Brakemeier R1, Künzli N1, Iris H1, Laube B1
1Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Health, Institute of Physiotherapy, Winterthur, Switzerland
Background: Physiotherapy students of the BSc degree program in Physiotherapy at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences have to pass overall three different clinical placements each last twelve weeks. These clinical sites are selected based by specific criteria through the university and regulated by an agreement of cooperation. Clinical placements enable the students to transfer the theoretical knowledge into real clinical practice. Clinical instructors, especially trained physiotherapists of the team at the clinical site, foster and promote students learning. Furthermore, they are responsible to assess the students' performance. Out of students` perspective, two questions arise: Which are the essential parameters for high quality in clinical education and what are supportive characteristics shown by patients.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the essential parameters for high quality in clinical education out of the students` perspective. The results of this analysis will be integrated in the development of various aspects in clinical education.
Methods: At the end of the third clinical placement, 118 statements from students (n=120), were gained by written evaluation related to quality of clinical placements. In a first step, 20 randomised selected statements were analysed and categorized by a qualitative content analysis. Two questions were in focus: Which characteristics for a successful clinical education did students mention? Which criteria for the patient characteristics did they described? The thereby developed category system enabled the allocation of the 118 statements. The results are showed as a descriptive presentation of the data.
Results: First result shows, that the selection of suitable patients has a significant impact on the quality of clinical education. Criteria such as “variety”, “matching the level of education”, “complexity” and a “flow in fulfilling the role as a learning physiotherapist” were important. The clinical instructors are positively described, if they perform their role as an aware, reflected, engaged and professional teacher. The students point out the importance of high social and educational competencies. For high quality in clinical education, students also underline the importance of social integration in the respective physiotherapy team.
“Interprofessional cooperation” as an issue for supporting high quality in clinical education is rarely brought into relationship. The strong discrepancy between the effort to promote and facilitate this topic in specific modules at the university and the number of student statements (n=3) referring to it is surprising.
Conclusion(s): The educational and social performance of clinical instructors, the integration in the physiotherapy team and the reflected selection of suitable patients have an essential meaning for achieving high quality in clinical education.
Implications: The results show important indications for the development of high quality in clinical education. The clinical sites should be aware of the importance to carefully select the patients for the students and to integrate them in their teams. In addition, the professional development of the clinical instructor seems to be the key factor for high quality in clinical education. This should be subject of discussion with the responsible authority at the clinical site.
Keywords: Clinical education, Students' perspective, Quality parameters
Funding acknowledgements: There was no funding for this study.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the essential parameters for high quality in clinical education out of the students` perspective. The results of this analysis will be integrated in the development of various aspects in clinical education.
Methods: At the end of the third clinical placement, 118 statements from students (n=120), were gained by written evaluation related to quality of clinical placements. In a first step, 20 randomised selected statements were analysed and categorized by a qualitative content analysis. Two questions were in focus: Which characteristics for a successful clinical education did students mention? Which criteria for the patient characteristics did they described? The thereby developed category system enabled the allocation of the 118 statements. The results are showed as a descriptive presentation of the data.
Results: First result shows, that the selection of suitable patients has a significant impact on the quality of clinical education. Criteria such as “variety”, “matching the level of education”, “complexity” and a “flow in fulfilling the role as a learning physiotherapist” were important. The clinical instructors are positively described, if they perform their role as an aware, reflected, engaged and professional teacher. The students point out the importance of high social and educational competencies. For high quality in clinical education, students also underline the importance of social integration in the respective physiotherapy team.
“Interprofessional cooperation” as an issue for supporting high quality in clinical education is rarely brought into relationship. The strong discrepancy between the effort to promote and facilitate this topic in specific modules at the university and the number of student statements (n=3) referring to it is surprising.
Conclusion(s): The educational and social performance of clinical instructors, the integration in the physiotherapy team and the reflected selection of suitable patients have an essential meaning for achieving high quality in clinical education.
Implications: The results show important indications for the development of high quality in clinical education. The clinical sites should be aware of the importance to carefully select the patients for the students and to integrate them in their teams. In addition, the professional development of the clinical instructor seems to be the key factor for high quality in clinical education. This should be subject of discussion with the responsible authority at the clinical site.
Keywords: Clinical education, Students' perspective, Quality parameters
Funding acknowledgements: There was no funding for this study.
Topic: Education: clinical; Education
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Ethics committee: Institutional Review Board at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Reason not required: No ethical approval required with this type of study
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
