The influence of joint training in learning disability nursing and social work on the professional identity, skills and working practices of graduates

摘要

The focus of this thesis is on the experiences and perceptions of practitioners who have undertaken a joint qualification in learning disability nursing and social work. Over the last 18 years, a small number of universities in England have gained approval to integrate two separate professional trainings into one programme of learning. Successful graduates have been awarded qualifications for both professions. The thesis aims to contribute to understanding of the influence of this training on practitioners who have undertaken it, by exploring practitioners' perspectives on their professional identity, their use of the skills of nursing and social work and their working practices. The study was carried out at a time of broad consensus among policy makers and professionals that inter-professional education can improve collaboration in care. It is informed by research and theoretical perspectives regarding inter-professional education and its impact on professionalism and on practice. Conceptual frameworks are drawn from the work of Bemstein (2000) and others to position the concept of joint training in the literature and research relating to professionalism, professional socialisation and identity. The research employed a flexible, qualitative design. The data sources comprised a postal survey of jointly qualified practitioners who had graduated from five universities and colleges in England, followed by semi-structured interviews with twenty-five graduates from those who had responded. The study found that the practice of graduates was determined by traditional service boundaries and roles. Whilst graduates' training had challenged singular professionalism in the field of learning disability, the duality and breadth of their skills were not recognised in practice. The study suggests that their professional identity is complex and socially constructed but is influenced by both disciplines. Its major contribution is to develop knowledge about dual professionalism and the implications for practitioners who occupy a new conceptual space between two professions and two discourses.