Evaluating a strategy to assist undergraduate healthcare students to gain insights into the value of IPE experiences from recently qualified graduates
N.B. The information below is authored by the mini-project applicants, not by staff of the subject centre. This text represents the views and opinions of the mini-project team only, not those of the subject centre or its affiliates.
Principal investigator
Stella Howden, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
Full list of project partners
Pei Ling Choo – (Physiotherapy student) 09003188@qmu.ac.uk Kirsty MacIver – (Physiotherapy student) 06002024@qmu.ac.uk James Savage – (Nursing student) 07004900@qmu.ac.uk Ciaran Wright – (Nursing student) 07004816@qmu.ac.uk Charlotte Wright – (Nursing student) 06001387@qmu.ac.uk Stella Howden (Physiotherapy) SHowden@qmu.ac.uk Lindsay Irvine (Nursing) LIrvine@qmu.ac.uk Alanah Kirby (Radiography) AKirby@qmu.ac.uk Ian McMillan (Occupational Therapy) IMcMillan@qmu.ac.uk
Topic
Graduates for the 21st Century,Interprofessional Education in Practice
Background
Aims
To pilot an approach to promote undergraduate healthcare students (nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and podiatry) understanding of the value of interprofessional education from recently qualified graduates,
To develop undergraduate student research skills, and
To facilitate reflection on personal narratives by recently qualified undergraduates on the value of interprofessional education as a device for professional development
Objectives
To evaluate the link between learning and practice for undergraduate students on the value of their interprofessional education experiences and their relevance to future practice.
To provide undergraduate healthcare students with the opportunity to develop research skills by gathering and analysing data from recently qualified health care graduates
To promote reflection amongst recently qualified staff and reinforce the value of the undergraduate interprofessional education experiences to their qualified role.
To evaluate the approach as a device for future students to better understand the purpose of interprofessional education.
Methodology
The approach adopted will gather data by 3 different methods to achieve the objectives described above:
Interviews: 8 students (2 from each programme) will each undertake 2 interviews with recently qualified staff from their own discipline
Questionnaire: recently qualified interviewees will be provided with an electronic transcript of their interview for comment and an online questionnaire on their reflections on the retrospective review of the value of their undergraduate interprofessional education in relation to practice
Focus Group: Student interviewees will participate in a focus group to explore their insights into the value of interprofessional education to future practice and lessons learned on participating in the research process.
Rationale
Numerous studies have highlighted the complexity of preparing undergraduate healthcare professional for interprofessional practice (Reeves, et all 2007). A significant challenge is one of perceived relevance of undergraduates in relating interprofessional education experiences to the realities of practice (Johnson 2005). Longitudinal survey indicate the importance of the readiness of different groups of students to learn (Coster et al 2008). Thus if student s can gain insights into the purpose and application of interprofessional education to their future practice from those who have recently gone before they may be more willing to engage with such learning opportunities.
Value for money
The approach adopted provides an opportunity to explore a number of education outcomes required of undergraduate programmes – promote teamworking and collaboration, develop research skills and prepare practitioners for the complexities of professional practice. The approach, if successful, has the potential to be integrated into a range of professional development programmes to promote learning, build bridges between theory and practice and to enable evaluation of impact of undergraduate learning opportunities on recently qualified practitioners.
Most of the research team will contribute time as part of their commitment to the Project at no cost as part of a University strategy to build interprofessional ways of working/ relationships within the organisation. The involvement of four students will also support the development of their research skills through different stages of the study.
Proposed activities
The partners/co-applicants have a wide range of experience in professional/educational research and associated methodologies.
The lead applicant has undertaken a number of Projects in the arena of interprofessional learning for working and was Coordinator for Multiprofessional Education at the University of Dundee (1997- 2001):
2008 – Scottish Common Core Curriculum (ScCore) Project for Universities Scotland, Scottish Funding Council/ NHS Education for Scotland, Award £464, 240
2001 - Evaluation study on the implementation of the Report of the Joint Future Group. Fife Council (with Taylor, J) Award £7746.
1997 – 2000 Clinical experience: preparation of medical and nursing students for collaborative practices – (Doctoral thesis)
1999 - Exploration of multiprofessional education developments within a University Faculty – University of Linkoping, Sweden. NBS General Nursing Council for Scotland (Education) Fund 1983. Award £700
1998 - Audio-recording ‘critical incidents’ – piloting a methodology for evaluating multiprofessional health care practice. NBS General Nursing Council for Scotland (Education) Fund 1983 (with Dunkley, P., Ker, J. & Matthews, A). Award £4,400 1998
Proposed outcomes
Report on study process and outcomes
Paper prepared for peer-reviewed publication
Presentations at external education conferences (minimum of 3) and internal student interprofessional education conference (x1)
Dissemination through articles in University publications
This dissemination of outcomes will provide opportunity for others to critique and as appropriate transfer learning from the project to their own learning programmes
Expertise of grant holder and project team
Similar work
A number of sources cited in the rationale have supported the need for and underlying approach to this project
Coster S; Norman I; Murrells T; Kitchen S; Meerabeau E; Sooboodoo E; d'Avray L (2008)
Interprofessional attitudes amongst undergraduate students in the health professions: a longitudinal questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2008 Nov; 45(11): 1667-81
Fish D, Coles, C (2005) Medical education, Developing a curriculum for practice. Open University Press, Maidenhead, Berks
Johnson, R (2005) Exploring students' views of interprofessional education: 1 year on. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, May 2005, Vol 12, No 5, 215-221
Reeves S; Goldman J; Oandasan I (2007) Key factors in planning and implementing interprofessional education in health care settings. Journal of Allied Health, 2007 Winter; 36 (4): 231-5
Contact details
Grant holder: Stella Howden, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
Amount awarded: £4,728