bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Practice Placement Education Experience: An Australian Pilot Study Exploring the Perspectives of Health Professional Students with a Disability
Authors: Brown Kate , James Carole , MacKenzie Lynette 
Published: April 2015

Practice placement education is an essential component of health professional programmes. The number of students with a disability entering health professional education programmes is anticipated to rise, yet research about the perspectives of students with a disability is limited, especially related to practice placement education. Therefore, the need to investigate student experiences has intensified. In this study, qualitative research methodology was used to investigate the perceptions, feelings and experiences of health professional students with a disability during practice placement education. Five health professional students, recruited from a regional university in New South Wales, Australia, participated in semi-structured, individual interviews. A phenomenological approach was used. Following inductive analysis of the data, three themes reflecting the students' experience of practice placement education emerged: the impact of disability, including the barriers and the strategies used to overcome these; the experiences of practice placement education, including the feelings of the participants; and support, which came from the practice placement educator, the university staff, family and friends. This pilot study provides valuable insight into the perspectives of these students about practice placement education. The findings reinforce the need for further exploration of the unique experiences of students with a disability to ensure success within their university programme and future profession.
Adopting the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills into Practice: Therapists' Voices
Authors: Chard Gill 
Published: April 2015

A qualitative study was undertaken to explore occupational therapists' experiences following a continuing professional education course to learn how to use the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS). This paper describes the challenges and barriers they faced when adopting it within existing professional practice. Twenty-two occupational therapists from 16 National Health Service trusts across the United Kingdom who had attended an AMPS course took part in a series of three semi-structured interviews over a 9-month period. The data were analysed inductively; six themes and a number of subthemes emerged. Three themes are explored in this paper: adopting the AMPS into professional practice, the diffusion of innovation and the embedding of new skills in clinical teams. Using the voices of the participants in the study, the findings explore some of the barriers to learning new skills and to utilising them within workplace teams. Overall, the therapists were able to overcome these barriers if they had sufficient personal motivation and workplace support from either their manager or the clinical team. The spread of a new idea and its adoption into current practice are complex and affected by many factors. Research evidence alone may not be enough to persuade individuals and teams to change: additional resources of leadership, skills and time also appear essential to success.
Participation in the Prescription Process of Mobility Devices: Experiences among Older Patients
Authors: Hedberg-Kristensson Elizabeth , Ivanoff Synneve Dahlin , Iwarsson Susanne 
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to explore older patients' experiences of participation in the prescription process of mobility devices. The study was conducted in two Swedish municipalities and was a qualitative study, based on the focus group interview methodology of Merton et al (1990). In order to recruit a sample fulfilling both homogeneity and heterogeneity criteria, occupational therapists and physiotherapists in the municipalities identified potential participants, all aged 65 years or older. Twenty-two patients participated in focus group interviews. Each patient participated once in the seven focus group interviews that were arranged. The participants reported passive participation in the prescription process of mobility devices as the most frequently occurring experience. They also reported non-participation, for example, in discussion about alternative solutions to activity problems. The study concluded that it was necessary to develop a more client-centred approach in community-based rehabilitation, challenging occupational therapists and physiotherapists to encourage patient participation in the prescription process of mobility devices. The study also highlighted the importance of inviting the patient to discuss alternative solutions to activity problems.
Outdoor Recreation as an Occupation to Improve Quality of Life for People with Enduring Mental Health Problems
Authors: Frances Katy 
Published: April 2015

This report reviews available evidence to illustrate that outdoor recreation can be used as a viable therapeutic medium for people with enduring mental health problems. It illustrates how outdoor recreation is in keeping with government mental health promotion strategies and that, if outdoor recreation is considered as an occupational role, it can facilitate positive self-identity and enhance quality of life for people with enduring mental health problems. The term ‘outdoor recreation’ encompasses activities that take place in an outdoor environment, including walking, hiking, orienteering and cycling, and more adventurous activities such as climbing, kayaking, canoeing and sailing.
Moving from Student to New Practitioner: The Transitional Experience
Authors: Morley Mary 
Published: April 2015

