Attitudes towards Interprofessional Education among Medical and Nursing Students: the Role of Professional Identification and Intergroup Contact

This research analyses the effect of professional identification and intergroup contact on attitudes towards interprofessional education (IPE) among medical and nursing students. Three hundred fifty-eight nursing and medical students were surveyed measuring attitudes towards IPE and professional identification. Moreover, students were asked to report the hours of practical training that they had already done, as measure of intergroup contact. Results indicated that ingroup identification increased attitude towards IPE among nursing students, while it decreased attitude among medical students. Intergroup contact, instead, had not significant effect. Results are discussed on the basis of social identity theory and status differences between professional groups

Nurse-physician collaboration: a meta-analytical investigation of survey scores.

This meta-analysis investigated differences between nurses and physicians in interprofessional collaboration (IPC) ratings. Fifty-one surveys, representing a total of 18 782 professionals and students (13 132 nurses and nursing students, and 5650 physicians and medical students), were meta-analyzed, considering several moderating variables. Overall, nurses scored higher on IPC than physicians. Sensitivity analysis revealed that while physicians perceived more existing collaboration than nurses, nurses had a more positive attitude toward collaboration than physicians. Moreover, IPC ratings of nursing and medical students did not differ from those of practitioners. Finally, it appeared that interprofessional education interventions were able to reduce the difference in IPC between nurses and physicians

Contrasting explanations for status-legitimacy effects based on system justification theory and social identity theory

Three experiments tested two competing hypotheses about the legitimacy of social systems among disadvantaged groups. The first hypothesis was derived from social identity theory, and assumes that perceived legitimacy is positively linked to group interest. The second hypothesis was drawn from system justification theory and states that perceived legitimacy is negatively linked to group interests. In Studies 1 (79 nursing students) and 2 (49 psychology students) participants believed that their in-group had either intermediate status (i.e., a disadvantaged group who might experience some advantages from the hierarchy) or low status in the hierarchy. They rated the legitimacy of general, national health, and intergroup hierarchy systems. Study 3 considered in-group threat, and involved 101 nursing students. The results indicate that perceived legitimacy was generally higher in the intermediate-status condition than in the low-status condition. In-group threat was higher in the low-status condition, and partially mediated the effect of status on system justification. This paper contributes to knowledge about the mechanisms of legitimization of social hierarchies and social systems and suggests that disadvantaged groups are more likely to justify the social hierarchy if they derive some advantages from it. One way in which disadvantaged groups may derive social advantages from the hierarchy is by performing positive downward social comparisons, for example, an intermediate group comparing itself with a group lower in the hierarchy. It is argued that system justification may be used as an identity management strategy to avoid social identity threat

Hope for the future, ingroup threat and perceived legitimacy in three healthcare professional groups

Background and aims of the work: All societies are organised as hierarchies based on prestige or status. Similarly, healthcare organizations (as well as many other types of organization) are composed by professional hierarchies in which some professional groups are powerful and higher in status  and other groups are powerless and lower in status. This research investigated the effects of social status and hope for future group advancement on perceptions of social identity threat and legitimacy of social stratification. Physicians (the dominant professional group), nurses and healthcare operators (the dominated professional groups) were led to believe that professional stratification would change in the future, but that the nature of the change was unforeseeable

Perceived legitimacy follows in-group interests: Evidence from intermediate-status groups

In two experiments, the effect of (in)stability of status differences on the perception of perspective legitimacy and in-group threat among intermediate-status group members (i.e., nurses students or nurses) was analysed. Both studies indicated that in downwardly unstable condition, legitimacy was lower and in-group threat was higher than in stable condition. In upwardly unstable condition, perceived legitimacy was higher and in-group threat was lower than in stable condition. The indirect effects of (in)stability via in-group threat on perceived legitimacy were significant

Intergroup threat perception among intermediate-status group members: The role of stability-instability of social stratification

This research analyses the effect of stability and instability of social stratification on identity threat perception among members of an intermediate- status group. Seventy-nine nursing students were categorized in intermediate status position between physicians and healthcare operators. Stability was manipulated at three levels: 1) stable, 2) upwardly unstable, and 3) downwardly unstable. Social identity threats coming from above and from below were measured. Results revealed that in both stable and upwardly unstable conditions, participants perceived a lower social identity threat and the threat came mainly from the high-status group. In the downwardly unstable condition, in contrast, the social identity threat was greater than in both stable and upwardly unstable conditions, and came from the low-status group

Does the readiness for interprofessional education reflect students' dominance orientation and professional commitment? Evidence from a sample of nursing students

Background: Interprofessional education is an important factor in facilitating subsequent interprofessional collaboration. Therefore, implementing this teaching strategy is important to increase the chances that future professionals will work effectively together. Group membership, status and the power differential among professional groups are factors that can hinder both interprofessional education and collaboration. From a psychosocial point of view, interprofessional education may be described as an intergroup context in which members of different status groups interact. It involves at least two main psychosocial processes: commitment to the profession and acceptance or challenge of interprofessional hierarchy. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to analyse the effects of professional commitment and social dominance orientation on attitudes toward interprofessional education. Design: A cross-sectional design was conducted. Participants: A total of 137 nursing science students from an Italian university were enrolled in this research. Methods: Participants were surveyed using a questionnaire measuring attitudes toward interprofessional education, professional commitment and social dominance orientation. Results: The more that students showed social dominance orientation, the less they were willing to engage in interprofessional education. This effect was qualified by an interaction with professional commitment. When professional commitment was higher, social dominance orientation was weakly related to attitude toward interprofessional learning. Conclusions: These results suggest that there is a belief that professional hierarchy is deserved and that this may decrease a nursing student's engagement in interprofessional education; however, this may be contrasted by an increased professional commitment

Ambivalent stereotypes of nurses and physicians: impact on students' attitude toward interprofessional education

Nurse-physician stereotypes have been proposed as a factor hindering interprofessional collaboration among practitioners and interprofessional learning among nursing and medical students. Using socio-psychological theories about ambivalent stereotypes, the present work aimed to analyse: a) the content of nurse and physician stereotypes held by nursing and medical students and b) the role of auto-stereotype on students' attitude toward interprofessional education (IPE).  Methods. A cross-sectional on-line survey was adopted and a questionnaire was emailed to 205 nursing students and 151 medical students attending an Italian university

A study on COVID-19-related stigmatization, quality of professional life and professional identity in a sample of HCWs in Italy

Perceived COVID-19-related stigmatizations have a strong impact on healthcare workers' wellbeing and quality of professional life, decreasing satisfaction and increasing fatigue. This work aims to investigate the role of professional identification in moderating the impact of COVID-19-related stigma on quality of professional life in a sample of healthcare professionals working in hospital