health professional students from medicine, nursing, pharmacy and social work programmes at our institution. Respondents were asked to rate their attitudes towards interprofessional healthcare teams and interprofessional education using validated and reliable scales reported in the literature. Information on the respondents’ gender, profession, year of study and prior experience with interprofessional education was also collected. There was no significant difference between attitudes of medicine and nursing students towards interprofessional teamwork; however, both these student groups report significantly less positive attitudes towards interprofessional teams than pharmacy and social work students. Medicine students reported significantly less positive attitudes towards interprofessional education than nursing, pharmacy and social work students. Female students and senior undergraduate students reported significantly more positive attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional education, while students reporting prior experience with interprofessional education reported significantly more positive attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork. Profession, gender and year of study appear to be attributes which were related to more positive attitudes towards both interprofessional teamwork and education.

Facilitating undergraduate interprofessional learning in healthcare: comparing classroom and clinical learning for nursing and medical students

Abstract: There has been increasing emphasis on the important role that interprofessional education (IPE) must play in educating and developing present and future healthcare professionals. However, clarity is urgently needed regarding appropriate strategies for its timing, content, delivery and assessment. This study focuses on the development of an undergraduate IPE programme for medical and nursing students. It compares learning opportunities in classroom and clinical areas and identifies suitable pedagogical strategies and subject areas. The programme consisted of 2 weeks of classroom-based learning for all 130 participating students, followed by 6 weeks on shared placement for 35 of the 113 medical and all 17 nursing students. A triangulation of data-collection methods was used to help strengthen reliability and validity and provide a more comprehensive analysis. In both classroom and clinical areas, successful methods of delivery for IPE were those that enabled exchanges of perspectives. Ward-based IPE was regarded as particularly effective in encouraging students to begin to feel part of a clinical team. In contrast, classroom-based learning enabled them to know about teamwork, but not to experience it. Practical issues of shift and timetable incompatibility were the most significant barriers to successful placement-shared learning. Developments in this area will need to focus on those elements of clinical practice which bring students together for collaborative involvement in activities that maximize the benefits resulting from the investment of time and effort involved. We conclude that undergraduate IPE opportunities have an important role to play in enabling students to learn about the roles and responsibilities of others and the impact of this on their own practice. It should be the first step towards developing practitioners who, whilst retaining their own unique professional identity, are able to understand and respect the roles of other healthcare professionals and work collaboratively to improve patient care.

Becoming professional: exploring the complexities of professional socialization in health and social care

Abstract: A search of the literature, focusing on professional socialization of health and social care professionals, indicates little contemporary research and therefore a paucity of current debate around what the process involves. Most of the research, including perspectives dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, portrays professional socialization as a deterministic process of moulding essentially passive recipients. A social constructionist perspective, however, encourages a more sceptical view of the ways in which student professionals identify with professional norms and discourses within the context of health and social care. While acknowledging the power of the professions to regulate professional practice and entry into practice, the scope for individuals to exercise personal agency within the professional socialization process is made explicit.