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Full Text, Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), School of Nursing & Midwifery, Griffith Health, Feedback is frequently heralded as having a powerful influence on learning. However, feedback is not always the panacea it is presented as, with dissatisfaction of feedback widely reported. As a formative process, feedback expands a learner’s knowledge, skill, and comprehension of a general or specific content area—reinforcing good practice, eliciting change, and motivating learners to improve. In the context of this thesis, feedback is described as a dynamic, dialogic process through which the learner uses evidence to construct knowledge about their practice and/or self and therefore, a driver for change. Both the learner and learning partner are active participants in the process and recognise the importance of the sociocultural contexts and interactions in which feedback is constructed and learning the principal goal. Encouraging dialogue, shared understanding, and co-construction of feedback between learners and learning partners enhances feedback literacy. Sustainable feedback processes that involve both learners and learning partners can ultimately maximise learning outcomes and optimise selfregulation. Normalisation process theory (NPT) is a middle-range sociological theory of action which aids in explaining how the work of a new practice is normalised (i.e., embedded and sustained) in everyday life. It is centred around four principal constructs: coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring. NPT was used prospectively in this study. Confluence between NPT and tenets of socio-constructivist learning approaches provided strong theoretical underpinnings for this study. The aim of this work was to determine: What impact does a work-based educational programme drawing on the principles of effective feedback have on:i. student performance during clinical placements as measured by a validated assessment tool used nationally—the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool (ANSAT); ii. student, buddy nurse, and clinical facilitator

Full Text, Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), School of Dentistry&Oral Hlth, Griffith Health, Students in diverse health programs taught separately from each other with a focus on profession ‘specific’ content rather than comprehensive collaborative patient care promotes a limited understanding of and respect for the collaborative role of different health professionals when undertaking treatment planning and patient-centred care. This may result in oral health graduates educated within a uniprofessional context becoming ill-prepared to manage patients with complex conditions that require collaboration with different oral health professionals (OHPs) through a team-based patient-centred approach. As the potential value of interprofessional education (IPE) is strongly advocated in the literature, the Griffith University School of Dentistry and Oral Health (DOH) introduced the interprofessional teams-based treatment planning (TBTP) process in 2009 to address these educational challenges and facilitate IPE. The TBTP process incorporated student practice teams and an expansion of peer learning through collaboration between students enrolled in three different oral health programs, namely dentistry, dental technology and oral health therapy. It was perceived that shared learning, understanding of complementary knowledge, collaborative participation in managing patient care, and having knowledge/respect for each professions’ role were all necessary to improve communication and teamwork skills in a pre-qualification context in readiness for collaborative oral health practice. However, a systematic evaluation of the TBTP process, its contribution to student clinical learning and experiences, and whether those experiences contributed to advancing interprofessional competencies and capabilities at DOH has not been conducted since its commencement. This thesis documents an evaluation that researched the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of students, clinical teaching staff, patients and newly graduated OHPs involved with the TBTP process at DOH between 2012 and 2015

In the context of the current fast-changing healthcare environment, innovative and contemporary education is paramount. Advanced and specialist clinical practice degrees at Masters level across many health disciplines are growing in number. These degrees are strongly clinically focussed and learning is generally concentrated in the clinical domain or workplace. Bridging the gap between Masters level education, workplace learning and practice is essential given accreditation of largely workplace-based courses and emphasis on attainment of standards through the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency(TEQSA). Much learning and teaching occurs off-campus but the workplace learning is recognised in the degree testamur. The fastest growing innovative workforce model is the nurse practitioner. Educational preparation for the role at Masters level has had preliminary success in bridging workplace learning and academic requirements. However, many gaps remain in the governance of learning and teaching in the clinical setting where most specialty education takes place. This project explored these gaps.