A qualitative exploration of the experiences of students attending interprofessional Schwartz Rounds in a University context

Abstract

ABSTRACTSchwartz Rounds are a cultural change initiative for interdisciplinary staff to reflect on their work to preserve the human connection. Their recent implementation in educational contexts means that there is limited research exploring the experience of students attending Rounds. This study aimed to develop understanding of how health-care students experience participation at Schwartz Rounds in a University context. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight health-care students about their experience of attending Rounds. Three themes were identified: ambivalence about safety to share “would it reflect badly on me?”; unifying through sharing emotions “you’re not alone in feeling that”; and space to question professional cultures “there’s not normally space given to that”. The findings suggest that Rounds promote connectedness through humanizing professions and focusing on shared emotions; however, safety to share within Rounds can be limited by fear of judgment. This supports previous literature and suggests that Rounds may be well placed in educational contexts to support cultural change from the beginning of training.