PRA Network Event: Tackling Burnout

The Council hosted its fifth event on behalf of the Physiotherapy Regulation and Accreditation Network in March 2023. The event, Tackling Burnout, focussed on burnout impacting the global physiotherapy workforce.

Panellists discussed how the education and regulatory communities can prevent and address the risks of burnout among physiotherapists. The panel included:

• Richard Woolf. Richard is the Chief Professional Officer at the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy in the United States of America. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is currently enrolled in the Executive Master of Business Administration program at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary.
• Nancy Kirsch. Nancy is a tenured professor of physical therapy and Vice Chairperson of the Department of Rehab and Movement Sciences at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She currently serves on the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, Division of Consumer Affairs in New Jersey.
• Peter Ibikunle. Peter is a physiotherapy educator in the Department of Physiotherapy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, Nigeria. He is an Associate Professor of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy.

Coming from different viewpoints and cultural contexts, the panellists shared their research, insights and experiences of burnout and moral injury. The conversation highlighted the effects of Covid-19 on the health workforce, the impact on patient care, mental health amongst practitioners, loss of early career practitioners due to lack of resilience, working on preventative measures, and attracting the right people into healthcare careers.

Virtual attendees joined in from several countries with a desire to know more about solutions for burnout among practitioners worldwide, while recognising that accreditation and regulation can positively address such systemic issues.

As secretariat of the PRA Network, the Council has previously organised free and open virtual events that help build strong partnerships and collaborations to enhance physiotherapy regulation and accreditation around the world. We are grateful to be able to serve as secretariats for the last two years and look forward to continuing to be a member of this group moving forward.