Future Professional Roles Research Articles

Professional personas and capabilities of the future people practitioner: A thematic review

Orientation: The transformation of the technology-enabled workplace has a significant impact on the future professional roles, services and capabilities of both the human resource professional (HRP) and industrial/organisational psychologist (IOP).Research purpose: The present study aimed to identify the intersecting professional personas and capabilities that speak to both the HRP and IOP as people practitioners of the digital era.Motivation for the study: An integrated 2020s capabilities framework outlining IOP and HRP services-linked personas and capabilities in their conjoint roles as people practitioners seems to be lacking.Research approach/design and method: The study utilised a configurative thematic review analysis methodology to identify convergences among contemporary scholarly and empirical views on the professional personas and capabilities of the 2020s multidisciplinary people practitioner.Main findings: The thematic analysis revealed professional development in terms of four digitally-dexterous capabilities proficiency domains and six professional personas relevant to the technology-enabled working environment.Practical/managerial implications: The proposed integrative conceptual personas and capabilities model may inform the context-relevant professional development of the digital-era people practitioner.Contributions/value-add: The study adds to the research literature on the shifting roles and capabilities of IOPs and HRP as future people practitioners in technology-enabled hybrid and virtualised work environments.

P32 - An Interprofessional approach to clinical facilitation of midwifery and medical students in the Birth Suite

Quality clinical placement experiences are vital to prepare undergraduate students for their future professional role. Traditionally clinical placements are facilitated in professional silos, a model that when reviewed in the birth suite of a large regional hospital in Victoria, revealed a highly competitive culture of midwifery and medical students who often struggled to meet learning objectives. To address this, an Interprofessional Clinical Facilitator (IPCF) model was introduced that was underpinned by interprofessional education theory and collaborative practice. Facilitators actively supported students to immerse themselves in interprofessional learning experiences in the birth suite, whilst learning how, as a team, they could best support women in the labour and birth setting. The aim of this research was to evaluate the ICPF model in the birth suite. Between 2017 and 2021 midwifery and medical students on clinical placement in birth suite at a large regional Victorian hospital were invited to evaluate their placement by completing an anonymous online survey consisting of statements about placement experience with a 7-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Ethics approval was obtained. Quantitative data was collected utilising routinely collected data from the Birthing Outcome System to identify student presence and clinical activity in the birthing environment. Results of the student’s evaluation of their placement experiences following implementation of the interprofessional clinical facilitation model will be presented with students describing a more supportive and collaborative learning environment. Data demonstrating learning requirements are being met and an increase in students accoucheuring births despite a decrease in vaginal birth numbers will also be presented. The success of the interprofessional facilitation placement model in Birth Suite has resulted in a significant improvement to the quality of the student learning environment. These outcomes support consideration of wider adoption of this model in other clinical teaching settings.

Opportunities to develop leadership skills in the undergraduate diagnostic radiography program: Insights from students at an Australian university

Introduction/BackgroundLeadership is defined as the ability to influence others to work towards common visions and goals. A key principle of the Australian Health Leadership Framework is that it applies to all leaders and potential leaders, who are at any place in the system. Hence, leadership is everyone's responsibility, including health profession students. In this short communication, we discuss the concept of leadership development in the undergraduate diagnostic radiography (DR) program through experiential learning. Examples from students’ and academics’ perspectives are presented, with the intention of providing a broad context to the range of opportunities that support development of leadership skills in DR students. DiscussionExperience and experiential learning are fundamental and natural means of learning. Experiential learning has a positive effect on leadership because of its impact on personal, attitudinal, moral, social, and cognitive outcomes. Undergraduate DR students value opportunities to develop leadership skills during their university education. Four opportunities to develop and reflect on leadership skills are discussed. Two of the opportunities, clinical placements and honours programs, form part of the curricula, whilst others, such as mentoring and profession-specific social groups, are not. Through experience-based learning, students may benefit from transformational effects in their individual skills, which may ultimately benefit the organisation or community in which the individual participates. ConclusionCommitment from clinical and academic educators to enable leadership development in DR students is essential. Through implementation of obligatory and optional experiential learning opportunities, it is anticipated that leadership skills will be cultivated in DR students, enabling students to exercise effective leadership in their current student roles and establish essential skills for their future professional roles.

