How A Newly Graduated Physiotherapist Can Prepare For...

For students to graduate from a physiotherapy course, upto 1000 clinical hours needs to be completed (Dawson, Morris Wilson, 2014). In terms of clinical experience, as a graduate, 1000 hours are minimal in relation to the greater paradigms of development and clinical knowledge. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy [CSP] (2013) clinical supervision guidelines promote the benefit of clinical supervision for new graduates in adhering to Health and Care Professionals Council [HCPC] (2012) expectations of improving professional development and profiling evidence. There are differences in supervision, development opportunities and senior support for newly qualified physiotherapists in the National Health Service (NHS) and private sector.†¦show more content†¦To prepare for employment, a new graduate can self-analyse skills and clinical performance using models of analysis. Self analysis can take many forms, from the competency learning model to personal reflective writing. The purpose is to identify areas for skill development and use the models for improving knowledge (Higginson and Hicks, 2006). From this preparation, the individual can then appreciate the level of clinical supervision that will be required post graduation to support professional development and direct of job applications appropriately towards either the NHS or private sector. One model of self analysis that an individual can use is the four stages of competency. These four stages allow a person to identify the level currently at in relation to a specific skill and then over time chart the course of the development of the skills from incompetence to competence (Getha-Taylor, Hummert, Nalbandian and Silvia, 2013). The four stages are: unconsciously incompetent, consciously incompetent, consciously competent and unconsciously competent (Getha-Taylor et al, 2013). A new graduate usually is unconsciously incompetent as the individual is unaware of what is not known and lacks the knowledge o f an experienced physiotherapist (Getha-Taylor et al, 2013). In this case the structured clinical supervision of the NHS, discussed further below, would be beneficial in providing scope for progression and