The Development of Communication Skills, Interpersonal Skills, and a Professional Identity Within a Community of Practice

Background and Purpose. The development of professional behaviors, including communication and interpersonal skills, has become an issue of great concern in the physical therapist profession. Yet little has been written about how these behaviors are learned, particularly from the perspectives of students and newly graduated physical therapists (PTs). This study sought to understand how PT students and new PT graduates learn professional communication and interpersonal skills. Subjects. The author interviewed 13 PT students and 6 new graduates. Their most recent clinical instructors (CIs) and clinical supervisors (CSs) were interviewed as well. Three hundred forty-four of their classmates submitted critical incidents for analysis. Finally, 5 additional PT students, 2 additional new graduates, and 5 additional clinicians participated in 2 separate summative focus groups. Methods. One-on-one semistructured interviews were used to explore the experiences of the students and new graduates. Similar questions were asked of their most recent CIs and CSs. Critical incidents were used to obtain the perspective of the participants' classmates. Once data were analyzed, 2 summative focus group interviews were completed to confirm, refute, and/or extend the findings. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. Triangulation of methods and subjects, use of “devil's advocates,” member checks, and search for negative cases ensured trustworthiness. Results. A model of learning within the community of physical therapist practice has emerged. This model depicts a process of learning that incorporates the following: access to the clinic and all of its challenges; strategies to make personal meaning of the clinical experience; dialogue as a mechanism to negotiate shared meaning; and outcomes, which include identification and assimilation of the values, beliefs, and attitudes of the profession. Discussion and Conclusion. Application of this process of learning will enable students, clinicians, and academicians to design and engage in clinical experiences that optimize learning of communication, interpersonal skills, and the development of a professional identity for both the learner and the clinical community.