Professional Behavior In Physical Therapy Students

Author : Arthur Daniel Fredericks
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 108 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (143 download)

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Download or read book Perceived Professional Behavior Level of Recent Physical Therapy Graduates written by Arthur Daniel Fredericks and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine Springfield College physical therapy graduates' perceptions of their professional behaviors following graduation and in the early years of professional employment. SUBJECTS: Graduates from the master's of physical therapy program at Springfield College between class years 2004 and 2006 (n=33, 41.8% response rate) returned completed surveys that met inclusion criteria. Subjects were required to have a current physical therapy license, currently be employed, and graduated within the specified years. Twenty-five of the 33 respondents participated in the expository writing section and these responses were used for qualitative analysis. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted to aid in survey refinement. A researcher- designed survey, cover letter, stamped return envelope, and an incentive were mailed (n=79) to the 2004-2006 physical therapy graduates. The survey contained two sections: visual analog scale (VAS) measurements for each professional behavior and checklists of characteristics for each professional behavior. A narrative writing section was provided below each checklist for narrative explanations for the answers provided. A second mailing was sent to non-respondents to improve the response rate. DATA ANALYSIS: Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 14.0 for Windows: Qualitative data was analyzed through primary and secondary coding to identify common themes for each professional behavior. RESULTS: Respondents (n=33) represented the graduating PT classes of 2004 (n= 13), PT class of2005 (n=ll), and PT class of 2006 (n=9). One difference was confirmed within the professional behavior, stress management, between class years 2004 and 2005 on the visual analog scales. No differences existed between class years 2004 and 2006, or between 2005 and 2006. No differences were found among the remaining nine professional behaviors. No correlation was able to be determined between V AS responses and checklist characteristics. Qualitative data analysis resulted in identification of common themes among class years DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: No correlation may have been due to the researcher-designed survey. The difference in perception of stress management may indicate that this behavior was not addressed well in the entry-level educational curriculum. The results can not be generalized to the whole population due to inconsistency of answers, lack of correlation between VAS responses and checklist characteristics, and lack of differences among professional behaviors. Therefore, the authors determined that this study should be considered a pilot study. Professional behavior characteristics should have been more clearly defined to enhance interpretation and results. The format and instrumentation of the researcher-designed survey tool needs validation to yield appropriate survey responses in future studies. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Stress management should be more openly addressed in both entry level professional behavior education and during the early professional employment process in order to learn better ways to cope with stress. RESULTS: Respondents (n=33) represented the graduating PT classes of2004 (n= 13), PT class of2005 (n=ll), and PT class of2006 (n=9). One difference was confirmed within the professional behavior, stress management, between class years 2004 and 2005 on the visual analog scales. No differences existed between class years 2004 and 2006, or between 2005 and 2006. No differences were found among the remaining nine professional behaviors. No correlation was able to be determined between VAS responses and checklist characteristics. Qualitative data analysis resulted in identification of common themes among class years DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: No correlation may have been due to the researcher-designed survey. The difference in perception of stress management may indicate that this behavior was not addressed well in the entry-level educational curriculum. The results can not be generalized to the whole population due to inconsistency of answers, lack of correlation between VAS responses and checklist characteristics, and lack of differences among professional behaviors. Therefore, the authors determined that this study should be considered a pilot study. Professional behavior characteristics should have been more clearly defined to enhance interpretation and results. The format and instrumentation of the researcher-designed survey tool needs validation to yield appropriate survey responses in future studies. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Stress management should be more openly addressed in both entry level professional behavior education and during the early professional employment process in order to learn better ways to cope with stress.