Expectations for PTs Supervising Physiotherapy Students FAQs

FAQs: Physiotherapy Student Supervision

• What is the appropriate level of supervision when working with a PT student?

  Supervisors have a duty to ensure that PT students they are overseeing have the knowledge, skills, and judgement to assess and deliver, safe and quality care to patients. They should consider any factors that influence patient risk, such as the patient’s condition, the clinical environment, who is available in the workplace to support the physiotherapy student, and the abilities and experience of the specific student. The level of supervision should be based on all of these factors and supervision requirements will vary between students. The supervisor must observe each student’s performance and their level of competence to determine the risk to the patient. To be an effective supervisor, the physiotherapist may need to be on-site in some cases while some supervision can be managed off-site. The PT supervisor must make that determination. Remember, the supervisor remains accountable for the physiotherapy student’s actions and must be able to rationalize the level of supervision if requested.

  Review the Supervision Standard for more information.

• When do I need to directly supervise a physiotherapy student?

  Initially the supervisor must directly observe the student’s performance and determine their level of competence when the student is learning a new skill. The supervisor should conduct a student evaluation if there are concerns about their performance and if the student is practicing or performing a controlled act or other restricted activity.

  Review the Controlled Acts and Restricted Activities Standard for more information.

• Does a PT supervisor need to co-sign their physiotherapy student's entries in the patient's record?

  Yes. Physiotherapists are ultimately responsible for the care provided by PT students under their supervision and must co-sign all entries in the patient record.

  Review the Supervision Standard and the Record Keeping Standard for more information. 

• Can a physiotherapy student perform a controlled act as part of their training?

  Physiotherapy students may perform any of the controlled acts that physiotherapists are authorized to perform as part of their training to become a member of the profession, if certain conditions are met. Before the student performs any part of a controlled act, the supervising physiotherapist must:

  • be rostered to perform the controlled act

  • be confident that the physiotherapy student has the knowledge, skills, and judgment to perform the controlled act as assigned

  • have the patient's consent for the physiotherapy student's involvement in their care

  • provide an appropriate level of supervision to ensure safe and effective care 

• Does a PT need three years of experience to supervise a student?

  No. While the College requires PT Residents to be supervised by a physiotherapist holding an Independent Practice Certificate for three years, there is no such requirement to supervise a physiotherapy student. Universities may have their own requirements for PTs who wish to take on students from their institution. 

  A PT needs to self-assess their own competency before deciding if they can act as a physiotherapy student supervisor. The PT is responsible for all care provided by students under their supervision. It is an important responsibility to take on this role.
  
  

• My clinic is mostly providing virtual care. Can a physiotherapy student provide virtual care to patients?

  Yes. A physiotherapy student can provide a physiotherapy assessment and treatment virtually as long as their PT supervisor has confidence that the student has the knowledge, skills, and judgement to do so safely and competently.

  The PT supervisor should review specific aspects of providing care virtually such as safety and obtaining consent with their student before having them provide care virtually. The PT supervisor might consider practicing with the student in advance to be sure they are comfortable with practical aspects such as camera placement and privacy considerations. Finally, they should review the standards with the students keeping in mind that all rules that apply for in-person care also apply to virtual care.  

  Learn more about virtual care.