Contextualising capabilities for public safety in undergraduate sustainability engineering education

Sustainability in university curricula remains important for equipping graduates from all disciplines with capabilities to respond to complex social, economic, and environmental challenges in their future professional roles. Situating sustainability learning within disciplinary contexts is needed for learners to apply sustainability theory to their future professions. Furthermore, developing capabilities is important to enable graduates to act in differing professional contexts. In response to these needs, this paper contextualises safety as part of sustainability in undergraduate engineering studies by exploring the complementarity between professional capabilities for safety in engineering and key capabilities found in sustainability education literature. The paper draws on findings from interviews with 41 pipeline engineers undertaken to build an understanding of differing views on engineering capabilities necessary for safety decision making. The results show synergies between safety and sustainability capabilities in the context of engineering practice and the opportunities to contextualise safety within sustainability in engineering education. From a safety perspective, given the expanding sustainable development agenda, there is an opportunity to increase education for public safety in engineering curricula within the scope of sustainability education and to shift learning from competencies to capabilities-based outcomes.

Blending Catholicism with Chi, Chakras and Crystals

Abstract This article presents the findings of a two-year research project investigating four hundred third-level Initial Teacher Education (ite) students’ perceptions of the religiously unaffiliated in Ireland. The research was undertaken in two Third Level Catholic colleges of education in the Republic of Ireland (roi). A brief overview of some contemporary cultural, educational and ecclesial factors impacting on participants’ lived experiences and perceptions of Catholicism is provided. Irish society is changing rapidly and the religiously unaffiliated are the fastest growing belief group in the 2016 Census (cso 2016). A major part of the research focuses on the religious or belief affiliation of the sample group. It explores how participants’ personal religious and convictional perspectives impact on their own lives as well as their understandings of their future professional roles as educators in Ireland’s primary school system. Drawing on the research survey and interview data the article explores participants’ belief fluidity which blends belief in Roman Catholicism with belief in crystals, chakras, reincarnation, gods, and magic among others. The researchers analyses what these findings might reveal about lived Catholicism in the contemporary Irish context.

Knowledge and Use of Cervical Cancer Prevention Services among Social Work and Nursing University Students.

The present study examines: (a) the knowledge of healthcare students on cervical cancer (CC) issues and the use of related preventive services, as well as their association with the field of study and other sociodemographic characteristics; (b) the possible effect of social capital and its parameters. A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a convenience non-probability sampling technique. The final sample consisted of forty-nine social work and fifty-one nursing students. The two groups were similar regarding their sociodemographic characteristics and the knowledge and use of gynecological preventive services. However, the nursing students undertook a PAP smear check-up to a lesser extent (48.6%) compared to social work students (51.4%) (p = 0.026). The social capital scores were high for both groups, but social work students were significantly more ‘Tolerant to diversity’. For the total sample, only the ‘Family and friends connections’ subscale correlated with knowledge about the existing gynecological preventive services. Among the main reasons explaining university students’ avoidance of preventive testing were the feelings of fear and embarrassment associated with the PAP smear test. Given the significance of the future professional roles of healthcare students as information sources and leaders in women’s CC preventive behavior, understanding the individual factors contributing to their own adherence is essential. It is equally important to increase their scientific knowledge through the improvement of academic curricula regarding these issues.

Nursing students’ perception of gender-defined roles in nursing: a qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundGender stereotypes influence both women and men who work as nurses as well as individuals considering nursing as a profession. The aim of this study was to explore male and female nursing students’ experiences and perspectives regarding gender-defined roles as well as how they view their future professional roles.MethodsThe study used a descriptive qualitative design. A convenience sample included 72 full-time second- and third-year undergraduate nursing students. Data were collected in 2017 using a self-administered qualitative questionnaire consisting of 11 essay-type questions. As an additional data collection method, a drawing method was applied. The data were analysed by content analysis separately for the male and female perspectives.ResultsAltogether, eight themes emerged, with half explaining the male and the other half the female students’ perspectives. Students choose nursing for altruistic, opportunistic and organisational reasons. Among the female students, another reason “family and social incentives” was also identified. Female students’ vision of their future professional role included altruism and positive representations of ‘being a nurse’, whereas the male students’ vision included management and leadership, and technical aspects of nursing.ConclusionsBoth male and female nursing students face the limits of their own gender roles, yet they are prepared to challenge these gender-based perceptions. Tackling stereotypes and raising public awareness, using gender-inclusive language and strategies for recruitment, ensuring gender diversity in nursing teams and revising the nursing curriculum where appropriate, are just some of the implications that arise to help overcome gender differences.

