Double Edge Sword Burn out or Moral Injury of Our Clinical Instructors
Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose and aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and levels of moral stress and burnout experienced by PTs who serve in the role as clinical instructors.
The objects of this research are:
• To determine the prevalence of moral stress and burn out in physical therapist who serve as clinical instructor.
• To investigate if a relationship exists between moral stress and the different components of burn out.
• To investigate if a relationship exists between demographic characteristics and moral distress and/or burnout.
Number of Subjects: To participate in this study physical therapist must have been a clinical instructor (CI) for clinical education for physical therapy students for at least one year and have participated in clinical education within the last two years.
Materials and Methods:
The design of this study is a descriptive correlational design. The study is based on a model theory of Jameton moral distress and Maslach and Jackson framework on burnout.
Instruments used in this study include: Moral Distress Scale Stress -Revised-Occupational Therapist (MDS-R-OT), the Maslach Burnout Inventory HSS, and a Demographic Questionnaire created by the researcher Kellish. Data from this study will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, parametric. SPSS on Windows, version 25. Descriptive statistics will be used to analysis demographic data and responses to Moral Distress Scale Revised Occupational Therapist items and Maslach Burnout Inventory HSS items. Descriptive statistics that will be analyzes the mean, median, mode and percentages. Relationships and differences between moral distress and burnout will be analyzed using Pearson correlations.
Results: Preliminary results suggest a correlation between several items such as stress in relation to serving as a clinical instructor, workplace, clinical caseload, employer support, and strength of the student’s preparedness for clinic. Additionally, clinicians who have served as clinical instructors reported increase stress due to lack of time to supervise student and complete caseload requirements. Meeting caseload demands, student attitude, and competency of the student have been identified as contributing to clinical instructors perceived stress.
Conclusions: Developing an understanding of the under pinning of moral stress and burn out of clinical instructors could aid in the identification of more effective strategies to address the pressing dilemma of the shortage and difficulty of placing students for clinical education.
Clinical Relevance: It is imperative for the physical therapy profession and educators to have information about moral distress and burnout of our clinical instructors as the issue of securing, sufficient appropriate student placements have become a pressing matter.