Facilitating interprofessional identity development in healthcare students through dedicated interprofessional...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Professional Identity Development

Background:

• Growing evidence supports interprofessional placements for preparing healthcare students.
• Limited understanding exists regarding interprofessional identity development during these placements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how final-year health professional students develop their interprofessional identity during dedicated interprofessional placements.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with 38 final-year students from five health professions.
• Inductive thematic analysis of interview data.
• Exploration of visual representations of interprofessional identity.

Main Results:

• Students' interprofessional identity evolved from a placement requirement to an internalized aspect of their professional identity.
• The context of the placement significantly influenced the salience of interprofessional identity.
• A progression in understanding and integration of interprofessional collaboration was observed.

Conclusions:

• Dedicated interprofessional placements facilitate the development of interprofessional identity.
• Healthcare professionals should actively model interprofessional practice and facilitate identity development.
• Strategies are needed to support the continuation of interprofessional identity development post-placement.