Development of a clinical education pathway (PhysioSTeps) to support physiotherapists’ transition to specialty practice: a co-design study

Objectives To i) identify physiotherapists' needs for professional development support and ii) address the educational need to support mid-level physiotherapists to transition to a highly-developed physiotherapist within a specialty area, by creating a structured clinical education pathway. Design Experience-based co-design (EBCD) with three interactive co-design workshops (one to identify learning needs, two to develop the pathway) conducted over four months. Setting Large public hospital service Participants Physiotherapists of varied experience levels were included Data collection Workshops were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and field notes taken. A clinical education pathway was developed iteratively through feedback provided at workshops and by key stakeholders. Results Nineteen physiotherapists participated in the workshops. The primary theme of Workshop 1 was, "Opportunities to advance are often serendipitous", in which a tension emerged between clinical and non-clinical demands, impeding participation in professional development. A clinical education pathway was described as needing structure, clear expectations, and managerial support. The resulting clinical education pathway was comprised of four elements: 1) study days (with focus on specialty-specific and non-clinical skills), 2) mentoring, 3) experiential learning including project work, and 4) assessment of ‘on the job' capabilities. Conclusion A clinical education pathway comprising study days, mentoring, experiential learning, and competency assessment was designed in collaboration with end-users to support transition of mid-level physiotherapists into specialty areas of practice. This pathway seeks to improve skills, confidence and evidence-based behaviours in specialty areas of physiotherapy. Contribution of the paper •Physiotherapists need structured professional development with clear expectations that is supported by managers to support career advancement. •Physiotherapists require knowledge and experience in both non-clinical and clinical skills when transitioning to areas of specialty practice. •Physiotherapists value experiential learning experiences supported by skilled mentors.