Rural Physiotherapy Clinical Schools .Perspective of Students, Clinical Supervisors and Workplace Learning Academics. Final Report 2024

Description

Clinical placements in rural areas for undergraduate health students is a strategy used worldwide to promote growth of the health workforce in rural and remote areas. Evidence suggests that positive clinical practice experiences during undergraduate medical training may influence intention to practice rurally after graduation, particularly for students of a rural background (Holst, 2020) and during the years immediately following graduation (Gupta et al., 2019). Longer rotations in rural locations increase the association between rural clinical placements and employment of medical graduates in rural locations (Fuller et al., 2021). Less is known about the provision of rural clinical placements for allied health students as a means of promoting the rural allied health workforce (Seaman et al., 2022)

In line with these student experience studies, a recently published scoping review (Green et al., 2022) identified features that underpin quality of rural health placements including: (1) learning and teaching in a rural context; (2) rural student placement characteristics; (3) key relationships; and (4) required infrastructure. Against the background of this emerging evidence base, the current project was conducted in partnership between Charles Sturt University and the Rural Physiotherapy Clinical Schools in Western NSW and Murrumbidgee Local Health Districts to better understand the current experiences of physiotherapy students, clinical supervisors, and workplace learning (WPL) academics.

Period	09 Apr 2024
Held at	Three Rivers Department of Rural Health
Degree of Recognition	Regional