The hospital pedagogist: a 'non-teaching' profession for the leadership and coordination of care processes in pediatric settings

Abstract

Within the framework of a doctoral research project funded by the PNRR, a mixed-methods case study was implemented at the Hospital-Community Continuity Unit of the Meyer University Hospital. The investigation, spanning a six-month period, focused on analyzing the various educational, training, and care professional roles operating within the healthcare context, with the objective of delineating the role of pedagogical leadership and its associated competencies.

These competencies emerge as a crucial factor for the management of hospital-based educational settings, for the effective integration of clinical-healthcare and educational dimensions, for building community-based partnerships, and for providing structural support for post-discharge reintegration. The study identifies the hospital pedagogue as a new "non-teaching" professional role of coordination and mediation, essential for ensuring holistic care and the continuity of the minor's life project in critical and complex contexts.