Background and Purpose. Clinical associated faculty (CAF) are typically expert clinicians but novice educators, lacking professional development opportunities targeted to their unique needs. This can result in unnecessary variability in content delivery and potentially negative student learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a faculty development program designed specifically for CAF. Method/Model Description and Evaluation. Thirty-two CAF completed a longitudinal faculty development program designed by faculty at the University of Colorado Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (CU). Content was driven by faculty development literature, core concepts of CU's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, and key constructs for excellence in DPT education. Changes in teaching confidence were examined with a modified version of the Nurse Educator Skill Acquisition Assessment (NESAA) in pre-test/post-test design. Creighton University DPT Program (Creighton) adapted the faculty development program for their own CAF and similarly assessed change in teaching skill in 21 CAF using the NESAA. Additional data were collected through session evaluations and review of student course evaluations for both programs. Outcomes. At CU and Creighton, 28 and 21 participants, respectively, completed the CAF development program and all desired outcome measures. Outcomes revealed a significant increase (P < .05) on NESAA scores. In addition, results demonstrated decreased negative student comments related to teaching inconsistencies on course evaluations and an overall positive perception of the program by participants. Discussion and Conclusion. A CAF longitudinal faculty development program was developed and successfully implemented at 2 universities. This model could be used as a template by other DPT programs to address the existing faculty development gap and support the distinctive needs of CAF.

Introduction. Faculty development has been identified as an important initiative in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education. However, little is known about opportunities available for associated faculty (AF). These unique educators who make notable contributions to physical therapist education often lack formal preparation for teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore AF development opportunities across physical therapist education programs nationally. Review of Literature. Formal faculty development programs have been successful in medical and nursing education programs to enhance educator identity, skill, and retention in both core and clinical faculty. No evidence of faculty development programs for AF in physical therapy education was found in the literature. Subjects. Participants were program directors or identified faculty development leads from CAPTE accredited and in-candidacy physical therapist education programs. Seventy participants completed an anonymous survey and 10 participated in semistructured interviews following the completion of the survey. Methods. A parallel, convergent, mixed methods approach was used to assess the national state of formal AF development opportunities. A survey was developed to assess development opportunities available to AF. Descriptive statistics and Chi square analyses were performed to analyze quantitative data. An instrumental collective case study further explored development opportunities. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis techniques were used to analyze qualitative data from interview transcripts. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were integrated in the data analysis. Results. Survey data, aligned with interview outcomes, suggest that despite ideologic support for faculty development, low percentages of AF have access to formal development activities, and even fewer are receiving adequate breadth of educational content related to proficiency in their role. Discussion and Conclusion. A lack of formal development opportunities exists for AF. Excellence in DPT education requires deeper development across all levels of faculty, including opportunities tailored specifically to the unique needs and role of AF.

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Introduction Fostering physical activity, muscle strengthening and communication skills in diverse environments are vital to ensuring healthy infant development; however, promotion of these skills may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore healthcare workers, parents and childcare providers' perceptions of the pandemic's influence on how they engage with infants to promote physical activity, muscle strength and communication. Methods 37 subjects (12 = parents; 12 = childcare providers, 13 = healthcare workers) participated in a semi-structured interview. Data were analyzed via an inductive content analysis. Results The majority of caregivers identified concerns related to: limitations in social interactions (especially masks impacting communication), lack of access to peer modeling, fewer opportunities for physical exploration, and a need for creative activities in diverse environments (e.g., home/childcare) for infant development during and after the pandemic. Conclusions Caregivers are concerned about the role COVID-19 is having on infant development. Additional resources on how to promote infant physical activity, muscle strength and communication despite challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are needed.

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is, inherently, a trauma environment for the extremely premature infant. This trauma is often exacerbated by nurse caregiving practices that can be modified and still remain effective. Our study explored how behavior analytics could be used to implement an intervention known as Care by Cues and how the intervention might, ultimately, impact infant physiologic stability.