Research assistant, Educational Research & Scholarship Unit, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Associate professor, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Can J Dent Hyg. 2022 Feb 1;56(1):9-21. eCollection 2022 Feb.
Interprofessional education (IPE) promotes team-based approaches to professional practice and lifelong collaboration. However, there is little consensus on its "best practice" in dentistry and dental hygiene curricula. This study aimed to explore dental hygiene students' perceptions and experiences of collaboration with dentistry students in an IPE program that authentically represents private practice settings and work processes. The intent was to identify what students thought would best help prepare them to work collaboratively in an oral health team once they graduated after participating in this experience.
Data were collected from 40 dental hygiene student written reflections and 6 dental hygiene students through a focus group session that was audiorecorded and transcribed. Data were examined using thematic analysis.
Five interrelated themes emerged: 1) understanding of roles and responsibilities; 2) hierarchical perceptions and level of experience; 3) team dynamics; 4) instructor and staff involvement and support; and 5) timing and structure of IPE activities. The findings suggest that dental hygiene students need consistent and sustained access to realistic environments in which to practise team roles and work directly with dentistry students. Opportunities to build relationships with dentistry students before working together in professional roles appear to alleviate hierarchical concerns that impede teamwork.
IPE should occur throughout students' education as hierarchical perceptions appear to influence collaboration. Informal and/or non-clinical IPE opportunities should be introduced early in students' education to develop a foundation for team dynamics in later formal and/or clinical IPE activities. Students should collaborate in ways that will be reflected in professional expectations after graduation; the environment in which they learn their team role should provide the opportunity to authentically practise it.
跨专业教育（IPE）促进了基于团队的专业实践和终身合作。然而，对于牙科和口腔卫生课程中 IPE 的“最佳实践”，尚未达成共识。本研究旨在探索口腔卫生专业学生在以真实的私人执业环境和工作流程为特色的 IPE 项目中与牙科学生合作的看法和经验。目的是确定学生在参与此经历后毕业后在口腔健康团队中进行合作时，他们认为最有助于为其做好准备的因素。
从 40 名口腔卫生专业学生的书面反思和 6 名口腔卫生专业学生的焦点小组会议中收集数据，会议进行了录音和转录。使用主题分析方法检查数据。
出现了五个相互关联的主题：1）对角色和责任的理解；2）等级观念和经验水平；3）团队动态；4）教师和工作人员的参与和支持；5）IPE 活动的时间和结构。研究结果表明，口腔卫生专业学生需要持续不断地获得可以实际练习团队角色并直接与牙科学生合作的现实环境。在共同担任专业角色之前，与牙科学生建立关系的机会似乎可以减轻阻碍团队合作的等级观念问题。
IPE 应贯穿于学生的整个教育过程，因为等级观念似乎会影响合作。在学生教育的早期阶段，应引入非正式和/或非临床 IPE 机会，为后期正式和/或临床 IPE 活动中的团队动态发展奠定基础。学生应按照毕业后的专业期望进行合作；他们学习团队角色的环境应为他们提供实践该角色的机会。
