Development of interprofessional healthcare teamwork skills: mapping students’ process of learning

ABSTRACT

Higher education institutions commonly prepare future healthcare workers to engage in increasingly complex, interprofessional healthcare environments through interprofessional education. Development of appropriate teamwork skills is complex and takes time. However, much of the research on student engagement with teamwork in higher education has been focused on the end goal of teamwork. This obscures the process of how students learn to work in interprofessional healthcare teams and in what ways, over time. The current study used an exploratory interpretive approach to obtaining students’ experiences, perceptions and developing understanding of teamwork from the start of their undergraduate studies, through to completion of five semesters of group or teamwork projects. Through qualitative methodology, educators explored student experiences of teamwork, their focus at designated points of their undergraduate teamwork, and the meaning they attributed to being a member of a team. Student perceptions of successful teamwork developed over time to a positive and purposeful orientation toward teamwork, learner attributes that enhanced team function, and a growing awareness of how the assessment context affected team function. By mapping these processes of learning over time, educators can gain a clearer understanding of influences and experiences that impact on student learning in teamwork.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional education
• teamwork
• learning
• undergraduate
• healthcare

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the contribution of Alex Bowmar, Helen Gaeta, Deborah Hay, Claire Phipps, and Susan McNaughton for participation in the design and data collection. We also acknowledge the students for giving their time and sharing their experiences with us. We also acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their insightful and helpful comments on the earlier draft of this manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the School of Interprofessional Health Studies at Auckland University of Technology.

Notes on contributors

Kay M. Hammond

Dr Kay Hammond is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Interprofessional Studies (formerly the School of Interdisciplinary Studies) in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. She teaches on academic literacy and research methods courses. She is experienced with traditional, blended and online learning in New Zealand, Japan, and Australia. Her research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning to improve the learning experience and promote staff and student wellbeing. 

C. Jane Morgan

Dr C. Jane Morgan is a Senior Lecturer in the Auckland University of Technology, teaching and researching in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Morgan teaches in both undergraduate and post- graduate health science courses, specifically in the area of interprofessional practice innovation. Dr. Morgan’s research focus is on the development, implementation and evaluation of transformative education and practice initiatives for developing interprofessional teamwork capability in students, academic and clinical education staff.