Patient Facing Physical Therapy Clinicians’ Experience of Leader Development Across Their Professional Span: A Phenomenological Inquiry

Authors

• Judith R. Gelber, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Nathan Conner

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Bryan Reiling, Elizabeth Neihaus, Mark Balschweid

Department

Human Sciences

Date of this Version

4-21-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Human Sciences

Under the supervision of Professor Nathan Conner

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Judith R. Gelber. Used by permission

Abstract

While healthcare professions call for leadership among its practitioners as a key function of practice, hospital systems typically employ a top town leadership structure. In physical therapy, leadership is centered around managers and educators. This leaves a gap in understanding about leadership at the level of the patient facing clinician. This study explored the experience of leader development across the career span of experienced patient facing physical therapists in the United States. The study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach undergirded with leader development, experiential learning, and distributed leadership theories. Participant recruitment focused on patient facing physical therapists with ten or more years of experience who were employed full time and provided patient care at least 50% of the time. As the research unfolded, two additional participants were recruited to fill in gaps in knowledge. Participants worked in a variety of clinical settings including inpatient and outpatient facilities and hospitals, private practices and physician-owned practices. Data was collected through a series of semi-structured interviews. Three themes and 10 subthemes emerged, (a) patient care is a leadership growth experience, (b) the workplace shapes a physical therapists’ leadership growth, and (c) physical therapists experience personal growth in the process of leadership development. In the context of these themes, I discuss subthemes of clinical expertise, human connection, intentionality, delivery model, productivity, formal roles, mentorship, learning through trial and error, enjoyment and signs of change. I connect findings to theory and suggest areas of further research to better understand leader development and distribution among clinicians providing patient care in physical therapy and in comparison to other healthcare fields.

Recommended Citation

Gelber, Judith R., "Patient Facing Physical Therapy Clinicians’ Experience of Leader Development Across Their Professional Span: A Phenomenological Inquiry" (2026). Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–. 445.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/445