Journal, physical therapy education最新文献

Introduction: Full-time clinical education experiences (CEEs) constitute a significant component of entry-level physical therapy education. COVID-19 challenged clinical education throughout the country by affecting the availability of CEEs.

Review of literature: Research suggested that the number of clinical education spots available would stay the same. By contrast, the number of students enrolling in physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) education programs continues to rise. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students and faculty expressed concerns about the lack of student readiness and the availability of CEEs. The purpose of this study was to examine prepandemic factors that influenced the number of CEE slots available in Florida and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on slot availability. Furthermore, researchers sought to identify factors that prevented a return to prepandemic levels of CEE spot offerings and recognize solutions to overcome those barriers. Finally, the researchers aimed to pinpoint suggestions to enhance collaborations between the clinical sites and physical therapy education programs.

Subjects: Forty-eight site coordinators of clinical education (SCCEs) from various settings and regions in Florida completed the survey.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to Florida SCCEs to ascertain their perceptions on how COVID-19 influenced clinical education. The researchers used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data.

Results: Clinical instructor (CI) volunteerism was the primary determinant of CEE spots available before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of CEE spots was reduced for both PT and PTA education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the PTA slots returned to their baseline from 2019, the PT placements remained significantly lower in 2021. Social distancing and CI availability had the most considerable impact on CEE offerings. Site coordinators of clinical education also suggested that the greatest supports needed from the academic institutions were educating students on COVID-19 prevention and providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to students for their CEEs. This article also offers suggested incentives that academic sites can provide their clinical partners, such as in-services earning continuing education units, to enhance their participation in clinical education.

Discussion and conclusion: All clinical education stakeholders must collaborate to provide students with the required clinical educational opportunities. Academic sites should continue to provide support, training, and incentives to CIs to enhance participation from clinical education sites. Educational programs must add content about COVID-19 to their curriculum and consider providing students with PPE during their rotations to restore the number

Introduction: Hispanic/Latino students often underachieve in higher education programs in the health professions and have shown lower first-time pass rates on the National Physical Therapy Examination than their White peers. A plausible explanation for this difference is the lack of English proficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine predictive academic variables for passing licensure examination on the first attempt for Hispanic/Latino Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students.

Review of the literature: Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the factors that predict success on the National Physical Therapy Examination; however, there is a scarcity of literature on the predictors of success for Hispanic/Latino DPT students, particularly on the influence of English proficiency.

Subjects: A nonprobability convenience sample of 67 Hispanic students from a single DPT program was used.

Methods: A retrospective, predictive, correlational study was conducted. Data collection was performed by secondary analysis of student academic profiles. Predictor variables included proficiency in the English language; undergraduate grade point average; verbal, quantitative, and written skills; and first-year and third-year grade point average while enrolled in the physical therapist education program.

Results: The first-time pass rate was 59.7% (n = 40). Results showed that students who passed and those who did not pass on their first attempt differed in first-year and third-year program grade point average with large effect sizes of d = 1.13 and d = 1.48, respectively; however, third-year grade point average was the only significant independent predictor of success. English proficiency and preadmission variables did not predict first-time success.

Discussion and conclusion: The results suggest first-year and third-year grade point average may be used to identify at-risk students. Use of these variables is encouraged to monitor the progression of students. The study highlighted the need to identify additional predictors of performance.

Introduction: Video, phone, or in-person site visits are used to assess clinical education in entry-level physical therapy education programs. The perspectives of students and clinical instructors (CIs) related to site visits were examined in this article using 2 consecutive surveys. The first included items related to in-person and phone call site visits. The second added video calls. The research purpose was to assess the CI and student perspectives on the effectiveness of site visits and explore the differences between in-person, video, and phone visits.

Review of literature: Published literature about the effectiveness of site visits is scarce. Two recent articles explored the director of clinical education and student perspectives of site visits. Future research concentrating on the clinician perspective of site visits was recommended.

Subjects: A convenience sample of 104 CIs and 97 doctor of physical therapy students were recruited by email for the 2 surveys.

Methods: A mixed-methods, triangular, validating, quantitative data model was used. Respondents answered open-ended questions and rated items on 5-point Likert scales. Descriptive and chi-square statistics were calculated, and themes were developed using qualitative analysis.

Results: No significant difference was found in preference of site visit method between students and CIs. CIs rated the effectiveness of site visits similarly for all methods. Students rated in-person site visits as the most effective in the first survey and video calls as the most effective in the second survey. Qualitative analysis showed that CIs and students preferred in-person visits when the student was struggling. Considering closed-ended and open-ended questions on both surveys, CIs and students would rather meet individually with the faculty member.

Discussion and conclusion: The results of this study suggest that any type of site visit can be effective; in-person visits should be considered when students are struggling, and the site visitor should meet privately with the student and CI.

Introduction: Restrictions on in-person gatherings during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic required educational programs to explore alternative educational formats. The nature of physical therapy education as a blend of cognitive and psychomotor skill presents additional challenges. During a gradual return to in-person learning, the authors' institution chose to break a full-length 15-week semester into 3, 5-week blocks. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of semester design on course performance. The second aim was to assess the effects of semester design on knowledge and skill retention.

Review of literature: In undergraduate studies, blocked courses or semesters held over a short period of time may result in equal or better performance compared with courses performed over a longer time. Few studies have been performed on the graduate student population. Most studies have focused on short-term cognitive knowledge acquisition.

