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Background and Purpose: There is currently no culturally appropriate instrument to assess Nigerian physiotherapists’ knowledge and attributes of professionalism. This study sets out to develop a psychometric instrument to assess the knowledge and attributes of professionalism of Nigerian physiotherapists, and to investigate the instrument's readability, stability, and internal consistency. Methods: A Professionalism Inventory with eight demographic questions, ten knowledge of professionalism questions and sixteen attributes of professionalism perception-based statements was developed. The attributes of professionalism scale assess clinical competence, a spirit of inquiry, accountability, autonomy, advocacy, innovation and visionary, collegiality and collaboration, and ethics and values. The Inventory was completed on two occasions, after two-week interval, by 91 Nigerian physiotherapists. Results: The Inventory’s average grade reading level was 10. The intra class correlation coefficient (ICC 3, 1) for the knowledge of professionalism scale ranged from “moderate” (0.421, p

Background: Exposure to Occupational hazards can be very detrimental to the health of workers. Physiotherapists are healthcare professionals with immense burden to deliver on musculoskeletal and other aspects of health of patients and clients. Exposure to Occupational hazards can affect the discharge of their duties and negatively affect the quality of healthcare delivery. Identification, precaution and control of occupational hazards in the workplace are imperatives to the health and well-being of physiotherapists.

Background: It has been reported in the extant literature that the attributes of professionalism vary widely with gender, age, the level of education, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds and between professions. This study evaluated Nigerian physiotherapists’ knowledge and attributes of professionalism and also examined the influence of demographic variables on their professionalism. Methods: One hundred and forty-nine physiotherapists recruited from four randomly selected University Teaching Hospitals completed a Professionalism Inventory that assesses demographic variables, knowledge of professionalism and attributes of professionalism – clinical competence, a spirit of inquiry, accountability, autonomy, advocacy, innovation and visionary, collegiality and collaboration, and ethics/value. Results: The physiotherapists’ average knowledge of professionalism score was 62%, and the average attributes of professionalism score were 63/80 (79%). The physiotherapists who are married, older than 40 years, and with a doctorate, with 16–20 years of work experience, and employed in the neurology practice setting demonstrated significantly (p

Background: The global advocacy for Direct Access (DA) and Patients’ Self-Referral (PSR) to physiotherapy is consistent with the quest for promoting professional autonomy and recognition. It was hypothesized in this study that the attainment of this clarion call in Nigeria may be hamstrung by challenges similar or different from those reported in other climes. Objective: This study assessed the perception of DA and PSR among Physiotherapists (PTs) in South-West, Nigeria. Methods: One hundred PTs from ten purposely selected public-funded out-patient facilities from South-West, Nigeria responded in this cross-sectional study, yielding a response rate of 75% (100/150). A previously validated questionnaire for World Confederation of Physical Therapists (WCPT) on the global view of DA and PSR for physical therapy was used in this study. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: There was a high awareness on legislation regulating practice (91%) and scope (84%) of the profession. Respondents assert that the extant legislation allows for DA (49%) and PSR (97%). However, 40% of the respondents opined that the baccalaureate qualification of PTs was inadequate for competence in DA and PSR; and a post-professional residency programme was mostly recommended (52%). Public support for DA and PSR to physiotherapy was rated more than the advocacy role of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (60% vs. 40%). Physicians’ (71%) and politicians’ (65%) views were rated the major barrier to achieving DA and PSR status in physiotherapy. Similarly, physicians’ (90%) and politicians’ (88%) support was perceived as the major facilitator. Conclusion: Physiotherapy practice in Nigeria has the semblance of autonomy in DA and PSR but is devoid of legislative support. Most Nigerian physiotherapists assume professional autonomy but were not aware of the lack of legal support for DA and PSR. The current entry-level academic curricula were considered to be deficient and inadequate for autonomous practice in Nigeria. Physicians and politicians were the most important barrier or facilitator to achieving legal support for DA and PSR in physiotherapy in Nigeria.