Professional and Interprofessional Identity Formation in Healthcare Students During Placement in an Interprofessional...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Interprofessional learning
• Social Identity Theory

Background:

• Professional identity (PI) and interprofessional identity (IPI) are crucial for healthcare professionals.
• Interprofessional Training Units (ITUs) offer unique learning environments.
• Understanding identity development in ITUs informs curriculum design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of an Interprofessional Training Unit (ITU) placement on maternity wards.
• To investigate the development of professional and interprofessional identities.
• To explore the relationship between PI, IPI, and background factors.

Main Methods:

• Prospective pre-post-intervention study design.
• Online surveys administered before and after a one-week ITU placement.
• Paired t-tests and ANOVA used to analyze changes in PI and IPI scores.

Main Results:

• No significant change in professional identity (PI) was observed.
• Significant increase in interprofessional identity (IPI) across all professions.
• Midwifery students showed the largest increase in IPI.
• Higher initial PI scores correlated with higher initial IPI scores.

Conclusions:

• A short interprofessional placement effectively enhances interprofessional identity.
• Stronger professional identity may predispose students to develop interprofessional identity.
• Findings suggest the value of ITU placements in shaping healthcare students' identities.