To identify the CPI 3.0 performance criteria students in our Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program most wanted to improve during their final clinical experiences and the associated sample behaviors they indicated would be most difficult for them.
During the first week in the final, 12-week clinical experience, DPT students on the St. Augustine, FL campus of the USAHS, identified 5 of the 12 CPI 3.0 performance criteria they most wanted to improve and 1-3 specific sample behaviors (associated with Entry-Level Performance) they felt would be most difficult for them for each of the 5 selected criteria. This information was submitted as a journal assignment in Blackboard, a learning management system, so responses were not visible to other students to limit influence and bias based on others’ answers. Student responses from two cohorts: Fall 2023 (n = 43) and Spring 2024 (n = 49) for a total of 92 students, were transferred to an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed.
CPI 3.0 has 12 performance criteria grouped into 5 domains of practice: Professionalism; Interpersonal; Technical/Procedural; Business; and Responsibility. The performance criteria most frequently listed for the combined cohorts (all from the Technical/Procedural domain) were:
Clinical Reasoning (66/92 = 71.7%)
Examination, Evaluation, and Diagnosis (58/92 = 63.0%)
Interventions and Education (55/92 = 59.8%)
While there was variation in frequency between the two cohorts, both more commonly noted the performance criteria in the Technical/Procedural, Business, and Responsibility domains as areas for improvement and less frequently noted the performance criteria in the Professionalism and Interpersonal domains.
The 3 most commonly identified sample behaviors students selected as most difficult for them were determined for each of the above performance criteria.
Students were placed in a variety of clinical settings including inpatient and outpatient experiences. There was some variation in performance criteria selected based on setting but no trends were identified.
This report highlights the performance criteria that students most wanted to improve during their final clinical experience. Clinical Reasoning, Examination, Evaluation, and Diagnosis, and Interventions and Education were identified as the top areas of focus.
Understanding these perceptions can help educators and CIs tailor their support and resources to better prepare students for their clinical roles. Future research could further explore the specific challenges students face with the sample behaviors associated with these criteria to develop targeted interventions.
Education
Student self-reflection
