Pre-registration student research placements within KNOWBEST: a service evaluation

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Pre-registration student placements have traditionally been based in clinical settings. Recently, practice-based learning has evolved to include additional settings, including research, leadership and management. The KNOWBEST (Knowledge, Behaviours And Skills Required of the Modern Physiotherapy Graduate) project incorporated research placements for five pre-registration students. The aims of this project were to develop, implement and evaluate research placements within a UK pre-registration physiotherapy program, to add to the limited information available for HEI and supervisors. The paper includes placement content, reflections and evaluations from the perspective of the students, supervisors and Practice Team Lead. Students and staff were highly positive about research placements. Student’s spoke of the importance of their immersive experience on placement, valuing the variety of learning experiences, opportunities to lead and the development of transferable skills. Students found that research and clinical placements, whilst different, were also similar in important ways. Students appreciated how research placements developed their abilities to provide evidence-based practice as clinicians. This paper does not provide definitive placement guidance, it provides information gleaned from direct experience for teams planning research placements. It identifies and reports areas the team found challenging, to facilitate discussion and debate as the profession actively diversifies and expands practice-based learning.