Practice-based Learning Across and Between the Health professions: A Conceptual Exploration of Definitions and Diversity and their Impact on Interprofessional Education

Practice-based learning (PrBL) occurs in all health professional training but there are intra- and interprofessional differences depending on context, location and professional identity. In this position paper I will explore the definition, context and elements of PrBL across the health professions, and their implications for interprofessional education (IPE). IPE is a particular focus because of its increasing prominence globally in response to the changing nature of health care delivery as the population ages, the incidence of long term and chronic conditions increases and health and social care delivery is undertaken increasingly in multidisciplinary teams. PrBL aims to facilitate the transfer of theory into the workplace through situated and experiential learning. But it is not solely about preparing for practice after qualification; rather it is about learning in and about practice through authentic experience and becoming part of a community of practice. Best PrBL requires the alignment of explicit learning outcomes with clinically situated and supervised learning activities, and then with valid and reliable assessment. There are still questions about the optimal length and timing of rotations/attachments, and the nature of work-based assessment. The majority of an individual student’s PrBL is uniprofessional but there is a global trend towards increasing and enhancing the provision of interprofessional PrBL, despite the logistical and resource implications. This paper is an overview of current trends in PrBL and raises questions about future research and developments.‘In everyday organizational life, work, learning, innovation, communication, negotiation, conflict over goals, their interpretation, and history, are co-present in practice. They are part of human existence’ (Gherardi 2000, p214).In this position paper I explore the aims, nature and delivery of practice-based learning (PrBL) in order to introduce the scope of the journal and consider areas for further exploration

Practice-based Learning Across and Between the Health professions: A Conceptual Exploration of Definitions and Diversity and their Impact on Interprofessional Education

Practice-based learning (PrBL) occurs in all health professional training but there are intra- and interprofessional differences depending on context, location and professional identity. In this position paper I will explore the definition, context and elements of PrBL across the health professions, and their implications for interprofessional education (IPE). IPE is a particular focus because of its increasing prominence globally in response to the changing nature of health care delivery as the population ages, the incidence of long term and chronic conditions increases and health and social care delivery is undertaken increasingly in multidisciplinary teams. PrBL aims to facilitate the transfer of theory into the workplace through situated and experiential learning. But it is not solely about preparing for practice after qualification; rather it is about learning in and about practice through authentic experience and becoming part of a community of practice. Best PrBL requires the alignment of explicit learning outcomes with clinically situated and supervised learning activities, and then with valid and reliable assessment. There are still questions about the optimal length and timing of rotations/attachments, and the nature of work-based assessment. The majority of an individual student’s PrBL is uniprofessional but there is a global trend towards increasing and enhancing the provision of interprofessional PrBL, despite the logistical and resource implications. This paper is an overview of current trends in PrBL and raises questions about future research and developments.‘In everyday organizational life, work, learning, innovation, communication, negotiation, conflict over goals, their interpretation, and history, are co-present in practice. They are part of human existence’ (Gherardi 2000, p214).In this position paper I explore the aims, nature and delivery of practice-based learning (PrBL) in order to introduce the scope of the journal and consider areas for further exploration

Conflict in Practice-based Settings: Nature, Resolution and Education

In this masterclass we review the evidence regarding the nature of conflict within healthcare practice settings, discuss ways of preventing and resolving conflict, and consider how practice-based education, focusing on conflict and negotiation, may help learners achieve positive outcomes. Conflict is a serious state, which is often prolonged and arises from incompatibility or divergent interests and values. However, conflict may also be used as a productive force for change. Conflict has been included as a core competence for healthcare professionals in a number of competency frameworks because of the recognition that inter- and intra-professional conflict affect patient safety and outcomes, as well as having detrimental effects on staff morale, and on physical and mental health. We discuss how conflict may arise from several triggers – personal, professional and organisational. In particular, disparities in values may lead to conflict, while good communication is fundamental to optimal practice. The history of the development of the health professions includes many examples of conflict between professional groups. A healthy practice environment should encourage constructive conflict management, recognising that conflict will always arise. Early experiences of working and learning together represent important learning opportunities for students, enabling the development and practice of teamwork skills, as well as helping them to recognise and understand the different values, perspectives, roles and responsibilities of team members. Learning opportunities based on real-life scenarios and patient experiences provide a focus common to all professional groups, allowing students the opportunity to explore their differences and similarities. The key messages are: conflict occurs frequently in practice-based settings both inter- and intra-professionally, and learners need to be able to recognise and deal with conflict, including through negotiation

Compassion: Wherefore Art Thou?

Compassion is a health professional value that has received a lot of attention recently. In this paper we consider the nature of compassion, its definition and its expression in practice. We further link compassion to patient-centred care. There is debate about whether compassion can be learned, and therefore assessed. There are similar discussions in relation to ‘professionalism’ and the effects of the hidden curriculum. We conclude that compassion is everyone’s business and that learners require early and sustained patient and client contact with time for reflection to enable the delivery of compassionate care

Values-based interprofessional collaborative practice: working together in health care

The provision of care within the context of the modern health service environment involves a wide range of professionals. The health care team might include general practitioners, nurses, midwives, hospital doctors, physiotherapists, other allied health professionals, as well as receptionists and practice managers. To optimise delivery of care at both individual and population levels, team members must work collaboratively with colleagues in their own profession and others. This book, in the Values-Based Practice series, adds the dimension of values to the more usual discussions of teamwork, considering interactions between health care professionals and how these might be affected by differences in professional and personal values. Examples of scenarios based on real-life experience promote learning and reflection. Anybody working or training in health care and who aspires to collaborate successfully with their colleagues in other specialties will find this book extremely valuable, as will educators who facilitate learners in teamwork

Interprofessional education: implications and development for medical education

This paper considers the development, delivery and implications of interprofessional education (IPE) using a 4-dimensional curriculum development framework. This framework involves: considering curricula for the education of the workforce of the twenty-first century and the rationale for IPE; defining learning outcomes taking into account national and professional accreditation standards; learning activities and assessment; and institutional support