Background: The field of prosthetist and orthotist (PO) education remains underdeveloped globally, and there is a notable lack of literature on faculty development in this field. To address this gap, and drawing on existing educational research in nursing, this study aimed to identify role model behaviors of PO faculty as a foundational step toward developing an Educational Needs Assessment Tool. 　Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 PO faculty members. Narratives concerning their perceptions of role model behaviors were analyzed using the Qualitative Synthesis Method (KJ Method). 　Results: The analysis demonstrated that the role model behaviors of PO faculty are characterized as “nurturing future generations through educational practice and student support, grounded in sincere actions and attitudes as members of society, with behaviors evolving through self-improvement.” While these role model behaviors share commonalities with those identified in nursing faculty, they also place a unique emphasis on student support.　Conclusions: These findings clarify the role model behaviors of PO faculty and inform the future design of targeted educational support tools.

This study was conducted to identify challenges experienced by chief physical therapists newly appointed as line managers and the support they require. The study included 15 chief physical therapists who had been promoted to the position in the preceding 4 years and were working at the physical therapy department of JA Shizuoka Kouseiren-affiliated hospitals. A mail-based survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 7 domains. In the “worries” domain, the most common answers were “It is difficult to carry out performance evaluations of subordinates”, “I don’t know what I need to learn as chief physical therapist”, “There is too much work to do”, and “The expected achievements of chief therapists are unclear”. Regarding learning opportunities, “In-house training programs provided by the workplace (including organizations and hospitals)” was most frequently chosen, with 93.3％ of the respondents expressing a desire for a phased continuous education system focused on management/administration at their workplaces. The challenges experienced by newly appointed chief physical therapists identified in this survey included ambiguity of role sharing, heavy workload, and psychological conflict. The survey results also suggest the need for immediate response programs and support systems to promptly address problems and ensure smooth management operations.