Unacceptable Behaviors Towards Health Professional Clinical Students: Protocol For a Mixed-Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Student Well-being
• Professionalism in Healthcare

Background:

• Unacceptable behaviors, including verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination, are reported globally by health professional students.
• Anecdotal reports from University of Otago clinical students indicate these issues are prevalent.
• Existing data lacks comprehensive understanding of the extent, sources, and reporting of these behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and sources of unacceptable behaviors experienced by health professional students at the University of Otago.
• To examine student reporting patterns of these incidents.
• To identify potential institutional responses and incorporate student perspectives into strategies.

Main Methods:

• A sequential, two-phase mixed-methods design was employed.
• Phase one involved a cross-sectional online survey of all clinical students across seven health professional programs.
• Phase two included semi-structured interviews with a subset of students, guided by a student codesign panel.

Main Results:

• Data analysis is ongoing, focusing on descriptive and thematic approaches.
• The study aims to quantify the extent of unacceptable behaviors and identify key contributing factors.
• Reporting behaviors and student-reported institutional responses will be detailed.

Conclusions:

• This novel mixed-methods study will provide critical insights into unacceptable behaviors affecting health professional students.
• Findings will inform evidence-based strategies to improve the educational environment and support student well-being.
• Incorporating student perspectives ensures research and institutional responses are relevant and effective.