Exploring the potential of a capability framework as a vision and “sensemaking” tool for leaders of interprofessional education

ABSTRACT

Creating a vision (visioning) and sensemaking have been described as key leadership practices in the leadership literature. A vision provides clarity, motivation, and direction for staff, and is essential particularly in times of significant change. Closely related to visioning is sensemaking (the organisation of stimuli into a framework allowing people to understand, explain, attribute, extrapolate, and predict). The application of these strategies to leadership within the interprofessional field is yet to be scrutinised. This study examines an interprofessional capability framework as a visioning and sensemaking tool for use by leaders within a university health science curriculum. Interviews with 11 faculty members revealed that the framework had been embedded across multiple years and contexts within the curriculum. Furthermore, a range of responses to the framework were evoked in relation to its use to make sense of interprofessional practice and to provide a vision, guide, and focus for faculty. Overall the findings indicate that the framework can function as both a visioning and sensemaking tool.

KEYWORDS:

• Capability
• competency
• framework
• interprofessional education
• leadership

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the faculty who participated to this study and the research assistants, Michelle Broughton and Michelle Donaldson, for their contribution. Thanks also to Helen Flavell for her editorial comments.

Declaration of interest

The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Funding

While no funding was received for the research presented here, the simulation and practice-based placements were partially funded by the Australian government.

Notes

^1. The research report in this article is part of a larger study examining the impact of the framework on the students’ learning experience, and their understanding and application of interprofessional practice.

Additional information

Funding

While no funding was received for the research presented here, the simulation and practice-based placements were partially funded by the Australian government.