Impermeable boundaries? Developments in professional and inter-professional practice

Editorial

Sport psychology scholars and practitioners (SPPs) now recognize the importance of cultural competence (CC). However, only a few SPPs have deliberately centered CC in their practice. The purpose of this study was to understand how SPPs conceptualize and develop CC within their professional practice. Our study is grounded in a critical realist ontology and framed within the consensual qualitative research method (CQR). Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed 25 globally situated SPPs (13 males, 12 females) with three to 40 years of professional experience (17.83, SD = 10.88) residing on four different continents. We constructed seven categories to provide a snapshot of how SPPs conceptualize, develop, and emphasize CC as an ethical and moral obligation to engage in effective professional practice. The participating SPPs described how CC is contextual and encompasses one’s cultural knowledge, awareness, and skills developed from professional and personal cultural interactions and investment in cultural professional development. The SPPs shared how CC plays a relevant role in their sport psychology practice. We also highlighted how culture and CC are frequently conceptualized and experienced from a one-dimensional perspective, overlooking the importance of how cultural identities and modes of being interact within and between SPPs and clients or participants. The implications for individuals and professional bodies are discussed for professional development, training, and effective practice. Lay summary: Cultural competence is an ethical and moral obligation for SPPs to engage in effective professional practice. In this study, a multinational group of SPPs shared how they conceptualize, develop, and implement cultural competence within their professional practice. Applied Implications The development of and deliberate consideration of CC into applied and scholarly practice is an ethical and moral responsibility It is important for SPPs to invest in developing their CC, becoming comfortable with making mistakes, and engaging in difficult conversations. It is important for SPPs to ground their CC development in their own reflections as well as personal and professional cultural encounters.

The development of professional practice is based on practice learning, yet there is no consensus about its definition. The currently evolving use of the term ‘practice learning’ provides us with an opportunity to consider the nature of learning for professional practice at initial entry through to post qualifying stages of development. A number of streams of thought are influencing the understanding of practice learning and we aim to consider some of these and how they inform those involved in supporting and guiding practice learners at different stages of their professional development. In presenting our conceptualisation of practice learning we argue against oversimplified dualities of classroom‐based academic learning concerned with theory and workplace‐based practice learning concerned with practice. Additionally we make explicit the career‐long nature of practice learning which is as embedded in continuing professional development as it is in the requirements for qualifying programmes. Having established what we mean by ‘practice learning’ we consider the impact of organisational learning theory on the management of practice learning. The consideration of the characteristics of organisations which learn leads to a brief examination of approaches to teaching and learning which promote knowledge creation in a way which is meaningful to practitioners. We will argue that the development of understandings of organisational learning and knowledge creation should become part of the knowledge base for those supporting and guiding practice learners, in addition to the traditional knowledge base of adult learning theory. Before exploring the nature of practice learning it would be helpful to consider briefly what we mean by professional practice for which practice learning is preparing people. Professional practice in social work is a complex set of activities which involve direct work with service users, and their families, as well as work with other professionals and agencies. A range of knowledge and skills are used with a firm value base which recognises diversity and oppression as key elements in UK society. Such professional practice is learned and developed in a range of ways over time through training, practice, understanding, analysis and reflection. However, the nature of just what practice learning is and where it occurs has become a focus of debate in the UK as a result of recent developments in initial professional education and training for social work.

BackgroundGender disparity has long been noted in nursing, a predominantly female-dominated profession. However, recently the increase in the number of male nurses disproves the existing belief that nursing is exclusively a female profession. Even though the studies have reported changing gender trends in nursing, the information is not sufficient and the effects of the changing trend on professional practice and professional development have not been explored. Therefore this study aims to assess the influence of gender in nursing on professional practice and development in Tanzania.MethodsThis was an analytical Hospital-Based Cross-sectional Study Design, conducted at four hospitals in Dar es Salaam, with 580 nurses between 20th May and 20th June 2024. Proportionate sampling was used to determine the required number of participants from each of the four facilities. Moreover, systematic random sampling was used to recruit participants from each facility. The validated questionnaire was used to obtain data, which were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsAmong seventy items that measured professional practices, sixty three items indicated good professional practices among female nurses compared with their male counterparts male. On the association of gender in nursing to professional practice and development, the findings revealed no significant association between gender in nursing and professional practice (χ2 = 1.384; P = 0.239). Moreover, the item analysis revealed that male nurses have professional development in three items similar to female nurse who had shown professional development on other three items. Through binary logistic regression, male nurses were 0.528 (OR) times less likely to have good professional development than their female counterpart (P < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.379, 0.737). Several social demographic factors were found to be associated with professional practice and development.ConclusionIt was found that professional practice does not depend on gender in nursing, because the practice was optimal across both genders. Nurse’s self-image of nursing, facility factors, and professional development influence their professional practice. Moreover, gender in nursing is associated with professional development, indicating the existence of gender stereotypes in the distribution of opportunities between male and female nurses. The study recommends extending this cross-sectional study to nonclinical settings such as training institutions.

