Interprofessional Competency Acquisition in an Interprofessional Training Ward Four-Week Placement: “Teamwork Is What Is Going to Ensure Our Patients Are Happy and Safe”

Abstract

Demand on education and health authorities to provide workplace based learning opportunities for students to acquire interprofessional collaborative practice competencies is increasing. This article outlines the acquisition of interprofessional competencies by pre-registration health professional students in a four-week interprofessional training ward placement. Four final-year health professional students (medicine, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy), from two tertiary education institutes worked together on an assessment, treatment and rehabilitation ward for older adults based within a local tertiary hospital. Four competency domains were the focus for the placement: role clarification and appreciation; interprofessional communication; team functioning; and interprofessional coordination and shared decision-making. Sequential audio-recorded focus groups were undertaken with the students each week. Using template analysis, student reports on each of the four interprofessional competencies each week over the four-week period were explored. Findings demonstrated all students incrementally and differentially acquired the four competencies over the course of the placement. The period between week-two and week-three was a critical time for competency acquisition as the students encountered real-life clinical problems. The study contributes to a growing body of research demonstrating the potential for interprofessional training wards to enable competency acquisition for undergraduate health professional students, and that competency acquisition may be time sensitive.