Exploring the factors that impact on the non-attendance of physiotherapy clinical educators at faculty development training programmes at Stellenbosch University : a descriptive study

Date
2017-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Physiotherapy students are placed at various clinical sites over their third and fourth year of study as part of their undergraduate training at Stellenbosch University, Division of Physiotherapy. A physiotherapy supervisor is employed by the university to specifically meet with the student to facilitate their clinical reasoning, while on the clinical placement. It is also the clinical supervisor who completes the final summative assessment regarding the student’s competency at the end of the placement. However, the physiotherapy clinicians who are employed by the Department of Health work at these clinical facilities and monitor the daily progress of the students. The Division of Physiotherapy at Stellenbosch University hosts three annual workshops where topics related to clinical education are presented, to the various clinical educators that work with the physiotherapy students. These workshops provide an opportunity for discussion and promoting collaboration amongst the clinical educators. The researcher embarked on an evaluation of this faculty development programme by conducting interviews with six physiotherapy clinicians (N=6) who had not attended these workshops over the years of 2015 and 2016. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative research study was undertaken. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the physiotherapy clinicians’ barriers to attending faculty development programmes. Also, to elicit possible recommendations on how future faculty development programmes could be made more accessible to them. Two themes emerged from the data, namely practical barriers and poor relationships. The participants suggested that the practical barriers were related to the demands of service delivery and the logistics. The second theme related to poor relationships which was underpinned by concerns regarding poor communication and perceived tension. Therefore, valuable insights were gained from the nonattending physiotherapy clinicians. This research suggests that these participants did not feel part of the community of clinical educators. Faculty developers are encouraged to explore the development of multidisciplinary work-based programmes and investigate broadening the role of the clinical supervisor to include a formal educational support role, for physiotherapy clinicians. Furthermore, this research suggests that faculty developers should take into account the logistical arrangements, review the marketing strategies, and focus on collaboration, if they endeavor to build a community of practice amongst their clinical educators. Future research could evaluate the effect of incorporating informal engagement opportunities as part of existing faculty development programmes.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Fisioterapie studente word geplaas by verskeie kliniese fasiliteite gedurende hul derde en vierde jaar van studie, as deel van hul voorgraadse studie, by Stellenbosch Universiteit, Fisioterapie Divisie. Die universiteit stel ‘n kliniese toesighouer aan wat die student spesifiek besoek vir fasilitasie van kliniese beredenering, oor die kliniese blok. Die kliniese toesighouer voltooi ook die finale summatiewe assessering rakende die student se kliniese bevoegdheid aan die einde van die kliniese plasing. Die fisioterapie kliniese personeel is in diens by die Departement van Gesondheid en hulle werk daagliks by hiedie fasiliteite waar hul dan die vordering van die studente monitorDie Fisioterapie Divisie by Stellenbosch Universiteit hou drie werkswinkels per jaar waar verskeie onderwerpe rondom kliniese opvoeding aangebied word, aan die verskeie kliniese opvoeders wat met die fisioterapie studente werk. Die werkswinkels bied ‘n geleentheid vir bespreking en bevordering van samewerking tussen die kliniese opvoeders. Die navorser het beoog om ‘n evaluasie van die fakulteitsontwikkelingsprogram te doen deur ‘n onderhoud te voer met ses fisioterapie klinisie (N=6) wat nie die werkswinkels oor die jaar van 2015 en 2016 bygewoon het nie. ‘n Beskrywende fenomenologiese kwalitatiewe studie was onderneem. Die doel van die studie was om ‘n beter verstandhouding op te bou rondom die fisioterapie klinisie se hindernisse teenoor die bywoning van fakulteitsontwikkelingsprogramme. Die navorser wou ook uitvind of daar dalk moontlike aanbevelings gemaak kon word wat sou help om die toekomstige program meer toeganklik vir hul te maak. Twee temas het te voorskyn gekom vanuit die data, naamlik praktiese hindernisse en swak verhoudings. Die praktiese hindernisse is verwant aan die eise van dienslewering en die betrokke logistieke. Die tweede tema verwys na swak verhoudings wat onderskraag is deur bekommernisse rondom swak kommunikasie en ‘n waarnemende gevoel van spanning. Dus, die fisioterapie klinisie wat nie die fakulteitsontwikkelingsprogramme bygewoon het nie, het ‘n waardevolle bydrae gelewer tot die beter verstandhouding van moontlike hindernisse wat hul weerhou van bywoning. Die navorsing dui aan dat die deelnemers nie deel voel van die gemeenskap van kliniese opvoeders nie. Fakulteitsontwikkelaars word aangeraai om ondersoek in te stel rondom die ontwikkeling van ‘n multidissiplinere werk-baseerde program en die moontlikheid van die verbreding van die rol van die kliniese toesighouer om ook ‘n formele opvoeder ondersteuningsrol, vir fisioterapie klinisie te bied. Die navorsing dui ook verder daarop dat fakulteitsontwikkelaars die volgende in ag behoort te neem: hul logistiese reelings, bekyk hul bemarking strategiee, en fokus op samewerking, indien hul streef om ‘n gemeenskap van praktyk te bou met hul kliniese opvoeders. Toekomstige navorsing kan moontlik ‘n evaluasie doen van die effek van meer informele samewerkingsgeleenthede wat geinkorporeer kan word, as deel van huidige fakultietsontwikkelingsprogramme.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Physiotherapists -- Training of, Physiotherapy clinicians -- In-service training, Physiotherapy educators -- Non-attendance, UCTD
Citation