Content area
Full text
This study explored the impact of a curriculum-embedded health coaching program on student professionalism. We compared physical therapy students who participated in a coaching program (n=79) to a control group who did not (n=70). We analyzed differences between the two groups and examined the association of group to achievement of better performance ratings. We found differences between the groups in ratings on the variables that measured safety, communication, professional behavior, and accountability. We also found associations between group and the achievement of a rating of advanced intermediate or better for the same variables. These findings suggest that health coaching programs can promote professionalism and student self-efficacy early in their clinical training. Future research should investigate the program's impact on other relevant areas. J Allied Health 2025; 54(3):e411-e 416.
PROFESSIONALISM is a critical indicator of clinical readiness for health professions students. Embedding professionalism into a curriculum and subsequently measuring behavioral outcomes among students can be challenging.(1-3) encompasses variety of definitions based on behaviors, values and attributes. Evidence indicates that teaching methods to facilitate professionalism should be multimodal in nature.(1-3) Experiential learning as a teaching tool to facilitate the development of confidence, clinical reasoning, communication, safety, and accountability is frequently used in health professions.(4-6) Experiential learning provides health professions students opportunities to engage in community-based and service activities.(7,8) Experiential learning in the form of health coaching has been effective in developing components of professionalism such as professional identity, student confidence in skill application, and clinical readiness.(5,9) A health coaching model can be delivered by students using a structured, evidence-based health management program, such as the Arthritis Foundation's Walk with Ease (WWE), embedded within a health professions curriculum.(6)
In an entry-level physical therapy (PT) program, the construct of professionalism can be assessed by the Clinical Performance Instrument 2.0 (CPI).(10) Behaviors measured within the CPI include safety, professional behavior, accountability, communication and cultural competence.(11) Dupre et al.(11) found that the affective domain, including the previously listed behaviors, was predictive of student clinical readiness prior to their first full-time clinical experience. Experiential learning assists in bridging the gap between didactic coursework and clinical practice.(5,12) Researchers report that experiential learning promoted professional attributes in addition to improving application of course material, critical thinking, and self-confidence and accountability.(12,13) Development of self-efficacy...