Shah Tayyab I, Milosavljevic Stephan, Proctor Peggy L, McQuarrie Arlis M, Cuddington Cathy, Bath Brenna
School of Rehabilitation Science.
Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.
Physiother Can. 2018 Summer;70(3):274-279. doi: 10.3138/ptc.2017-10.e.
Rural and remote Saskatchewan has a shortage of physiotherapists. Positive student experiences in rural and remote communities may influence whether graduates choose to work in these settings. The intention of the first full-time, 4-week clinical placement (CP) in the Master of Physical Therapy programme at the University of Saskatchewan is to provide clinical experiences in rural settings outside Saskatoon and Regina. This study examines the geographic distribution of and yearly variation in these CPs to determine whether this stated intent is being realized. We analyzed the locations of physiotherapy student CPs from 2008 to 2016 using geospatial mapping. Spatial patterning using mapping identified variability in the number of rural placements in geographical regions in Saskatchewan over a 9-year period. An average of 75% of CP experiences occurred in rural locations outside the two major cities in Saskatchewan between 2008 and 2016 (ranging from 58% in 2015 to 84% in 2009). The goal of providing all University of Saskatchewan physiotherapy students with a rural experience for their first CP is not being met. Securing more CPs in rural settings may have a positive impact on recruitment of physiotherapists to these communities.
萨斯喀彻温省农村和偏远地区物理治疗师短缺。学生在农村和偏远社区的积极体验可能会影响毕业生是否选择在这些地区工作。萨斯喀彻温大学物理治疗硕士项目首个为期四周的全日制临床实习（CP）的目的是在萨斯卡通和里贾纳以外的农村地区提供临床体验。本研究考察了这些临床实习的地理分布和年度变化，以确定这一既定目标是否得以实现。我们使用地理空间映射分析了2008年至2016年物理治疗专业学生临床实习的地点。通过映射进行的空间模式分析确定了萨斯喀彻温省9年期间各地理区域农村实习数量的变化。2008年至2016年期间，平均75%的临床实习在萨斯喀彻温省两个主要城市以外的农村地区进行（范围从2015年的58%到2009年的84%）。为所有萨斯喀彻温大学物理治疗专业学生的首次临床实习提供农村体验的目标尚未实现。在农村地区确保更多的临床实习可能会对这些社区物理治疗师的招募产生积极影响。
