Simulation Moderating Effect on Doctor of Physical Therapy Students’ Self-Efficacy and Performance in Acute Care Practice
Date of Conferral
10-26-2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Charles Diebold
Abstract
Novice physical therapists lack adequate training or have little desire to pursue employment in acute care and often possess low self-efficacy in that setting. Because of technological advancements, longer lifespans, shorter hospital stays, and staffing shortages, physical therapists are now practicing in acute care with limited experience while treating a higher caseload of critically ill patients with less time. This creates a need for physical therapists who are better prepared for the realities of acute care. Guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy and social learning theories and Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this study was conducted to determine whether a physical therapy student’s role in simulation (active vs. observer) moderates the relationship between self-efficacy and acute care performance. A sample of 115 physical therapy students across five campuses and seven programs participated. Immediately before and after an acute simulation, participants completed the acute care confidence survey. A regression-based moderated-mediation analysis indicated that a student’s role in simulation did not moderate the mediating relationship of post-simulation self-efficacy between pre-simulation self-efficacy and acute care performance. However, pre- and posttest scores were significantly correlated, self-efficacy increased in all participants after the simulation, pre- and posttest self-efficacy was higher for active participants, and performance did not differ based on the role. Self-efficacy can enhance professionalism in health care students and is fundamental to academic and physical therapy clinical performance. By improving physical therapy students’ self-efficacy and ability to provide quality patient care, educators can promote positive social change one student at a time.
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez, Nicole Marie, "Simulation Moderating Effect on Doctor of Physical Therapy Students’ Self-Efficacy and Performance in Acute Care Practice" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15027.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15027
