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CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS SEEK WHEN HIRING

CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS SEEK WHEN HIRING NEW PHYSICAL AND

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY GRADUATES

An Independent Research Project

Presented to

The Faculty of the College of Health Professions and Social Work

Florida Gulf Coast University

In partial fulfillment

of the requirement for the degree of

Doctorate of Physical Therapy

By

Brittany A. Zellars

Cory B. Pickens

2016


APPROVAL SHEET

This independent research is submitted in

partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree of

Doctor of Physical Therapy

____________________________

Brittany Zellars

____________________________

Cory Pickens

Approved: April 2016

Eric Shamus, PhD, DPT Committee Chair

Jacqueline van Duijn, DPT, OCS Committee Member

Rose Pignataro, PhD, DPT, CWS Committee Member

The final copy of this independent research has been examined by the signatories, and we

find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of

scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline.


Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our families and friends for their love and support throughout the

many trials and tribulations that graduate school has presented. This project would not

have been possible without them consistently cheering us on and pushing us to always do

our best.

We would like to thank our committee chair, Eric Shamus, PhD, DPT, and

committee members Jacqueline van Duijn, DPT, OCS, and Rose Pignataro, PhD, DPT,

CWS. This research would have never come to fruition without your guidance, expertise,

and patience throughout the process from start to finish. We would also like to thank all

the staff at The Department of e-Learning and Academic Web Support for assisting us

with our survey set-up, design features, and data collection processes; it would have been

a plain disaster without your speedy replies to frantic emails and beyond helpful hints for

running Checkbox.

Last but surely not least, we would like to thank the individuals in our Physical

Therapy and Occupational Therapy clinic affiliations for participating in our research

project. Without each and every one of you taking the time out of your busy day to

complete our survey, we would not have any research to present. We hope that in the near

future this research will be expanded and students and employers alike will benefit from

knowing what is most sought after as a newcomer in each respective field.

CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS SEEK WHEN HIRING 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………....…3

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..4

Purpose………………….…………………………………………………………5

Research Question and Hypotheses ………………………………………………5

Review of the Literature …………………………………………………...…..…………6

Method………………………………………………………………………………..…...7

Study Design……………………………………………………………..………..7

Survey Instrument………………………………………………………..………. 8

Data Collection………………………………………………………..…………..9

Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………...9

Results……………………………………………………………………………………10

Discussion ...……………………………………………………………………...…….. 15

Summary of Findings…………………………………………………………….15

Time Management……………………………………………………………….15

Professional Skills………………………………………………………………..16

Similar Clinical Experience……………………………………...………………18

Limitations……………………………………………………………………….18

Future Research………………………………………………………………….19

Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………19

References…………………………………………………………………………….….21

Appendix A: Consent Form………………………………………………...……………22

Appendix B: Survey Instrument………….…………………...…………………………24


Appendix C: Recruitment Email CCCE/DOR/Therapist………………………………..29

Appendix D: Recruitment Email Hiring Official………………………………………..30


ABSTRACT

Purpose: The aim of this study was to collect data regarding the characteristics

these employers seek when they are hiring new physical or occupational therapy

graduates. This information will serve to educate future students and their respective

programs on employer preferences related to the hiring process. Methods: Participants

(N=24) included those responsible for hiring physical and occupational therapists at their

clinic. The majority of participants (n=20) were responsible for hiring in Florida.

Participants were recruited using the contact information from clinical affiliation sites

provided by the Director of Clinical Education of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Program and Fieldwork Coordinator of the Occupational Therapy (OT) Program. The

survey contained 19 items related to hiring characteristics preferences, clinical setting,

patient population, and demographics. Participants were given 12 characteristics and

were asked to rank and order which characteristics they felt were most important when

seeking to hire a new PT or OT graduate. Results: The most important characteristics

reported, in order, were: (1) time management skills, (2) strong professional skills, (3)

clinical affiliation experience in a specific setting, and (4) completion of relevant

continuing education courses. Conclusions: This study provides useful information about

what the most important characteristics are that employers seek when hiring new PT and

OT graduates; however, it does have some limitations related to sample size, low

response rate, and majority of clinical affiliations being located in the Southwest Florida

area.


