A Path to Equity Through Leadership Development in Health Professions Education: Early and Often?

• In Event: Reimagining Leadership for Equity Across the Career Continuum: Navigating in a Time of Transformation

Abstract

Brief Overview. Summary
It is widely recognized that health professions education (HPE) in all disciplines need to prepare professionals to support individual and population health within the multicultural contexts of the current and evolving healthcare system. In 2020, Thibault identified six emerging trends in HPE that included interprofessional education, social determinants of health and lifelong learning. This presentation describes a synthesis of the literature to propose a rationale for preparing health profession students for equity-centered leadership practice across the continuum of learners. Leadership models in healthcare can prepare professionals for informal and formal leadership roles to meet challenges that encompass equity, diversity, and inclusion and enhance patient-centered practices.

Purpose: Present a synthesis of the literature to propose a rationale for preparing health profession students for equity-centered leadership practice across the continuum of learners.
Perspective(s) or theoretical framework: Development of the rationale for this perspective relied upon in two frameworks. First, Kegan’s Model of Meaning Making (Kegan the evolving self, 1982) a constructive development theory of how learning evolves through the lifespan. Of Keegan’s five developmental stages: impulsive mind; instrumental mind, socialized mind; self-authoring mind; and self-transforming mind the latter two can occur in adulthood. Tong and colleagues (2022) described applications to healthcare students’ professional and interprofessional identity from prelicensure to beginning years of practice. Second, the Equity-Centered Leadership Framework (Corbie et al., 2022). Four domains are presented:
• Personal – intercultural development, self-awareness, social justice/determinants of health
• Interpersonal – communication, conflict management, innovation models, multiculturalism
• Organizational – advancing health equity, organizational culture, change, systems thinking
• Community & systems – advocacy, collaboration & partnership, meaningful engagement

Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry. Annotated bibliography of literature related to leadership development in health professions education across the learning continuum.

Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials. Published literature contrasted with guidance from professional associations and accreditation standards related to leadership and/or equity.

Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view: Health professions education extends from prelicensure to post-doctoral. Preparing students for leadership to lead change to meet current and future challenges can also support equity. A comparable example can be found with interprofessional education (Tong 2022). To develop an identity as an interprofessional practitioner and impact practice, recommendations include supporting development of identity across the continuum through different clinical contexts and developing individual commitments; engaging in experiences that increase confidence. Professional standards will be reviewed to identify the distribution of leadership and equity competencies.

Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work: This review provides a rationale for preparing health profession students for equity-centered leadership practice across the continuum of learners. Several models will be described including applications to prelicensure, graduate/doctoral level and postgraduate/continuing professional development. Integration of an equity-based leadership model in healthcare can prepare professionals for informal and formal leadership roles to meet challenges to transform equity, diversity, and inclusion and enhance patient-centered practices.

Author

• Beverly W. Henry, Northern Illinois University