The first steps into physiotherapy: A qualitative exploration of student motivations and early-career intentions as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Background: New graduate physiotherapists play a vital role in meeting the increased demand for health services, and aligning graduate career aspirations with evolving workforce needs is crucial for the profession's future. However, little is known about the underlying motivating factors that influence early-career intentions for physiotherapy students preparing to enter the workforce.

Purpose: To explore the motivating factors influencing physiotherapy students preparing to enter the workforce and the impact of these factors on workplace and early-career intentions.

Becoming through simulation-based learning: Lived experiences of occupational therapy students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Introduction: With increasing diversity in health professionals education and ongoing workforce shortages, students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds form a growing proportion of occupational therapy cohorts in Australia. Simulation-based learning (SBL) has been widely integrated as a pedagogical strategy to support students' preparation for clinical practice. However, few studies have explored the lived experiences of Australian occupational therapy students from CALD backgrounds participating in high-fidelity SBL.

Helpful strategies identified and utilized by physiotherapy students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds during clinical placements in Australia.

Background: Students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds face more challenges during clinical placements than those who are non-CALD. However, strategies used to navigate these challenges are relatively unknown, especially in physiotherapy. As students have insight into helpful strategies for placements, it is important to explore these in physiotherapy settings for future cohorts from CALD backgrounds to benefit from these perspectives.

Educational Interventions to Develop and Enhance Clinical Documentation Skills in Health Professional Students: A Systematic Review.

Background: Clinical documentation is necessary for effective and safe healthcare practice. This paper systematically reviewed educational interventions aimed at developing entry-level health professional students' clinical documentation skills.

Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane) from January 2000 to May 2023 was performed, with additional forward and backward citation searching.

Therapeutic Exercise Effects on Activity, Participation and Quality of Life in Individuals With Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are common musculoskeletal jaw conditions that can significantly impact individuals' activity, participation and quality of life (QOL). Current clinical recommendations for TMD management encompass therapeutic exercise, although it is unclear how exercise impacts recovery beyond improving individuals' jaw pain and range of motion.

Objective: To investigate the effects of therapeutic exercise on patient-reported measures of activity, participation and corresponding QOL in individuals with TMD.

The assessment of physiotherapy practice is a robust measure of entry-level physiotherapy standards: Reliability and validity evidence from a large, representative sample.

The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a 20-item assessment instrument used to assess entry-level physiotherapy practice in Australia, New Zealand and other international locations. Initial APP reliability and validity evidence supported a unidimensional or single latent factor as the best representation of entry-level physiotherapy practice performance. However, there remains inconsistency in how the APP is interpreted and operationalised across Australian and New Zealand universities offering entry-level physiotherapy programs.

The effectiveness of conservative interventions on temporomandibular disorder-related kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing: a systematic review.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are prevalent conditions that can significantly impact function and quality of life. Pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia contribute to temporomandibular disorder-related disability.

Aims: Evaluate the effectiveness of conservative interventions on kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing in adults with temporomandibular disorders.

What factors influence the community's use of physiotherapy services as first-line management for temporomandibular disorders? A qualitative study using the COM-B framework.

Background: Physiotherapists play a unique role within the multidisciplinary management team for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). However, historically they have been under-recognised and under-utilised in the care of individuals with TMD. To improve TMD management pathways and facilitate uptake of subsequent physiotherapy services, it is important to understand factors which underpin care-seeking behaviours of individuals with TMD in the community.

Navigating uncertainty in low back pain care through an ethic of openness: Learnings from a post-critical analysis.

Theoretical and practical guidance on how to navigate uncertainties in healthcare are scarce. Here, we draw from Gibson's ethic of openness to explore clinicians' experiences navigating uncertainty with individuals who experience low back pain (LBP) and provide guidance on avenues for navigating uncertainty in LBP and healthcare more broadly. Our analysis suggests that clinicians practice within different philosophical commitments when providing care for individuals with LBP, with some of them aligning with a (post)positivist approach with pre-determined endpoints and others an ethic of openness, with no fixed endpoints and consideration of multiple options and perspectives.

The Impact of Physical Activity Behavior Change Training for Preprofessional Health Students-A Systematic Review.

Background: Health professionals play a crucial role in promoting physical activity, but the impact of physical activity behavior change training on preprofessional health students is underresearched. This systematic review examined the impact of such training for preprofessional health students.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and CINAHL up to October 2024.

Comparative Self-Evaluation of Patient Education Practice: A Study of Novice and Experienced Physiotherapists.

Patient education is a key aspect of physical therapy practice; however, the differences in how experienced and novice physiotherapists perceive and apply patient education practice remain underexplored. Understanding these differences influences training approaches and improves physical therapy practice quality. This research aims to determine the difference in self-reported patient education practice between experienced and novice physiotherapists.

Culturally safe physiotherapy care: how this looks and feels for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Background Understanding the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as healthcare recipients is essential for delivering culturally safe physiotherapy care; however, the literature inadequately explores these experiences. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have engaged with physiotherapists and understand their perspectives on how physiotherapists can provide culturally safe care in the community. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult (aged >18years) self-identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (n =12) who had received physiotherapy care within a community setting within the previous 3months.

Understanding the beliefs, motivations and perceived barriers of physiotherapists toward career development and related post-graduate training opportunities: a qualitative study.

