Clinical Site Directors’ Perspectives on Clinical Education

Abstract

Background and Purpose. A 2-way partnership between academic programs and clinical sites is required to achieve an adequate quantity of high quality clinical education (CE) experiences. Until recently, the perspectives of the directors of clinical sites, who are responsible for decision-making with respect to important CE issues, have not been adequately represented in physical therapy professional literature. The input of directors at clinical sites, who participate in decisions such as resource allocation and participation of staff in CE, are critical to inform ongoing strategic planning. Participants. The study surveyed 293 directors of clinical sites in New York and in New Jersey who were affiliated with 3 academic physical therapy programs. Methods. A comprehensive online survey was developed to capture directors’ perspectives on CE. The questionnaire included the following sections: (1) respondent demographics and decision-making roles, (2) reasons for and challenges of providing a CE program, (3) perspectives on the impact of CE on the quality of patient care and on productivity, and (4) supports desired and provided by academic programs. Descriptive statistics consisted of percentages and frequency distributions. Results. In all, 147 surveys were completed for a return rate of 53%. A vast majority of respondents actively participated in CE decision-making process. The majority of respondents identified multiple reasons for having a physical therapist (PT) student program, including 90.4% who said that CE programs contribute the professional development of staff. Nearly 50% of directors reported that academic programs have limited awareness of their challenges, with staffing issues most frequently identified. A strong majority of directors reported that the PT student program had a neutral or overall positive effect on productivity (77.6%) and quality of care delivered (93.6%). Many supports and benefits for CE are not perceived as being offered by academic programs and all of the respondents were interested in having academic programs provide additional supports. Few directors (16.1%) anticipated growth of their student programs. Conclusions. Directors’ responses indicate that they are key stakeholders in CE and involved in critical decisions that impact the sustainability and quality of CE experiences. The findings of this survey are valuable to complement the recommendations of the 2014 Clinical Education Summit and to inform next steps in strategic planning at local, regional, and national professional levels.