Acknowledging retrospective experiential learning as a unique contribution to knowledge in the context of the workplace is the fundamental focus of the work-based professional doctorate. This report details an evaluation of a 'Second Generation' professional doctorate programme. The programme provides a mechanism for both learning development and the acknowledgement and development of pre-existing, discipline-specific, professional practice. Evaluation was used as a means of highlighting how the theory-praxis gap might be bridged via translational knowledge construction. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eleven doctoral candidates to explore their experiences and perceptions of the programme. The interviews were then transcribed and thematically analysed during which a 'base superstructure model' was identified. This model identified the underpinning skills of critical reflection, investigation and adaptive capacity necessary to inform and facilitate the research phase of the professional doctorate programme. The facilitation and upskilling of doctoral candidates in the use of emergent technology was identified as the basis for the development of professional and academic practice. The role of the doctoral supervisor, as a facilitator of the development of these skills, was also established as pivotal to learning development for doctoral candidates; in terms of developing their 'base super-structure' to become independent, reflective and adaptive learners.

Interprofessional Collaboration in the Perianesthesia Setting

Transformative Learning in Healthcare and Helping Professions Education: Building Resilient Professional Identities is a co-edited book (Carter, Boden, and Peno) with invited chapters from educators who share our passion for learning in healthcare and the helping professions. The purpose of the book is to introduce professional learners (students, residents, and others in professional training) to transformative learning for building resilient professional identities amid practice environments that include widespread burnout and compassion fatigue. With a diverse set of authors engaged in clinical and educational practice in academic medicine, nursing, dentistry, physical therapy, mental health counseling, science education, psychology, social work, and inter-professional collaborative practice, we offer strategies for building resilience throughout the years of professional training and into professional practice. We do so through the experiences of authors involved in healthcare and the helping professions to illustrate how some are coping with the challenges of burnout and compassion fatigue through learning that can be transformative.This book explores the nature of professional identity formation by examining ways that professionals in training can thrive amid the challenges of today’s stressful practice environments. First-hand stories of resilience illustrate how learners, as well as educators in these professions, are addressing adversity, career decision-making, service to the underserved, and the self-care needed to provide excellent care for others. The prominence of transformative learning within adult learning theory is illustrated for its potential to revise the meaning that learners make of their experiences and open up new possibilities for renewed vitality in professional education and practice environments.The book has two primary audiences: professional learners in healthcare and helping professions education, and their educators who are often professional practitioners themselves. These educators have a significant role in influencing the next generation of professionals by serving as mentors, role models, and teachers. The importance of fostering learning that is transformative has never been more important than it is today for those who will work in these demanding professions. We invite readers to discover experiences and strategies for achieving individual wellbeing, as well as opportunities for building a culture within professional education and practice settings that will foster resilience.

In Australia, a national approach to accreditation of programs and regulation of health professions was adopted a decade ago. Accreditation standards and regulatory frameworks can drive change and provide support for interprofessional education and collaborative practice. There is a commonly held belief among Australian academics involved in health professional education, that accreditation and practice standards provide system-level support for interprofessional education and interprofessional collaborative practice. Using a purpose-designed analysis framework and scoring scheme, we analyzed standards of accreditation and practice for 29 regulated, self-regulated and member health professions in Australia to determine the extent and accountability of statements related to interprofessional education and interprofessional collaborative practice. Currently, in Australia, there is a fragmented and inconsistent approach to interprofessional education and interprofessional collaboration evident in accreditation and practice standards and, in general, there are more explicit requirements in standards of the regulated health professions. However, overall the concepts of interprofessional education and interprofessional practice are ill-defined and statements lack accountability and/or outcome measures. Our analysis provides a foundation for reform of Australian standards and an approach for analysis of accreditation and practice standards which may be useful in other jurisdictions.

