Healthcare graduates are often characterised as ill-prepared for workplace entry. Historically, research on health professional’s work preparedness has focused on the quality of graduates’ clinical knowledge, skills and problem-solving. This ignores the role of professional identity formation in determining readiness for clinical practice. Yet, professional identity defines graduate self-perception, how others perceive them and informs clinical behaviour. The scholarship of identity formation at the transition from undergraduate to graduate is characterised by individual (cognitive) rather than relational (sociocultural) perspectives. Yet there is growing recognition that identity formation is not just individually mediated, but is also constructed between individuals and social context. The aim of this study was to explore professional identity formation among undergraduates and graduates from one healthcare profession (speech and language therapy-SLT) using a sociocultural theoretical standpoint. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used. Final (4th) year SLT undergraduate students and graduate SLTs with less than 2 years’ clinical experience participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to describe patterns in the data, which were subsequently subjected to interpretation informed by the constructs of Figured Worlds. Data analysis revealed that undergraduate professional identity was characterised by dependency, self-centredness (as opposed to patient-centredness), and a naïve role concept. Graduate identity on the other hand included expectations of self-sufficiency, patient-centredness and a more nuanced perception of the professional role. Undergraduates have naïve, prototypical understandings of what it is to be a graduate practitioner. The nature of undergraduate clinical placement hinders meaningful identity development. This suggests that curriculums should facilitate undergraduates to act with meaningful autonomy and to be positioned in more patient-centred roles, e.g. involvement in the decision-making process for patients. Graduates may then feel more authentic as autonomous professionals in their early graduate posts. This leads to better graduate, patient and service outcomes.

中文翻译：

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如果我们在现实世界中这样做，为什么我们不应该在放置时这样做呢？言语和语言治疗中本科生和研究生身份的差异

医疗保健毕业生通常被描述为对进入工作场所准备不足。从历史上看，对卫生专业人员工作准备的研究主要关注毕业生的临床知识、技能和解决问题的能力。这忽略了专业身份形成在确定临床实践准备情况中的作用。然而，专业身份定义了毕业生的自我认知，其他人如何看待他们并告知临床行为。从本科到研究生过渡期间的身份形成奖学金的特点是个人（认知）而不是关系（社会文化）观点。然而，越来越多的人认识到身份的形成不仅是个人的中介，也是个人和社会背景之间构建的。本研究的目的是从社会文化理论的角度探讨一个医疗保健专业（言语和语言治疗-SLT）的本科生和毕业生的职业认同形成。使用了定性描述方法。最后（第 4 年）SLT 本科生和临床经验不足 2 年的 SLT 研究生参加了个人半结构化访谈。主题分析用于描述数据中的模式，随后根据图形世界的构造进行解释。数据分析显示，本科专业身份的特点是依赖、以自我为中心（与以患者为中心相反）和幼稚的角色概念。另一方面，毕业生身份包括对自给自足的期望，以患者为中心，对专业角色有更细致入微的理解。本科生对什么是研究生从业者有着天真、原型的理解。本科临床实习的性质阻碍了有意义的身份发展。这表明课程应该促进本科生以有意义的自主权行事，并定位于更多以患者为中心的角色，例如参与患者的决策过程。然后，毕业生可能会在他们早期的研究生职位中感觉自己作为自主专业人士更加真实。这会带来更好的毕业生、患者和服务成果。本科临床实习的性质阻碍了有意义的身份发展。这表明课程应该促进本科生以有意义的自主权行事，并定位于更多以患者为中心的角色，例如参与患者的决策过程。然后，毕业生可能会在他们早期的研究生职位中感觉自己作为自主专业人士更加真实。这会带来更好的毕业生、患者和服务成果。本科临床实习的性质阻碍了有意义的身份发展。这表明课程应该促进本科生以有意义的自主权行事，并定位于更多以患者为中心的角色，例如参与患者的决策过程。然后，毕业生可能会在他们早期的研究生职位中感觉自己作为自主专业人士更加真实。这会带来更好的毕业生、患者和服务成果。