One site fits all? A student ward as a learning practice for interprofessional development.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Interprofessional training wards (IPTWs) are implemented to enhance collaboration in healthcare education.
• Sustainable and safe healthcare necessitates interprofessional collaboration across professional boundaries.
• Learning contexts that promote interprofessional learning are crucial for future healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how the design of an interprofessional training ward influences student collaboration and learning.
• To analyze the interplay between expected and unexpected responsibilities in caring work within an IPTW setting.
• To understand how student proximity in IPTWs facilitates negotiation and boundary work.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of open-ended questionnaire data from students in an IPTW.
• Application of a practice theory framework to interpret findings.
• Data collected during autumn term 2010 and spring term 2011.

Main Results:

• The IPTW's structure highlighted a tension between "expected" professional roles and the "unexpected" demands of patient care.
• Physical proximity of students within the IPTW created opportunities for negotiation and "boundary work."
• Practice theory provided insights into the dynamics of interprofessional learning in a real-world healthcare setting.

Conclusions:

• IPTW design significantly impacts interprofessional collaboration and learning experiences.
• Understanding the negotiation of professional boundaries is key to effective interprofessional education.
• Practice theory offers a valuable lens for analyzing healthcare education within practice settings.