INTRODUCTION

Physical and occupational therapists are skilled healthcare professionals who

work with individuals to improve function and movement in prevention and

rehabilitation. The recent job market growth for physical therapists has risen 36%, and

for occupational therapists, has risen 29%; these increases are most closely attributed to

the active “baby boomer” generation.1,2 There is now an increased need for skilled

healthcare providers to keep these individuals independent and maintain their quality of

life throughout their aging process. At this time, the Commission on Accreditation in

Physical Therapy Education reports that there are 233 accredited doctorate programs with

25,971 students enrolled during the 2015-2016 academic year. The American

Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. reports that there are 76 accredited doctorate

level programs and 163 accredited master’s level programs, as well as 20 developing

doctorate level programs and 18 developing master’s level programs in the US.4

The growing number of programs and resultant increase in students graduating

with a doctorate in physical therapy (DPT), doctorate in occupational therapy (DOT), or

masters in occupational therapy (MOT) may present a challenge amongst recent

graduates to stand out and have their first choice when applying for entry-level positions.

A MedLine and PubMed search using key phrases such as “characteristics of recent

physical (occupational) therapy graduates” and “hiring physical (occupational)

therapists” yielded minimal research and none that explored the effects that professional

membership, additional certifications, undergraduate degree selection, published

research, and other modifiable factors with regard to the hiring process for new

graduates. This research provides information to current physical and occupational


therapy students regarding the characteristics that employers value when hiring new

employees.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to survey PT and OT employers and collect data

regarding the characteristics these employers seek when hiring new physical and

occupational therapy graduates. This information will serve to educate future students

and their respective programs on employer preferences related to the hiring process. With

this information available, students will have a better idea of how to increase their

marketability. Data from this study will also provide information to university programs

to ensure that their curricula accurately meet the needs of employers of physical and

occupational therapists, potentially giving their graduates an advantage when compared

to graduates of other programs.

Research Question and Hypothesis

The research question is: “What qualities or skills do physical therapy and

occupational therapy employers seek when hiring recent physical therapy or occupational

therapy graduates?”

This cross-sectional, non-experimental study examined characteristics valued by

physical and occupational therapists’ employers when hiring recent physical or

occupational therapy graduates; more specifically, characteristics that can be controlled

or established prior to graduation and licensure. These specific characteristics were

addressed using survey methodology; and included, but were not limited to: certifications

or specializations, professional memberships, specific undergraduate degrees/previous


training, clinical experiences, letters of recommendation/personal references, and

published research.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A study in 2001 by Matwig et al. in New York examined the characteristics

sought by employers of entry level physical therapists in an effort to determine the ability

to enhance marketability of new graduates.5 Surveys were sent to 320 employers, and 128

surveys were completed and sent back, making the response rate 40%. The survey used a

Likert scale asking respondents to rate 12 possible employee characteristics. Data were

analyzed to determine ranking among these characteristics in order to identify which of

the 12 categories were most favored by potential employers. The 12 characteristics

studied were: an applicant’s GPA, clinical affiliation experience in a specific setting, a

master’s degree in physical therapy, a DPT, certification in a specialty area, membership

in APTA/AOTA, strong professional and time-management skills, good written/verbal

communication skills, work experience in the PT field, reputation of the applicant’s

physical therapy education program, completion of relevant continuing education

courses, and letters of recommendation. Chi-squared data analysis was also completed to

determine if different responses could be linked to particular settings or a specific type of

respondent. Results of the study provided the top three characteristics preferred by

employers in New York. The chi-square analysis suggested private practitioners valued

applicants’ professional membership with APTA combined with their PT education

program more than the other settings included in the survey. Other findings from the chi-

square analysis showed that individuals in ambulatory settings valued a master’s degree,

and female respondents rated recommendation letters as having higher merit in the


selection process than male respondents.5 Since this study was completed 14 years ago,

the master’s program was the sought after degree for physical therapists; the doctor of

physical therapy program is now the entry level designated degree for new physical

therapy graduates.

