Learning person-centredness interprofessionally: an uneasy student journey

ABSTRACT

Patient- or person-centered care is a discourse embraced by most clinicians involved in interprofessional care but generally overlooks thepersons of the practitioners and students involved. This paper explores students’ developing perceptions of person-centered care during participation in an interprofessional education program where interprofessional pairs of students partner with patients living with a long-term condition or life-changing event. Weekly focus groups with students and educators over the 7 weeks of the program revealed a rich evolving understanding of person-centredness amongst participant students as they built relationships with both their patient and student partner. Students and educators identified shifts in students’ interprofessional person-centered perspectives and practices, growing awareness of patient personhood and of stories as key to creating and maintaining space for listening and dialogue, and conscious attention to thoughtful, non-judgmental listening and responses. Although initially uncomfortable, uncertain and “stuck” students came to value working in a holistic relational partnership to explore what mattered to the patient, looking beyond the diagnosis to the multi-faceted nature of living with a life-changing condition or event. Importantly, students’ growing self-awareness and participation as persons enhanced person-centredness, leading to questioning of previous healthcare practice experiences where mutual person-centredness was overlooked. Uncertainty about student capability led some educators to reassert control of the process, which students perceived as counterproductive usurping of their personhood and professional autonomy. The research findings suggest that an interprofessional program focused on person-centered relationship building develops student awareness and understanding of mutual personhood but requires high levels of reciprocal trust.

KEYWORDS:

• Person-centredness
• relationship-building
• interprofessional education
• collaborative practice;
• reciprocal trust

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge and thank the students and staff who gave generously of their time to take part in the research.

Declaration of Interest

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

C. Jane Morgan

C. Jane Morgan is a senior lecturer and researcher in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology. Jane has a special interest in facilitating learning opportunities with students, to develop interprofessional knowledge, skills and dispositional qualities for graduate practice.

Susan McNaughton

Susan McNaughton is a researcher in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at the Auckland University of Technology. Sue has extensive experience of research in the area of interprofessional education and collaborative health care practice.