The role of spirituality in physical therapy education and patient care: The perception of clinicians.

摘要

This qualitative study explored the perception of physical therapy clinicians to regarding the role of spirituality in physical therapy patient care and whether the educational institution should include spirituality in the physical therapy curriculum. Eight subjects were matched with the American Physical Therapy Association demographics of age, years of service, ethnicity/race, and gender. The sample was purposive and the participants were graduates of Saint Louis University who resided in the metropolitan St. Louis area. The participants were interviewed using a ten-question, semi-structured format. The interviews were audio taped and translated verbatim. A follow-up telephone interview was conducted to afford the participants the opportunity to change or add to their responses. Data reduction involved coding of the responses and formulation of themes through an inductive process. Reliability of the thematic organization was enhanced through the use of a data auditor and feedback from the participants. Seven of the eight participants felt strongly that awareness and recognition of spirituality was an important component of physical therapy care. One participant, who was uncomfortable with external display of spirituality, expressed the perception that spirituality had no place in physical therapy care and could pull the therapist away from patient care. The majority of the participants reported that their spirituality positively influenced their interaction with patients and students and seemed to enhance physical therapy treatment outcomes while allowing them to provide patient-centered/holistic patient care. Physical therapy as a service profession and vocation was reported by the participants and may have foundations in Jesuit humanity as well as past religious experiences, family belief systems and transformative experiences of a personal nature. Seven of the eight participants indicated that spirituality should be included in the curriculum. Some of the participants expressed a sense of being overwhelmed at how to teach spirituality but indicated that they do attempt to model the inclusion of patient spiritual needs in the clinic. Others offered suggestions on how to include spirituality in the curriculum which included information ranging from sharing on the healing properties of spirituality reflection on the value of spirituality in the student's life and the life of the patient. The strategies chosen by the academic faculty must include the cognitive and affective domains of learning in order that the student not only possesses the knowledge concerning spirituality but also value spirituality in patient care.