Learning professional judgment. A three year study of students in physiotherapy

Project summary

The study is focusing on the learning process of students in physiotherapy, and how they develop / learn to judge professionally when they examine and treat different patients. Students encounter patients during both their second- and their third year of studies as well as in their forth year when they are in a clinical placement. Professional judgement require an integration of theoretical knowledge, technical skills and human attitudes in order to give every single patient the best treatment, that is, in accordance with the patient´s need of assistance. Intension: The project will give more information about the learning process of the students and give some ideas about how students develop their professional judgement. Design and method: In this a qualitative method is used. Students are interviewed three times during their second, third and forth year of study. The project was finished in 2008 and has resultet in four articles that can be read in BORA, HiB.The last two articles are: Patient´s participation in clinical practice and From student to a professional physiotherapist