Overview
Background
Roma Forbes is the Program Director of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) program at The University of Queensland. She is a highly experienced APA titled musculoskeletal physiotherapist and Senior Teaching-Focused Lecturer. Roma is a Director of the Australian Physiotherapy Council and the national Chair of the Accreditation Committee, and represents Australia on the World Physiotherapy Education Committee. She serves on a number of editorial boards and is an Associate Editor for The Clinical Teacher.
Ensuring health professional students are prepared for a challenging and changing workforce is a global priority. Roma leads programs of research that explore the use of work integrated learning and the readiness of health professional graduates across emerging and challenging aspects of clinical practice and workplace settings. Her work spans local, national, and international efforts, where she leads work-integrated learning and health professional education advocacy and policy.
Roma's current research focuses on teaching and learning in the health professions, with a specific focus on graduate preparedness for clinical practice and outcomes of clinical education. This research uses several approaches to explore graduate, educator, and employer perspectives with a focus on knowledge translation to improve clinical education capacity and outcomes. She has a strong track record of national and international collaborations in patient education training, clinical education capacity, and physiotherapy teaching and learning. Roma is passionate about health professional education research and enhancing graduate readiness for practice and fostering a stronger, more supported community of health professional educators and researchers at UQ and abroad.
Awards and Fellowships
- Advance Higher Education Global Impact Award (2023)
- The University of Queensland Award for Teaching Excellence (2023)
- Association for the Study of Medical Education - Medical Education Developing Scholarship Award (2023)
- Higher Education Academy Senior Fellow (2023)
- Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (2023)
- Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2021)
- Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Fellow (2021)
- The University of Queensland Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2020)
- Flinders University - ANZAHPE Award for Excellence in Health Professional Education (2020)
- Higher Eduction Academy Fellow (2019)
- Health and Behavioural Sciences Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2019)
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2018)
- Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Associate Fellow (2018)
Availability
- Dr Roma Forbes is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Bachelor, Auckland University of Technology
- Postgraduate Diploma, Auckland University of Technology
- Masters (Coursework), Auckland University of Technology
- Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Certificate of Languages, Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Research impacts
Dr. Forbes leads and collaborates with teams from various institutions and industry sectors to explore and integrate innovative patient education training and frameworks into health professional programs, both within Australia and internationally. By developing educator-focused frameworks and comprehensive training guidelines, Dr. Forbes ensures that these models are effectively embedded into both clinical and classroom settings across multiple health professions. Additionally, Dr. Forbes leads significant research initiatives focused on identifying the barriers and facilitators to private practice participation in Work Integrated Learning and enhancing the quality of private practice placements.
Works
Search Professor Roma Forbes’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Factors associated with patient-reported mouth opening activity limitations in individuals with persistent intra-articular temporomandibular disorders: a cross-sectional study exploring physical and self-reported outcomes
Dinsdale, Alana, Thomas, Lucy, Forbes, Roma and Treleaven, Julia (2024). Factors associated with patient-reported mouth opening activity limitations in individuals with persistent intra-articular temporomandibular disorders: a cross-sectional study exploring physical and self-reported outcomes. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 73 103166, 103166. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2024.103166
2024
Conference Publication
Are Portuguese novice physiotherapists prepared for patient education practice in musculoskeletal settings? A qualitative study
Santos, Diogo, Forbes, Roma and Caiero, Carmen (2024). Are Portuguese novice physiotherapists prepared for patient education practice in musculoskeletal settings? A qualitative study. IFOMPT, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
2024
Journal Article
Physiotherapy students’ perceptions of engagement with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities during clinical placement
Martin, Romany, Neish, Calum, Su, Yi-Jen, Mandrusiak, Allison, Donovan, Michael, Dunwoodie, Ruth and Forbes, Roma (2024). Physiotherapy students’ perceptions of engagement with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities during clinical placement. Focus on Health Professional Education, 25 (2), 20-35. doi: 10.11157/fohpe.v25i2.748
2024
Journal Article
New-Graduate Physiotherapists’ Reflections on Training Experiences for Clinical Documentation
Wilesmith, Sarah, Forbes, Roma, Martin, Romany and Mandrusiak, Allison (2024). New-Graduate Physiotherapists’ Reflections on Training Experiences for Clinical Documentation. Australian Journal of Clinical Education, 13 (1). doi: 10.53300/001c.93941
2024
Conference Publication
Internationalising health professions education researcher development: a collective approach in two continents
Pearson, Alison, Forbes, Roma, Mattick, Karen and Noble, Christy (2024). Internationalising health professions education researcher development: a collective approach in two continents. Association for the Study of Medical Education Annual Scholarship Conference, Warwick, United Kingdom, 10-12 July 2024.
