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McGowan E1, Stokes E1
1Trinity College Dublin, Discipline of Physiotherapy, Dublin, Ireland
Background: The changing demands of healthcare and ongoing advances in practice and technology require corresponding change and development of the physiotherapy profession. Physiotherapy professional organisations perform many important functions in ensuring the ongoing growth and success of the profession. The leaders of these organisations therefore have key roles in progressing the physiotherapy profession in their country. To date, however, there has been very little written about these physiotherapy leaders and their work for the profession.
Purpose: To explore the leadership journeys of international physiotherapy leaders and their experiences of leading physiotherapy professional organisations.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of sixteen physiotherapy leaders from a range of physiotherapy professional organisations from around the world. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. A qualitative descriptive approach using inductive thematic analysis was taken in the analysis of the interview data.
Results: Three main themes emerged in the analysis of the data: “Leadership roles, behaviours and challenges”, “Reflections on the physiotherapy profession” and “Leadership development”. In the theme, “Leadership roles, behaviours and challenges”, the participants described their leadership roles and responsibilities, the behaviours and strategies that they employ and the challenges that they face. The participants also discussed the factors that motivated them to pursue their leadership role and those that continue to motivate them to strive for goals within their role. The second theme encompassed the participants' perceptions of physiotherapists and the physiotherapy profession, opportunities for the future and challenges facing the profession. The participants expressed concerns that the value of physiotherapy is not being effectively communicated and that the profession needs to become better at advocacy and selling its message. There was also a perception that physiotherapists can be reluctant to step forward into leadership roles. The final theme encompassed the participants' perceptions and experiences of leadership development. While the participants appreciated the importance of formal leadership courses there was emphasis placed on learning by doing and putting what they had learned into practice.
Conclusion(s): The physiotherapy leaders described interesting and varied roles that can also be challenging and demanding. They are motivated to work hard by personal drivers to make a difference and improve and progress the physiotherapy profession. They recognise the many challenges facing the physiotherapy profession internationally and the need for physiotherapists to more effectively advocate for the profession and demonstrate leadership. Leadership development opportunities may be potential strategies to enable the development of future leaders of the physiotherapy profession. Physiotherapists with the interest and drive to pursue leadership roles in the profession should be aware of leadership development opportunities open to them, including volunteering with their professional organisation, mentoring, learning from experience and attending formal leadership courses.
Implications: The results of this study can inform the development of leadership training opportunities in both entry-to-practice physiotherapy programmes and professional development for physiotherapists. Experiential learning, career transition points, mentoring and role models can serve as sources of leadership development for physiotherapists. Further research is needed to explore the leadership development activities of physiotherapists and to evaluate physiotherapy leadership development programmes.
Keywords: Leadership, Professional Organisations, Leadership development
Funding acknowledgements: This project was funded by the Trinity Trust Travel Grant and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists travel bursary.
Purpose: To explore the leadership journeys of international physiotherapy leaders and their experiences of leading physiotherapy professional organisations.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of sixteen physiotherapy leaders from a range of physiotherapy professional organisations from around the world. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. A qualitative descriptive approach using inductive thematic analysis was taken in the analysis of the interview data.
Results: Three main themes emerged in the analysis of the data: “Leadership roles, behaviours and challenges”, “Reflections on the physiotherapy profession” and “Leadership development”. In the theme, “Leadership roles, behaviours and challenges”, the participants described their leadership roles and responsibilities, the behaviours and strategies that they employ and the challenges that they face. The participants also discussed the factors that motivated them to pursue their leadership role and those that continue to motivate them to strive for goals within their role. The second theme encompassed the participants' perceptions of physiotherapists and the physiotherapy profession, opportunities for the future and challenges facing the profession. The participants expressed concerns that the value of physiotherapy is not being effectively communicated and that the profession needs to become better at advocacy and selling its message. There was also a perception that physiotherapists can be reluctant to step forward into leadership roles. The final theme encompassed the participants' perceptions and experiences of leadership development. While the participants appreciated the importance of formal leadership courses there was emphasis placed on learning by doing and putting what they had learned into practice.
Conclusion(s): The physiotherapy leaders described interesting and varied roles that can also be challenging and demanding. They are motivated to work hard by personal drivers to make a difference and improve and progress the physiotherapy profession. They recognise the many challenges facing the physiotherapy profession internationally and the need for physiotherapists to more effectively advocate for the profession and demonstrate leadership. Leadership development opportunities may be potential strategies to enable the development of future leaders of the physiotherapy profession. Physiotherapists with the interest and drive to pursue leadership roles in the profession should be aware of leadership development opportunities open to them, including volunteering with their professional organisation, mentoring, learning from experience and attending formal leadership courses.
Implications: The results of this study can inform the development of leadership training opportunities in both entry-to-practice physiotherapy programmes and professional development for physiotherapists. Experiential learning, career transition points, mentoring and role models can serve as sources of leadership development for physiotherapists. Further research is needed to explore the leadership development activities of physiotherapists and to evaluate physiotherapy leadership development programmes.
Keywords: Leadership, Professional Organisations, Leadership development
Funding acknowledgements: This project was funded by the Trinity Trust Travel Grant and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists travel bursary.
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Trinity College Dublin
Ethics committee: Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee
Ethics number: 141102
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
