Facilitating interprofessional identity development in healthcare students through dedicated interprofessional placements

There is a growing body of research evidencing the benefits of dedicated interprofessional placements in preparing healthcare students for interprofessional practice. However, little is known about if and how students develop their interprofessional identity during interprofessional placements. This study addresses this knowledge gap by exploring final-year students' interprofessional identity development during dedicated interprofessional placement(s). Thirty-eight students from five health professions were interviewed and data analyzed inductively to identify themes. Participants also drew images representing their perceptions of interprofessional identity and its relationship to professional identity as part of the data collection. The themes showed participants progressed from conceptualizing interprofessional identity as a requirement of the placement at the start of the placement, toward internalizing an interprofessional identity by the end of their placement. Context influences interprofessional identity salience. A commitment from healthcare professionals to model interprofessional practice, combined with explicitly facilitating interprofessional identity development, is recommended to facilitate continued interprofessional identity development in different contexts post placement.

Automated summary

This study examined the development of interprofessional identity among final-year students during dedicated placements. Findings revealed that participants transitioned from viewing interprofessional identity as a requirement to internalizing it throughout the placement. Context was found to play a significant role in influencing the salience of interprofessional identity. Recommendations include healthcare professionals modeling interprofessional practice and explicitly facilitating interprofessional identity development to support continued growth in different contexts post-placement.