Students in interprofessional clinical placements: How supervision facilitates patient-centeredness in collaborative learning

Abstract

The patient’s role in interprofessional education is fundamental; however, it has received insufficient attention. This study explores how supervision facilitates and supports undergraduate students’ learning of patient-centeredness in interprofessional clinical placements. Data were generated in three clinical contexts based on a focused ethnography approach. We found that supervisors are engaged in student teams’ interprofessional learning, but often in their preparations or debriefings and seldom during patient encounters. The patient perspective is also less frequently scrutinized in planned interprofessional supervision sessions. Nevertheless, clinical settings provide numerous opportunities that may be exploited further.