They Treated us Like Employees Not Trainees: Patient Educator Interns’ Experiences of Epistemological Shock

Authors

Fatmah Almoayad, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFollow
Alison Ledger, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKFollow

Abstract

Aim: To explore Patient Educator Interns’ (PEIs’) experiences of learning when entering the working environment. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 PEIs. Following a narrative type of analysis, case summaries were prepared, compared and interpreted.

Results: At the beginning of their internship, PEIs held specific desires and expectations concerning the type of training and work they would experience. These included the expectation of explicit educational activities and specific types of work activities. PEIs’ expectations were frequently not met in reality.

Discussion: The findings of the study suggest that new graduates face epistemological shock, which is the challenge of understanding the change from receiving formal instruction at university to learning through participation and engagement in the workplace. Conclusions: Universities could do more to explain to students the differences in learning between university and the workplace, so students better understand the value of participation for learning.

Recommended Citation

Almoayad, Fatmah and Ledger, Alison (2018) "They Treated us Like Employees Not Trainees: Patient Educator Interns’ Experiences of Epistemological Shock," Health Professions Education: Vol. 4: Iss. 3, Article 7.
DOI: 10.1016/j.hpe.2018.03.007
Available at: https://hpe.researchcommons.org/journal/vol4/iss3/7