Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine what conflicts student physical therapists perceive with their clinical instructors during full-time clinical education experiences and if there was an association between conflict and the students’ opinions of their learning and the overall clinical education experience. Students in other healthcare disciplines experience conflict during clinical education. Additionally, research shows that licensed healthcare providers report conflict in the workplace. These conflicts can result in positive and negative consequences for the learner or provider and the patients. Tailored training may help to minimize the negative consequences; however, there is a lack of available data describing the conflict student physical therapists experience. Methods: The investigator designed a survey to collect data for this quantitative, non-experimental study. The survey contained demographic questions and Likert-type statements. A convenience sample of students enrolled in full-time clinical education experiences from one university were invited to participate (N=82). Participants were given a list of conflicts and asked to identify which, if any, they perceived with their clinical instructor; then they were asked to provide their overall opinion of the clinical education experience and learning. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The response rate was 61%. Thirty-nine student physical therapists (78%) perceived conflict with their clinical instructor. Conflicts based on personality, communication, and intervention decisions were identified by the greatest number of participants (n>25). The frequency of feedback was identified as a source of conflict by the fewest participants (n=15). No association between perceiving conflict and the students’ opinion of the overall clinical education experience or learning were found. Conclusion: Like studies with other healthcare students, this study found most student physical therapists experienced conflict. In contrast to others, there was no association between conflict and the students’ opinion of their learning. The findings are significant for students and academic and clinical faculty; they can inform curriculum focused on improving the student physical therapists’ communication in preparation for the workplace.
Acknowledgements
The author thanks Cathy Elrod, PT, PhD for her helpful comments to improve the manuscript.
Recommended Citation
Moran MW. Conflict Between Student Physical Therapists and Clinical Instructors During Full-Time Clinical Education. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2025 Jul 28;23(3), Article 23.
