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Simms K1
1Glasgow Caledonian University, Physiotherapy, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Background: Workforce planning is an essential part of healthcare; there needs to be enough staff in the right positions to treat the needs of the population. People over 75's are the most prominent users of NHS services, and it is predicted that by 2033 they will account for 60% of the Scottish population.
Healthcare university education should consider this changing demographic when training future healthcare workers, including physiotherapists. As yet it is unclear whether the future career aspirations of physiotherapy students align with the changing needs of the ageing population.
Purpose: To understand the preferences for choice of future speciality in year one (Y1) and year four (Y4) Physiotherapy undergraduate students studying a four-year course, and to gain an understanding of what influences these preferences.
Methods: Y1 and Y4 undergraduate Physiotherapy students at a Scottish Higher Education Institution were invited to complete a cross-sectional questionnaire, adapted from Cleland et al. (2012). Participants were asked which area they would/ would not like to specialise, and their reasons for selecting these areas. Due to the small sample size, descriptive statistics were used.
Results: Of the 140 invited students, 45 Y1 and 17 Y4 students completed the questionnaires.
For Y1 students the three most frequently selected specialties were: Paediatrics (n= 22, 45, 49%); Sport (n=21/45, 47%), and Neurology (n=21, 47%). For Y4 student the three most frequently selected specialities were: Paediatrics (n=11, 65%), Neurology (n=10, 59%) and Musculoskeletal (n=9/17, 53%).
The areas the Y1 students' least wanted to work in were; Elderly Specialities (n=8, 18%), Cardiorespiratory (n=7, 16%) and Sport (n=6, 13%). Y4 students were least likely to want to work in Musculoskeletal (n=6, 35%), cardiorespiratory (n=5, 29%) and Elderly Specialities (n=4, 24%).
Y1 students reported that their decisions on speciality were influenced by their previous exposure (n=19, 42%), their preference for a client group (n=17, 38%) and what they perceive as an interesting area to work in (n=14, 31%). Y4 student's reasons were influenced by their placement experience (n=11, 65%), their perceived confidence in a particular speciality (n=4, 24%) and the amount of time they got to spend with the clients (n=4, 24%).
Conclusion(s): The results of this study demonstrate that Y1 and Y4 physiotherapy undergraduate students have similar preferences for where they would, and would not, want to specialise in future. Paediatric and Neurological Specialities rated highly in both year groups, with Cardiorespiratory and Elderly Specialities amongst the least desirable. Students experience and exposure to a speciality appeared to influence their preferences. An Elderly Speciality was seen as an undesirable area to work in which conflicts with the workforce required for the ageing population. Future research should be carried out following a longitudinal cohort throughout their Physiotherapy undergraduate programme and beyond graduation to explore how students' and newly qualified Physiotherapists' opinions of specialities develop and evolve.
Implications: Students applying for future physiotherapy courses should be encouraged to gain experience in a variety of different specialities. Students should be supported to have positive placement experiences in a variety of clinical settings, including where possible Elderly Specialities
Keywords: Physiotherapy, Student, Career Preference
Funding acknowledgements: None
Healthcare university education should consider this changing demographic when training future healthcare workers, including physiotherapists. As yet it is unclear whether the future career aspirations of physiotherapy students align with the changing needs of the ageing population.
Purpose: To understand the preferences for choice of future speciality in year one (Y1) and year four (Y4) Physiotherapy undergraduate students studying a four-year course, and to gain an understanding of what influences these preferences.
Methods: Y1 and Y4 undergraduate Physiotherapy students at a Scottish Higher Education Institution were invited to complete a cross-sectional questionnaire, adapted from Cleland et al. (2012). Participants were asked which area they would/ would not like to specialise, and their reasons for selecting these areas. Due to the small sample size, descriptive statistics were used.
Results: Of the 140 invited students, 45 Y1 and 17 Y4 students completed the questionnaires.
For Y1 students the three most frequently selected specialties were: Paediatrics (n= 22, 45, 49%); Sport (n=21/45, 47%), and Neurology (n=21, 47%). For Y4 student the three most frequently selected specialities were: Paediatrics (n=11, 65%), Neurology (n=10, 59%) and Musculoskeletal (n=9/17, 53%).
The areas the Y1 students' least wanted to work in were; Elderly Specialities (n=8, 18%), Cardiorespiratory (n=7, 16%) and Sport (n=6, 13%). Y4 students were least likely to want to work in Musculoskeletal (n=6, 35%), cardiorespiratory (n=5, 29%) and Elderly Specialities (n=4, 24%).
Y1 students reported that their decisions on speciality were influenced by their previous exposure (n=19, 42%), their preference for a client group (n=17, 38%) and what they perceive as an interesting area to work in (n=14, 31%). Y4 student's reasons were influenced by their placement experience (n=11, 65%), their perceived confidence in a particular speciality (n=4, 24%) and the amount of time they got to spend with the clients (n=4, 24%).
Conclusion(s): The results of this study demonstrate that Y1 and Y4 physiotherapy undergraduate students have similar preferences for where they would, and would not, want to specialise in future. Paediatric and Neurological Specialities rated highly in both year groups, with Cardiorespiratory and Elderly Specialities amongst the least desirable. Students experience and exposure to a speciality appeared to influence their preferences. An Elderly Speciality was seen as an undesirable area to work in which conflicts with the workforce required for the ageing population. Future research should be carried out following a longitudinal cohort throughout their Physiotherapy undergraduate programme and beyond graduation to explore how students' and newly qualified Physiotherapists' opinions of specialities develop and evolve.
Implications: Students applying for future physiotherapy courses should be encouraged to gain experience in a variety of different specialities. Students should be supported to have positive placement experiences in a variety of clinical settings, including where possible Elderly Specialities
Keywords: Physiotherapy, Student, Career Preference
Funding acknowledgements: None
Topic: Education; Professional issues
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Glasgow Caledonian University
Ethics committee: School of Health and Life Sciences Ethics Committee
Ethics number: HLS/PSWAHP/17/116
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