Sharing practice: problems and possibilities

This paper examines the authors' experiences of developing and delivering training for workers in social care services in Romania, through a European Union PHARE1 funded project. The authors use their experiences to draw on the past and current practices of those social workers who were participants in the training and to explore their understanding of the emerging issues and themes for social work in Romania. There is also an exploration of the potential opportunities for the further development of professional social work learning and practice within Romania. The case is made that learning and development of social workers could be supported through the encouragement of participatory networks and `communities of practice'

Securing the oral tradition: Reflective positioning and professional conversations in midwifery education

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Interprofessional education and practice have been gaining recognition during the past decade. However, little has been written on person-centered care (PCC) within interprofessional practice and how it could be taught to interprofessional learners.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method:&lt;/strong&gt; A key element of PCC is therapeutic communication. Consequently, a group of interprofessional faculty innovated a graduate-level elective course on advanced therapeutic communication where interprofessional learners together explore PCC within interprofessional care. The course curriculum is underpinned by mindfulness in education, nonviolent communication, and reflective writing. Various teaching- learning strategies, including creative self-expression, are also used.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; The created competencies and conceptual framework may be used by other educators in creating a similar interprofessional course. Interprofessional learners gained a deeper and broader understanding of PCC in interprofessional care.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; On the basis of this undertaking, the faculty gained a deeper appreciation for interprofessional collaboration in the development of innovative educational methodologies that advance interprofessional teamwork in education and professional practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(10):592-597.].&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;BACKGROUND: Interprofessional education and practice have been gaining recognition during the past decade. However, little has been written on person-centered care (PCC) within interprofessional practice and how it could be taught to interprofessional learners.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;METHOD: A key element of PCC is therapeutic communication. Consequently, a group of interprofessional faculty innovated a graduate-level elective course on advanced therapeutic communication where interprofessional learners together explore PCC within interprofessional care. The course curriculum is underpinned by mindfulness in education, nonviolent communication, and reflective writing. Various teaching– learning strategies, including creative self-expression, are also used.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;RESULTS: The created competencies and conceptual framework may be used by other educators in creating a similar interprofessional course. Interprofessional learners gained a deeper and broader understanding of PCC in interprofessional care.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;CONCLUSION: On the basis of this undertaking, the faculty gained a deeper appreciation for interprofessional collaboration in the development of innovative educational methodologies that advance interprofessional teamwork in education and professional practice. &lt;/p&gt;

This study investigated the professional development practices of teachers and their implications for literacy leadership and instructional management competence. It focused on training, peer collaboration, educational research, and mentorship, and examined their relationships with literacy leadership and instructional management competence. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, involving 261 public elementary teachers from Vinzons District. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Results showed that training (M=3.56) and peer collaboration (M=3.49) were always practiced, mentorship programs (M=3.05) were frequently practiced, while educational research (M=2.12) was rarely practiced. Professional development practices had strong positive implications for literacy leadership (M=3.58–3.64) and instructional management competence (M=3.52–3.63). Significant correlations were found between professional development practices and both literacy leadership (r=.184–.504, p&lt;.01) and instructional management competence (r=.192–.478, p&lt;.01), with training and mentorship showing the strongest associations. The study concludes that while teachers are consistent in training and collaboration, engagement in research remains limited. Professional development contributes significantly to both literacy leadership and instructional management competence, but areas such as inclusivity, curriculum planning, and external linkages need further support. To address these gaps, the study recommends structured Continuous Professional Development (CPD), stronger mentoring, institutionalized peer learning communities, and the SPARK (Sustaining Professional Advancement and Research Knowledge of Literacy Leaders) Program to enhance teachers’ research capability.

This study examined professional development in practice. Interview data from 20 medical attending physicians suggested their professional practice progressed through four stages: (a) becoming familiar with the basic skills and operations of a profession, (b) building professional competence, (c) shifting practice from self-centered to client-centered, and (d) developing a continuous concern for the profession. Professional development is a life-long learning process. Attending physicians must continue learning after residency to acquire not only expert-level clinical competencies but also a set of personal qualities and attitudes that constitute the core of professionalism. Senior attending physicians stressed the importance of providing and receiving mentoring in professional development. A general model of professional development in practice was proposed.