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Interprofessional practice is commonly discussed in the literature in terms of competencies. In this study we move away from the theoretical notions of criteria, concepts and guidelines to adopt an ontological approach which seeks to stay as close to the lived experience as possible. Our research asked 12 participants from a variety of health disciplines to tell their stories of working interprofessionally. We sought to glean meaning from the lived experience. Our phenomenological hermeneutic approach and interpretation were informed by Heidegger and Gadamer. Rather than offering a thematic overview, in this article we share three stories from the research that were congruent with other stories. The first, told by a doctor, is of a resuscitation in an emergency department. It shows how the effective working together of the interprofessional team was more than each member following a resuscitation protocol. There was 'something' about how they worked together that made this story stand out, even though the patient died. The second story showcases how 'who' the person is makes a difference. This nurse makes an effort to get to know other staff as people, to find common interests. In such a way interprofessional practice comes to flourish. The third story shows how a physiotherapist and a psychologist joined in conversation to seek innovative possibilities for a challenging situation. In such a way each built on the others expertise and were excited at the success they achieved for the patient. From these ontological accounts we have come to see that interprofessional practice flourishes when practitioners are their authentic, caring selves. Who the person is matters.

Health professional educators have long grappled with how to teach the more elusive art of practice alongside the science (a term that encompasses the sort of professional knowledge that can be directly passed on). A competent practitioner is one who knows when, how and for whom to apply knowledge and skills, thereby making the links between theory and practice. They combine art and science in such a way that integrates knowledge with insight. This participatory hermeneutic study explored the experience of teachers and students of implementing a narrative-centred curriculum in undergraduate midwifery education. It revealed that when real life narratives were central to the learning environment, students' learning about the art of midwifery practice was enhanced as they learned about midwifery decisions, reflected on their own values and beliefs and felt an emotional connection with the narrator. Further, art and science became melded together in the context specific wisdom of practice (phronesis).

This article seeks to shed light on the meanings healthcare practitioners attach to practicing interprofessionally and how interprofessional relationships play out in "everyday" practice. It draws on findings from a hermeneutic phenomenological study of health professionals' lived experience of practice, interpreted in relation to Martin Heidegger's concept of a path through the dense forest which leads to an open space where there is no predefined path to follow. Analysis of data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 health professionals from medicine, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and social work suggests that health practitioners come upon the clearing having walked their own track toward practicing interprofessionally. Our argument is that when: getting to know others; genuine dialogue; trust; and respect are in play, a spirit of interprofessional practice flourishes. The ontological view presented, sheds light on the nature of the relationships and the personal qualities that foster a spirit of interprofessional practice in these human-to-human interactions. It highlights how health practitioners need to be free to enact their humanity; to move beyond the "professional" pathway, which encourages them to leave "who they are" at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupation-based models are generic explanations of occupational engagement. Their associated diagrams are conceptual tools that represent the key concepts and their interrelationships, which have withstood substantial shifts in the profession's knowledge base and scope over the last 30–40 years. Aims: We aim to bring into question the sustainability of the diagrams used to represent models. Methods: Intellectual history and semiotic analysis are combined as tools for examining the history of selected occupation-based models and the convention of representing them diagrammatically. Our critique employs a hermeneutically inspired semiotic technique to scrutinise the diagrams as stand-alone symbolic objects. Results: We argue that the rigid categorisation and oversimplified structure of diagrams keeps the profession pinned to dated perspectives based in positivism and dualism, bypassing the real, lived experiences of people. Our critique highlights the ontological absences from diagrammatic representations of occupation-based models. Conclusions: The continued practice of depicting models with diagrams needs to change, to create space to integrate other theory and perspectives, such as a more fundamentally human, ontological perspective. Significance: An ontological perspective is important for practice to advance past the dualistic or pluralistic stance the profession has held for decade, to understand how people experience their world rather than how the profession sees a person's world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hermeneutic phenomenology is a little used approach in sport settings yet is widely advocated in other disciplines (e.g. health research). This article contributes to the theoretical understanding and practical application of hermeneutic phenomenology in sport research. It considers and explores the lived experience of skiing through a phenomenological approach and in so doing exposes a deeper understanding into the meaning skiing may hold in the lifeworlds of those who ski. Such research highlights the growing use of interpretive paradigms to elucidate lived experience in sport research, contrasting measurement of experience with seeking to understand the experiences themselves. We assert that hermeneutic phenomenology has much to offer sport research where an understanding of how one’s subjective encounter can reveal much about the shared knowings, meanings and experiences of participation in sport in our society. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]