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Table 2 Summary of Recommendations

From: Clinical associate students’ perceptions of factors that influence their developing professional identity: a qualitative study

Factors influencing Students developing professional identity

Recommendation

Internal disposition

Increasing education and awareness of the profession to assist individuals to make well informed decisions regarding enrolment. This is an attempt to decrease potential identity dissonance

Programme Enrolment

Reviewing admission criteria to enrol applicants who meet the programme minimum requirements and possess early manifestations of the dispositions required in the clinical associate health care professional

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Increasing visibility of clinical associate role models

Clinical Training experiences

Exploring explicit pedagogical practices which support the formation of professional identity. E.g

• Fostering early patient exposure

• Inter-professional education

• Role modelling

• Building communities of practice

Profession related challenges: Regulations and policy governing the clinical associate profession

Advocacy for the profession is required at all levels of the health care system. Synergy is necessary between academic institutions and governmental structures to strengthen policies to contribute to the

The identity of the profession in the country

Increasing marketing of the profession to raise awareness of the profession