TUTOR EXPERIENCES OF DEVELOPING AN INTERPROFESSIONAL LEARNING (IPL) PROGRAMME IN HIGHER EDUCATION (HE):RECOGNISING A PARALLEL PROCESS IN TUTORS AND STUDENTS. Smith S1, Kate K1; 1Leeds Metropolitan University,Leeds,UK. 2Leeds Metropolitan University,Leeds, UK PURPOSE: This exploratory study aimed to investigate the interprofessional experiences of tutors at Leeds Metropolitan University working together to develop a new IPL programme for pre-registration health and social care students.This new IPL programme is assessed and integrated into the health and social care curricula RELEVANCE: A major drive in the UK and internationally to educate physiotherapists and other health and social care profesisonals together aims to prepare students for the reality of being effective team workers in practice. Previous research has recognised the importance of preparing tutors for interprofessional education (IPE) and described how tutors of IPL can be effective role models for their students. PARTICIPANTS: 12 Faculty of Health tutors, working in the IPL programme, were invited to volunteer for this study. Tutors were from the pre-registration physiotherapy, nursing, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics and social work programmes. METHODS: A qualitative approach utilised individual semi structured taped interviews to explore the tutors’ experiences of working together to plan the new programme. Both researchers carried out the interviews. ANALYSIS: Transcribed interviews underwent a thematic content analysis.Categories and themes were developed using the phrase as the unit of analysis. Member checking of the transcripts was used to check for accuracy RESULTS: Four key themes were identified: Communication issues (bilingualism), professionally tribalistic behaviour, workplace geography and critical reflection. Participants described difficulties understanding other tutors’ profession-specific language and difficulties relinquishing “power” by having to “give up” their profession specific module content to the IPL programme. Participants also addressed difficulties in working interprofessionally when staff were located in different buildings. Tutors discussed how reflecting informally on their own IP practice helped them understand the parallel process they needed to engender in the students. Participants mentioned the lack of reflective frameworks on which to structure their own critical reflection. Tutors recognised the negotiation and bargaining that occurs in thier IPL planning meetings reflected the reality of IP working which students will have to face in future practice. CONCLUSIONS: The new programme encourages tutors to view IPL not as an “add on” but as part of their core work.Tutors recognised that skills they used in IP meetings were the very skills they needed to facilitate in their students. Tutors were encouraged to challenge other tutors who use profession specific jargon and encourage development of a shared plain language.If tutors can understand and internalise the challenges of working interprofessionally they are in an optimal position themselves to support students and be effective role models. Current and future work concentrates on i) Generating a tutor training pack founded on this study’s findings ii) Developing a new model of critical reflection that provides a framework for students and tutors to reflect on their IP experiences. There was recognition that the small sample limits the generalisbility of findings. Issues of bias because the interviewers were not independent were reflected upon. IMPLICATIONS: Pre registration physiotherapists need to be prepared for the realities of practice both at home and abroad. Effective physiotherapy practice is not just uniprofessional practice. Multiprofessional tutors with insight into the challenges of IP working can catalyse this process in all their students
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CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)