Veterinary student narratives of veterinary and interprofessional identity

The readiness for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is rooted in interprofessional education (IPE). IPE shapes views of IPC and socializes students into professional roles. Previous work showed differences among medical, veterinary, and dual degree Master of Public Health (MPH) students in identity and role expectations using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Yet, it is uncertain which roles and identities are elicited while using this instrument. The authors sought to answer the following question: What professional and interprofessional identities do veterinary students construct through stories in response to RIPLS items focused on roles and identities?

Using think-aloud interviews with focused RIPLS items, 9 veterinary students shared narratives of veterinary and interprofessional identities related to constructs of the RIPLS. Within a social constructivist framework, data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Analysis identified several complex narrated identities that overlap and inform the veterinary professional identity, including veterinarian, veterinary interprofessional, interprofessional, and One Health identity. Participants narrated veterinarians in stories as communicators with a wide range of professional roles who must advocate for themselves and the status of their profession. Veterinary interprofessionals were multi-level team players within a veterinary healthcare team that collaborate to achieve common goals, with an emphasis on maintaining team safety. Interprofessional identity encapsulates skills and attitudes that veterinary medicine shares with other healthcare fields, yet employs them independently, which were discovered by participants through casual interactions with people trained in other fields. Participants discussed One Health as an important interprofessional space where veterinarians collaborate with other fields for a 'greater good'. Ambiguity regarding identity and roles emerged in relation to the RIPLS.

These findings affirm research that situates veterinary professional identities as complex, contradictory, and dual. One Health orientations resonate strongly with the veterinary community and may be better suited for IPC inclusive of veterinary medicine. Social media and social interactions have potentially significant impacts on veterinary professional identity development and remain underexplored. Participant confusion surrounding RIPLS items contributes to criticisms of the tool, widely discussed in IPE/C literature. Further work is needed to identify the best tools and approaches to investigate veterinary professional identity and attitudes toward IPC.