\u201cMore than just a medical student\u201d: a mixed methods exploration of a structured volunteering programme for undergraduate medical students

BackgroundAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Imperial College School of Medicine developed a structured volunteering programme involving 398 medical students, across eight teaching hospitals. This case study aims to explore the relationship between the processes, context, participant experiences and impacts of the programme so that lessons can be learned for future emergencies and service-learning programmes.MethodsUsing an illuminative approach to evaluation we invited all volunteers and supervisors to complete a mixed-methods survey. This explored differences in experience across demographics and contextual factors, correlations between aspects of induction, supervision and overall experience, and reviewed the impacts of the programme. Quantitative responses were statistically analysed and qualitative reflections were thematically coded to triangulate and explain quantitative findings. Follow up interviews were carried out to check back findings and co-create conclusions.ResultsWe received responses from 61 students and 17 supervisors. Student participants described predominantly altruistic motivations and transformational changes to their professional identity driven by feeling included, having responsibility, and engaging in authentic workplace-based learning afforded by freedom from the assessed curriculum. They reported new perspectives on their future professional role within the multidisciplinary team and the value of workplace-based learning. They reported increases in wellbeing and self-esteem related to feeling included and valued, and positively contributing to service provision at a time of need. Significantly higher overall satisfaction was associated with a personalised induction, active supervision, earlier stage of training, and male gender. Gender-related differences were not explained through our data but have been reported elsewhere and warrant further study. The duration, intensity and type of role that volunteers performed was similar across demographics and did not appear to modulate their overall experience.ConclusionsWhilst acknowledging the uniqueness of emergency volunteering and the survey response rate of 15% of volunteers, we suggest the features of a successful service-learning programme include: a learner-centred induction, regular contact with engaged and appreciative supervisors, and roles where students feel valued. Programmes in similar settings may find that service learning is most impactful earlier in medical students’ training and that students with altruistic motivations and meaningful work may flourish without formal outcomes and assessments.

Compassion and Empathy in Basic Medical Science Teaching: A Suggested Model.

Medical school education typically consists of two main student bodies: medical students and biomedical graduate students. For both groups, compassion and empathy represent a major component of future professional roles. For medical students, this takes the form of the all-important doctor-patient relationship and adherence to the Hippocratic Oath. For biomedical students, future research and teaching are often driven by the opportunity to contribute to treatments to help pain and suffering for those in need. For both groups, such positive contributions further extend to families, who often suffer emotional distress watching the health struggles of a loved one. Given the key role that compassion and empathy play here, including them as part of student educational development is important. Such focus, however, is limited - especially during the initial academic classroom years - with most time here dedicated to the learning of facts and foundational material. Given its importance in the future professional roles of these students, we posit that more can be done to introduce and reinforce the concept of compassion and empathy during the initial didactic course years. Modest but viable options exist for the introduction of these concepts as a part of basic teaching that will provide additional reinforcement of this all-important sensitivity for others. Here we present a model providing suggestions and recommendations for the integration of compassion and empathy in otherwise basic scientific teaching, and in a way that also includes progressive equality positions on social issues. While the focus here is medical school education since it represents this author’s expertise as well as a field where young trainees graduate to professional careers requiring compassion, it can potentially be applied to many other disciplines.

