
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 51社区. 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.
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鈥橪eary, N, Salmon, N., O鈥橠onnell, 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鈥橠onnell, M. (2023). Are physiotherapy student-led services a suitable model of clinical education? 鈥 perceptions & experiences of physiotherapists, students & patients, a qualitative meta-synthesis. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 39(5), 963鈥978.
O鈥機onnor, A., Liston, E., O鈥橠onnell, M. (2019) Student-led community placement in physiotherapy, Clin Teach. 2019;16(6):593-597. doi:10.1111/tct.12988
Cahill, M., O鈥橠onnell, M., Warren, A., Taylor, A., & Gowan, O. (2013). Enhancing interprofessional student practice through a case-based model. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 27(4), 333鈥335.
Warren A, Taylor A, Cahill M, O鈥橠onnell 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 鈥淚mplementing 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鈥橠onnell, M, McMahon, S Barrett, E, Alpine, L, O鈥橲hea, A Heery, H. 鈥淎 pilot study investigation of the psychometric and edumetric properties of a revised Common Assessment Form.鈥 Proceedings of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists Conference 2024
Keating L, Devenney K, Harrington 1, McGourty A, Britton F, O鈥橠onnell M, Physiotherapy students experience of a blended model of support during clinical placement.鈥 INHED 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting.
O鈥橠onnell, M., Keating, L., Kavanagh, J., Kenny, F., O鈥機onnor, 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鈥橠onnell, 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鈥橠onnell, M., Alpine, L., Heery, H., McMahon, S., O鈥機allaghan, D., O鈥橲hea, 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鈥橠onnell, M., O鈥機onnor, A. (2019) Exploring stakeholders experiences of a community-based, student-led placement. WCPT Congress Geneva
O鈥橠onnell, 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鈥橠onnell, 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鈥橠onnell, M (2015) Becoming 鈥淐linical Therapies鈥. The experience of aligning Practice Education Curricula. Health and Social Care Interprofessional Learning Conference, Dublin
O鈥橠onnell, 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 interprofessional 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.