The Student Experience of Team During an "Interdisciplinary" Clinical Practicum

Abstract

Changes to healthcare delivery models such as the promotion of an interdisciplinary team approach to patient care and increased hiring of unlicensed care providers have resulted in the need for knowledge about effective interdisciplinary teams. The purpose of this study was to describe student experiences in the development of team during an “interdisciplinary” clinical practicum. Participants were in first and third year of the Dalhousie baccalaureate nursing program, first year of the Nova Scotia Community College practical nursing diploma and at the end of the Nova Scotia Community College Continuing Care Assistant certificate program. Using a qualitative descriptive methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with the eight participants to understand their experience of what made the team during an “Interdisciplinary” Collaborative Clinical Education Project (ICCEP) practicum. Thematic analysis revealed three themes; clinical instructor mentoring, peer attitudes of respect and acceptance, and mutual sharing of knowledge and skill.