Beyond belief? Pre-service teachers’ perspectives on teaching RE in Ireland

This article overviews the contemporary context for teaching Religious Education (RE) in Ireland and profiles changing religious demographics in an increasingly secular context. It presents the findings of a two-year mixed-methods study undertaken in two third-level Catholic colleges in Ireland, investigating four hundred third-level Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students’ perceptions of the religiously unaffiliated. The research data reveals the complexity and ambivalence of ITE students’ attitudes to teaching RE in primary schools in a rapidly changing Irish society where one in ten is religiously unaffiliated (Central Statistics Office, 2017). Several challenges emerge for ITE students as they begin teaching RE in Ireland’s denominational primary school context. The religious and convictional perspectives of the sample group are profiled and findings reveal that participants’ personal worldviews impact on their understandings of their future professional roles as religious educators. Data from this mixed methods research suggest that while ITE students view the teaching of RE as an important professional duty, a disconnect between their own personal beliefs and the curricular content they are required to teach in sacramental RE programmes in Catholic primary schools creates a climate of ambivalence and uncertainty.

Professional Identity Formation in Health Promotion Practitioners: Students' Perspectives during an Undergraduate Program in Switzerland.

The health promotion (HP) community advocates for capacity building, quality assurance and political awareness of HP. Professional identity (PI) is of great relevance to these goals as persons who strongly identify with their profession better adopt their professional role, raising the quality, competence and common values within a professional group. However, investigations on the HP workforce are missing. In order to investigate PI formation in HP professionals, a longitudinal study was conducted with two student cohorts of a Swiss HP and prevention undergraduate program. Using a qualitative approach, focus groups were conducted at the beginning and end of the undergraduate program. Data were transcribed verbatim and condensed using thematic analysis. The results highlight the complexity of the HP’s professional profile. While students experienced difficulties to capture the profile at the beginning of the program, at the end they developed an understanding of it. The practical experience within work placements helped students to grasp the profile and specify their future professional role. Several behavioral, cognitive and motivational aspects were identified that influence HP students’ PI formation and can be fostered. For instance, universities can commit to public relations for HP practitioners and support the PI formation throughout the study program.

How the students in educational sciences perceived their future professional roles in the current social context

This study, conducted between October 2020 and December 2020, aimed to highlight how students in education sciences – special education/psychopedagogy – perceived their future professional roles in the current social context marked by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We used the research method of Super’s Professional Values Questionnaire, a questionnaire for perceiving the professional roles of students in educational sciences/special education. Both questionnaires were administered in an online format according to GDPR rules. We used IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 25 for statistical data processing. The resulting conclusions are as follows: (a) it allows a better understanding of the professional training process of students in education sciences; (b) it highlights how students programme their future professional career; and (c) it reveals new types of complex psychopedagogical services that the investigated subjects intend to initiate for vulnerable people. Keywords: Professional roles, special education.

Use of Simulation in Teaching Nursing Leadership and Management Course: An integrative review.

Nursing education is strategically positioned to prepare nursing students for management and leadership skills necessary for future professional nursing roles. This review appraised and synthesised the outcomes of using simulation in pre-licensure nursing management and leadership courses. This is an integrative review of original articles published between 2008 and 2018. In January 2019, PsychINFO, CINAHL, PubMed and SCOPUS were searched to identify relevant articles using the following terms: ‘management’, ‘leadership’, ‘simulation’, ‘nursing’, ‘education’ and ‘student’. A total of 10 articles were included in the review. Four essential themes were identified from the content analysis: acquisition of skills or understanding of delegation, enhanced teamwork or collaboration capacities, improved decision-making and problem-solving skills and increased communication skills. Incorporation of simulation in the nursing management and leadership courses has the potential to enhance nursing students’ skills regarding delegation, problem-solving capacities, decision-making and communication and teamwork.

La Formación Docente para las infancias. Un aporte desde las narraciones de formación de graduadas en la Universidad

