Abstract
BackgroundThe Australian Physiotherapy Council mandates that physiotherapy clinical education be sufficient to produce graduates who are competent to practice across the lifespan. Due to a lack of opportunities for paediatric clinical placements, there is a risk of graduates not having the opportunity to develop competency in paediatric physiotherapy. To address this risk, simulation-based education (SBE) has been proposed as an educational strategy to address the placement shortfall. Despite encouraging evidence for its use in physiotherapy education, there is limited evidence supporting its use specifically in paediatric populations. The aims of this research were to investigate the effect of SBE on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric clients, and to determine student satisfaction with SBE as a learning strategy.MethodsThree interactive SBE sessions were run during the undergraduate paediatric physiotherapy unit at the campus of one Australian university. Self-efficacy was surveyed before and after each session, to determine confidence in clinical skills, clinical decision-making, treatment preparation and planning, communication skills; evaluating and modifying interventions, and interprofessional practice. Student satisfaction with SBE as a learning strategy was surveyed after the final SBE session.ResultsFor the 164 participants included in this study, self-efficacy survey response rate varied from 77 to 96% for each session. Significant increases in mean student self-efficacy were recorded for all questions (p < 0.001). A total of 139 (85%) responded to the learning reactionnaire with 78.6% indicating they were very satisfied with SBE as a learning strategy. Written comments from 41 participants identified ‘experience’ as the primary theme.ConclusionSBE had a significant positive effect on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric patients. Students also perceived SBE to be a valuable learning experience. Future research is needed to investigate whether the improvement in self-efficacy achieved through SBE translates into improved student performance during workplace-based clinical placements.
Highlights
The Australian Physiotherapy Council mandates that physiotherapy clinical education be sufficient to produce graduates who are competent to practice across the lifespan
From the cohort of ninety-two (92) students enrolled in the Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice unit in 2018, 1 student was excluded due to previous enrolment and 1 student declined to participate
Seventy-four (74) students were enrolled in the Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice unit in 2014
Summary
The Australian Physiotherapy Council mandates that physiotherapy clinical education be sufficient to produce graduates who are competent to practice across the lifespan. Due to a lack of opportunities for paediatric clinical placements, there is a risk of graduates not having the opportunity to develop competency in paediatric physiotherapy To address this risk, simulation-based education (SBE) has been proposed as an educational strategy to address the placement shortfall. Individual learning experiences vary in this model, creating learning environments which may be opportunistic, unstructured and disparate [3] students may get inadequate exposure to higher risk patients, resulting in missed learning opportunities [4]. In addition to these challenges, paediatric placements are limited due to a lack of suitably qualified paediatric physiotherapists to act as educators [5]. SBE can guarantee provision of consistent and diverse learning experiences and include exposure to scenarios that are clinically uncommon, promoting a more equitable learning experience for all students
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