Student perceptions of cardio-respiratory physiotherapy

Abstract

Government ambitions for the National Health Service support expansion of roles and skills for physiotherapists alongside increased capacity of the workforce. Concerns about recruitment and retention of physiotherapists pose a threat to these ambitions. Cardio-respiratory physiotherapy is experiencing difficulties with recruitment and retention as well as concerns over competency of students and new graduates. Supply of enough suitably skilled individuals is required if service provision within this specialty is to be maintained. This study sought to explore student perceptions of cardio-respiratory physiotherapy as a specialty in order to establish the recruitment potential from new graduates. Evidence of this was required to generate a rationale for further developmental work in the specialty.