Service Learning to Facilitate Attainment of Professional Practice Expectations in Prevention and Health Promotion

Abstract

Background and Purpose. This paper describes an academic model to involve physical therapist (PT) students in service learning designed specifically to acquire competencies associated with prevention, health promotion, and wellness. Item number 24 on the Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) identifies this learning requirement. Such competencies are necessary for professional practice in physical therapy. Method/Model Description and Evaluation. The research team designed learning activities to facilitate the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for PT students to participate in the musculoskeletal station of a preparticipation physical examination (PPE). These activities were embedded into the curriculum of a musculoskeletal course offered in the first year of a 3-year professional program. After meeting established learning objectives, the students were paired and scheduled to participate in the musculoskeletal station of a local high school PPE, supervised by licensed physical therapists. A summative evaluation of the PPE for firsttime participants was developed during this experience and included 7 questions. Four questions used a Likert-style 5-point scale to measure student responses quantitatively, and the remaining 3 questions were openended to gather qualitative information. During the fourth year, the visual analog scale for CPI Item 24 was utilized to measure change in clinical competence for 10 second-year PT student participants. Outcomes. Students perceived a significant increase in overall knowledge and musculoskeletal skills related to CPI Item 24 after participating in the PPE. All the clinical instructors (CIs) of the secondyear PT student participants were able to document progress towards entry-level practice expectations through participating in this experience. Discussion and Conclusion. The firstyear PT students perceived a positive change in their knowledge, communication skills, and performance skills related to the musculoskeletal station of the PPE. CIs assessed all of the second-year students on CPI Item 24, whereas 40% had been “not observed” for this criteria during a prior clinical education experience.