Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify the frameworks, guidelines, and models used to develop and deliver justice, equity, diversity, inclusion (JEDI), and anti-oppression (AO) principles in mandatory, entry-level health care professional program curricula (EHCPPC). A secondary objective will be to examine how these frameworks, guidelines, and models are used. Introduction: Health inequities are perpetuated globally, as observed by the suboptimal quality of care and health outcomes among equity-deserving groups. An understanding of JEDI and AO concepts is necessary in health care settings to promote culturally safe and high-quality care; however, entry-level health care programs may lack adequate integration of content and/or delivery of these principles. This scoping review will summarize the international literature on frameworks, guidelines, and models used to develop and deliver JEDI and AO concepts in EHCPPC. Inclusion criteria: This review will consider articles that discuss frameworks, models, or guidelines included in EHCPPC that guide the development and/or delivery of JEDI and AO principles in any country. Studies will be considered if they were published from 2015 to the present and are in English. All study designs will be considered for inclusion. Methods: This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. A search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and CINAHL (EBSCOhost) will be conducted. Two or more independent reviewers will assess titles and abstracts, screen full-text studies, and extract data from included studies. Data from the included studies will be collated into tables or figures and described in a narrative summary. Review registration: Open Science Framework osf.io/ewqf8
Background: In Canada, physiotherapists are expected to possess and demonstrate several essential competencies upon entry-to-practice. Over the past decade, knowledge and skills relating to health justice have become increasingly important for healthcare professionals. However, health justice is still an emerging topic among Canadian physiotherapy programs and current curricula may be lacking explicit content to develop knowledge, skills and behaviours related to health justice which can be used to prepare students for entry-to-practice. This paper outlines a protocol for a planned scoping review. The purpose of this scoping review will be to examine existing Canadian entry-level competencies for physiotherapy related to health justice. Methods: A comprehensive literature search will be completed on four databases: OVID MEDLINE, OVID Emcare, OVID Embase, and EBSCOhost CINAHL. This scoping review will include both quantitative and qualitative methodological study designs. A grey literature search will involve advanced Google searches. Two authors will independently screen titles and abstracts to select articles for full text review. Data extraction for each selected paper will be completed independently by two authors using the proposed data extraction form. The extracted data will be presented through tables and a narrative summary that aligns with the objectives and scope of this review. Conclusion: The data collected from this proposed review will identify existing competencies and gaps related to health justice in current entry-level physiotherapy curricula. This information will assist academic programs in understanding how to integrate and identify competencies and frameworks related to health justice into Canadian physiotherapy programs to ensure students are better prepared to provide culturally competent and inclusive care and promote health justice in practice.
15 October 2025 in International Journal for Students as Partners
By combining a near-peer instructor (NPI) placement in a master-levelled professional program with co-design approaches, an anatomy and physiology (A&P) review session was developed to supplement Year 1 students’ clinical application. An interactive A&P review, named Partners in Anatomy Learning (PAL) session, was developed by a team of faculty and student partners. A comprehensive co-design framework with five domains guided the development and delivery process of the PAL session to ensure incorporation of diverse perspectives. Year 1 students’ perceptions of their A&P knowledge and application were collected using pre- and post-PAL session surveys, and the team members provided reflections. After the PAL session, Year 1 students felt they had an increased ability to integrate their A&P knowledge into their clinical coursework. The team members felt the co-design process within the NPI placement was a positive partnership experience that leveraged students’ perspectives in curriculum development and implementation.
Clinical education is a mandatory component of physical therapy curricula globally. COVID-19 disrupted clinical education, jeopardizing students’ abilities to meet graduation requirements. The objective of this case report is to outline the development, implementation and evaluation of a multiple clinical instructor (CI), multiple unit, acute care float clinical placement for a final year, entry-level physical therapy student and offer implementation recommendations. This placement included an eight-week, multiple CI (one primary, four supporting), multiple (five) unit clinical placement which was developed between St. Joseph’s Healthcare and the McMaster University Masters of Science (Physiotherapy) Program between 10 August and 2 October 2020. Student evaluations and reflections by the student and CIs were collected and analyzed using interpretive description. Analysis from the reflections revealed six themes: (1) CI and student attributes; (2) increased feasibility; (3) varied exposure; (4) central communication and resources; (5) organization; and (6) managing expectations. An acute care clinical experience is required for students in Canadian entry-to-practice physical therapy programs. Due to COVID-19, placement opportunities were limited. The float placement allowed clinicians to offer supervision despite staff re-deployment and increased organizational and work–life pressures during the pandemic. This model provides an approach to extenuating circumstances and may also increase acute care placements during non-pandemic times for physical therapy and other similarly structured healthcare professions.