Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Full-time clinical education experiences (CEEs) constitute a significant component of entry-level physical therapy education. COVID-19 challenged clinical education throughout the country by affecting the availability of CEEs.
METHODS: Research suggested that the number of clinical education spots available would stay the same. By contrast, the number of students enrolling in physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) education programs continues to rise. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students and faculty expressed concerns about the lack of student readiness and the availability of CEEs. The purpose of this study was to examine prepandemic factors that influenced the number of CEE slots available in Florida and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on slot availability. Furthermore, researchers sought to identify factors that prevented a return to prepandemic levels of CEE spot offerings and recognize solutions to overcome those barriers. Finally, the researchers aimed to pinpoint suggestions to enhance collaborations between the clinical sites and physical therapy education programs.
METHODS: Forty-eight site coordinators of clinical education (SCCEs) from various settings and regions in Florida completed the survey.
METHODS: An online survey was distributed to Florida SCCEs to ascertain their perceptions on how COVID-19 influenced clinical education. The researchers used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data.
RESULTS: Clinical instructor (CI) volunteerism was the primary determinant of CEE spots available before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of CEE spots was reduced for both PT and PTA education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the PTA slots returned to their baseline from 2019, the PT placements remained significantly lower in 2021. Social distancing and CI availability had the most considerable impact on CEE offerings. Site coordinators of clinical education also suggested that the greatest supports needed from the academic institutions were educating students on COVID-19 prevention and providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to students for their CEEs. This article also offers suggested incentives that academic sites can provide their clinical partners, such as in-services earning continuing education units, to enhance their participation in clinical education.
CONCLUSIONS: All clinical education stakeholders must collaborate to provide students with the required clinical educational opportunities. Academic sites should continue to provide support, training, and incentives to CIs to enhance participation from clinical education sites. Educational programs must add content about COVID-19 to their curriculum and consider providing students with PPE during their rotations to restore the number of CEEs post-COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: Research suggested that the number of clinical education spots available would stay the same. By contrast, the number of students enrolling in physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) education programs continues to rise. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students and faculty expressed concerns about the lack of student readiness and the availability of CEEs. The purpose of this study was to examine prepandemic factors that influenced the number of CEE slots available in Florida and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on slot availability. Furthermore, researchers sought to identify factors that prevented a return to prepandemic levels of CEE spot offerings and recognize solutions to overcome those barriers. Finally, the researchers aimed to pinpoint suggestions to enhance collaborations between the clinical sites and physical therapy education programs.
METHODS: Forty-eight site coordinators of clinical education (SCCEs) from various settings and regions in Florida completed the survey.
METHODS: An online survey was distributed to Florida SCCEs to ascertain their perceptions on how COVID-19 influenced clinical education. The researchers used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data.
RESULTS: Clinical instructor (CI) volunteerism was the primary determinant of CEE spots available before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of CEE spots was reduced for both PT and PTA education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the PTA slots returned to their baseline from 2019, the PT placements remained significantly lower in 2021. Social distancing and CI availability had the most considerable impact on CEE offerings. Site coordinators of clinical education also suggested that the greatest supports needed from the academic institutions were educating students on COVID-19 prevention and providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to students for their CEEs. This article also offers suggested incentives that academic sites can provide their clinical partners, such as in-services earning continuing education units, to enhance their participation in clinical education.
CONCLUSIONS: All clinical education stakeholders must collaborate to provide students with the required clinical educational opportunities. Academic sites should continue to provide support, training, and incentives to CIs to enhance participation from clinical education sites. Educational programs must add content about COVID-19 to their curriculum and consider providing students with PPE during their rotations to restore the number of CEEs post-COVID-19 pandemic.
