Clinical reasoning as a conceptual framework for interprofessional learning: a literature review and a case study

Abstract

Background: Clinical reasoning has been proposed to be a key attribute of health professionals. We hypothesized that clinical reasoning may be one explicit way to further the understanding of each other’s roles in interprofessional learning activities, for nurse students and physiotherapy students.

Objectives: The first part of this paper was a literature review. In the second part of the paper, we described a case study with an action-based approach.

Major Findings: The literature review showed that, although sparse, clinical reasoning has been used as a conceptual framework for students learning in interprofessional activities. Through a collaboration between clinicians and university staff, we developed a structure for interprofessional student collaboration based on narratives in combination with a clinical reasoning structure as proposed by Levett-Jones, adapted to identify the different roles. The interprofessional collaboration was found crucial for development of authentic and useful narratives to work from, where both professions had important roles. The use of a reasoning framework could scaffold student discussions to learn with, from and about each other.

Conclusions: We concluded that interprofessional learning can take place in theory courses and the use of clinical reasoning as a conceptual framework may facilitate to clarify professional similarities and differences.

Keywords:

• Interprofessional learning
• Clinical reasoning

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to all collaborators including the staff (mainly nurses and physiotherapists) at Hässleholm Hospital, staff and students at the Department of Health Sciences who participated at various stages in this study.