Gender Stereotypes and Acceptance of Female Leadership Among Hospital Physiotherapy Unit Leaders: A National Census Survey

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work in hospital-based departments, who supervise or mentor staff, or who are interested in how gender shapes leadership pathways in rehabilitation. No prior coursework in leadership or research methods is assumed.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in any practice setting, including clinicians in supervisory, coordinator, or department leadership roles, students, and educators interested in workforce and leadership issues in rehabilitation.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course reports the findings of a single published study. Every number and claim in the course traces to that paper.

Margelí MF, Sánchez AG, Andrade-Gómez E, Suarez-Serrano C, Marcén-Román Y. Leadership and gender perspective in hospital physiotherapy units. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):10022. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-60820-1. PMID: 38693278. PMCID: PMC11063188.

Scope note

This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional survey of leaders in one country’s public hospital system. It describes perceptions at one point in time. It does not test an intervention, and it does not establish cause and effect.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe who led the physiotherapy units in Spain's public general hospitals according to this survey, and how that pattern differed in the largest and most complex hospitals.
2. State which gender stereotype persisted in the survey responses and which group of respondents endorsed it more strongly.
3. Explain what the authors concluded about acceptance of female leadership in hospital physiotherapy units, and name the main limits of a one-time census survey.

1. Start Here: course overview, objectives, and how to earn credit
2. Podcast: Who Leads the Physiotherapy Unit? (about nine minutes)
3. Who Leads Hospital Physiotherapy Units in Spain
4. How the Survey Reached the Leaders and What It Asked
5. What the Responses Showed About Stereotypes and Acceptance
6. Where the Survey Runs Out of Answers
7. What These Findings Could Mean for Rehabilitation Departments
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-test and course evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course reports the findings of a single published study. Every number and claim in the course traces to that paper.
2. Margelí MF, Sánchez AG, Andrade-Gómez E, Suarez-Serrano C, Marcén-Román Y. Leadership and gender perspective in hospital physiotherapy units. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):10022. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-60820-1. PMID: 38693278. PMCID: PMC11063188.
3. Scope note
4. This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional survey of leaders in one country's public hospital system. It describes perceptions at one point in time. It does not test an intervention, and it does not establish cause and effect.