Professional and Personal Physical Therapist Development through Service Learning in Collaboration with a Prisoner...

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy Education
• Service-Learning in Healthcare
• Cultural Competency in Medicine

Background:

• Assessing the readiness of physical therapy graduates to manage culturally diverse patient populations is a significant concern.
• Traditional educational models may not fully prepare students for the complexities of real-world clinical practice with diverse groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the professional and personal development of physical therapy students participating in a service-learning course.
• To evaluate the impact of a prisoner reinsertion program collaboration on student skill acquisition and confidence.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach utilizing student diaries, semi-structured interviews with students and a professor, and observational field notes.
• Convenience sample of twenty physical therapy students and one teaching professor.
• Data triangulation employed to build a conceptual model of student development.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified include enhanced application of knowledge, adaptation to diverse environments, improved patient communication, and increased treatment self-confidence.
• Service-learning provided crucial opportunities for practical skill application in varied settings.
• Students reported significant gains in their ability to assist diverse patient populations.

Conclusions:

• Service-learning initiatives, particularly those involving community collaboration, are vital for developing well-rounded physical therapy professionals.
• Physical therapy programs should integrate diverse workplace practice to foster professionalism and cultural competence.
• Experiential learning significantly contributes to students' confidence and adaptability in clinical practice.