Developing allied health collaborative practice capability for contemporary healthcare landscapes: serendipitous and deliberate

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Putri

Collaboration underpins success across healthcare and other industries, yet higher education must cultivate student capabilities for collaboration that are often less visible and difficult to measure. Using practice theories as a lens, this study examines “collaborative practice” in contemporary healthcare landscapes, focusing on preparation of allied health students for such practice. Qualitative research informed by philosophical hermeneutics found capabilities are developed through both deliberate teaching and serendipitous work-integrated learning, and recommends making these capabilities more intentional and visible.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Collaboration in healthcare landscapes

Practice theory foundations and professional practice

The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability ISSN: 1838-3815 (online) Journal Homepage: [https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/](https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/) Developing allied health collaborative practice capability for contemporary healthcare landscapes: serendipitous and deliberate Isabel Paton1, Narelle Patton2, and Anne Croker3 Corresponding author: Isabel Paton ([ipaton@csu.edu.au](ipaton@csu.edu.au)) 1 School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Science, Charles Sturt University, Australia 2 Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, Australia 3 Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Australia Abstract Collaboration is key for success across multiple industries, including healthcare settings. In order to prepare students for contemporary and future healthcare landscapes, there is scope for higher education to embrace development of a range of capabilities for collaboration, including those that might be less visible and hard to measure. Using practice theories as a lens, this research explored collaboration in healthcare landscapes as ‘collaborative practice.’ Our research focussed on the preparation of allied health students for collaborative practice. As key contributors to collaborative models of healthcare, allied health professionals comprise a wide range of health professions, come from diverse origins and have a relatively flat hierarchical structure. This qualitative research informed by philosophical hermeneutics explored perceptions of allied health academics and students as people deeply entrenched in higher education and its role in enhancing employability. Our research found that capabilities for allied health collaborative practice are currently being deliberately and serendipitously developed. Deliberate development occurred across teaching strategies of case and problem-based learning and simulation-based scenarios. Serendipitous development largely occurred as part of work integrated learning (WIL) . Use of practice theories highlighted how capabilities for collaborative practice, including the less-visible capabilities, can be more intentionally developed in allied health higher education. Educators and WIL supervisors are invited to reflect on their own practice and the roles they play in intentionally developing these capabilities with and for students. Further, including capabilities for collaborative practice as part of allied health registration and practice thresholds may help bring them into focus. Keywords Allied health; collaborative practice; collaborative practice capability; employability; health graduates; professionalism; reflection Introduction Collaboration underpins successful outcomes across a broad range of industries, including health, law, retail, education, commerce and transport (Ankersmit et al., 2014; Bruns, 2012; Çoban et al., 2020; Itani et al., 2017; Tarricone & Luca, 2002) . In healthcare settings in particular, collaboration is integral to providing efficient, safe, and high-quality patient care (Wei et al., 2020) . In these settings health professionals from different professions and backgrounds work together for a shared purpose (Croker Paton, [I. et](I. et) al. (2025) . Developing allied health collaborative practice capability for contemporary healthcare landscapes: serendipitous and deliberate. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 16(1), 171–191. 171 et al., 2012) . The ability to collaborate, therefore, represents an important employability capability for health students. To meaningfully prepare students for employment in contemporary healthcare landscapes, those working in higher education need to focus and refine their approaches to development of student capability for collaboration. Examination of the nexus of higher education and health landscapes in particular through a theoretical lens of practice theory opens up opportunities for de

FAQs

What is the focus of this research on collaborative practice?

The research focuses on preparing allied health students for collaborative practice in contemporary healthcare landscapes.

How did the study explain the development of collaboration-related capabilities?

It found capabilities are developed both deliberately through teaching strategies (case/problem-based learning and simulation) and serendipitously through work integrated learning.

Why are practice theories used in the study?

They highlight how collaborative practice capabilities, including less visible ones, can be intentionally developed in allied health higher education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Putri