Survey research conducted in 2004 by Muholland and Derdall, generally

indicated that employers of occupational therapists are most interested in experience,

team or abilities skills, and interpersonal skills.6 As part of this study, a secondary

research question was proposed in order to determine if employers have a different set of

expectations when hiring recent graduates. Findings indicated that most employers

recognized the limited ability of recent graduates to demonstrate experience within the

field; however, most other characteristics were considered equally important whether

hiring a recent graduate or seasoned practitioner.6

METHODS

Study Design

This study employed a cross-sectional survey, designed to determine the

characteristics employers seek when hiring physical and occupational therapy graduates.

Respondents (n = 24) were obtained using a convenience sample consisting of

individuals responsible for hiring physical and/ or occupational therapy graduates. After

IRB Approval was obtained, contact was initiated using a directory of clinical affiliation

sites provided by the Director of Clinical Education of the Doctor of Physical Therapy

Program (DPT) and Fieldwork Coordinator of the Occupational Therapy (OT) Program

at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Both the PT and OT program at FGCU have an

established database containing names and email addresses of clinical coordinators at


student affiliation sites. These clinical sites were contacted by email, providing an

introduction to the researchers, a concise synopsis of the study, a request for contact

information for the hiring official at each of the sites, and a PDF attachment of the

informed consent form. Once the contact information of the hiring official was received,

an email was sent to them introducing the researchers and the study, along with a PDF

attachment of the informed consent form, and a link to complete the survey. This link

allowed participants to complete the survey using Checkbox®, an online survey platform

hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University, E-Learning Services. Participants were advised

that, by completing the survey, they were providing informed consent to participate. The

inclusion criteria for the study were that the individuals participating were responsible for

hiring physical and/ or occupational therapists. This was to ensure that the data obtained

were coming from a primary source of potential future employers.

There were no other means of solicitation used to gain participants for the study.

No follow-up contact was made following the initial email solicitation. The survey was

made available on September 9, 2015, and was made “inactive” on November 11, 2015.

The data collected by Checkbox ® did not contain any personal identifiers of the

participants. In addition, the data stored in the Checkbox ® program were only accessible

to the researchers and research committee at FGCU using personal passwords and log-in

information.

Survey Instrument

The survey instrument (see Appendix B) was designed to evaluate which

characteristics employers seek when hiring recent physical and occupational therapy

graduates as well as gather demographic data for hiring officials in each field. The survey


contained 19 items; it was developed after conducting a literature review and with the

guidance of the committee chair and committee members. Three FGCU DPT faculty

members and four student physical therapists then reviewed the survey. Their feedback

was used to improve the survey and ensure questions could be interpreted appropriately

to yield viable data. Question 1 (Q1) required the participant to rank twelve

characteristics as not important, moderately important, very important, or not applicable

on a scale from 1-5. Question 2 (Q2) provided means for the participant to rank the top

four factors they consider when hiring physical and occupational therapy graduates. The

remaining questions collected participant demographics including age, gender,

profession, state of practice, race/ethnicity, setting, practice area, professional

memberships, level of education, published research, and additional certifications or

specializations.

Data Collection

Nominal and ordinal data were collected through the Checkbox® Survey program

and stored on an encrypted external storage device, then transferred to an Excel

spreadsheet for further analysis.

Data Analysis

Due to the limited number of responses, data analysis consisted only of frequency

counts and descriptive statistics. The limited number of responses would not be sufficient

to draw any significant conclusions or correlations.


