The rising phoenix in academic physical therapy: revelations about clinical education
Purpose: The purpose of this session is to provide the audience an opportunity to explore opportunities for innovation within clinical education practice. Clinical education is an integral component of health professions education. Some have gone as far to state the time spent in clinical training is the most important, powerful and memorable aspect of student training. Due to evolutions in the academic training programs, the role and responsibilities of a variety stakeholders, including the director of clinical education (DCE) and the site coordinator of clinical education (SCCE), have also evolved. A question remains, however, “has the growth of clinical education, including the DCE and SCCE, evolved enough to address future needs of the profession?”Methods and/or Description of Project: A national qualitative study about the role and responsibility of the DCE was conducted in 2016. Eleven teams of program directors and directors of clinical education were interviewed. Data was thematically analyzed and synthesized to produce five themes of trends, issues and challenges that impact directors of clinical education. As a result of this analysis, we used Watt's taxonomy and organizational structure literature, to develop an innovative taxonomy for use within clinical education today.Results/Outcomes: This session will provide a summary of the national study about the role and responsibilities of the DCE and provide a detailed description and application of an innovative taxonomy created to guide organizational development of a clinical education office, The themes center around internal and external impact factors that provide challenges and opportunities for physical therapist clinical education. We used these results to apply Watt's taxonomy, a workflow analysis of physical therapists job responsibilities, to the role and responsibility of the director of clinical education. Our analysis revealed that there are 3 levels of responsibilities: processor, coordinator and director levels. Each one of these will be briefly explored. We will also offer future recommendations about how continued growth of the academic and clinical educators could help guide the advancement of a clinical research agenda, the academic clinical education curricula, and site specific clinical education curricula.Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Our Leadership Landscape: Perspectives from the Ground Level to 30,000 Feet: This session will build upon the conference theme of “Developing strategies to build resilience in academic and clinical environments.” Our presentation is centered on looking at where we are now (ground level), and applying new knowledge about academic and clinical education environments for future endeavors. We are using educational research evidence to present a novel way to look at organizational structures and how this evidence could lead to innovative ways to deliver a more efficient clinical education program.References: Applebaum D, Portney LG, Kolosky L et al. Building physical therapist education networks. J Phys Ther Educ. 2014;28(1):30-38 Buccieri KM, Rodriguez J, Smith SS, Robinson R, Gallivan SP, Frost JS. Director of clinical education performance assessment surveys: a 360-degree assessment of the unique roles and responsibilities of this position in physical therapy education. J Phys Ther Educ. 2012;26(3):13-21. Dunfee HJ. Clinical education: past, present, and future. J Phys Ther Educ. 2008;22(3):3-6 Engelhard C, McCallum, CA, Applebaum D, Teglia V. Development of an innovative taxonomy and matrix through examination of the Director of Clinical Education roles and responsibilities. Accepted for publication in 2018 J Phys Ther Educ Jensen GM, Nordstrom T, Segal RL, McCallum CA, Graham C, Greenfield B. Education research in physical therapy: visions of the possible. PTJ. 2016; 96 (12) 1874-1884. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20160159 Margo K, Gazewood J, Jerpbak C, Burge S, Usatine R. Clerkship directors' characteristics, scholarship, and support: a summary of published surveys from seven medical specialties. Teaching and Learning in Medicine: An International Journal. 2009;21(2):94-99. McCallum, CA, Engelhard C, Applebaum D, Teglia V. Trends, issues and challenges and the Director of Clinical Education: preparing for a new direction in physical therapist clinical education. Accepted for publication in 2018 J Phys Ther Educ. McCallum CA, Mosher PD, Jacobson PJ, Gallivan SP, Giuffre SM. Quality in physical therapist clinical education: a systematic review. Phys Ther. 2013;93(10):1-18, 1298-1311. McCallum CA, Mosher PD, Howman J, Engelhard C, Euype S, Cook CE. Development of regional core networks for the administration of physical therapist clinical education. J Phys Ther Educ. 2014;28 Watt N. Task Analysis and Division of Responsibility in Physical Therapy. JOPTE; 1971, 51(1). pp.23-25. White AE. Organizational structure and design in higher education: a literature review of organizational structures in higher education with a focus on the co-existence of academic and non-academic structures. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED319354. Accessed March 21, 2018.Course Objectives: 1.Summarize the evolving nature of clinical education and those involved in the process. 2. Describe the development of an innovative taxonomy for the roles and responsibilities of the director of clinical education. 3. Delineate the varying roles involved in the organizational structure of the clinical education office and how application of a matrix can guide future initiatives. 4. Discuss future opportunities for the profession and academic programs related to the evolving role and responsibilities of the director of clinical education, clinical educators and the development of a clinical education office.Instructional Methods: Lecture presentation Use of power point Active participation with open dialogueTentative Outline/Schedule: 20 minutes-Introduction and Review of the national DCE study outcomes 40 minutes-Design and application of the CE office taxonomy 20 minutes- Innovative opportunities for the future of clinical education 10 minutes-Question and Answer opportunity