Preceptorship is now a requirement for all newly qualified occupational therapists joining the National Health Service (Department of Health 2005). This is intended to ameliorate the difficulties experienced by new practitioners when moving from the role of student into clinical work. A number of studies confirm the importance of providing both support and challenge in the first year of practice. This opinion piece presents the case for the introduction of preceptorship, building on the expertise of clinical supervisors. This role of preceptor could improve the transitional experience of new practitioners and support the development of their skills and their confidence.
Mental Health Vocational Rehabilitation: An Overview of Occupational Therapy Service Provision in Northern Ireland
Authors: Devlin Ciara , Burnside Lesley , Akroyd Lorna 
Published: April 2015

The job clinic model was established in Northern Ireland in 1992. It was initiated by mental health occupational therapists and represented an interagency model of vocational rehabilitation (McCrum et al 1997). Occupational therapy vocational practice has evolved significantly since then, with a regional variation in service delivery, which necessitated review. There was a recognition that practice needed to be examined to develop services in a unified professional way. This paper gives an overview of occupational therapy mental health vocational service provision in Northern Ireland. The authors sought information from 13 regional trusts, which demonstrated that vocational work is a very active part of occupational therapy provision but that there are also opportunities to develop services based on current evidence. This paper makes recommendations and highlights the action required to take forward occupational therapy vocational rehabilitation in Northern Ireland.
Exploring Changes in Occupational Therapy Students' Approaches to Learning during Pre-Registration Education
Authors: Chapman Judith , Watson Jo , Adams Jo 
Published: April 2015

This article describes a longitudinal cohort study, which examined the preferred approaches to learning of pre-registration occupational therapy students (N = 55) as they progressed through the 3 years of an undergraduate BSc(Hons) programme. The students' orientations to learning were measured using the short Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) (Entwistle 1981) and the results were compared descriptively across repeat measures undertaken during each year of study. Inferential statistics were used to examine whether there were any statistically significant differences in preferred learning approaches throughout the 3 years of study. The results showed moderate changes in learning approaches, which were associated with more successful outcomes of learning. The evidence of the use of these deeper approaches to learning was accompanied by statistically significant decreases in the less desirable, superficial approaches, with reductions in the mean scores between year one and year three for Operation Learning (p < 0.005) and Learning Pathologies (p < 0.05). The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to learning and teaching and assessment methods in undergraduate health professional education. Students may be encouraged to become more independent and to develop deeper approaches to learning by reducing formal contact time and developing assessment strategies that emphasise the exploration and application of knowledge.
Outcome Measures for People with Scleroderma: Relationships between Measures of Impairment and Activity Limitation
Authors: Poole Janet L 
Published: April 2015

This study examined the relationships between impairment and activity limitation outcome measures in people with scleroderma. Forty people with scleroderma received evaluations of body structure and function variables: grip and pinch strength (Arthritis Hand Function Test), dexterity (nine-hole pegboard), joint motion (Hand Mobility in Scleroderma and Keital Function Test) and skin thickness. The participants also completed self-report questionnaires regarding activity limitations (Health Assessment Questionnaire, Hand Functional Disability Scale and Scleroderma Functional Assessment Questionnaire). All grip and pinch strength and dexterity measures correlated significantly but moderately with the activity limitation measures (r = 0.34 to 0.62). The Keital Function Test correlated with the activity limitation measures (r = 0.43 to 0.49) whereas the Hand Mobility in Scleroderma test and skin thickness did not. The results demonstrated that the activity limitations reported by the participants were only partly associated with the impairment variables. The findings from this study might help occupational therapists to decide where to focus intervention and which measures to use when assessing the effectiveness of occupational therapy for people with scleroderma.
The Prevocational and Early Employment Needs of Adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: The Occupational Therapy Perspective
Authors: Shaw K L , Hackett J L , Southwood T R , McDonagh J E 
Published: April 2015

The purpose of the study was to explore the prevocational needs of adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from the perspective of occupational therapists and to examine the role of occupational therapy in addressing these. A questionnaire was distributed to members of occupational therapy organisations (n = 494) to assess the perceived importance of addressing prevocational issues for adolescents with JIA and the respondents' knowledge, confidence and perceived role. The questionnaire was completed by 175 (35.4%) individuals. The results showed that although the occupational therapists felt that they were an appropriate profession to address the vocational needs of adolescents, they reported limited knowledge and confidence to do so. Significant unmet training needs were highlighted. This study echoes previous calls for vocational issues to be addressed within adolescent rheumatology and provides evidence that occupational therapy is well placed to coordinate this area of need.
New Graduates' Experiences of Learning to Practise Occupational Therapy
Authors: Toal-Sullivan Darene 
Published: April 2015

