Date of Award
Fall 12-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Teaching and Learning
First Advisor
Susan Powers
Second Advisor
Whitney Nesser
Third Advisor
Craig Wassinger
Abstract
The impact of pain on society has implications for individuals’ well-being and the overall health of society. Despite the high prevalence of pain, many new healthcare providers often lack the confidence and skills to manage patients with pain effectively. This phenomenological research study aimed to understand the lived experiences of faculty responsible for developing and delivering pain education to prelicensure physical therapy students. A secondary purpose was to examine the barriers that exist from the perspective of faculty members with subject matter expertise in pain education to implementing effective pain education in prelicensure curricula. Prelicensure pain education is essential for establishing foundational knowledge and skills for providers to treat people with acute and chronic pain effectively. Core competencies and curricular recommendations exist for different prelicensure health professions, yet many academic programs have not incorporated these recommendations or only partially incorporated them into their curricula. Academic faculty are often responsible for designing and delivering new content in prelicensure education, and faculty with subject matter expertise are commonly early adopters of these curricular changes. A qualitative research paradigm was used to explore the factors that permitted the development and delivery of pain education to prelicensure physical therapy students. Data were collected via an online survey and semi-structured interviews with 14 faculty participants. Interviews allowed for a rich exploration of participant perspectives on the topics. Four themes emerged from data analysis of the interviews: a) understanding future provider needs, b) ensuring clinically focused capabilities, c) using instructional design, and d) acknowledging that institutional dynamics guide curricular development. Findings point to the importance of intentional instructional design, institutional support, and individual faculty motivation to spur the development of the pain curriculum in physical therapy programs.
Recommended Citation
Kiesel, John D., "Implementing Pain Curricula in Prelicensure Physical Therapy Education: Faculty Perspectives and Experiences" (2025). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3692.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/3692