Is there an interprofessional identity?

Submitted by Jill Thistlethwaite on Jan 23, 2015 - 11:38pm CST

The literature is full of references to professional socialization and professional identity, usually around the discourse of professionalism. There is an assumption that one develops a (uni)professional identity. Hammick et al have described 'being interprofessional' as consisting of three aspects: knowing what to do (thinking about what action is needed and why); having the skills to do what needs to be done (being competent and practicing correctly); and conducting oneself in the right way during performance (including appropriate attitudes and values) (Hammick M, Freeth D, Copperman J, Goodsman D. Being Interprofessional. Cambridge, Polity Press, 2009). Yet these three can also be applied to simply being professional. Do we become interprofessional or do we slip in and out of interprofessional behaviours depending on context? What does being interprofessional look like?

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Interprofessional identity

Submitted by Jill Thistlethwaite on Mar 16, 2015 - 1:03am CDT

I look forward to reading the article - have just co-written a chapter on this topic and so many ways of looking at identity - a case of becoming rather than being!

A new psychological theory concerning interprofessional identity

Submitted by Jan Jaap Reinders on Jun 12, 2018 - 10:05am CDT

I recently have developed a new psychological theory (Extended Professional Identity Theory) on how to facilitate interprofessional identity formation. The theory has been and is still investigated in several studies. So far, these studies show positive results. Perhaps this would interest you.

Kind regards,

Dr. Jan Jaap Reinders

Reinders, J.J., Krijnen, W.P., Goldschmidt, A.M., van Offenbeek, M.A.G., Stegenga, B., van der Schans, C.P. (2018). Changing dominance in mixed profession groups: putting theory into practice, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27:3, 375-386, DOI: 10.1080/1359432X.2018.1458712

Attachment:

Reinders et al., 2018 (Extended Professional Identity Theory).pdf

Submitted by Madeline H. Schmitt on Mar 8, 2015 - 8:55am CDT

In an earlier comment I referred to a poster on identity issues prepared by David Barnard for the ATBH conference in Pittsburgh. David tells me that this work has been accepted for publication in the J of Allied Health and is forthcoming.

Submitted by Madeline H. Schmitt on Mar 6, 2015 - 1:34pm CST

To hear another comment on this issue link to the IOM Forum on Innovation in Health Professions Education, Consensus Study Open Session 1, Q&A with Mattie Schmitt video, October 7, 2014.Listen to the first comment offered in this session byLeana Orselini. Here is the link, if it works

http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Global/MeasuringtheImpactofInterprofession...

Submitted by Madeline H. Schmitt on Mar 4, 2015 - 10:30am CST

From personal experience I do think there is an interprofessional identity that is developed. As a junior nursing student [MANY years ago!] I had two opportunities to work with an attending physician to share the care of a 19 year old adolecent diabetic patient. After a short, but very positive, experience of being invited into this patient's care by the attending physician, my nursing mentor created a semester opportunity during my senior year to continue to work with this physician and patient. That experience imprinted interprofessional teamwork on me early on. A paper written as a requirement about the longer experience was read and critiqued by both my physician and nursing mentors. Many years later, at the tail end of 23 years of participating in the Interdisciplinary Health Care Team Conference (IHCTC), when we were partnering with another interprofessional organization around annual meetings, the steering committee of the IHCTC was asked to pick three reps to meet with the Executive Committee of the other organization, which had groups of members from many different health care professions. We picked three to represent the IHCTC and when they were proposed to the other group we were told that 2 of the 3 we had picked were nurses and that was not acceptable! We were so into our interprofessional work together we had not considered the professions of the three, rather choosing three who we thought would represent the IHCTC fairly and competently. WE decided the other group did not comprehend what it meant to be interprofessional and we declined further joint efforts. I don't think I have ever forgotten who I am as a nurse; I was socialized into nursing and I think like a nurse, but I also don't let my profession completely define my decisions or who I am,i.e., my BEING. My actions as a nurse need to serve the greater good of better care, that is interprofessional "responsibilities" rather than professional "rights"-if I am forced to make a choice. This is a great tension for all of us as we become more interprofessional. One of the most frequently requested slides from my presentations is one depicting the linking of professional identity and interprofessional identity. However, the best depiction I have ever seen of the distinction between professional and interprofessional identity was in a fabulous poster at ATBH in Pittsburgh by David Barnard, Miles J. Edwards Chair in Professionalism and Comfort Care, Assistant Vice Provost for Interprofessional Education, Oregon Health & Science University, Center for Ethics in Health Care.

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