Factors Contributing to Physical Therapist Attrition: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Physical therapists (PTs) experience job satisfaction but also stress and burnout.
• A subset of PTs voluntarily leave clinical practice, known as attrition.
• PT attrition negatively impacts patient care, organizational costs, and the profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the experiences of PTs voluntarily leaving clinical practice.
• To understand the factors contributing to PT attrition.

Main Methods:

• Pragmatic qualitative approach utilizing semi-structured interviews.
• Interviews conducted with PTs who had left clinical practice.
• Verbatim transcription and deductive thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Nineteen US-based PTs participated, predominantly female (n=15) and Doctors of Physical Therapy (n=10).
• Median work experience was 6 years.
• Five key themes emerged: lack of career advancement, rising productivity impacting patient care quality, financial concerns (education cost vs. compensation), physical demands, and emotional burden versus professional value.

Conclusions:

• Understanding PT attrition factors is vital for developing retention strategies.
• Further research can inform interventions in education and workplace environments.
• Addressing these concerns may improve PT retention and patient care quality.