Clark D.1, Tschoepe B.2, Green Wilson J.1
1The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Physical Therapy, Birmingham, United States, 2University of Vermont, Department of Physical Therapy, Burlington, United States
Background: Healthcare delivery systems and market environments are rapidly changing in every country. Physical therapy graduates, while typically strong in skills related to patient care management, collaboration and evidence based practice, have opportunities to practice in new roles that involve primary care, health promotion, and chronic disease management. To be successful in this realm, graduates need expertise in new skill sets that address interprofessionalism, negotiation, conflict management and value management. Educational institutions that prepare students for entry-level practice have shown a mixed willingness to adopt curricula to address these skill sets. Physical therapy academia has not responded quickly enough to external changes in the environment and continue with an inward focus on traditional skills and behaviors. Developing leadership and change management skills in academic faculties is crucial for the profession to move forward and embrace the opportunities and challenges that the future brings to our profession.
Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to discuss strategies that will result in intentional development of faculties in change and conflict management resulting in an ignition of leadership behaviors and leading to a transformation in physical therapist education. Faculty members must embrace the need for curricula change and adopt a true sense of urgency in making change happen.
Methods: Four senior physical therapy faculty members identified and reviewed change leadership models that were well developed and evidence-based. In comparing models, we identified specific behavioral sets that faculty members will require for intentional development. Consensus among reviewers was established at each stage of the process.
Results: Our review identified three strong change leadership models that could be intentionally adopted by faculties to facilitate change. Common themes among the models were: the need to create urgency, development of a focus and connection to the external world, development of team emotional intelligence, and use conflict management to lead change.
Conclusion(s): Academic faculty members, while skilled in teaching, research and clinical practice, may not have leadership and change skills necessary to rapidly adapt curricula to an unstable and evolving healthcare environment. Models of change leadership that are evidence based exist, and through intentional faculty development, may be the catalyst needed to propel change at the academic level.
Implications: Adoption of change leadership skills by academic faculty members may result in a more rapid response by programs to external forces and drivers of healthcare resulting in graduates that are better prepared to deliver healthcare services and respond to individual, community and societal needs for physical therapy services that are accessible and valued.
Funding acknowledgements: No funding is yet available.
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval: This project did not require approval from our institutional review board.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
