Exploring the situational motivation of medical specialists: a qualitative study

Objectives: The aim was to obtain insight into the factors in the work environment that motivate or demotivate a medical specialist during his/her working day

What stressors and energizers do PhD students in medicine identify for their work: A qualitative inquiry

Introduction: Rising mental health issues is a global problem among PhD students. This study aimed to identify stressors and energizers in PhD work. Methods: PhD students at a university medical center were asked to describe the top three stressors and energizers in their PhD work through a survey. The narrative answers were subjected to content analysis. Results: Three hundred and eighty-six PhD students participated. We identified five overarching themes: Research is challenging, Resources can be limited, Recognizing the value of work, Experience of autonomy, and Relationships are key to success. We found positive (energizers) as well as negative (stressors) comments for each theme. Discussion: Supportive supervision with open communication has been identified in the literature as the most important contributor to PhD student well-being, while work-life imbalance has been identified as the most important reason for psychological distress. With our study, we add energizers and stressors that fit into a theoretical framework (Self-determination theory). This helps to understand the problem better and provide specific recommendations. Conclusions: Optimal challenges, resources and supervision, autonomy and good relationships at work are perceived as energizers. Challenges in research beyond capability, limitations in resources, not being valued, autonomy restriction and poor relationships at work are perceived as stressors in PhD work

How does interprofessional education influence students’ perceptions of collaboration in the clinical setting? A qualitative study

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to improve students’ collaborative competencies and behaviour. The effect of classroom IPE on students’ perceptions of collaboration in clinical practice, and how knowledge is possibly transferred, has yet to be investigated. The research question of this study was: How does IPE in a classroom setting influence students’ perceptions of collaboration in clinical practice? Social capital theory is used as the theoretical lens. Social capital theory describes how social relationships generate benefits for the individuals involved. Social capital can be divided into three forms of social cohesion: bonding, bridging and linking social capital. Bonding refers to connections that are close and strong, such as family. Bridging social capital occurs in more distant relationships. Linking social capital refers to relationships between individuals with different power or social status. Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted to explore students’ perceptions and experiences. Nursing and medical students who had participated in four classroom IPE-sessions were asked about the perceived influence of the IPE-sessions they had attended on their interprofessional collaboration. Thematic analysis was conducted, with sensitising concepts of ‘bonding’, ‘bridging’ and ‘linking social capital’ from the social capital theory. Results: Twenty-two interviews were conducted. Students experienced: 1) exchange of discipline specific knowledge, 2) general knowledge about each other’s responsibilities, 3) reduction of hierarchy, and 4) improvement in patient care. The first two themes reflect bridging social capital, since students experience that the other student is from a different group. The third theme reflects linking social capital, since students experience a difference in (social) status. The fourth theme most explicitly reflects ‘getting ahead’ or doing better, what is referred to as an effect of increased social capital. Conclusion: This study reveals new insights regarding how increased social capital of undergraduate students after IPE-sessions in a classroom setting influences the way they conceptualise and experience interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice. These insights contribute to the understanding of the effectiveness of IPE in undergraduate curricula. Further research on long-term effects is underway