RESULTS

Characteristics of Respondents

Of the total number of completed responses (n=24), 67% (n=16) were female and

33% (n=8) were male. The most common age range for participants was 41 to 50 (n=11),

with 29% being 50 or older and 25% reporting ages 31 to 40. Seventy-nine percent

(n=19) of participants reported that they are responsible for hiring both physical and

occupational therapy positions. The majority of participants (n=20) were responsible for

hiring in Florida, but 4 other participants reported they were responsible for hiring in

California (n=1), New York (n=1), and Virginia (n=2). Eighty-seven percent of

participants reported their ethnicity as White/Caucasian. As for the type of setting, 33%

of participants reported “other” as their clinical setting, 25% reported therapist-owned

outpatient, and both skilled nursing and acute care represented 12.5% of the participant

responses. Geriatrics (n=8) and pediatrics (n=8) both accounted for 33% of patient

population, with sports (n=5) the third most reported population.

Table 1. Reported age of participants

Table 2. Reported gender of participants


Table 3. Reported hiring discipline of participants

Table 4. Reported ethnicity of participants

Table 5. Clinical setting of particpants

Table 6. Predominant patient population at clinical site


Table 7. Number of years responsible for hiring

Preferred Characteristics of Employers

Participants were asked to rank 12 different characteristics on a scale of 1-5 (5

being most important) based on their importance related to the hiring process. Table 1

shows these characteristics and the frequency count for each characteristic. The average

rating for each response was calculated and the highest importance was as follows:

(1) Time management skills and strong professional skills

(2) Clinical affiliation experience in a specific setting

(3) Completion of relevant continuing education courses

(4) Master’s degree in PT/OT

(5) Letters of recommendation

(6) Reputation of the applicant’s PT/OT program.

Participants were then asked to rank their top 4 characteristics using a “drag and

drop” from the same list of characteristics and can be found in Table 2. The top

characteristics participants reported were as follows: (1) clinical affiliation experience in

their specific setting, (2) strong professional and time management skills, (3) certification

in a specialty area, (4) letters of recommendation. Clinical affiliation experience in their

specific setting and strong professional and time management skills were significantly

more important with total scores of 73 each, with the next most important characteristic


having a total score of only 28. The total score was determined by the sum of the ranked

items with top positioned options having the higher rank.



Table 9. Participant ranking of top 4 preferred characteristics

DISCUSSION

Summary of Findings

Although the sample size was small, there were several characteristics that were

clearly of more importance than others. Strong time management skills, strong

professional skills, and clinical affiliation in the employer’s specific setting were among

the most important skills that employers were seeking when hiring new physical and/or

occupational therapists.

Time Management

Strong time management skills were likely one of the top preferred characteristics

due to the high value put on productivity for physical and occupational therapy. The

number of billable units defines a therapist’s productivity in a day, and more billable

units results in more revenue for the clinic. Therefore, a therapist with good time

management skills is more profitable for a clinic. Students can improve their time

management skills during their clinical experiences by planning interventions in advance

in order to maximize efficiency, familiarizing themselves with location of equipment

throughout the clinic, and being mindful of the established patient schedule. Students can


also discuss ways of being more efficient in time management by consulting with their

clinical instructor.

Professional Skills

Strong professional skills were likely found to be an important characteristic

because these create a positive experience for patients, which is an important aspect of

rehabilitation. The APTA defines professionalism as “demonstrating core values by

aspiring to and wisely applying principles of altruism, excellence, caring, ethics, respect,

communication and accountability.”7 According to the APTA Vision 2020,

professionalism was a key aspect of the House of Delegates strategic plan in moving

towards a doctoral profession. Many professional values are more innate qualities rather

than learned skills. However, students may be able to improve upon certain aspects of

professionalism, such as appearance, ability to communicate with patients, punctuality,

and willingness to learn. PT and OT programs are also taking measures to improve the

professional skills of their students. As part of their accreditation process, PT and OT

program accreditation boards (CAPTE and ACOTE) respectively, evaluate programs

based on their professional curriculum. PT programs commonly use the clinical

performance instrument (CPI) as a standardized means of evaluating a student’s

performance during clinical experiences, and professional behavior is one of the

important evaluation criteria. Another interesting finding regarding professionalism is

that participants rated APTA membership as one of the least important characteristics, yet

rated professional skills as one of the highest. According to the APTA’s Professionalism

Core Values, maintaining membership in the APTA is one of the sample indicators. A

reason for this discrepancy is likely a result of the fact that many physical therapists are


not members of the APTA. In fact, only approximately 30% of physical therapists hold

membership in the APTA.8 In addition, if such a small percentage of physical therapists

hold membership, many of them are likely not aware that the APTA regards membership

in its organization as an indicator of professionalism.

