"oh why didn't i take more notice?" Professionals' views and perceptions of pre-qualifying preparation for interprofessional working in practice

It is widely assumed that interprofessional learning (IPL) impacts positively on interprofessional working (IPW) in health and social care. However, there is no clear evidence that pre-qualifying IPL improves service delivery. The direct effect of pre-qualifying IPL on IPW and service delivery is difficult to demonstrate; researchers must rely on professionals' self-report in this regard. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study in which semi-structured interviews were used to collect individuals' views and perceptions about pre-qualifying IPL as preparation for practice. Two groups of participants came from four health and social care professions: adult nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy and social work. One group had experienced a substantial pre-qualifying IPL initiative, while the other group had not. Useful insights were gained from comparing the views and perceptions of individuals from these two groups. The total sample comprised 29 practitioners: 19 were educated on interprofessional curricula and 10 on traditional uniprofessional curricula. Thematic data analysis produced findings about pre-qualifying education as preparation for IPW. These findings suggest that pre-qualifying IPL can prepare individuals to work effectively as qualified professionals with colleagues from other disciplines and that effective IPW impacts positively on service delivery. © 2012 Informa UK, Ltd

From students to professionals: Results of a longitudinal study of attitudes to pre-qualifying collaborative learning and working in health and social care in the United Kingdom

During a longitudinal evaluation of a pre-qualifying interprofessional curriculum, health and social care students completed questionnaires concerning communication and teamwork skills and interprofessional learning and working. Data were collected on entry to their educational programme, during the second year of study, at qualification and after 9-12 months' qualified practice. This paper presents results from practice data from 414 professionals; 275 were educated on the interprofessional curriculum, 139 on previous uniprofessional curricula. The former were more confident at qualification about their communicative skills, their interprofessional relationships and other professionals' interaction, and showed positive correlations between perceptions of their relevant skills and their interprofessional relationships. They were also more positive about their interprofessional relationships than practitioners educated on uniprofessional curricula. Age and previous experience of higher education influenced professionals' attitudes negatively: mature individuals may require more support when entering the workforce. Between qualification and practice, respondents from the interprofessional cohorts grew more critical of interprofessional education. However, experience of interprofessional education appears to produce and sustain positive attitudes towards collaborative working, suggesting that individuals' perceptions of their own educational experience are inadequate as an evaluative measure of interprofessional learning initiatives. This study reinforces the argument for including IPE in pre-qualifying curricula

Second year scepticism: Pre-qualifying health and social care students' midpoint self-assessment, attitudes and perceptions concerning interprofessional learning and working

A study in an English Faculty of Health and Social Care explores the effects of a pre-qualifying interprofessional curriculum incorporating interprofessional modules in each year of study. The study design involves collecting data on entry to the Faculty, after completion of the second interprofessional module, on qualification and after 9 months qualified practice. At each point, students complete questionnaires concerning communication and teamwork skills and interprofessional learning and working. This paper presents results from 723 students at the second data collection point. Although most students were positive about their communication and teamwork skills, they were less positive than on entry to the Faculty. Similarly there was a negative shift in students' attitudes to interprofessional learning and interprofessional interaction. Nevertheless, most students were positive about their own interprofessional relationships. Mature students' responses were more positive than those of younger students. The emergence of differences in responses based on a professional programme suggests that interprofessional education may not necessarily influence professional socialization. Demographic and professional variables affecting students' responses in their second year of study demonstrate the complexity of student learning. The planned follow-up of the students will show whether variables affecting interim data have a long-term effect on attitudes. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd

Career choices in health care: Is nursing a special case? A content analysis of survey data

Background: As demand for nurses and other health professionals continues to outstrip supply it is important to understand what motivates individuals to join a non-medical health profession. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate students' reasons for choosing a particular nursing specialism, midwifery or other non-medical health profession, and to compare motivation factors across professions, gender, age, level of award, prior qualifications, prior experience and over time. Design: A prospective follow-up study collected survey responses at the beginning and end of pre-qualifying professional programmes. Setting: The study took place in one large United Kingdom faculty. Participants: The study participants were 775 first-year students undertaking non-medical health professional programmes and 393 qualifying students. Methods: An open-ended question was included in a self-completed questionnaire administered at entry and at qualification. Content analysis identified themes. Results: Altruism was the most frequently cited reason for wishing to join a non-medical health profession, followed by personal interest/abilities, professional values/rewards, and prior experience of the area. Students entering nursing were less likely to cite an altruistic motivation than those entering other non-medical health professions (χ2 = 21.61, df=1, p < 0.001). On entry, adult nursing, children's nursing and radiotherapy students were least likely to cite professional values/rewards (χ2 = 20.38, df=8, p = 0.009). Students on degree level programmes were more likely to report altruism than those on diploma level courses (χ2 = 17.37, df=1, p < 0.001). Differences were also identified between the two data collection points. The number of students identifying altruism (χ2 = 3.97, p = 0.046) and professional values/rewards (χ2 = 6.67, p = 0.010) decreased over time. Conclusion: Findings suggest that although a service orientation remains a key factor in choosing nursing, students also look for a career which matches their interests and attributes, as well as offering professional values and rewards. Nursing may be in danger of losing service orientated recruits to other non-medical health professions. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Learning to work together: Health and social care students' learning from interprofessional modules

This paper reports on a study of student learning about collaboration and discusses the effectiveness of different forms of assessment in facilitating learning. The study was conducted in a large health and social care faculty in which all students on pre-qualifying professional programmes learn together in modules aimed at developing collaborative skills. Data about student learning were collected through interviews with 42 students and analysis of 53 students' completed assignments. The paper focuses on two questions: (1) What did students learn about collaborating in groups and about their own collaborative skills? (2) Which forms of assessment were effective in recording this learning? Interview and assignment data demonstrated that students learned about groups and group participation, about themselves in group situations and about the relevance of interprofessional learning to working collaboratively in professional practice. Module 3 (third year) assessments provided evidence of transference of learning from module to practice. Whereas learning logs, completed during the module as a form of reflective assessment, appeared to promote self-awareness about own collaborative skills, reflective essays, completed after module sessions had ended, provided more opportunities for analysis and to link theory to practice. © 2009 Taylor & Francis

Online interprofessional learning: The student experience

Health and social care students in a faculty in the United Kingdom learn together in an interprofessional module through online discussion boards. The module assessment encourages engagement with technology and with group members through peer review. An evaluation of student experience of the module gathered data from 48 students participating in 10 online groups. Analysis of contributions to discussion boards, and transcripts of interviews with 20 students revealed differing levels of participation between individuals and groups. Many students were apprehensive about the technology and there were different views about the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. Students interacted in a supportive manner. Group leadership was seen as associated with maintaining motivation to complete work on time. Students reported benefiting from the peer review process but were uncomfortable with critiquing each other's work. Sensitivity about group process may have inhibited the level of critical debate. Nevertheless the module brought together students from different professions and different sites. Examples of sharing professional knowledge demonstrated successful interprofessional collaboration online