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of six occupational therapists in the first year of their career, with a focus on the experience of transition and how beginning practitioners learn about doing practice. An initial interview was conducted with each participant in the third to fifth months of practice. The participants then maintained a journal for one month. A second interview was held with each participant in the eighth to tenth months of practice, which explored the learning experiences documented in the journals and changes in knowledge and skills since beginning practice. The transitional experiences of the participants revealed that they were challenged by their limited practical experience, the responsibilities of client care, system issues and role uncertainty. The support of colleagues and peers was critical to their learning and eased their adjustment from student to occupational therapist. The relationship with clients was particularly valuable to the participants' learning and professional identity. Recommendations to bridge academic and clinical settings and ease the transition from student to therapist are proposed.
Occupational Therapy Students' Approaches to Learning: Considering the Impact of Culture
Authors: Watson Jo , Chapman Judith , Adams Jo , Nila Ummey Hamida 
Published: April 2015

Learning approaches describe the way that individuals approach tasks or learning situations and are influenced by individual characteristics and specific learning contexts. Cultural factors are likely to have an impact on various aspects of learning, yet the literature disagrees over the extent to which culture influences approaches to learning. With increasing cultural diversity in student cohorts and the contributions of culturally Western therapists to occupational therapy programmes in developing nations, this issue is worthy of exploration within the context of pre-registration education. The Approaches to Study Inventory was used to explore differences in the approaches to learning of United Kingdom and Bangladeshi occupational therapy students studying in their home countries. Significant differences between the groups revealed that the Bangladeshi students displayed both stronger tendencies for deep approaches to learning (p<0.05) and for less integrated superficial approaches to learning (p< 0.05). This apparent contradiction required careful consideration. There is no single correct way to learn. This study's results reinforce the need for cultural sensitivity in not only clinical but also educational contexts. The cultural biases underpinning the constructs of deep and superficial learning approaches are explored. Educators are encouraged to recognise the potential for culture to influence how students engage within the learning environment and how they themselves construct learning opportunities.
An Example of Occupational Coherence: The Story of Dian Fossey, Occupational Therapist and Primatologist
Authors: Cara Elizabeth 
Published: April 2015

Dr Dian Fossey was the primatologist and occupational therapist who is famous worldwide for saving the highland mountain gorillas from extinction. She sustained her research centre successfully for 18 years in an inhospitable physical and political climate before her murder in 1985. Prior to moving to Africa, Dr Fossey enjoyed a successful 10-year career as a paediatric occupational therapist. After graduating from San José State College (now university) in California, she moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to lead a one-woman department at a well-known hospital where she treated orthopaedic clients, including children from the Appalachian Mountains. Yet, in spite of her considerable accomplishments and successful early career, Fossey is not well known in today's occupational therapy profession and there is little information about her occupational therapy career. This paucity prevents a complete analysis of her life. This paper presents an alternative narrative, which identifies connections between her early lives as an occupational therapist working with children and a primatologist studying the highland mountain gorilla culture. These connections suggest that there is an occupational coherence throughout life that may occur in spite of the pursuit of apparently different careers in very different contexts. The links also imply that certain values and motivations may contribute to this occupational coherence throughout one's lifespan.
Pressure to Lead: What Can We Learn from the Theory?
Authors: Stewart Lisa S P 
Published: April 2015

Older people are major users of health and social services and, in the United Kingdom, the proportion of the population over 65 years is set to rise in the coming decades (Audit Commission 2000) with growing numbers of long-term conditions. In response, the National Health Service (NHS) must also change if it is to meet the needs of the nation. Whether in the public or the private sector, organisations must have leaders with the skills necessary to implement change if the organisation is to be successful (Landrum et al 2000). In the health care environment, leaders with the capacity to influence, shape and deliver services will enable the NHS to realise its organisational vision (Scottish Executive 2006). Partnership for Care (Scottish Executive 2003) provides direction to achieve this goal by devolving power to frontline staff and promoting a culture of continuous improvement in the NHS. Occupational therapists form part of the frontline power responsible for implementing change and are in an ideal position to do so (Grady 1991). The author describes four theories of leadership — trait theory, motivational theories, transformational leadership and emotional intelligence — and reflects on their strengths and weaknesses and their relevance to occupational therapists currently working in the NHS.
Occupation, Mental Illness and Medium Security: Exploring Time-Use in Forensic Regional Secure Units
Authors: Stewart Paul , Craik Christine 
Published: April 2015

