Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy as a career choice—perspective of students and physiotherapists in Portugal

Understanding the beliefs, motivations and perceived barriers of physiotherapists toward career development and related post-graduate training opportunities: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

In light of impending physiotherapy workforce shortages in Australia and updates to career progression pathways for physiotherapists internationally, it is important to understand the beliefs and considerations that underpin decisions to pursue career development opportunities from the perspective of physiotherapists.

PURPOSE

To investigate physiotherapists' beliefs, motivations and perceived barriers toward career development opportunities, and explore influences which impact the decisions regarding whether and how to undertake career development in physiotherapy.

METHODS

Qualitative study using one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Interview data were analyzed using a six-phase iterative and inductive reflexive thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

Seventeen physiotherapists were interviewed. Resulting codes were categorized into four key themes: 1) An opportunity for change, 2) Asserting professional and personal identity, 3) The cost of studying, and 4) Choosing the "right" pathway.

CONCLUSION

Decision-making surrounding career development in physiotherapy is fluid and impacted by various intrinsic and extrinsic influences. Perceived benefits include improved professional credibility, personal and professional identity, career sustainability and competitiveness for job opportunities. Perceived barriers relate to associated post-graduate training pathways, and span financial, social and geographical domains. Career development is seen as an investment, and perceived benefits are actively weighed up against associated costs. It is important for physiotherapists that career development opportunities align with their own values and circumstances.

"I feel like this is an area where one can feel a lot of satisfaction": Physiotherapy students' preferences for their prospective area of practice

OBJECTIVES

To identify physiotherapy students' preferences about their prospective area of practice and the reasons for their choices.

METHODS

Tel-Aviv University physiotherapy students participated in a cross-sectional survey and three open-ended questions that comprise the qualitative component of the study. At the very beginning of their studies, and at the end of the first to fourth years, participants were asked about their area of preference, the factors that shaped their choice, and the reasons for prospective changes in their preference.

RESULTS

In total, 289 students filled out the survey. Response rate was 68%. Interest in some areas of practice such as pediatrics remained stable throughout years of physiotherapy studies. In contrast, interest in other areas such as sports declined and interest in others such as rehabilitation increased. The open-ended questions yielded 1,616 codes sorted into five categories that shaped the students' preferences: "I/Me /My" the largest category, followed by "the physiotherapy studies program" and then the relational focused "physiotherapy practice." The number of codes for "working conditions" and "work-life balance" increased steeply with the progression of the studies and the age of the students.

CONCLUSIONS

The choice for areas of practice of physiotherapy students vary during their professional formation. During their professional development, their preferences are shaped by their personal feelings, interest in and past experience with the specific areas of practice, as well as their practical exposure, experiences in practicums, and theoretical studies. Millennial physiotherapists prefer areas of practice in which personal as well as relational considerations are core.

A scoping review of mentorship in allied health: Attributes, programs and outcomes

BACKGROUND

Mentorship is a mutually beneficial voluntary relationship between mentor and mentee. In principle, the mentee trusts in the mentor for guiding career development and acquiring new knowledge and skills while the mentor finds giving back to the profession rewarding. Mentorship is beneficial at every career stage, but little is known about current programs and processes.

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature about mentorship in allied health to inform programs and practices in occupational therapy. Scoping focused on barriers, facilitators and reported outcomes of programs and attributes of mentors and mentees.

DATA SOURCES

A search was applied to six databases on 8 February 2022 in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Scopus, PUBMED and CINAHL Complete. Search terms were developed in consultation with an academic librarian and using the population, concept and context mnemonic.

METHODS

We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Data extraction forms were piloted with two reviewers and dual extraction occurred with a portion of papers. Where conflicts arose, discussion occurred until a consensus was reached.

FINDINGS

Sixty-two papers were included from eleven countries. The papers arose from ten allied health disciplines, with five in occupational therapy. One-on-one mentoring was most common followed by groups and the use of online platforms. Structured approaches were often used, with the support of professional associations. Trust and willingness to share expertise were required attributes of mentors. Mentees appreciate self-selecting their mentor and having protected time for mentorship.

CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE

This synthesis provides a description of the available literature on mentorship in allied health. Benefits of mentorship were recorded with the acquisition of skills and knowledge being the most prominent. This synthesis provides ideas for future development and refinement of mentorship in occupational therapy.

Exploring clinical learning experiences of novice physiotherapy students in a hospital setting

BACKGROUND

Exposure to clinical practice experiences ensures undergraduate physiotherapy students meet the clinical competencies required to graduate as autonomous practitioners. Much of the research literature has investigated the clinical experiences of medical students. While recent studies have explored physiotherapy students' experiences with simulation, few have explored their perspectives of a clinical placement in a hospital setting at the early learning stage of a four-year programme.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the perspectives of novice undergraduate physiotherapy students on a clinical placement in a real hospital setting.

METHODS

Fifteen Year 3 undergraduate physiotherapy students participated in semi-structured interviews midway through a three-week tertiary care clinical placement. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: 1) student attributes affecting placement experience; 2) impact of the educator on student experience; and 3) effects of the clinical environment on student experiences.

CONCLUSION

The real clinical environment promotes a rich learning experience for students, while the clinical educator is pivotal to guiding student learning through provision of resources and feedback. Provision of early orientation and timely clarification of expectations is important to alleviate anxiety and allow students to prepare themselves.

Exploring new-graduate physiotherapists' preparedness for, and experiences working within, Australian acute hospital settings

BACKGROUND

New-graduate physiotherapists experience a steep learning curve when transitioning from student to clinician. The acute hospital setting is known to present unique challenges for health clinicians, however, the preparedness of new-graduate physiotherapists for working within this setting remains unclear.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate new-graduate physiotherapists' experiences of working in acute hospital settings and their perceptions toward how their pre-professional training prepared them for this setting.

METHODS

A qualitative study with a general inductive approach was used. Semi-structured interviews with new-graduate physiotherapists working in acute hospital settings were undertaken (n = 14). Interview data were subject to thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes were generated from the data: 1) multifactorial and high-pressure nature; 2) managing relationships; 3) realizing responsibility; and 4) constructing realistic experiences.

CONCLUSION

The acute hospital setting presents unique obstacles and additional challenges when transitioning from student to clinician. New-graduates value the role of pre-professional training in their preparation for this context, however, new-graduates reflected on being sheltered from some areas of practice as students. Recommendations are suggested for education providers to adapt pre-professional training, and for employers to implement workplace strategies, which may support new-graduate physiotherapists in the acute hospital setting.

Physiotherapy management for COVID-19 in the acute hospital setting and beyond: an update to clinical practice recommendations

This document provides an update to the recommendations for physiotherapy management for adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the acute hospital setting. It includes: physiotherapy workforce planning and preparation; a screening tool for determining requirement for physiotherapy; and recommendations for the use of physiotherapy treatments and personal protective equipment. New advice and recommendations are provided on: workload management; staff health, including vaccination; providing clinical education; personal protective equipment; interventions, including awake proning, mobilisation and rehabilitation in patients with hypoxaemia. Additionally, recommendations for recovery after COVID-19 have been added, including roles that physiotherapy can offer in the management of post-COVID syndrome. The updated guidelines are intended for use by physiotherapists and other relevant stakeholders caring for adult patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the acute care setting and beyond.

Influence of Cardiorespiratory Clinical Placements on the Specialty Interest of Physiotherapy Students

Clinical placements are an important part of health students’ training. Whilst much value is placed on the clinical environment as a place to learn, there is a paucity of direct evidence about its effectiveness. The aim of this study was to compare the competence, importance, and interest in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy of students before and after one month of clinical practice. A pre- and post-placement questionnaire about students’ interest in different physiotherapy subspecialties was used. The students with a cardiorespiratory clinical placement showed a significant change in their perception about the importance of the cardiorespiratory specialty (0.348 ± 1.01; p < 0.001), while no significant change was observed in the students without cardiorespiratory placement (−0.014 ± 0.825; p = 0.883). The presence or absence of clinical placements seems to have a definitive impact on students’ choice of a specialty. This implies the need for developing a set of clinical placements in all the subareas of physiotherapy in order to give undergraduate students the opportunity to make a better decision.