<p>Este artículo presenta avances de una investigación cuyo propósito es el estudio de los sentidos sobre la formación docente que distintos protagonistas construyen. Para esta ocasión presentaremos unas lecturas sobre del trabajo que realizamos con graduadas de la carrera de Profesorado en Educación Inicial; de una Universidad pública.</p><p>Nuestra investigación asume una perspectiva de análisis cualitativa; en tanto se enfoca en la mirada de las protagonistas; buscando establecer acontecimientos</p><p>significativos que surgen de sus narraciones de formación. Desde allí; se propone una descripción y reflexión sobre la formación docente.</p><p>De los relatos de las graduadas; identificamos algunos ejes de análisis: los motivos para el ingreso a la formación docente y las expectativas sobre la carrera; los acontecimientos significados como obstaculizadores en el trayecto de formación; y por último; acontecimientos que conmovieron de manera positiva la experiencia de formación y la comprensión del futuro rol profesional.</p><p>Finalmente; cabe mencionar que; este trabajo se enmarca en una investigación en curso; que tiene como objetivo estudiar la formación docente para las infancias; proponiendo dos tipos de lecturas. Por un lado; una mirada histórica que nos acerca a los sentidos fundacionales del Profesorado en Educación Inicial en la Universidad; y otra lectura en clave pedagógica; que recupera las experiencias de diferentes actores en el marco de dicha carrera.</p>

Indigenous Health Workforce: exploring how roles impact experiences in Higher Education

Indigenous people have an integral role to play in improving Indigenous health outcomes by leading and being a part of the health workforce. Educating Indigenous health professionals is hence of great importance. Indigenous health students are not always acknowledged for their multiple professional and community roles and how these can affect their university education experience and success. This paper hence examines the experiences of 27 Indigenous health students and their lecturers at one Australian university around the concept of roles. The study used an Indigenous Research Methodology combined with theory driven thematic analysis. Results identified both positive and negative experiences of roles that significantly affect Indigenous health students. The study showed that students’ roles in family and community are complex and can come into conflict with student and future professional roles when students attend university. Academics interviewed for the research showed little to no understanding of Indigenous students’ complex existing roles. This research may assist universities and educators to support Indigenous health students to transition from community to university and achieve success.

Zastupljenost engleskog jezika struke u nastavnim planovima i programima srednjih stručnih škola

The curriculum is the starting point for effective teaching planning. The outcome of the teaching process in secondary vocational schools depends, to a large extent, on the conception of the curriculum prescribed by state bodies, which is the case with most countries of the Western Balkans, including Serbia. The paper deals with the issue of English for specific purposes in secondary vocational schools, the representation of English for specific purposes in the curriculum of secondary vocational schools in Kosovo and Metohija, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. The research describes approaches to curriculum development and planning for English for specific purposes. The analysis of plans and programs for the English language showed that the needs of students of vocational secondary schools of technical orientation in terms of English for specific purposes are not fully met. The research defines the components that are important to include in order to harmonize goals, forms and educational activities that will improve students' knowledge and prepare them for future professional roles.

Assessment Partnerships from the Start: Building Reflective Practice as a Beginning Paramedic Student Competency

Introduction The ability to critically self-evaluate is fundamental to professional health roles. Reflective practice is now a recognised feature of the professional capabilities of registered paramedics in Australia, which has implications for both education and industry when determining competency. Reflective practice currently receives little priority in teaching, often appearing late in curriculum and not usually linked to high stakes assessment. It is argued that sustainable reflective practice skills should appear earlier and include opportunities for active student involvement in decisions regarding their learning. Student-tutor consensus assessment (STCA) is a reflection-in-practice technique providing a structured approach for critically appraising practice, while calibrating judgement with assessors. We evaluated the experiences of a cohort of newly commencing undergraduates within a fundamentals of paramedic practice subject. Methods Students were invited to complete a questionnaire relating to their perceptions and experiences after participating in the STCA approach. Results 88 responses were collected which indicated broad agreement regarding the value to learning and recognition for the importance of reflective practice skills to future professional roles. Conclusion Students readily embraced the principles of reflective practice and were able to effectively contribute to high level decisions regarding their work despite having only recently commenced the program. In addition, the high levels of broad agreement for the value of the STCA approach, suggest reflective practice and critical thinking-based assessments have a more important role to play in paramedic education.

Emotional challenges of medical students generate feelings of uncertainty.

