Perceptions of Physical Therapist Clinical Instructors on Factors That Influence Their Decisions to Accept a Student Physical Therapist for a Clinical Education Experience

INTRODUCTION: Clinical education is essential for student physical therapists (SPTs), but supervising students may affect physical therapist clinical instructors' (PT CIs) stress and burnout levels, potentially influencing their decision to accept students. This study examined factors that influence PT CIs' decisions to accept SPTs for clinical education experiences and explored how these factors affect PT CIs' perceptions of stress and burnout. REVIEW OF LITERATURE: Physical therapist CIs have been found to experience moderate levels of burnout. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one PT CIs were experiencing varying levels of burnout. METHODS: Utilizing a phenomenological approach, participants were interviewed using a semi-structured guide. Participants were chosen from a prior survey study that assessed stress and burnout levels. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes using NVivo software. RESULTS: Six thematic constructs emerged: (1) Experiencing renewal and purpose: How mentoring students reinvigorates clinical instructors' professional identity, (2) Weighing capacity against commitment: Decision making about student supervision through the lens of professional exhaustion, (3) Navigating the dual demands: The lived experience of balancing teaching responsibilities with clinical pressures, (4) Transforming the supervisory burden: How student interactions reshape clinical instructors' experience of workplace stress, (5) Gauging readiness and risk: Clinical instructors' assessment of student preparedness as a pathway to mentorship decisions, and (6) Carrying forward the difficult past: How previous challenging student encounters shape future mentorship boundaries and approaches. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: PT CIs consider various factors when deciding to accept an SPT, including personal stress and burnout levels, SPT characteristics, and their past experiences with students. Although clinical education can increase workload and stress, particularly with early-rotation or challenging students, PT CIs generally view the experience as beneficial for their professional development and the field. Understanding these factors may help academic programs better support clinical sites and enhance students' and instructors' clinical education experience.