I am the Physiotherapy Practice Education Coordinator at the School of Allied Health. I gained a B. Physio from University College Dublin and a MSc Clinical Therapies (Physiotherapy) and a BA Management Practice from the University of Limerick. I support and develop traditional and innovative models of placement. Key roles include curricula design and development, innovations in practice education and ensuring quality in placement delivery. I have an interest in Interprofessional education and performance-based assessment. I am committed to the development of the physiotherapy profession with former roles on the ISCP executive and current roles with CORU.

Research Interests

I am principal Investigator on a project to design and implement a new National Common Placement Assessment Form for Physiotherapy education in Ireland. I am also interested in exploring innovative models of clinical education for healthcare students and helping to develop positive learning environments and placement capacity to ensure development of the profession.

I am committed to exploring our own practice as educators and working with clinical partner sites to develop practice-based research projects and promote service evaluation.

I have been involved in clinically based research teams investigating physiotherapy interventions in persons with Multiple Sclerosis and in Stroke and older persons care.

Publications

A Fleming, O. Mongan, M. McCarthy, M. O'Donnell, A. Lydon, E. McGowan, J. Strawbridge, C. McAuliffe, K. Frazer, R. Murphy, P. McCague, (2024) Development of a student intervarsity interprofessional healthcare team challenge to promote collaboration and teamwork. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice,Volume 36,

O’Leary, N, Salmon, N., O’Donnell, M., Murphy, S. Mannion, J. (2023) Interprofessional education and practice guide: profiling readiness for practice-based IPE, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 37:1, 150-155, DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2022.2038551

Ahern, C., & O’Donnell, M. (2023). Are physiotherapy student-led services a suitable model of clinical education? – perceptions & experiences of physiotherapists, students & patients, a qualitative meta-synthesis. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 39(5), 963–978.

O’Connor, A., Liston, E., O’Donnell, M. (2019) Student-led community placement in physiotherapy, Clin Teach. 2019;16(6):593-597. doi:10.1111/tct.12988

Cahill, M., O’Donnell, M., Warren, A., Taylor, A., & Gowan, O. (2013). Enhancing interprofessional student practice through a case-based model. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 27(4), 333–335.

Warren A, Taylor A, Cahill M, O’Donnell M. (2012) The MAGPIE model: An interprofessional learning opportunity for therapy students. J. of Practice Teaching & Learning 11(2), pp.47-59

 

Selected Abstracts/Conference Presentations:

O'Brien, E., Conroy B., Minogue A., Collins E. O'Donnell, M. (2024) Balanced: An Evaluation Of A Newly Established Older Adult Exercise Class. Irish Gerontological Society Annual and Scientific Meeting 2024 (Athlone, Ireland)

O'Donnell, M “Implementing stakeholder-informed priorities to enhance the assessment process of physiotherapy students in the workplace; an investigation of the psychometric and edumetric properties of a revised Common Assessment Form. INHED 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting.  

O’Donnell, M, McMahon, S Barrett, E, Alpine, L, O’Shea, A Heery, H. “A pilot study investigation of the psychometric and edumetric properties of a revised Common Assessment Form.” Proceedings of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists Conference 2024

Keating L, Devenney K, Harrington 1, McGourty A, Britton F, O’Donnell M, Physiotherapy students experience of a blended model of support during clinical placement.” INHED 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting.  

O’Donnell, M., Keating, L., Kavanagh, J., Kenny, F., O’Connor, A. (2021) An evaluation of a 12-week physiotherapy student led telehealth placement during the COVID-19 pandemic Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists Conference (Online)

O’Donnell, M., Holmes, A., Kennedy, S., Keating, L., Burke, J., Kavanagh, J., Dunne, A., Murphy, S.. Kelleher, S.(2020) Delivering physiotherapy practice placements during the COVID-19 pandemic The 5th European Congress of the ER-WCPT on Physiotherapy Education (online)

O’Donnell, M., Alpine, L., Heery, H., McMahon, S., O’Callaghan, D., O’Shea, A. (2020) A National Approach to delivering physiotherapy practice placements during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Irish Context, The 5th European Congress of the ER-WCPT on Physiotherapy Education (online)

O’Donnell, M., O’Connor, A. (2019) Exploring stakeholders experiences of a community-based, student-led placement. WCPT Congress Geneva

O’Donnell, M., Kerins, S. (2019) An Observational Prospective Cohort Study Examining the Impact of Clinical Placement on the Cultural Competence of Physiotherapy Students.2nd Annual Practice education Conference, Dublin

O’Donnell, M. (2018) An evaluation of the experiences of students and community groups who participated in non-traditional physiotherapy student placements. HSCP Practice Education Conference, Dublin  Ignite Presentation

O’Donnell, M (2015) Becoming “Clinical Therapies”. The experience of aligning Practice Education Curricula.  Health and Social Care Interprofessional Learning Conference, Dublin

O’Donnell, M., Coote, S. (2011) Physiotherapy for persons with Multiple Sclerosis who are non-ambulatory. World Physical Therapy Congress, 20-23 June 2011, Amsterdam

O'Donnell M., Cahill M., Warren A., Gowen O., Taylor A. (2011) Evaluation of a case based interprofessional model of education: perspectives of Students, Therapists and Placement Facilitators. World Physical Therapy Congress, 20-23 June 2011, Amsterdam

O'Donnell M., Gowan I., Cahill M., Warren, A.  (2010) Implementation of an innovative interprofessioanl model of education in Ireland: perspectives of students, therapists and regional placement facilitators. All Together Better Health5 International Interprofessional Conference. 6-9 April, Manly, NSW, Australia

O'Donnell, M, Coote, S. (2009) Physiotherapy in persons with Multiple Sclerosis who are non-ambulatory.  25th  congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, Dusseldorf.