2024
Journal Article
Supporting health professional students to navigate diagnostic uncertainty in pain
Forbes, Roma, Costa, Nathalia and West-Newman Stephen (2024). Supporting health professional students to navigate diagnostic uncertainty in pain. Health Professions Education, 10 (2) 7, 141-143. doi: 10.55890/2452-3011.1072
2024
Journal Article
Identifying and navigating suspected serious pathologies: new-graduate physiotherapists' perspectives and developmental needs
Phua, Rachel, Mandrusiak, Allison, Singh, Lakhvir, Martin, Romany and Forbes, Roma (2024). Identifying and navigating suspected serious pathologies: new-graduate physiotherapists' perspectives and developmental needs. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 71 102944. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2024.102944
2024
Journal Article
"This patient is not appropriate": Perspectives of physiotherapy students and clinical educators on exposing students to patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements
McGivern, Elaine, Mandrusiak, Allison, Rahmann, Ann and Forbes, Roma (2024). "This patient is not appropriate": Perspectives of physiotherapy students and clinical educators on exposing students to patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 1-16. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2024.2355243
2024
Journal Article
Fluid professional boundaries: ethnographic observations of co-located chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists
Toloui-Wallace, Joshua, Forbes, Roma, Thomson, Oliver P. and Costa, Nathalia (2024). Fluid professional boundaries: ethnographic observations of co-located chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1) 344, 344. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10738-1
2024
Journal Article
Patient education
Forbes, Roma and Elkins, Mark R. (2024). Patient education. Journal of Physiotherapy, 70 (2), 1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2024.02.019
2024
Journal Article
Strength in Alignment
North, Jacqueline, Lee, Michael and Forbes, Roma (2024). Strength in Alignment. Physiotherapy Inmotion, March, 2024, 8-9.
2024
Journal Article
Writing for the role: A qualitative exploration of new graduate physiotherapists' transition to practice of clinical documentation
Wilesmith, Sarah, Mandrusiak, Allison, Martin, Romany, Lu, Andric and Forbes, Roma (2024). Writing for the role: A qualitative exploration of new graduate physiotherapists' transition to practice of clinical documentation. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2024.2315255
2024
Journal Article
Fostering collaborative practice through interprofessional simulation for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, and nursing students
Copley, Jodie, Martin, Romany, Dix, Clare, Forbes, Roma, Hill, Anne, Mandrusiak, Allison, Penman, Adriana, Patterson, Freyr, Davies, Sarah, Jauncey-Cooke, Jacqueline, Mahendran, Niruthikha, Hooper, Kelly and Collins, Cheryl (2024). Fostering collaborative practice through interprofessional simulation for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, and nursing students. Journal of Interprofessional Care, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2024.2303499
2024
Journal Article
Is proprioception affected in those with persistent intra-articular temporomandibular disorders? A cross-sectional study exploring joint position sense and force sense of the jaw
Dinsdale, Alana, Thomas, Lucy, Forbes, Roma and Treleaven, Julia (2024). Is proprioception affected in those with persistent intra-articular temporomandibular disorders? A cross-sectional study exploring joint position sense and force sense of the jaw. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 69 102904, 102904. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102904
2024
Book Chapter
Understanding evidence from qualitative research: examples of assessment of quality (critical appraisal) from different health professions
Haas, Romi, Bennett, Sally, Abell, Bridget, Bennett, John, Bogossian, Fiona, Causby, Ryan, Devenish, Anthony Scott, Ee, Carolyn, Forbes, Roma, Packer, Rebecca and Wilkinson, Shelly (2024). Understanding evidence from qualitative research: examples of assessment of quality (critical appraisal) from different health professions. Evidence-based practice across the health professions. (pp. 206-252) edited by Tammy Hoffmann, Sally Bennett and Chris Del Mar. Chatswood, NSW Australia: Elsevier.