The 2015 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics of the AOTA similarly contains

“Principles and Standards of Conduct” that are used for definition and oversight of

professional behavior. These principles include “(1) Beneficence, (2) Nonmaleficence,

(3) Autonomy, (4) Justice, (5) Veracity, and (6) Fidelity.” “Beneficence” encompasses

the OTs professional duty to act in a way that protects others from harm and assists them

in recovering from and managing disability. Standards of conduct that embody this

principle include timely delivery of services (efficient evaluation, assessment, and

intervention), as well as use of best available evidence in rendered patient care. OTs are

also expected to participate in continuing education in order to maintain current

knowledge and skills in these areas. “Nonmaleficence” describes the OTs professional

duty to exercise “due care” in balancing risks and benefits of treatment. Avoiding

conflicts of interest and maintaining appropriate professional relationships are part of the

standards expected under this principle. “Autonomy” refers to the patient’s right to

informed consent and respect for patient privacy under the Health Insurance Portability

and Accountability Act. “Justice” includes appropriate, respectful treatment of patients,

colleagues, and others encountered in the workplace, and adhering to established policies

for legal and ethical practice. “Veracity” advocates truthfulness in communication,

ensuring that messages received are consistent with information delivered. “Fidelity”

encompasses efficient use of financial and material resources within the workplace.9


Many of these areas show parallels to principles of professionalism espoused by the

APTA. This can explain why many participants ranked professionalism as one of the

most important characteristics in the study, whether hiring new PT or OT graduates.

Similar Clinical Experience

Clinical experience in a similar setting of the hiring official was also reported to

be very important for employers. This is due to the fact that practicing as a therapist can

vary significantly between settings and patient populations. Therefore, clinical experience

in a similar setting may increase the likelihood of a potential employee’s success and

productivity. For this reason, current students should think about what settings or patient

populations they are interested in working in after graduation, and select clinical

placements that are similar to their interests. If a student is unsure of which setting they

would like to work in post-graduation, he or she should experiment with different settings

and patient populations, and select later clinical placements in that setting once they

develop an interest. PT and OT programs can facilitate this process by placing students in

a wide variety of settings and patient populations. This assists students in selecting an

area of interest, but it also makes the student well rounded so that he or she will have

similar clinical experience in any potential job they may seek in the future.

Limitations

The greatest limitations of this study were an initially small convenience sample,

low response rate, majority of clinical affiliations being located in the Southwest Florida

(SWFL) area, and disseminating the survey via electronic communication. Due to these

limitations, the results of this study should not be generalized to larger populations

outside of the SWFL region.


Future Research

Future research is needed to determine the preferred characteristics of new PT and

OT graduates from the eyes of employers in each field. The survey instrument used in

this study could be modified to include a free-response question in order to obtain

qualitative data from participants on what they value when hiring new physical or

occupational therapy graduates. Improvements could also be made to the survey to

improve the efficiency and data analysis. Future research should attempt to extend its

reach across the nation to obtain a more complete picture of hiring official preferences in

general as opposed to primarily those in SWFL. Sample size could be expanded by

contacting the APTA and AOTA to obtain a larger list of therapists nationwide. These

therapists could still be contacted in the same manner as used in this study. Future

research should also seek to separate the surveys for employers of physical and

occupational therapists. This study was unable to determine if a certain characteristic

preference applied more to physical or occupational therapy employer.

CONCLUSIONS

Several characteristics were found to be of more importance than others such as

time management, professional skills, and clinical experience in a specific setting.

