Do Student Physical Therapists Learn and Practice Safe Patient Handling in Entry-Level Physical Therapy Education Programs?

The purpose of this study was to describe American physical therapy students’ knowledge and attitudes of safe patient handling and movement (SPHM) practice based upon the entry-level education they received in this subject. During the 2009-2010 academic year, 420 student physical therapists representing 24% of CAPTE-accredited programs and 56% of US states completed a 47-item electronic survey. Results revealed that the majority (81.6%) of students received traditional manual patient handling (TMPH) instruction. Of the 18% of students taught SPHM, 50% reported seeking SPHM devices while in the clinical setting. Students were 3 times more likely to seek SPHM devices in clinical facilities with SPHM policies. These responses suggest a dissonance between what students learn in patient handling education in current entry-level physical therapy curricula and the expectation of practicing safe patient handling and movement in health care today.

Stevenson J, Hecksel K, Deneau K, Dudley B

Keywords: physical therapy students, safe patient handling, educational curricula