Self-perceived skills confidence: an investigative study of chiropractic students in the early phases of a college's clinic program.

OBJECTIVE

This pilot study surveyed students at early stages of a chiropractic college's clinical curriculum, at the time when integration of patient evaluation and management begins to occur, for collecting data regarding perceived levels of confidence in their spinal analysis and adjusting (manipulation) skills.

METHODS

An online, cross-sectional survey based on students' perceptions of their skills was conducted in a basic technique review class for 3 consecutive terms. Questions primarily focused on full-spine radiography (Gonstead-type) analysis, radiographic descriptive analysis, motion palpation analysis, and manual full-spine and diversified spinal manipulation.

RESULTS

Of 226 eligible students, 108 participated. The respondents were overall more confident with their analysis skills in full-spine radiographs and descriptive listings than they were with their motion palpation analysis. Self-confidence with spinal manipulation skills followed a general pattern from confident to unconfident to unsure. Students were most confident with prone thoracic spinal manipulation and least confident with seated cervical spinal manipulation. With lumbar and pelvic manipulation, confidence levels varied between side posture pushes, side posture pulls, and prone setups.

CONCLUSIONS

Considerably more than half of the respondents were confident enough with their skills to feel comfortable beginning the clinical experience.