ObjectivesHealth care students face many situations during their education that might be emotionally challenging. Students are confronted with illness, suffering, death, patient treatment dilemmas, and witnessing unprofessional behaviour on the part of health care professionals. Few studies have focused on what these experiences lead to in relation to the process of becoming a professional. The purpose of the study was to explore medical students’ main concerns relating to emotionally challenging situations during their medical education.MethodsA constructivist grounded theory approach was used to explore and analyse medical students’ experiences. Data were gathered by means of focus group interviews, including two interviews in the middle and two interviews at the end of the students’ undergraduate programme. A total of 14 medical students participated.ResultsStudents’ main concerns relating to emotionally challenging situations were feelings of uncertainty. These feelings of uncertainty concerned: (i) insufficient knowledge and skills; (ii) the struggle to manage emotions in patient encounters; (iii) perceived negative culture and values amongst health care professionals and in the health care system, and (iv) lacking a self‐evident position on the health care team. The first two aspects relate to uncertainties concerning their own capabilities and the other two aspects relate to uncertainties regarding the detached medical culture and the unclear expectations of them as students in the health care team.ConclusionsIn the process of becoming a physician, students develop their professional identity in constant negotiation with their own perceptions, values and norms and what they experience in the local clinical context in which they participate during workplace education. The two dimensions that students have to resolve during this process concern the questions: Do I have what it takes? Do I want to belong to this medical culture? Until these struggles are resolved, students are likely to experience worry about their future professional role.

Reimaging the role of the information professionals in the Educational process: the case of the Sultanate of Oman

This research applied a mixed-approach to investigate professionals perceive on their profession and what others expect from them to lead professional organizations setting their core competencies for the future. Furthermore, the research aimed to explore LRCs observes their educational preparation and job practices in building their profession. Besides, it defines the critical restrictions that prohibit them from reimaging their future professional roles within the educational process. Questionnaires are used to explore Omani professionals acquired competencies from learning and work. In addition, the research conducted tow discussion sessions with 10 focus groups to support the quantitative data collected through questionnaires. The quantitative findings indicated that a weak correlation between educational programs and work practices, especially in tasks requiring specialized skills and competencies. The qualitative findings highlighted the Competencies acquired by the information professional from work which are public relations, research skills, and partnership, marketing services skills, dealing with technology, and ways of dealing with the beneficiary. Besides, the findings revealed skills needed by the learning resource specialists as training in updating developments in the field, English language. Negative School staff's view information profession as multifunction of tasks that are not directly attributed to their occupation as well as far from the LRC regulations. The lack of communication between information professionals and supervisors, the absence of the learning resource specialists at schools in the first cycle of the basic education, the weakness of maintenance of hardware and Internet in schools, incorrect Job Title which is LRC Resource Specialist, are challenges hindered Omani professionals to make improvements in their profession. Accordingly, findings present suggestions to improve the actual status.

A Journey of Self-Reflection in Students’ Perception of Practice and Roles in the Profession

The basis of the study is the findings of scientific research dealing with experiential reflections of university students studying in the special education Bachelor degree study program in Lithuania. The special educator is a teacher of children with special educational needs, an educational assistance specialist who is able to recognize, assess, and meet children’s special educational needs arising due to disabilities, disorders, or learning difficulties, and to professionally provide special pedagogical assistance in the conditions of inclusive and special education. In order to analyze the experience of prospective special educators who study at the university for four years, first year students were chosen. At the start of their studies at the university, in the first month of their studies, students do their practice in the institutions of the educational system: Pre-school, general, and/or special education institutions. The aim of the practice is to get familiar with the subtleties of the future professional activity. It is maintained that students’ initial experience outlived at the start of studies is important and significant for further studies at the university. The article deals with the results of written reflections of students who have returned from practice. The phenomenological hermeneutics method enabled to disclose students’ experiences in their practical activities during their observational practice, providing deeper understanding of the study area, as a precondition for reflective learning in further university studies, and by interacting with participants of the (self) education process, the article presents future special educators’ practical experiences and perceptions of their roles in the profession. The results disclosed that self-reflection provides students with deeper perception of themselves as people with special educators’ needs and problems, personal strengths and competence limitations that enable them to identify sources and means for solving existing and future professional activity problems. It further reveals that cooperation with family members, university teachers, social pedagogues, teachers, children with special educational needs, sharing experiences with student colleagues could lead to greater self-confidence in oneself as a future specialist. Curiosity and personal initiative enabled students to identify positive and difficult moments of the professional activity and future professional role while learning from experience.