Cassandra Konen-Butler's Doctoral Dissertation

Empowering Tomorrow’s Healthcare Leaders: A Journey in Shared Leadership Through Interprofessional Team Training for Healthcare Professional Students

This mixed methods study examined health professions students’ perceptions of shared leadership before and after an Interprofessional Team Training (IPTT) activity. It also explored differences between medical professional and allied health professional students, their post-training attitudes, and whether demographic factors predicted posttest leadership perceptions after accounting for pretest scores.

During IPTT, students from multiple healthcare disciplines worked in simulated interprofessional teams to discuss a patient case and develop a collaborative plan of care. Quantitative data were collected using the Leadership Attitudes and Beliefs Scale, which measures Hierarchical Thinking and Systems Thinking. Written student reflections provided qualitative insights into perceptions of shared leadership.

Quantitative analyses did not identify statistically significant overall pretest-to-posttest changes in shared leadership attitudes or significant post-training differences between the two professional groups. Qualitative findings emphasized professional roles and responsibilities, communication, teamwork, and the value of shared leadership in many clinical settings. Students often described IPTT as reinforcing existing positive beliefs about collaborative leadership.

The findings suggest that a single interprofessional training experience may reinforce shared leadership attitudes without producing measurable short-term changes. The study highlights the value of sustained interprofessional learning opportunities that promote professional voice, mutual respect, flexible leadership, and collaborative decision-making in healthcare education.