Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in providing clinical inter-professional education (IPE) to physical therapy (PT) students in the acute-care setting from the perspective of PT clinical instructors (CIs). Methods: Focus groups were conducted in four acute-care hospitals in Toronto. Participants were recruited using a purposive and convenience sampling approach in order to enhance our understanding of the perceptions of acute-care PT CIs. Eighteen full-time PT CIs with an average of 11 years in practice participated. A constant comparative process was employed to identify recurrent issues and themes within and between groups Results: Three main themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) Clinical IPE happens when inter-professional collaboration (IPC) occurs; however, IPC differs according to setting, access to other professions, time, support, and structure. (2) IPE is a lifelong learning process that applies to both CIs and students. (3) Student preparedness is a prerequisite for clinical IPE. Conclusions: IPC is an integral part of clinical IPE that requires ongoing commitment and reflection by CIs to ensure that they are ready to instruct students who have some preparation in formal IPE. More knowledge about providing clinical IPE in a structured manner, through academic and health institutions, will allow CIs to become role models for future generations of PT students.
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