7 113 Discussion domain, for example ‘handling interprofessional conflict management’ or ‘facilitating team coordination’, require a somewhat longer relationship and perhaps also a larger team. In an intervention where the students are paired as the same pairs each time, and perhaps in a larger group, with more different professionals, these goals could be more easily established. Social Capital Theory and Self-Determination Theory in understanding IPE Both Social Capital Theory and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in this thesis provide insights into better understanding IPE and IPC. In Chapter 4 the relationship between Social Capital Theory and IPE is investigated. This theory focuses on the value of social relationships and networks for individuals and groups. In the context of IPE, social capital contributes to building trust, sharing knowledge, and fostering collaboration among students from different disciplines. In Chapter 4, four levels of experienced effect of the IPE intervention are described, ranging from the exchange in discipline specific knowledge to a perceived improvement in patient care. All these levels reflect an increase of social capital among students. Bridging as well as linking social capital was observed. Bridging social capital can be increased by IPE by providing students with opportunities to learn from each other’s expertise and perspectives. An increase in linking social capital was an unexpected finding. The students reported that they feel a difference in status between nurses and doctors. IPE can reduce hierarchical barriers between professions and foster collaboration. Even though the relationships were not ongoing or longitudinal, students still experienced growth in social capital. This can occur because of the ‘capital’-nature of social capital: students can reinvest it in new interprofessional groups. Higher levels of social capital, stimulated by IPE, can lead to better communication, greater understanding of each other’s roles, and will help students to collaborate in clinical practice. In line with SDT, we found a significant relationship between interprofessional collaborative skills and autonomous motivation for interprofessional collaboration. Students with higher autonomous motivation for IPE are also likely to demonstrate better IPC skills in the long term. This finding implies that stimulating the autonomous motivation of students to collaborate interprofessionally, will result in better interprofessional collaborative skills. SDT emphasizes the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness or belongingness as basic psychological needs that influence student motivation. Fulfilling these needs promotes students’ autonomous motivation to engage in IPE and IPC. In (interprofessional) education, autonomy could be fulfilled, for example, by letting students decide what kind of interprofessional activity they would like to participate in, to practice their skills. While practicing
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