However, these findings cannot be universally applied due to the small and isolated

sample size. Students, as well as PT and OT programs, can benefit from this data to get a

better understanding of what qualities and characteristics employers are seeking, and

apply it towards making a more marketable student. A student can significantly benefit

from this information while currently enrolled in school because it allows him or her to

improve upon the most important skills PT and OT employers seek, and can be facilitated


by the vast resources available to them while enrolled. PT and OT programs can use this

information to ensure that students are well-versed in the most important characteristics

and can facilitate this in their curriculum. With the limited research in this area, this study

can serve as a feasible way to conduct future research regarding what characteristics

employers seek when hiring a new PT or OT graduate.


REFERENCES

1. U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical

Therapist. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-

therapists.htm. Accessed April 15, 2016.

2. U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Occupational

Therapist. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-

therapists.htm. Accessed April 15, 2016.

3. CAPTE Quick Facts. Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy

Education Web site. http://www.capteonline.org/home.aspx. Published 2016.

Accessed March 27, 2016.

4. AOTA: Find a School. The American Occupational Therapy Association Web

site. http://www.aota.org/Education-Careers/Find-School.aspx. Published

2016. Accessed March 27, 2016.

5. Matwig K, Clarke F, Owens T, Granet P. Department of Physical Therapy

Science Center Education, State University of New York Health Science Center at

Syracuse, Syracuse, New York, USA. Selection Criteria for Employment of Entry

Level Physical Therapists: A Survey of New York State Employers. J Phys Ther

Educ. 2001;15(1):65-74.

6. Mulholland S, Derdall M. Exploring what employers seek when hiring

occupational therapists. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2004;

71(4):223-9.

7. Professionalism. American Physical Therapy Association. Retrieved from

http://www.apta.org/Professionalism/. November 22, 2015. Accessed March

13, 2016.

8. FAQ About APTA Membership. American Physical Therapy Association.

Retrieved from http://www.apta.org/MembershipMatters/FAQ/. February

10, 2015. Accessed April 10, 2016.

9. Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics. American Occupational Therapy

Association. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/-

/media/corporate/files/practice/ethics/code-of-ethics.pdf. April 2015.

Accessed April 20, 2016.


Appendix A: Informed Consent Form

Online Survey Consent Form

Study Title:

Characteristics Employers Seek When Hiring New Physical and Occupational Therapy

Graduates

Principal Researchers:

Brittany Zellars, SPT

Cory Pickens, SPT

Eric Shamus, PhD, DPT, CSCS

Jacqueline van Duijn, DPT, OCS

Rose Pignataro, PhD, DPT, CWS

You are being invited to participate in a research study conducted through Florida

Gulf Coast University. This study is being performed by students of the Doctorate of

Physical Therapy Program and meets the requirements necessary for graduation. In order

for you to participate in this study, the University requires that I (we) obtain your signed

consent. You must be at least 18 years old to take this survey.

Your participation in the study is completely voluntary. If you decide to

participate now you may change your mind and stop at any time, for any reason, without

penalty or loss of any future services you may be eligible to receive from the University.

You can choose to not answer an individual question or you may skip any section of the

survey by clicking “No Response” to move to the next question.

The purpose of the study is to determine what characteristics employers seek when

hiring new physical and occupational therapy graduates. The researchers are investigating

among, among other things, whether or not trends exist in hiring based on the

respondent’s demographic information such as gender, age, etc.

We are asking you to take part in the study because you are responsible for hiring

physical and/or occupational therapists and we are attempting to identify what

characteristics you find valuable in a new physical or occupational therapy graduate.

If you agree to be part of the research study, you will be asked to complete an online

survey about the characteristics you seek when hiring a new physical or occupational

therapy graduate. We expect the survey will take about 15 minutes or less to complete.

The survey can be completed in more than one session.

Your participation will be kept anonymous. However, working with email or the

internet has the risk of compromising privacy, confidentiality, and/or anonymity. Despite

this possibility, the risks to your physical, emotional, social, professional, or financial

well-being are considered to be 'less than minimal’ by completing the survey.

