The clinical education experience of physical therapist students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study
Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of physical therapist (PT) students participating in clinical education (CE) experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This qualitative study used an interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences of entry-level PT students enrolled in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ) PT educational programs in an effort to understand the unique experience of completing full-time CE experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve students from accredited programs in New York and New Jersey who participated in a full-time CE experience during the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed.
Results: Four themes emerged: disruption in their academic education, altered CE experiences, emotional responses to these unanticipated disruptions, and their ability to adapt to these changes.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic was an exceptionally disruptive experience. However, with support, understanding, and encouragement, students adapted to the disruptions created by this unpredictable clinical environment.
References
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3. Iqbal T. Facing covid-19 as a student physical therapist. American Physical Therapy Association; 2020. Available from: https://www.apta.org/article/2020/06/22/covid-clinical [cited 27 April 2021].
4. Anderson C, Dutton L. Physical therapy student stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study. J Phys Ther Educ (2022) 36(1): 1–7. doi: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000218
5. Hyland N, Vore M, Chan C, et al. COVID-19 impact on students in physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs in New York and New Jersey: key issues and recommended responses. J Phys Ther Educ (2021) 35(4): 279–85. doi: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000205
6. Seifman MA, Fuzzard SK, To H, et al. COVID-19 impact on junior doctor education and training: a scoping review. Postgrad Med J (2022) 98(1160): 466–76. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139575
7. Gallagher T, Schleyer A. ‘We signed up for this!’ – student and trainee responses to the covid-19 pandemic. N Engl J Med (2020) 382(25): e96. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2005234
8. Campo M, Hyland M, Hansen R. Experiences of physical therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Physiother Theory Pract (2022) 1(3): 1–15. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2021.2021576
9. Smith JA, Flowers P, Larkin M. Interpretative phenomenological analysis: theory, method and research. Los Angeles: Sage Publications; 2009.
10. Bakker AB, Demerouti E. The job demands-resources model: state of the art. J Manag Psychol (2007) 22(3):309–28. doi: 10.1108/02683940710733115
11. O’Brien BC, Harris IB, Beckman TJ, et al. Standards for reporting qualitative research: a synthesis of recommendations. Acad Med (2014) 89: 1245–51. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000388
12. Guest G, Namey E, Chen M. A simple method to assess and report thematic saturation in qualitative research. PLoS One (2020) 15(5): e0232076. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232076
13. Fusch P, Ness L. Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. Qual Rep (2015) 20(9): 1408. doi: 10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2281
14. Saldaña J. The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2021.
15. Miles MB, Huberman AM, Saldaña J. Qualitative data analysis: a methods sourcebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2018.
16. Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Aggregate program data, 2019 physical therapists educational programs fact sheets. Alexandria, VA; 2020. Available from: https://www.capteonline.org/about-capte/dataand-research/aggregate-program-data/archive [cited 22 February 2021].
17. Coffey CS, MacDonald BV, Shahrvini B, et al. Student perspectives on remote medical education in clinical core clerkships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Med Sci Educ (2020) 30: 1577–84. doi: 10.1007/s40670-020-01114-9
18. Rotondo AL. Financial impact of COVID-19 on DPT students in the United States. J Clin Educ Phys Ther. 2022;4:1–14. doi: 10.52214/jcept.v4.8157
19. Kothe C, Reynolds B, Eaton K, et al. The impact of virtual laboratories on student clinical education preparedness: a mixed-method analysis. J Phys Ther Educ 2023; 37(2): 94–101. doi: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000270
20. Coleman JR, Abdelsattar JM, Glocker RJ, et al. COVID-19 pandemic and the lived experience of surgical residents, fellows, and early-career surgeons in the American College of Surgeons. J Am Coll Surg (2021) 232(2): 119–35.e20. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.09.026
21. Xie YJ, Cao DP, Sun T, et al. The effects of academic adaptability on academic burnout, immersion in learning, and academic performance among Chinese medical students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ (2019) 19: 211. doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1640-9
22. Singe SM, Bowman TG. Athletic training student coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Athl Train Educ J (2022) 17(1): 21–7. doi: 10.4085/1947-380X-21-049
Article Details
Keywords:
Clinical Education, COVID-19, Physical Therapist Education, Adaptability
Issue
Section
Original Research Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Donahue , M. L., Lyons Hansen, R., Krencicki, D. ., & Schaub, C. (2023). The clinical education experience of physical therapist students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study. The Journal of Clinical Education in Physical Therapy, 5. https://doi.org/10.52214/jcept.v5.10149