Determining Differences Between Novice and Expert Physiotherapists in the Emergency On-call Environment: A Vignette Based Study

Abstract

Emergency on-call duties have been highlighted as key stress factors in newly qualified physiotherapists and job performance may be altered as a result. The purpose of this study was to determine what differences exist between novice and expert physiotherapists within the emergency on-call environment. A purpose-designed postal questionnaire was administered to emergency on-call providers in New Zealand. The questionnaire investigated participant’s attitudes towards emergency on-call service provision and presented a vignette-based clinical scenario. A response rate of 78.8 % (n = 56) was achieved. Significant differences between novices and experts were determined in scores for confidence (p = .0001), stress (p = .001) and support required (p = .001). Factors which particularly influenced both novice and expert stress levels when working as emergency on-call physiotherapists emerged as being working in isolation and working with a higher complexity of patients. A relationship was determined between confidence, level of support required and amount of stress felt (p = .001). Differences were demonstrated between novice and expert physiotherapists in their answers to a clinical case scenario particularly in the areas of prioritisation, problem definition and in the interpretation of analysed results. A need for novices to gain the type of experience which has the facility for independent problem solving and guided reflection was determined; the use of vignette based case studies may be one method which could be further exploited to meet these needs.