The lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, people of color in physical therapy.

Objectives: The physical therapy workforce lacks racial and ethnic diversity, with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) overwhelmingly underrepresented in the profession. This study explored the lived experiences of BIPOC physical therapists who have navigated the academic and social challenge...

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Publicado en:Physiotherapy Theory & Practice Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 145 - 158
Autores principales: Stickley, Lois A., Tufano, Virginia
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jan2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2026
      vid: 42
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        atl: The lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, people of color in physical therapy.
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        au:
          Stickley, Lois A.
          Tufano, Virginia
        affil: Department of Physical Therapy, Texas State University, Round Rock, TX, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Education, Physical Therapy Psychosocial Factors
          Student Experiences Evaluation
          Education, Masters
          African Americans Psychosocial Factors
          Indigenous Peoples Psychosocial Factors
          People of Color Psychosocial Factors
          Physical Therapists Psychosocial Factors
          Physical Therapist Attitudes Evaluation
          Program Evaluation
          United States
          Human
          Female
          Male
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Descriptive Research
          Phenomenological Research
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Open-Ended Questionnaires
          Audiorecording
          Videoconferencing
          Thematic Analysis
          Microaggressions
          Identity Recognition
          Role Models
          Communication Barriers
          Qualitative Studies
          Racism
          Student Attitudes Evaluation
          Convenience Sample
          Data Analysis Software
          Students, Physical Therapy Psychosocial Factors
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Female
          Male
      ab: Objectives: The physical therapy workforce lacks racial and ethnic diversity, with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) overwhelmingly underrepresented in the profession. This study explored the lived experiences of BIPOC physical therapists who have navigated the academic and social challenges of entrance into the profession. The research question was What are the facilitators, barriers, and challenges encountered by participants throughout their studies in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, while applying for their first job as a physical therapist, and subsequent adjustment to their work environment? Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design with semi-structured interviews was used. Participants included six physical therapists who met the inclusion criteria for the study. A set of open-ended interview questions derived from the study's purpose encouraged participants to reflect on their lived experiences as a student and subsequently on entering the profession. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim from a video-conferencing platform. Analysis included open coding, theming, and horizontalization. Results: Six themes emerged: representation, biases/microaggressions, favoritism, identity/recognition, role models, and language barriers. Conclusions: The six themes identified in the study were supported by previous studies. The findings of this study demonstrated an overall negative experience for BIPOC individuals in physical therapy education and practice. Recommendations to improve the BIPOC experience included changes at the social/cultural, institutional, programmatic, and clinical levels.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Unknown
    language: English
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