Abstract
The purpose of this mixed methods dissertation in practice study was to examine the relationship between levels of political skill and demonstration of collaborative practice, or teamwork, in rehabilitation professional students. A review of the scholarly literature on political skill revealed multiple benefits of this social skill, including enhanced teamwork. Though a gap existed in evidence related to rehabilitation professionals, literature on the value of varied affective skills for students in clinical education experiences supported the plan to explore political skill in this study. I conducted a single-phase, convergent mixed methods survey study to assess a sample of 98 rehabilitation professional students on the relationship between political skill and teamwork in the context of an interprofessional simulation. Results showed a significant, positive relationship between total political skill and collaborative practice. Findings further revealed individual dimensions of political skill did not have a significant, positive association with teamwork, reflecting the multidimensional nature of the construct. Qualitative themes confirmed student perceptions of how political skill largely helps teamwork, and one theme indicated misuse of this skill could hinder teamwork. A final theme emerged regarding the benefits of insight into one’s strengths and weaknesses to enhance collaborative practice as a rehabilitation professional. Based on these findings, I propose a solution to implement an evidence-based training program for rehabilitation students. I describe the elements of that Training in Political Skill for Students (TIPSS) Program for integration at my university and other academic programs.
Keywords: political skill, teamwork, interprofessional, clinical education, simulation