2023
Journal Article
Exploring the workplace and workforce intentions of early career physiotherapists in Australia
Forbes, Roma, Wilesmith, Sarah, Dinsdale, Alana, Neish, Calum, Wong, Jonathan, McClymont, Damian and Lu, Andric (2023). Exploring the workplace and workforce intentions of early career physiotherapists in Australia. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2023.2286333
2023
Other Outputs
Meet the expert: instilling confidence in future physiotherapists with Dr Roma Forbes
Forbes, Roma (2023, 10 31). Meet the expert: instilling confidence in future physiotherapists with Dr Roma Forbes The University of Queensland
2023
Conference Publication
Advancing Health Professional Education Research at UQ
Forbes, Roma and Noble, Christy (2023). Advancing Health Professional Education Research at UQ. UQ Teaching and Learning Week, St Lucia, QLD Australia, 30 October - 3 November 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Portuguese physiotherapists’ self-efficacy and preparedness for patient education practice: a mixed methods study
Santos, Diogo, Caiero, Carmen and Forbes, Roma (2023). Portuguese physiotherapists’ self-efficacy and preparedness for patient education practice: a mixed methods study. National Congress on Clinical Communication in Health Care, Lisbon, Portugal, 27 October 2023.
2023
Other Outputs
‘Well…what do you think?’ Responding to challenging questions in the moment
Forbes, Roma (2023, 10 18). ‘Well…what do you think?’ Responding to challenging questions in the moment Times Higher Education
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Roma Forbes is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
Enhancing clinical education capacity within the physiotherapy profession
-
New graduate physiotherapist readiness for practice
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring and enhancing physiotherapist competency in clinical documentation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
Doctor Philosophy
Preparing the physiotherapy workforce for identifying and managing social determinants of health
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
Doctor Philosophy
Comparing and contrasting the physical therapies.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nathalia Costa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Educational experience and work readiness of allied health students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adriana Penman, Dr Freyr Patterson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Preparing and supporting recent graduate physiotherapists for the private sector
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak, Dr Alana Dinsdale
-
Doctor Philosophy
The contribution of patient caseload complexity in bridging the gap between student and new graduate physiotherapist
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
Doctor Philosophy
Study Strategies in Health Professions Education
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak, Associate Professor Jason Lodge
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the experiences of clinical based learning and transition to clinical practice for physiotherapy students from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background with a view to informing better student, university and clinical placement practices
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Martin Sale
-
Master Philosophy
Exploring student and practice educator experiences in feedback processes within clinical learning environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Freyr Patterson, Dr Adriana Penman
-
Doctor Philosophy
Behaviour Change for Healthy Living - Implementation and evaluation of a health professional delivered physical activity intervention in older adults in a community health service
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Genevieve Healy, Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall
Completed supervision
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Preparing and supporting new-graduate physiotherapists for rural practice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Trevor Russell, Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring disability and management in adults with persistent mechanical temporomandibular disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Julia Treleaven, Dr Lucy Thomas
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Roma Forbes directly for media enquiries about:
- Clinical Education
- Graduate Preparedness
- Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
- Patient Education
- Private Practice
- Readiness for Practice
- Teaching and Learning
- Work Integrated Learning
- Workforce
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