The Australian physiotherapy attrition and retention collaboration project: practitioner perspectives.
BackgroundObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionAustralia’s healthcare system, a crucial economic pillar, faces significant workforce shortages, impacting its ability to meet increasing demand. These shortages, particularly acute for physiotherapists, are exacerbated by an aging population, rising chroni...
| Publicado en: | Physiotherapy Theory & Practice pp. 1 - 21 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Taylor & Francis Ltd
May2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=193613988&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 193613988 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 09593985 BCJ jtl: Physiotherapy Theory & Practice issn: 09593985 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: May2026 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania artinfo: ui: 193613988 10.1080/09593985.2026.2667374 193613988 ppf: 1 ppct: 20 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P tig: atl: The Australian physiotherapy attrition and retention collaboration project: practitioner perspectives. aug: au: Bapuji, Sunita Bayyavarapu Tan, Jade Barclay, Lee Divakar, Rechu Saar, Eva Darmanin, Bronwyn Harding, Paula Lennon, Sheila McDermott, Gillian Robertson, Jackie Williams, Lowana Anderson, Sarah Gibson, Kim affil: Research, Evaluation and Insights, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency sug: ab: BackgroundObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionAustralia’s healthcare system, a crucial economic pillar, faces significant workforce shortages, impacting its ability to meet increasing demand. These shortages, particularly acute for physiotherapists, are exacerbated by an aging population, rising chronic disease incidence, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian Government’s 2024 Skills Priority List confirms this national shortage, highlighting the urgent need for strategies to improve workforce planning, expand roles, and enhance retention. Therefore, it is vital to gain a deeper understanding of why Australian physiotherapists leave clinical practice and what would encourage them to remain.This study aimed to explore physiotherapists’ perspectives on factors associated with the retention and attrition of physiotherapists in Australia and to identify potential strategies to encourage physiotherapists to stay in practice.This study used a mixed-data collection approach, qualitatively analyzing open-ended cross-sectional survey responses from Australian registered physiotherapists and 21 semi-structured interviews with physiotherapists who volunteered to provide further insights.Study analysis identified four themes: (1) Anchors of physiotherapists retention, (2) Barriers to workforce entry: Navigating identity and system constraints, 3) Drivers of physiotherapists’ attrition and (4) Retention strategies: Addressing systemic constraints and individual needs to sustain clinical engagement. These themes demonstrate the complex, bidirectional relationships between factors influencing physiotherapist workforce retention, highlighting a profession sustained by purpose but challenged by systemic issues.Overall, a collegial work environment, the ability to work close to family and being embedded in the local community, and career advancement motivate physiotherapists to stay in the profession. Conversely, poor financial sustainability, limited career progression pathways, and poor workplace conditions and burnout contribute to attrition. Strategies to support retention include improved remuneration, more opportunities for career progression and a focus on preventing burnout. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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