Background: In light of impending physiotherapy workforce shortages in Australia and updates to career progression pathways for physiotherapists internationally, it is important to understand the beliefs and considerations that underpin decisions to pursue career development opportunities from the perspective of physiotherapists.

Purpose: To investigate physiotherapists' beliefs, motivations and perceived barriers toward career development opportunities, and explore influences which impact the decisions regarding whether and how to undertake career development in physiotherapy.

Methods: Qualitative study using one-on-one semi-structured interviews.

Understanding simulation-based learning for health professions students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: a scoping review.

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is an important component in health professions education and serves as effective preparation or a substitution for clinical placements. Despite their widely accepted benefits, students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may not experience the same learning outcomes from engaging in SBL as their local peers due to complex factors. Supporting students from CALD backgrounds in SBL is vital, not only to optimise their learning experiences and outcomes, but also ensure inclusive health professions education.

How do clinical placements influence the career decisions of new-graduate physiotherapists in Australia? A qualitative exploration.

Background: The variables that contribute to positive and negative experiences of clinical education amongst student physiotherapists are well established. Multiple stakeholders are invested in the ongoing success of physiotherapy clinical placements given workforce challenges within the profession and the emerging relationship between clinical placements and new-graduate recruitment. However, little is known about the relationship between clinical placement experiences and the career decisions of new-graduate physiotherapists.

Factors associated with patient-reported mouth opening activity limitations in individuals with persistent intra-articular temporomandibular disorders: A cross-sectional study exploring physical and self-reported outcomes.

Background: Individuals living with intra-articular temporomandibular disorders (IA-TMDs) often report limitations with mouth opening activities. While clinical measures such as active range of motion (AROM) and movement quality are often used to assess mouth opening function, it is unclear if and how these relate to patient-reported limitations and whether other factors such as kinesiophobia influence mouth opening activities in those with IA-TMDs.

Objectives: Compare clinical measures of mouth opening function in those with IA-TMDs to asymptomatic controls.

"This patient is not appropriate": Perspectives of physiotherapy students and clinical educators on exposing students to patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements.

Background: Clinical practice placements play an important role in preparing students for challenging areas of clinical practice. Little is known about student learning needs for working with patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements, and clinical educator decision-making that underpins this exposure.

Purpose: To explore the perspectives of physiotherapy students and clinical educators on exposing students to working with and learning from patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements across Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.

Identifying and navigating suspected serious pathologies: New-graduate physiotherapists' perspectives and developmental needs.

Background: Physiotherapists in Australia play a vital first-contact role in identifying suspected serious pathologies and navigating their management pathways. Current literature highlights challenges faced by physiotherapists including implications of ineffective identification and management of suspected serious pathologies, yet the perspectives of new-graduate physiotherapists related to this area of practice remain unknown.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore new-graduate physiotherapists' perspectives and developmental needs related to identifying suspected serious pathologies and navigating their management pathways in patients with musculoskeletal complaints.

Fluid professional boundaries: ethnographic observations of co-located chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists.

Background: Chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists (COPs) can assess and manage musculoskeletal conditions with similar manual or physical therapy techniques. This overlap in scope of practice raises questions about the boundaries between the three professions. Clinical settings where they are co-located are one of several possible influences on professional boundaries and may provide insight into the nature of these boundaries and how they are managed by clinicians themselves.

Writing for the role: A qualitative exploration of new graduate physiotherapists' transition to practice of clinical documentation.

Introduction: Clinical documentation is an integral component of effective physiotherapy practice. Minimal research has explored how new graduate physiotherapists transition to practice of documentation.

Objective: To understand new graduate physiotherapists' experiences and support needs for transitioning into this professional role, from the perspectives of new graduates and clinical supervisors.

Fostering collaborative practice through interprofessional simulation for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, and nursing students.

Literature regarding simulation for learning interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) indicates a need to include a range of health professions and to focus on students' development of team communication and conflict resolution skills in day-to-day healthcare delivery. This study evaluated the impact of interprofessional simulation for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, and nursing students on interprofessional collaboration competencies, specifically collaborative communication and conflict resolution during day-to-day interactions, and their intention for IPCP during placement. A series of simulations featuring the potential for interprofessional conflict and involving explicit coaching on communication and conflict resolution were conducted.

Is proprioception affected in those with persistent intra-articular temporomandibular disorders? A cross-sectional study exploring joint position sense and force sense of the jaw.

Background: Proprioception is an important component of normal jaw function, although to date it is unknown if and how proprioception is affected in those with intra-articular temporomandibular disorders (IA-TMDs). This challenges effective management of this subgroup.

Objectives: Determine whether differences in local joint position sense and force sense exist between individuals with IA-TMD and those without a jaw problem.

Exploring the workplace and workforce intentions of early career physiotherapists in Australia.

Background: Previous research has indicated significant concerns regarding attrition of early career physiotherapists in Australia. Despite the importance of retaining skilled and experienced professionals within the profession, the workplace and workforce intentions of early career physiotherapists remain relatively unexplored.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate and explore factors influencing the workplace and workforce intentions of early career physiotherapists in Australia.

What should all health professionals know about movement behaviour change? An international Delphi-based consensus statement.

The WHO has called for action to integrate physical activity promotion into healthcare settings, yet there is a lack of consensus on the competencies required by health professionals to deliver effective movement behaviour change support. The objective of this study was to establish key competencies relevant for all health professionals to support individuals to change their movement behaviours. Consensus was obtained using a three-phase Delphi process.