Graduate speech-language pathology students' initial self-perceptions of skills critical for interprofessional...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Interprofessional collaborative practice is essential for high-quality healthcare delivery.
• Limited research exists on speech-language pathology (SLP) students' interprofessional knowledge and skills.
• Understanding students' perceptions is crucial for developing effective interprofessional training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess graduate SLP students' self-perceived interprofessional competence.
• To evaluate SLP students' perceptions of the roles and interactions of other healthcare professionals.
• To identify how early graduate education influences these perceptions.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study involving 58 graduate SLP students.
• Utilized two validated surveys administered at the beginning of the first or second semester.
• Assessed self-perceived competence in communication, teamwork, attitudes, and relationships.

Main Results:

• Students reported positive self-perceptions of communication, teamwork, and attitudes toward interprofessional learning.
• Students rated interactions with other professionals less positively than their own skills.
• First-semester students held more positive views on interprofessional interactions than second-semester students.

Conclusions:

• SLP students possess initial positive self-perceived interprofessional competencies early in their graduate programs.
• Findings highlight a potential gap between self-perceived skills and perceptions of interprofessional interactions.
• Data can inform the design of interprofessional education experiences for SLP students and clinicians.