Professional Identity Formation in Allied Health: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Allied Health
• Professional Identity Formation

Background:

• Professional identity formation is crucial for healthcare professionals, yet research is concentrated in nursing and medicine.
• Allied health professionals, comprising one-third of the workforce, lack sufficient guidance for supporting student professional identity development.
• This disparity can lead to allied health graduates with less mature professional identities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize research on professional identity formation across nine allied health disciplines.
• To provide guidance for health professions educators on fostering professional identity in allied health students.
• To inform educational strategies for developing stronger professional identities in future allied health practitioners.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review adhering to the PRISMA framework was conducted.
• Research on professional identity across nine allied health professions was identified, appraised, and synthesized.
• Narrative synthesis and convergent qualitative meta-integration of both qualitative and quantitative data were employed.

Main Results:

• Seventy studies from 17 countries, spanning seven disciplines and various educational levels, met the inclusion criteria.
• Professional identity formation was influenced by learning environments (curriculum, clinical experiences), interpersonal interactions (peers, educators, patients), and educational practices (dialogue, reflection).
• These influences interact with the individual characteristics and experiences of students and new graduates.

Conclusions:

• A model illustrating the influences on professional identity formation in allied health has been developed.
• This model can guide health professions education to enhance the development of professional identity.
• Educators can utilize this framework to help students develop and graduate with more robust professional identities, improving patient-centered care.