Sebelski C1, Green-Wilson J2, Zeigler S3, Clark D4, Tschoepe B5
1Saint Louis University, Department of Athletic Training and Physical Therapy, St. Louis, United States, 2College at Brockport - SUNY, Brockport, United States, 3Clarkson University, Potsdam, United States, 4University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States, 5University of Vermont, Burlington, United States
Background: Leadership development is a global hot topic. In 2005, the World Health Organization launched a global patient safety challenge that included the call to establish best practices for leadership to enhance patient safety. Competencies are a set of defined behaviors/skills expected within a certain role. Although there are identified leadership skills to improve patient safety and delivery of quality care in some healthcare professions, physiotherapists (PT) demonstrate minimal integration of leadership competencies (LC) to guide change in education and practice environments. Within the United States, PTs focus on topics of professionalism, communication, and cultural competence without explicitly addressing leadership. When leadership is expected, there is a lack of agreement on what explicit competencies describe its inclusion. As no established LC for entry-level (E-L) PT education exist in the United States, this project aimed to fill this knowledge gap and inform the global conversation on best practices and strategies for development of LCs. Leadership competencies should be explicit and accepted as an essential domain of PT competencies. Embedding leadership competencies into E-L curriculums will improve patient care outcomes, patient experience, and overall global healthcare costs.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and define leadership competencies essential for PTs and thus guide curricular standards on leadership development for PT education programs.
Methods: Using a structured review process, the authors compiled published healthcare leadership competencies with explicit definitions. Content experts were recruited based upon clear criterion including possessing evidence of scholarship within leadership, and/or demonstrating evidence of professional, contemporary knowledge of leadership literature. Using a Delphi panel process and two rounds of structured review, the experts examined each competency for physiotherapists without a formal leadership position less than one year post graduation (L-1) and more than one year post graduation (G-1). Panelists participated in an exercise on importance ("very important", "somewhat important" and "not important") for each competency. Consensus threshold was set priori at 0.80.
Results: The Delphi panel consisted of 12 content experts. Of the 76 leadership competencies, 41 were agreed as “very important” for L-1 and 59 LCs were “very important” for G-1. Sixteen of the leadership competencies achieved complete consensus (100% agreement) as “very important” regardless of years post graduation. None of the leadership competencies reached consensus as “not important” by the panelists.
Conclusion(s): The panelists reached 100% agreement on 16 LC as “very important”. At minimum, PT education should explicitly address development of these LC. Leadership competencies (25 L-1, 43 G-1) that were greater than 0.80 should be intentionally explored for insertion into PT education and impact to practice. Competencies which lacked consensus by this panel highlight the need to engage in diverse dialogues on leadership.
Implications: To fulfill the call for leadership to enhance patient safety, identification of leadership competencies for PTs is essential to the profession and to educators. With teaching and learning of leadership competencies in E-L education, PTs will be capable to provide leadership to positively impact patient safety, health and well-being of populations and the effectiveness of the global healthcare system at all levels of practice.
Keywords: Leadership, Competencies, Education
Funding acknowledgements: Internal Department Funds from Saint Louis University Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and define leadership competencies essential for PTs and thus guide curricular standards on leadership development for PT education programs.
Methods: Using a structured review process, the authors compiled published healthcare leadership competencies with explicit definitions. Content experts were recruited based upon clear criterion including possessing evidence of scholarship within leadership, and/or demonstrating evidence of professional, contemporary knowledge of leadership literature. Using a Delphi panel process and two rounds of structured review, the experts examined each competency for physiotherapists without a formal leadership position less than one year post graduation (L-1) and more than one year post graduation (G-1). Panelists participated in an exercise on importance ("very important", "somewhat important" and "not important") for each competency. Consensus threshold was set priori at 0.80.
Results: The Delphi panel consisted of 12 content experts. Of the 76 leadership competencies, 41 were agreed as “very important” for L-1 and 59 LCs were “very important” for G-1. Sixteen of the leadership competencies achieved complete consensus (100% agreement) as “very important” regardless of years post graduation. None of the leadership competencies reached consensus as “not important” by the panelists.
Conclusion(s): The panelists reached 100% agreement on 16 LC as “very important”. At minimum, PT education should explicitly address development of these LC. Leadership competencies (25 L-1, 43 G-1) that were greater than 0.80 should be intentionally explored for insertion into PT education and impact to practice. Competencies which lacked consensus by this panel highlight the need to engage in diverse dialogues on leadership.
Implications: To fulfill the call for leadership to enhance patient safety, identification of leadership competencies for PTs is essential to the profession and to educators. With teaching and learning of leadership competencies in E-L education, PTs will be capable to provide leadership to positively impact patient safety, health and well-being of populations and the effectiveness of the global healthcare system at all levels of practice.
Keywords: Leadership, Competencies, Education
Funding acknowledgements: Internal Department Funds from Saint Louis University Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
Topic: Professional issues; Education
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Saint Louis University
Ethics committee: Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: IRB28597
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
