Translating Safe Patient Handling/Mobility Curriculum into Clinical Practice: Experiences of Doctoral of Physical Therapy Students

<b>ABSTRACT BODY </b><br><b>Background/Purpose: </b>Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) principles are not an embedded part of most Doctor of Physical Therapy programs, despite research on student injury¹ and ability to offer therapeutic activity options earlier and more often, especially for clients who are medically complex or require excessive physical assist.² Central Michigan University DPT program incorporates SPHM principles across all 3 years of the program. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how a SPHM curriculum transferred to clinical practice during Doctor of Physical therapy students’ final clinical education experiences.<br> <br><b>Subjects: </b>Sixteen<b> </b>students completed 28 weeks of final clinical education experiences while in the DPT program.<br> <br><b>Materials/Methods:</b> Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with students who were recruited through an email. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. The constant comparative method for was utilized to analyze written transcriptions. Consensus among researchers identified three main themes.<br> <br><b>Results:</b> Overall, students reported high confidence in using SPHM content in the clinical setting, especially in subacute, acute care, and inpatient rehabilitation settings. Preliminary analysis identified three themes: students applied and advocated for use of SPHM equipment/principles, educated others about the role of SPHM in rehabilitation, and identified barriers in integrating SPHM knowledge into clinical practice.<br> <br><b>Clinical Relevance:</b> The curriculum provided to DPT students appeared to assist in translating classroom knowledge to final clinical education experiences. Providing students with a strong foundation in SPHM principles to take into clinical practice may facilitate safer and more effective treatment for both patients and therapists.