Dr Pradeep Sahu, Mr Jereel Quashie, Mr Patteesh Ragbir, Ms Charnele Quamina, Mr Aaron Rajkumar, Ms Josielle Primus, Ms Brittany Primchan, Ms Shiniska Ragbir, Ms Marie Ragobar,
Volume 17, Issue 54 (7-2024)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Interprofessional education is a significant pedagogical approach for preparing health professions students to efficiently deliver a high standard of healthcare service through teamwork and collaboration. The present study aimed to investigate the perspectives of health profession students on interprofessional education in Trinidad and Tobago.
Material & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the academic session 2021–2022 at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. The online surveys were utilized from January to March 2022. A sample of 302 undergraduate students from the schools of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine was considered for the study. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered to the participants. RIPLS is made up of 19 items grouped into four subscales: teamwork and collaboration, positive professional identity, negative professional identity, and roles and responsibilities. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Software (SPSS). An independent sample t-test and a one-way ANOVA were used to determine the differences between the mean interprofessional education scores according to the demographic variables.
Results: Participants were predominantly from the school of medicine (n = 236, 78.1%), and the majority of them were females (n = 230, 76.20%). The health profession students have a positive attitude towards interprofessional education, with the total RIPLS scores ranging between 75 and 78. There were significant differences recorded among the students of three schools in the sub-scales of teamwork and collaboration (p = 0.022), professional identity (p = 0.013), positive professional identity (p = 0.002), and overall RIPLS score (p = 0.003). However, gender (p = 0.232) and year of study (p = 0.093) did not have a significant impact on students' perceptions.
Conclusion: Students believed that interprofessional education allowed them to understand the significance of teamwork and collaboration, showed respect for each other’s professions, and promoted effective communication and better learning. Additional research is required to conduct longitudinal research in healthcare professions, which will advance interprofessional education in both preclinical and clinical learning.
Dr Pushpanjali Krishnappa, Dr. Medha Joshi, Dr Aileen J Abraham, Mr. Avinash Prabhu, Dr. Anam Tasneem,
Volume 17, Issue 56 (9-2024)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion and affects diverse professionals, with healthcare students at high risk due to academic and clinical stressors. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (CBI-SS) has not been studied in healthcare students in the Indian context. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the English version of the CBI-SS.
Material & Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2022, included 416 undergraduate and 107 postgraduate students from health profession institutions at a private university. The response rate was 65.45%. Descriptive and inferential statistics were evaluated for the CBI-SS with 25 items via JMP software. The tool was subjected to content and face validity. The interitem correlation was tested before the scale was subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The EFA indices considered were Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test (KMO) and the Bartlett test of specificity. The CFA fit indices included the degree of freedom, Tucker Lewis index (TLI), freedom ratio (χ²/df), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error Of Approximation (RMSEA), and Normed Fit Index (NFI).
Results: The content validity index averaged 0.9, and face validity was favorable. The Cronbach's alpha scores were between 0.7 and 0.8. The EFA yielded KMO values above 0.9, and Bartlett's test yielded chi-square = 8880.727, df = 300, p < 0.0001. The fit indices for CFA were the Tucker and Lewis indices, with a score of 0.919 and an RMSEA score of 0.068, demonstrating a relationship between the items and the constructs.
Conclusion: This study highlights the usefulness of the CBI-SS in assessing burnout in allied health science and dental student populations. The results indicate that the CBI-SS is a reliable and valid instrument for identifying student burnout and developing strategies to prevent burnout among potentially vulnerable student populations in the Indian context.