摘要：
背景：全日制临床教学经验（CEE）是入门级物理治疗教育的重要组成部分。COVID-19通过影响CEE的可用性，挑战了全国的临床教育。
方法：研究表明，可获得的临床教学点的数量将保持不变。相比之下,参加物理治疗师（PT）和物理治疗师助理（PTA）教育计划的学生人数继续增加。为了应对COVID-19大流行，学生和教师对缺乏学生准备和CEE的可用性表示担忧。这项研究的目的是研究影响佛罗里达州可用CEE插槽数量的流行病因素，以及COVID-19大流行对插槽可用性的影响。此外，研究人员试图确定阻止中东欧机场现货产品恢复到大流行水平的因素，并认识到克服这些障碍的解决方案。最后,研究人员旨在找出建议，以加强临床站点和物理治疗教育计划之间的合作。
方法：来自佛罗里达州不同环境和地区的48名临床教育（SCCE）现场协调员完成了调查。
方法：向佛罗里达州SCCEs分发了一项在线调查，以确定他们对COVID-19如何影响临床教育的看法。研究人员使用描述性和推断性统计数据来分析数据。
结果：临床指导员（CI）志愿服务是COVID-19大流行前可用的CEE斑点的主要决定因素。在COVID-19大流行期间，PT和PTA教育计划的CEE斑点数量都减少了。尽管PTA的位置从2019年开始恢复到基线，但2021年的PT位置仍然显着降低。社交距离和CI可用性对CEE产品的影响最大。临床教育的现场协调员还建议，学术机构需要的最大支持是对学生进行COVID-19预防教育，并为学生的CEE提供个人防护装备(PPE)。本文还提供了建议的激励措施，即学术网站可以提供其临床合作伙伴，如在职继续教育单位，加强他们对临床教育的参与。
结论：所有临床教育利益相关者必须合作，为学生提供所需的临床教育机会。学术网站应继续提供支持，培训,以及激励措施，以加强临床教育网站的参与。教育项目必须在课程中添加有关COVID-19的内容，并考虑在轮换期间为学生提供个人防护用品，以恢复COVID-19大流行后的CEE数量。
方法：研究表明，可获得的临床教学点的数量将保持不变。相比之下,参加物理治疗师（PT）和物理治疗师助理（PTA）教育计划的学生人数继续增加。为了应对COVID-19大流行，学生和教师对缺乏学生准备和CEE的可用性表示担忧。这项研究的目的是研究影响佛罗里达州可用CEE插槽数量的流行病因素，以及COVID-19大流行对插槽可用性的影响。此外，研究人员试图确定阻止中东欧机场现货产品恢复到大流行水平的因素，并认识到克服这些障碍的解决方案。最后,研究人员旨在找出建议，以加强临床站点和物理治疗教育计划之间的合作。
方法：来自佛罗里达州不同环境和地区的48名临床教育（SCCE）现场协调员完成了调查。
方法：向佛罗里达州SCCEs分发了一项在线调查，以确定他们对COVID-19如何影响临床教育的看法。研究人员使用描述性和推断性统计数据来分析数据。
结果：临床指导员（CI）志愿服务是COVID-19大流行前可用的CEE斑点的主要决定因素。在COVID-19大流行期间，PT和PTA教育计划的CEE斑点数量都减少了。尽管PTA的位置从2019年开始恢复到基线，但2021年的PT位置仍然显着降低。社交距离和CI可用性对CEE产品的影响最大。临床教育的现场协调员还建议，学术机构需要的最大支持是对学生进行COVID-19预防教育，并为学生的CEE提供个人防护装备(PPE)。本文还提供了建议的激励措施，即学术网站可以提供其临床合作伙伴，如在职继续教育单位，加强他们对临床教育的参与。
结论：所有临床教育利益相关者必须合作，为学生提供所需的临床教育机会。学术网站应继续提供支持，培训,以及激励措施，以加强临床教育网站的参与。教育项目必须在课程中添加有关COVID-19的内容，并考虑在轮换期间为学生提供个人防护用品，以恢复COVID-19大流行后的CEE数量。
