Professional stereotyping and interprofessional education

Abstract

Effective interprofessional working is considered to be essential for optimum healthcare delivery. Interprofessional rivalry, tribalism and stereotypes are known to exist within healthcare professions and detract from effective health delivery. Limited literature is available that reports undergraduate healthcare students' stereotypical perceptions of each other. Stereotypes in relation to interprofessional education are commonly explained through the Contact Hypothesis Theory, the Realistic Conflict Theory, or the Social Identity Theory. The aim of this study was to investigate undergraduate physiotherapy and podiatry students' stereotypes of each other's professions before and after a semester of interprofessional education. Stereotypes were measured using the Health Team Stereotype Scale. Results indicated that both professional groups had stereotypical perceptions of each other prior to any education, which were reinforced as a result of the education. The results support the Social Identity Theory, which explains intergroup discrimination and describes an interpersonalintergroup continuum. The timing of the interprofessional education may be critical to reducing such an effect

Nurses' views of interprofessional education and collaboration: A comparative study of recent graduates from three universities

“…Also, empirical work has indicated that IPE can fail to alter poor stereotypical perceptions of each other (Mandy, Milton and Mandy, 2004). While in another study, there were no significant differences between medical students who had an IPE curriculum and those who had not with regard to their attitudes to collaboration with nurses (Hansson, Foldevi, and Mattsson, 2010).…”

Interprofessional Education for Practice: Some Implications for Australian Social Work

“…These range from students holding more positive views about working interprofessionally at the beginning of such programs than when they finished (Mandy et al, 2004;Pollard et al, 2006), to those where students articulated more positive responses at its conclusion (Pollard & Miers, 2008;Smith & Anderson, 2007). Differences between expectations and the realities of experience were evident in most studies.…”

“…Conversely, the key argument for its location in pre-qualifying courses is that students have not been exposed to the socialisation process of their profession or the agency in which they work. Therefore, they do not come to the interprofessional education with stereotypical views of other professions (Herzberg, 1999;Mandy, Milton, & Mandy, 2004).…”

Learning theories and interprofessional education: a user’s guide

“…If a broader definition of competencies is taken that includes student attitudes and knowledge, then several other instances in which competences have been incorporated into evaluations were found. For example, changes in students' attitudes or stereotypes were measured as an IPE learning outcome in several IPE evaluations (Hind et al 2003;Mandy, Milton & Mandy 2004;Hean et al 2006).…”