Subjects: Three cohorts of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students were eligible to participate.

Methods: Two DPT courses (1 first year and 1 second year) were selected to assess cognitive and psychomotor performance. Examination results were compared at the end of a full-length semester and blocked semester. A third course was selected to assess retention at 4 time points. Students were assessed on their cognitive retention using computer-based quizzes and psychomotor retention using in-person skills quizzes.

Results: Median cognitive performance scores for both courses were slightly better during the blocked semester. There were no significant differences in median psychomotor scores. There was no significant interaction effect between semester structure and retention of cognitive knowledge or psychomotor skills, although there were significant changes in scores over time.

Discussion and conclusion: A blocked semester design may favor immediate cognitive performance. However, there is no significant effect on knowledge or skill retention over a 6-month period. Programs faced with the potential for in-person closures can select either semester structure based on their needs without compromising knowledge or skill retention.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Belongingness Scale-Clinical Placement Experience (BES-CPE) for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students in the United States.

Review of literature: Belongingness is vital to one's mental, emotional, and physical health. Research has shown that belongingness is positively correlated with students' academic performance and achievement. An absence of belongingness may hinder students' full participation in clinical experiences and compromise clinical achievement.

Subjects: Respondents were current or former DPT students at least 18 years of age who had either completed the midterm evaluation of their final terminal full-time clinical education experience (TCE) in their DPT program or were no more than 1 year from the completion of their final TCE.

Methods: The BES-CPE was adapted for DPT students, and the scale was completed electronically by those who met the inclusion criteria. Principal component analysis with promax rotation and Cronbach's α were used to determine construct validity and reliability.

Results: One hundred fifty-nine respondents completed all items on the BES-CPE and demographic survey. A 3-component structure was identified (esteem, connectedness, and efficacy), which was aligned to the original BES-CPE scale. One item was discarded, and the final version of the BES-CPE for DPT students is a 33-item scale with satisfactory internal consistency.

Discussion and conclusion: This study adapted and provided evidence for validity of the first known scale to measure belongingness in DPT students during their clinical education experiences (CEEs) in the United States. The 33-item BES-CPE provided valid and reliable measures of belongingness in DPT students during CEEs that can be used to provide a better understanding of the student experience in the clinical learning environment.

Background and purpose: Competency-based education (CBE) is an emerging topic within physical therapy (PT). It has emerged to assure all stakeholders that physical therapist education program graduates are proficient in the requisite knowledge, skills, and behaviors (KSBs) essential for entry-level practice. Competencies have existed within cardiovascular and pulmonary (CVP) PT since 1980, updated in 2008, and most recently updated in 2022. This article discusses how individuals should apply the 2022 CVP competencies to clinical practice and education.

Position and rationale: The 2022 CVP competencies were developed using a modified mixed-method Delphi approach. These competencies set a level of proficiency for KSBs used within entry-level CVP PT practice following the patient-client management model. The position put forward in this article describes how and why multiple stakeholder groups should apply these entry-level competencies specifically for graduates of physical therapist education programs who are entering practice (entry level). The competencies provide a more detailed description of expected proficiency for entry-level CVP PT practice than currently available documents. These competencies may form the basis for developing entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

Discussion and conclusion: The establishment of entry-level competencies is essential for use by multiple stakeholders to inform physical therapist curriculum, provide clinical instructors with a reference for expected levels of proficiency during final student clinical experiences, guide content on the Federation of State Boards of PT national licensure examination, and prepare employers to provide needed continued professional development, based on the clinical environment. These competencies lend themselves to the future development of EPAs in the PT profession for CVP PT.

Introduction: Although the provision of clinical education (CE) experiences affords many benefits to clinical stakeholders, little published literature exists regarding the factors influencing decisions of site coordinators of CE (SCCE), clinical administrators, and clinical instructors (CI) to provide CE.

Review of literature: Site coordinators of CE and CIs navigate workplace expectations while making decisions about their engagement in CE experiences. The purpose of this study was to determine clinical stakeholders' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to the provision of CE experiences for entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy students.

Subjects: This study used survey data from a previous study on perspectives related to payment for CE experiences. The survey questions analyzed included responses provided by 501 clinical administrators, 445 SCCEs, and 657 CIs.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of survey data included frequencies and percentages of responses for nominal and categorical data. Open-ended survey questions underwent content analysis to identify overarching concepts and subordinate categories.

Results: Clinicians are most motivated to serve as CIs by "enjoyment of teaching" (274, 49.4%) and a sense of "professional responsibility" (147, 26.5%). Site coordinators of CEs indicated that the top challenges faced in soliciting CIs were the ability to manage challenging students (347, 69.0%), lack of experience serving as a CI (227, 63.4%), ability to maintain productivity standards (220, 61.5%), and clinician burnout (219, 61.2%). Although all participants agreed that their organization promotes a culture of teaching, clinical administrators agreed at a higher percentage than SCCEs (97.8% vs 94.3%, respectively).

Discussion and conclusion: Clinical instructors identified values and benefits that were, at times, in contrast to the organizational culture. The discrepancies in perceptions among stakeholders that were uncovered by this research provide a unique lens that has not been addressed in the literature to date. To provide meaningful support for CIs, it is imperative that directors of CEs, clinical administrators, and SCCEs clearly understand the perceptions of the CI.