gms | German Medical Science

Background: The increasing impact of interprofessional (IP) collaboration on patient-centred care highlights the need to equip health professional students with the necessary skills for interprofessional practice. While many health education programmes include interprofessional components in their curricula, the practical dynamics in the workplace remain unclear. Addressing this knowledge gap requires an investigation of the local manifestations of interprofessional encounters and experiences in professional settings. This study seeks to explore the interprofessional experiences of medical students encountered during their final clerkship year.

Summary of work: In this qualitative study, we analysed the written diaries of final clerkship medical students at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. Coding was based on the framework of IP learning outcomes including the 4 competency domains as a priori themes. The four main themes were “professional roles and responsibilities in interprofessional teams”, “working together in interprofessional teams”, “communication in interprofessional teams” and “managing conflict in interprofessional teams”. An analysis was conducted of diaries written by eleven final year clerkship students during the 2016 academic year.

Summary of results: Examination of the first theme revealed a role ambiguity between physicians and nurses, which was a notable challenge for participants as they integrated into new teams during each rotation. The second theme demonstrated a consensus on the effectiveness of interprofessional teamwork. In the third theme emerged ambiguity in communication. Specifically, nurses were addressed informally, whereas senior physicians were expected to receive formal communication. The fourth theme highlighted instances of interprofessional conflict where nurses were assertive towards junior physicians and students, placing participants in a dilemma as to whether to address such situations or remain silent.

Discussion and conclusion: This qualitative exploration of final clerkship diaries highlights the complexities of interprofessional collaboration. The challenges identified highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve communication and role clarity within healthcare teams, particularly during transitional periods such as clerkships. Preparing students for these dynamics is important for promoting effective interprofessional practice and optimising patient-centred care in future healthcare professionals.

Take-home message: Preparation for interprofessional practice is important given the growing impact of collaboration in health care. This study highlights the challenges of role ambiguity and communication within interprofessional teams during final year clerkships.