Professional identity of allied health staff

© 2019 Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, Wash., DC. Professional identity of healthcare staff is a key factor in the functioning of interprofessional teams leading to positive and negative impacts in the modern healthcare environment. This cross-sectional study aimed to understand the professional identity of allied health staff within three allied health workforce structures prior to a large healthcare network restructure. Allied health staff were invited to participate in an online questionnaire of professional identity; descriptive and statistical analyses were undertaken across the workforce structures. Responses to the professional identity questionnaire identified high professional identity among allied health staff across each workforce structure. The total professional identity score was very high in all groups. Statistically significant differences between bedbased allied health staff and ambulatory and community allied health staff, but not mental health allied health staff, emerged across several individual statements and in the total professional identity score. Differences in professional identity exist among allied health staff belonging to different workforce structures. The evaluation post-restructure will inform the understanding of the impact of change in organisational structure on professional identity in allied health.