Physical Therapist Student Practice: Where Are Wound Management Clinical Experiences Occurring?

Abstract

Purpose: Integumentary care/wound management makes up a relatively small but important part of physical therapist practice. Studies demonstrate physical therapist inclusion on interdisciplinary wound management teams speeds healing, improves patient quality of life, and reduces costs over the course of care. The purposes of our study were to determine in which clinical setting students were receiving the most integumentary/wound management opportunities, common examination techniques and interventions performed, student comfort with these hands-on skills, and whether students perceived themselves as meeting clinical instructor expectations. Methods: A 2-part survey was administered to 38 Doctor of Physical Therapy students after full-time clinical experiences were completed. Results: Inpatient settings were the most commonly reported areas for integumentary opportunities, with acute care representing 43% of the total inpatient reports. Most common techniques and interventions included wound debridement (27%), wound measurements (22%), capillary refill (20%), and compression (19%). The majority of students (66%) felt “comfortable” or “very comfortable” with hands-on skills and 97% reported meeting or exceeding instructor expectations. Conclusions: Results show the majority of integumentary/wound management clinical experience opportunities occur in acute/inpatient settings. As such, collaboration between acute care clinical instructors and entry-level faculty is necessary to ensure academic preparation and clinical expectations are appropriately aligned.