Understanding professional competence in stroke rehabilitation physiotherapy: an exploration of professional and lay perspectives.

Professional competence is a difficult and complex concept to define despite its use for many years within various working practices. Recently it has become a prominent concept in physiotherapy practice with professionals having to provide regulating bodies with proof of continuing competence. Little is known about what actually constitutes competent practice in stroke rehabilitation physiotherapy and the characteristics that contribute to effective and competent practice. This study examines the concept of professional competence in stroke rehabilitation physiotherapy from the perspectives of patients, carers and physiotherapists. A physiotherapy focus group was carried out with eight senior physiotherapists working across Scotland in stroke rehabilitation in order to identify their perceptions of the components of competent practice. Lay perspectives of professional competence were explored by conducting ten interviews with stroke survivors and their carers. Patients, carers and physiotherapists shared similar views of professional competence in relation to communication and interpersonal skills. Many of the themes identified by the physiotherapists, patients, and carers are supportive of the patient's self-efficacy. Communication was key to the other skills that they identified such as being an effective educator, motivator, and goal setter. Patients and carers made little comment on the technical skills of the therapist and there appeared to be a general assumption that the therapists were technically skilled. They valued having a physiotherapist who could give them functional instruction and demonstration. The physiotherapists gave greatest standing to technical skills such as analysis of normal movement and therapeutic handling skills in relation to professional competence in stroke rehabilitation physiotherapy. The findings within this study challenge us to think of competence in a more dynamic and holistic way. Competence is a complex interaction of practical skills, personal qualities, and role attributes however competence is dependent upon a reflective and perceptive understanding of the person behind the patient.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Robert Gordon University

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Meek, Christine

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• B. West

• Professional competence
• Stroke rehabilitation physiotherapy
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Technical skills
• Patient and carer perspectives

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807489
https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807489

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807489