Graduate level health professions education: how do previous work experiences influence perspectives about interprofessional collaboration?

ABSTRACT

Understanding how previous experiences with interprofessional education and collaboration inform health care provider perspectives is important for developing interprofessional interventions at the graduate level. The purpose of this study was to examine how previous work experiences of graduate level health professions students inform perspectives about interprofessional education and collaboration. Drawing from program evaluation data of two separate graduate level interprofessional education interventions based in primary care and home health care, we conducted a qualitative secondary data analysis of 75 interviews generated by focus groups and individual interviews with graduate students from 4 health professions cadres. Using directed content analysis, the team coded to capture descriptions of interprofessional education or collaboration generated from participants’ previous work experiences. Coding revealed 173 discrete descriptions related to previous experiences of interprofessional education or collaboration. Three themes were identified from the analysis that informed participant perspectives: Previous educational experiences (including work-based training); previous work experiences; and organizational factors and interprofessional collaboration. Experiences varied little between professions except when aspects of professional training created unique circumstances. The study reveals important differences between graduate and undergraduate learners in health professions programs that can inform interprofessional education and collaboration intervention design.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional relations
• interdisciplinary communication
• graduate nursing education
• graduate medical education
• professional role
• allied health

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Lisa Altshuler, Division of General Internal Medicine at NYU School of Medicine and Margaret McDonald of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York’s Center for Home Care Research and Policy for their contributions to program implementation.

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 study was funded by the following grants from the Health Research and Services Administration: Nursing Education, Practice, Quality and Retention program funded through the Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 2013-2016 [Grant no. UD7HP26049] The Advanced Nursing Education Program, Interprofessional Care for Older Adults funded through the DN, BHW, HRSA, and the HHS, 2013-2016 (grant D09HP25934); The Autonomous Academic Unit Health Resources and Services Agency, 2011-2016 (grant D54HP05446); Health Resources and Services Administration [D09HP25934, D54HP05446, UD7HP26049].

Notes on contributors

Allison Squires

Allison Squires is Health Services Researcher and an Associate Professor of Nursing and Medicine at New York University as well as the 2019-2020 Distinguished Nurse Scholar for the National Academy of Medicine.

Sarah Miner

Sarah Miner is an Assistant Professor of Nursing where her research examines community-based approaches to health care delivery for marginalized communities.

Sherry A. Greenberg

Sherry A. Greenberg is an Associate Professor at Seton Hall University and completed this work while working as a Senior Technical Advisor in Gerotonology for the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing.

Jennifer Adams

Adina Kalet and Jennifer Adams are Medical Education Outcomes researchers and practicing internal medicine physicians.

Tara Cortes

Tara Cortes is the Executive Director for the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing.