An interprofessional socialization framework for developing an interprofessional identity among health professions students

J Interprof Care. 2013 Nov;27(6):448-53. doi: 10.3109/13561820.2013.804042. Epub 2013 Jun 18.

Abstract

Although health professional educational programs have been successful in equipping graduates with skills, knowledge and professionalism, the emphasis on specialization and profession-specific education has enhanced the development of a uniprofessional identity, which has been found to be a major barrier to interprofessional collaborative person-centred practice (IPCPCP). Changes within healthcare professional education programs are necessary to enable a shift in direction toward interprofessional socialization (IPS) to promote IPCPCP. Currently, there is a paucity of conceptual frameworks to guide IPS. In this article, we present a framework designed to help illuminate an IPS process, which may inform efforts by educators and curriculum developers to facilitate the development of health professions students' dual identity, that is, an interprofessional identity in addition to their existing professional identity, as a first step toward IPCPCP. This framework integrates concepts derived from social identity theory and intergroup contact theory into a dual identity model of IPS.

MeSH terms

  • Concept Formation
  • Humans
  • Interprofessional Relations*
  • Patient-Centered Care
  • Social Identification*
  • Socialization*
  • Students, Health Occupations / psychology*