Research investigating occupational experience among people with mental illness has highlighted their difficulties in selecting, organising, valuing, enjoying and competently performing occupations. Although occupational therapy literature consistently identifies environmental factors as key in facilitating successful and valued engagement, few authors have studied the implications of detention in secure mental health settings for this population. This study investigated the occupational experiences of five people with schizophrenia in two forensic regional secure units. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used, with semi-structured interviews adding depth and subjectivity to Occupational Questionnaire (Smith et al 1986) responses. The quantitative data were analysed using non-parametric analysis, with content analysis applied to the qualitative data. Time-use was characterised predominantly by engagement in passive leisure and rest occupations. This reflects the findings of both inpatient and community-based studies elsewhere and suggests that mental illness is a common factor influencing time-use. The participants chose occupations based on expectations of enjoyment and success, and associations with independence and normality. Significant correlations were found between perceived competence, value and enjoyment (p<0.01), and the participants were more likely to enjoy self-chosen occupations (p<0.05). Forensic occupational therapists must use evidence to optimise resources and deliver interventions that facilitate choice and autonomy and reflect individual needs. Further research with larger samples and longitudinal methodologies will facilitate generalisation and establish temporal perspectives.
Spiritual Emergency and Occupational Identity: A Transpersonal Perspective
Authors: Collins Mick 
Published: April 2015

The subject of spirituality has been developing over recent years in occupational therapy journals internationally and this article contributes to the ongoing exploration of spiritual issues in therapeutic practice. People can experience a transformational crisis through engaging in spiritual growth and development, a phenomenon that has been termed a ‘spiritual emergency’. A spiritual emergency manifests itself as a crisis within ego-identity and can include experiences of disorientation and de-adaptation, which affect a person's ability to function in daily life. Consequently, a person may be diagnosed and treated for a mental health problem; however, a spiritual emergency may present a person with opportunities to engage in a process of self-renewal rather than being considered ill. The dichotomy of a spiritual emergency as reflecting human potential or a mental health problem is a complex issue, which underpins many of the discussions concerning health professional involvement. This article argues that there are clear therapeutic needs for people experiencing a transformational crisis, which are well suited to the skills of occupational therapists. Engaging in occupation could play an important role in the process of re-adaptation during a spiritual emergency through enabling occupational identity, which could support the process of self-renewal. A case vignette is provided to illustrate the theoretical position outlined.
Review of Specialist Section Research and Development Strategies
Authors: Hampson Helen 
Published: April 2015

In 2001, the College of Occupational Therapists' Research and Development Strategic Vision and Action Plan (Ilott and White 2001) was published to provide a framework for the activities of the COT's Research and Development Group and Board for the next 5 years. On publication, the COT's Research and Development Officers worked with the specialist sections of the COT to help them to develop their own research and development strategic visions and action plans. The structure for these plans followed the COT strategy, with associated action points being tailored to the needs of each specialist section. The specialist sections agreed to review progress in achieving the action points on an annual basis, and it was also agreed that an overall review of the strategies would take place in line with the review of the COT's Research and Development Strategic Vision and Action Plan in 2006. An executive summary of the review undertaken by the COT's Research and Development Group is presented. A copy of the full report is available in the COT library, and via the specialist section pages of the COT website.
Can Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) help Children with Asperger's Syndrome to Master Social and Organisational Goals?
Authors: Rodger Sylvia , Ireland Simone , Vun Martine 
Published: April 2015

Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is a cognitive problem-solving approach that has recently been used with children with Asperger's syndrome (AS) to achieve motor-based goals. Children with AS have a marked impairment in social interaction, which is pervasive and continues across the lifespan. Many of these children also experience organisational difficulties. There has been limited research regarding social skills interventions for children with AS. Existing social skills interventions lack evidence for the generalisation and transfer of learned skills to new environments. This paper presents two case studies of children with AS to address both the utility and the potential of CO-OP to enable mastery of social and organisational goals. Two boys, aged 10 and 12, engaged in 10 CO-OP sessions. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the Social Skills Rating Scale and the Performance Quality Rating Scale were used to determine goal achievement pre-intervention and post-intervention. The post-intervention measures showed that both children improved in social and organisational skills, and they generalised and transferred their learning to their home and school environments. Modifications to CO-OP for children with AS, study limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.