Supervision models in physiotherapy practice education: student and practice educator evaluations

Objectives: To establish the supervision models used during physiotherapy practice placements and to determine student and practice educators' evaluations of the quality of these placements. Design: Cross-sectional study set in clinical sites providing placements for physiotherapy students in Ireland. Participants: Practice educators and students completing placements in 2015/16. Outcome Measure: Questionnaire which measured 18 indicators linked to quality assured placements. Eight additional indicators in the practice educator questionnaire addressed the overall feasibility of the supervision model. Two open-ended questions captured comments on the benefits and challenges of each model. Results: The overall response rate was 72% (112/155). The majority (75%, n = 84) of participants reported a 1:1 (one student: one educator) model of supervision. Fourteen percent (n = 16) reported a 1.2 (one student: two educators) model and 9% (n = 10) a 2.1 (two students: one educator) model. There was generally positive agreement with the questionnaire indicating that all placements, irrespective of supervision model were positively evaluated by participants. Students, however, indicated a more negative evaluation of the placement than practice educators in indictors related to communication, the provision of feedback, establishing an effective relationship with their educator and diversity of available learning opportunities. Indicators relating to productivity and the placement representing an efficient use of resources and personnel received more negative or equivocal ratings by educators. Conclusions: While the 1.1 model remains the most widely used supervision model in physiotherapy practice education, other models also score positively, offering choice to placement providers when determining the model that best suits their service.