Providing a ‘safety net’: fine‐tuning preparation of undergraduate physiotherapists for contemporary professional practice

Abstract

It is increasingly imperative that professional courses produce graduates who are fit for purpose. However, there is evidence that some junior staff within the allied health professions feel ill‐prepared for the demands of contemporary professional practice, especially with respect to their management capabilities. Adverse criticism of new graduates by employers has prompted a variety of curricular innovations. This paper presents the findings of a small evaluative study of the impact of introducing a work‐based ‘caseload management module’ during the final weeks of an undergraduate physiotherapy course. The module is designed to offer students the opportunity to further develop management skills, essential to the competent junior therapist, that are transferable across the clinical specialties. Evaluation on point of completion of the module and several months into employment highlights several factors perceived to have been helpful in facilitating progression into practice. The module provides a transition period and a means of ‘bridging the gap’ between student and employee. Being given increased responsibility for a caseload of patients while still operating with a ‘safety net’ in place, where the practice educator retains overall responsibility, is a key factor in developing confidence in managing the demands of a junior therapist post and being perceived as competent to do so. Students also feel accepted and valued by colleagues to a greater extent than in earlier placements, thus strengthening their professional identity. Students recognize that management skills, such as prioritization or delegation, are transferable, and enable them to enter into a variety of junior therapist posts with increased levels of self‐confidence. Thus, the evaluation evidence suggests that the caseload management module not only prepares students for managing their future workload but also ensures that they enter professional practice with realistic expectations of its demands.

‘Being responsible’: students’ perspectives on trust, risk and work-based learning

“…Evaluations of the final caseload management placement, conducted between 2000 and 2002, identified it as bridging the gap between being a student and becoming an employee, therefore smoothing the transition into practice (Clouder and Dalley 2002). Most importantly, having opportunity to take on increased responsibility headed the list of potential benefits of the module with 61 of the 74 respondents ranking being able to take on increased responsibility highly.…”

Impact of oral assessment on physiotherapy students' learning in practice

“…Placement assessment is consistent in terms of mode across all six of these placements. An additional seventh placement that occurs in the final four weeks of the programme, and which focuses on the development of caseload management skills, is assessed differently (Clouder and Dalley, 2002) and is not considered in this study. presentation and punctuality.…”