Abstract:

Integration of work-placements into undergraduate degrees is now established on awards linked to professional registration in healthcare. Pre-registration training forms the basis for development of capability and entry onto a professional register. This study explores how key stakeholders on a programme leading to registration as a Biomedical Scientist (BMS) position themselves in their role and the subsequent impact of this upon the development of the capable BMS. It draws upon current knowledge of work-based pedagogy and utilises a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach to explore the perceptions and experiences of individuals and groups to develop an interpretative portrayal and deeper understanding of the implementation of pre-registration training in one region of England.

The methodological approach was divided into two stages. The first employed thematic analysis of professional documents to provide an insight into current discourses around BMS training to direct the development of a questionnaire. A summary of responses from the questionnaire provided an ‘ice-breaker’ to guide stage two of data gathering. This stage employed focus groups and interviews to enable a greater understanding of how individuals make sense of their experiences. Initial and focused coding allowed synthesis and conceptualisation of data gathered and presented direction for the study.

The findings expose the challenges of integrating professional registration training into a programme of study. Barriers of time and of professional and regulatory body requirements were initially identified. However, CGT enabled recognition of unacknowledged barriers; individuals’ identification as a ‘stakeholder’ and the influence of the scientific paradigm upon positioning. Understanding how individuals address these barriers facilitated construction of the themes of ‘doing the portfolio’ and ‘gaining BMS currency’. The registration portfolio has become an objective reductionist measure of learning, reflecting the positivist typology of practice in this profession. Socio-cultural influences upon practitioners are not acknowledged, hindering the development of professional capability (currency).

Recommendations highlight that to ensure students are supported to develop not only technical skills but also professional capability for employment there is a need for a paradigm shift from a positivist episteme to one which recognises the responsibility of stakeholders, the role of reflective practice and the influence of the socio-cultural environment upon learning across the programme

Keywords:

Capability, Employability, Workplace learning, Constructivist Grounded Theory, Practitioner Training.