Although your participation in this research may not benefit you personally, it will

help us understand what employers look for in potential new hires which can assist in

curriculum development, students can learn what is necessary to be hired as a new

graduate, and hiring officials have the opportunity to stress what is important to them

when hiring new physical and occupational therapy graduates, resulting in more qualified

candidates.


Appendix A: Informed Consent Form (Continued)

If you join the study, we will make every effort keep your information confidential

and secure by taking the following steps, all data and study records will be saved on an

external hard-drive and kept in a locked filing cabinet in the private office of the study's

faculty sponsor, Dr. Eric Shamus for a minimum of three years following completion of

the study,. However, despite these safeguards, there is the possibility of hacking or other

security breaches that could compromise the confidentiality of the information you

provide. Thus, it is important to remember that you are free to decline to answer any

question that makes you uncomfortable for any reason.

We will not release information about you unless you authorize us to do so or unless

we are required to do so by law. If results of this study are published or presented at a

professional meeting, no information will be included that would make it possible to

identify you as a study participant.

You will not be paid to take part in this study.

If you have any questions about this study, you may contact the faculty sponsor, Dr.

Eric Shamus, at 239-590-1418.

If you have any questions about your rights as a subject/participant in this research, or

if you feel you have been placed at risk, you can contact the Chair of the Human

Subjects' Institutional Review Board through Sandra Terranova, Office of Research and

Sponsored Programs, at 239-590-7522.

Statement: I have read the preceding information describing this study. All of my

questions have been answered to my satisfaction. I am 18 years of age or older and freely

consent to participate in the study. My decision to participate or to decline participating

in this study is completely voluntary. I understand that I am free to withdraw from the

study at any time. I am aware of my option to not answer to any questions I choose.

I understand that it is not possible to identify all potential risks I believe that reasonable

steps have been taken to minimize both the known and potential but unknown risks. The

submission of the completed survey is my informed consent to participate in the study.

If you would like a copy of the consent form, print a copy before continuing.

By clicking on the survey link below you are consenting to participate in this research

survey.

http://____________________

If you do not wish to participate, click the “x’ in the top corner of your browser to exit.

Thank you for your time.


Cory Pickens, SPT





Appendix B: Survey Instrument


Appendix B: Survey Instrument (Continued)








Appendix C: Recruitment Email for CCCE/DOR/Therapist

Dear CCCE/DOR/Therapist,

As students of the FGCU Physical Therapy Program, Cory Pickens and Brittany

Zellars are conducting survey research to determine what characteristics employers seek

when hiring new physical and occupational therapy graduates. Dr. Jacqueline van Duijn

and Professor Karen Mock have provided us with your contact information because of

your role as a clinical affiliation with the FGCU PT and OT programs. We are requesting

the contact information, specifically the name and email address, of the individual(s)

responsible for hiring physical and occupational therapists at your respective facility or

facilities.

We thank you for your time and cooperation!


Cory Pickens, SPT





Appendix D: Recruitment Email for Hiring Official

Dear hiring official,

As students of the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at Florida Gulf Coast

University, Cory Pickens and Brittany Zellars are conducting survey research under the

guidance of Dr. Eric Shamus, Dr. Jacqueline Van Duijn, and Dr. Pignataro. The purpose

of this research is to determine what skills or attributes employers find most valuable

when hiring a new (seeking first job) physical or occupational therapy graduate

candidates and what those students can do to make them a more marketable employee.

To determine this, we are enlisting your help to identify which of these skills or attributes

you find most valuable when hiring a new physical or occupational therapy graduate.

In order to participate, please read the consent form attached to this email, then click the

following link to take the survey. By clicking on the survey you are consenting to

participate in this research survey:

https://survey.fgcu.edu/Survey.aspx?s=839c3800bae641d59c0048e71fbbe3

0a

This survey will work best if taken using “Google Chrome” web browser.


Cory Pickens, SPT




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CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS SEEK WHEN HIRING NEW …28398/datastream... · characteristics employers...

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