Effects of clinical clerkship in education for physical and occupational therapy students: a multifaceted examination...

This study aimed to determine the effects of clinical clerkship in physical and occupational therapy students' education on their stress, sleep, and technical skill acquisition.

We compared responses to the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire and the Athens Insomnia Scale, and students' clinical training grades between a traditional clinical training group (n=48) and a clinical clerkship group (n=48).

Compared with the traditional group, the clinical clerkship group showed significantly higher scores on the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire for quantitative and qualitative burden, and significantly lower scores for the extent of control over tasks, irritability, fatigue, depression, and physical ailment. Scores for vitality and supervisor support were also significantly higher in the clinical clerkship group than the traditional group. The median Athens Insomnia Scale score was significantly lower in the clinical clerkship group. Clinical training grades for fundamental attitude and treatment techniques were significantly higher in the clinical clerkship group than in the traditional group.

Students that experienced clinical clerkship perceived quantitative and qualitative burdens, which may be attributable to the level of interaction with patients during training. Their perception of low control over tasks may be because their supervisors described tasks specifically. However, the clinical clerkship group showed lower mental and physical stress than the traditional group. These students perceived they had supervisor support, which may be attributable to increased communication with their supervisor. Clinical clerkship was also linked to better sleep status than traditional training. Continuing clinical clerkship is necessary to develop students' technical clinical skills.