Postregistration Training and Competency Assessment of Intensive Care Unit Physiotherapists: A Scoping Review

Intensive care unit (ICU) physiotherapy practice requires additional skills and knowledge that is not mandated within entry-level physiotherapy education. Therefore, the training of ICU physiotherapists occurs in the workplace. The need to standardize the training requirements has led researchers to develop minimum practice standards. The extent to which these minimum practice standards are used in ICU training programs remains unclear. The aim of this review was to identify ICU physiotherapy training programs that use minimum practice standards for trainees.

A scoping review following the Johanna Briggs Institute methodology was conducted. Six bibliographic databases and university and professional association websites were searched for ICU physiotherapy minimum practice standards and education programs. Two authors screened all relevant articles for inclusion, and data on setting, minimum standards, training-program duration, and qualifications/titles recognized were extracted.

Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria from the 2081 screened studies. These comprised 12 standalone minimum practice standards, 9 standalone education programs, and one combined standard and education program from both published and gray literature sources. Only one study reported an education program that used a minimum performance standard. Qualification on completion varied between education program types.

Minimum practice standards are rarely used in ICU physiotherapy training. To support high-quality care, an ICU physiotherapy training program that integrates minimum performance standards should be developed. Accreditation of such a program may assist in supporting recognition between centers.