"This patient is not appropriate": Perspectives of physiotherapy students and clinical educators on exposing students to patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements.

Background: Clinical practice placements play an important role in preparing students for challenging areas of clinical practice. Little is known about student learning needs for working with patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements, and clinical educator decision-making that underpins this exposure.

Purpose: To explore the perspectives of physiotherapy students and clinical educators on exposing students to working with and learning from patients with complex needs during clinical practice placements across Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.