Curricular Factors that Unintentionally Affect Learning in a Community-Based Interprofessional Education Program: The Student Perspective

Authors

  • Shelley Anne Doucet University of New Brunswick, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine
  • Diane MacKenzie Dalhousie University
  • Elaine Loney
  • Anne Godden-Webster Dalhousie University
  • Heidi Lauckner Dalhousie University
  • Peggy Alexiadis Brown Dalhousie University
  • Cynthia Andrews Dalhousie University
  • Tanya L. Packer

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22230/jripe.2014v4n2a174

Keywords:

Interprofessional education, Longitudinal, Health mentors program, Health professional student, Curriculum, Unintended, Barriers, Recommendations, Lessons learned

Abstract

Background: The Dalhousie Health Mentors Program (DHMP) is a community-based, pre-licensure interprofessional education initiative that aims to prepare health professional students for collaborative practice in the care of patients with chronic conditions. This program evaluation explores the students’ 1) learning and plans to incorporate skills into future practice; 2) ratings of program content, delivery, and assignments; 3) perspectives of curricular factors that inadvertently acted as barriers to learning; and 4) program improvement suggestions.

Methods: All students (N = 745) from the 16 participating health programs were invited to complete an online mixed methods program evaluation survey at the conclusion of the 2012–2013 DHMP. A total of 295 students (40% response rate) responded to the Likert-type questions analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Of these students, 204 (69%) provided responses to 10 open-ended questions, which were analyzed thematically.

Findings: While the majority of respondents agreed that they achieved the DHMP learning objectives, the mixed-methods approach identified curriculum integration, team composition, and effectiveness of learning assignments as factors that unintentionally acted as barriers to learning, with three key student recommendations for program improvement.

Conclusions: Educators and program planners need to be aware that even well-intended learning activities may result in unintended experiences that hamper interprofessional learning.

Author Biographies

Shelley Anne Doucet, University of New Brunswick, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine

Shelley is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing & Health Sciences at the University of New Brunswick, an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University, and an Affiliate Professor with the College of Health Disciplines at the University of British Columbia.  Shelley`s experiences teaching interprofessional student teams in classroom and clinical settings, as well as her clinical experiences in mental health nursing, have led her to establish interprofessional health education initiatives and to explore their outcomes.

Diane MacKenzie, Dalhousie University

Diane MacKenzie OT Reg (NS), MAEd, PhD is Assistant Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, 5869 University Avenue, Forrest Building Room 329, PO BOX 15000 , Halifax, NS  B3H 4R2   Canada

 

 

Elaine Loney

Elaine Loney, MSc is

Qualitative Research Consultant

623 Basinview Drive

Bedford, NS

B4A 3E8 Canada


Anne Godden-Webster, Dalhousie University

Anne Godden-Webster, Msc (Applied), Interprofessional Experience Coordinator, Faculty of Health Professions, Dalhousie University, Burbidge Building, 3rd floor, 5968 College Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada

 

Heidi Lauckner, Dalhousie University

Heidi Lauckner, OT Reg (NS), PhD is an Assistant Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, 5869 University Avenue, Forrest Building Room 215, PO BOX 15000, Halifax, NS    B3H 4R2   Canada          

Peggy Alexiadis Brown, Dalhousie University

Peggy Alexiadis Brown, MA is Program Evaluation Specialist, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, 5849 University Avenue

Halifax, Nova Scotia

B3H 4H7, Canada

Cynthia Andrews, Dalhousie University

Cynthia Andrews is Assistant Professor, Coordinator, Interprofessional Education, Department of Dental Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, 5981 University Avenue, Room 5160, PO Box 15000

Halifax, NS Canada

B3H 4R2

 


Tanya L. Packer

Tanya L. Packer, PhD, MSc, BSc(OT), OT Reg(NS) is Professor and Director, School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Forrest Building Room 215, PO BOX 15000, Halifax, NS     B3H 4R2 Canada

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Published

2014-11-18

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2014)

Section

Articles: Empirical Research

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