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. Purpose: To explore the influence of clinical placement experiences on new-graduate physiotherapists' career intentions and decision making. Methods: A qualitative study which used a general inductive approach. New-graduate physiotherapists (n = 18) were recruited through a snowball sampling approach and participated in semi-structured interviews. Ethical approval was obtained from The University of Queensland. Results: Four overarching themes were generated; (1) clinical placements impact career decisions, (2) placements as a trial for future employment to identify professional preferences, (3) feeling valued as a team member, and (4) clinical educators' shape placement experiences. Discussion and Conclusion: Clinical placements play a significant role in directing new-graduate physiotherapists' careers, with clinical placement viewed as an opportunity to explore one's career options. A complex interplay of clinical and nonclinical variables was acknowledged by new-graduates, with positive experiences during clinical placements considered to increase new-graduate physiotherapist intentions to work in similar settings or contexts. Factors that contributed to positive experiences included accessible mentorship from clinical educators with regular feedback, and opportunities for the students' contribution and clinical capacity to be acknowledged and valued. Recommendations are made for creating supportive workplace environments for clinical education and include prioritizing supportive mentorship. Implications for Physiotherapy Practice: Clinical placement providers intending to recruit new-graduates who have attended their workplace as students may benefit from implementing strategies that assist students to feel supported as valued members of the team. Additionally, the findings of this study may guide education providers when considering the training delivered to new and existing clinical placement sites with the aim of providing supported student learning environments.