Clinical Education Scholar

Program: Creating Innovative

Partnerships Between
Academic Physical Therapy
Programs and Clinical Faculty
Nancy Mulligan PT, DPT
Mary Christenson, PT, PhD
Alice M. Davis, PT, DPT
Laura LaPorta Krum, PT, PhD
Barbara A. Tschoepe, PT, PhD
The Best We Can Be is Yet
to Come

Winstein CJ. 4oth Mary McMillan

Lecture. Phys Ther. 2009;89:1236-1249.
 “ A UNIFORM
COMMITMENT TO SETTING
THE HIGHEST STANDARDS
OF EXCELLENCE FOR OUR
EDUCATION, OUR
RESEARCH, AND OUR
PRACTICE.”
 3 PILLARS
EDUCATION, RESEARCH,
PRACTICE
 Problem 1
Gap Between Academics and
Clinical Practice
Vision 2020
• Autonomous practice
• Direct access
• Evidence based practice
• Professionalism
• Doctors of PT
• Practitioners of Choice
 Problem 2
Teaching Skills of Clinical
Faculty
Clinical Faculty =
Clinical Instructors
Coordinators of Clinical Education

• Minimal to no education on mentoring

and clinical teaching
• Difficulty understanding clinical
educational expectations for doctoral
students
 CE Program Evaluation
• 4 years of brainstorming, planning and seeking university
wide support
• Focus group with clinical faculty
• Clinical faculty desire more training on core areas within
a partnership model with the academic program
• Results similar to findings in Recker-Hughes study

Journal of Physical Therapy Education

Fall 2008 Recker-Hughes et al.
 Intervention

Clinical
Education
Scholar Program
 Clinical Education Scholar
Program
Vision
Designed to invoke partnerships with individual
PTs (CE scholars) who
• Embrace APTA Vision 2020
• Emulate Regis School of PT mission
• Desire faculty development in clinical teaching
• Ensure optimal student learning
 CE Scholar Role in
Collaboration
• Maintain APTA membership
• Complete the CESP Orientation
• Supervise a minimum of 2 Regis
student rotations/year
• Commit to the role of a Regis faculty
member
 Regis Role in Collaboration
• Offer CESP orientation curriculum
• Promote EBP with Regis University
library database access
• Provide free post-professional courses in
the tDPT and fellowship programs.
• Support CE Scholar through ongoing
mentorship with academic faculty
 Description of Program
Components
• APTA CI Credentialing Course
• TDPT 770 – 8 week online
Professional Development course on
evidence based practice
• 9 one-hour online educational
modules
 Online Educational Modules
Joining Regis
Mission
Curriculum
CE Program

Clinical Teaching
Learning Styles
Orientation and Teaching
Strategies Difficult and
Exceptional Students
Professional
Development Finding and
Using Evidence
APTA, Health Advocacy & Govt.
Affairs Clinical Practice Special
Topics
http://regis-scholars.wikidot.com
Teaching Strategies
 Expected Outcomes
• Improve CE experiences
• Foster stronger collaboration with institution
• Enhance clinical teaching and mentoring skills
• Close the gap between didactic knowledge
and clinical experience
• Decrease Clinical sites from > 450 to 150 CIs
 CE Scholar Demographics

• 42 CE scholars enrolled
• 32 practice in outpatient orthopedic settings
• 11 completed the CESP orientation curriculum
Evaluation of the CES
Program
• Student, CI and ACCE Evaluations
– Effectiveness of Mentoring Scale
– Regis CESP survey
– APTA Site/CI Evaluation
Clinical Education Scholar
Pre/Post Evaluation
 Testimonials from Clinical
Education Scholars
• “Thank you for recognizing the need
to foster good clinical education.”

• “Regis University supports my

abilities to mentor students by
providing an online resource. I have
referred to it often.”
 Challenges of the CESP
Dedicated time
• Meaningful Orientation Curriculum
• Innovative marketing mediums
• Scholar orientation feedback
• Program administration
• Evaluation of the Program
 
 Can utilize student’s
learning style to enhance
learning environment
PRE POST
• 27.3% (3) Strongly Agree • 40.0% (2) Strongly Agree
• 45.5% (5) Agree • 40.0% (2) Agree
• 27.3% (3) Slightly Agree • 20.0% (1) Slightly Agree
 As a mentor, I challenged me to
extend my abilities (e.g. risk taking, try
a new professional activity, draft a
section of an article)
PRE POST
• 9.1% (1) Strongly Agree • 20.0% (1)Strongly Agree
• 45.5% (5) Agree • 20.0% (1) Agree
36.4% (4) Slightly Agree • 60.0% (3) Slightly Agree
•
• 9.1% (1) Disagree
 Future Research Questions

• Do Clinical Faculty that receive additional

training on Regis Mission/Curriculum, Clinical
Teaching Skills and Current Best Practice
perceive themselves as more knowledgeable in
these areas then clinical faculty not receiving the
additional training?
 Ongoing Research
Questions
Education Research Practice
 References
Recker-Hughes C, Pivko S, Mowder-Tinney JJ, Brooks G.
Clinical Instructors’ Self-Perceptions of Competence in
Teaching Core Content Areas of Curriculum to DPT
Students: Implications for Academic Programs. J Phys
Therapy Education. 2008;22:51-59.
Wetherbee E, Nordrum JT, Giles S. Effective Teaching
Behaviors of APTA-Credentialed Versus Noncredentialed
Clinical Instructors. J Phys Therapy Education. 2008;
22(1):65-74.
Thank you!