Blue sky thinking – turning the world of Inter-professional assessment upside down: Capitalising on the positives

In allied health (AH) education there is increasing focus on inter-professional (IP) clinical placements to allow students to develop collaborative skills. There is little literature on student assessment in these settings. It is suggested that as placements become scarce, inter-professional assessment (IPA), where professionals have input into the assessment of students from other professions, will become a major source of feedback for students. In implementing any placement supervision model, a key factor to success is the capacity and willingness of supervisors to provide quality experiences. A driver of this for supervisors could lie in the benefits of being involved in the assessment of students from other professions.
Aim/objectives: The presentation explores new ways of thinking about IPA and outlines key strategies that support positive experiences for supervisors and their students.
Discussion: Drawing on 6 years experience trialling and refining an IPA model, qualitative research outcomes from supervisors involved in the model and further research into potential implementation in rural settings, this presentation takes into account “blue sky” ideas from supervisors of what ideal IPA might look like, puts out a challenge to turn barriers into benefits, and makes suggestions for strategies that support supervisors in assessing students from other professions.
Issues/questions for exploration or ideas for discussion: Why our students want to be involved in an inter-professional placement. Why I want to be involved in supervising an inter-professional placement. Why students from another profession want me to assess them. Why I want to assess a student from another profession.