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This study aimed to describe how occupational therapists working in acute care settings in Australia assess cognitive function in patients with TBI, the influences on assessment choice, and clinician perceptions of performance-based assessment. An online survey was completed by 81 occupational therapists. The most common method of cognitive assessment was reported as non-standardized observation of functional tasks (94.7%), followed by carer-report / self-report (93%). Despite their being positive perceptions of performance-based assessment there was limited use in practice. Assessment use was impacted by practical and organizational constraints including access to assessment resources, time and the built environment in acute care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: New graduate occupational therapists' experiences of learning to make paediatric intervention decisions within hospital settings are unexplored. New graduates commonly find clinical decision-making challenging. Previous research has predominantly evaluated support programs designed to assist their transition to practice. Exploring new graduates' experiences working in hospital settings is important because they are common employers of new graduates and typically provide substantial support. Method: A case study approach enabled exploration of the experiences of four new graduate and perspectives of four experienced occupational therapists working in an Australian paediatric hospital. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, informal discussions, observations and review of documents. Inductive analysis was used to identify codes and themes within the data. Findings: New graduates reported substantial access to workplace supports and resources to inform their intervention decisions. However, the immediacy with which occupational therapists needed to respond to referrals impacted new graduates' ability to consistently access available supports. They were acutely aware of needing to manage clinical risk and actively sought informal support for making intervention decisions. Conclusion: Providing opportunities to seek informal support on an 'as-needs' basis was most important for assisting new graduates to obtain reassurance that they were making safe, high-quality intervention decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: The Student Practice Evaluation Form – Revised Edition (SPEF‐R) was used across Australian universities from 2008 to 2020 to assess occupational therapy student performance on practice placement. Evolution of practice contexts, placement models and professional competency standards prompted updating of the tool. This paper describes the second and final action research cycle in the development of the SPEF‐R2. Methods: Cycle 2 included three phases: (a) piloting of the SPEF‐R2 and post‐pilot survey to determine utility and applicability; (b) post‐pilot focus groups/interviews; and (c) final amendments for publication and launch. Quantitative data were summarised descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using qualitative content analysis and reported using illustrative quotes. Results: In Phase 1, 23 participants piloted the SPEF‐R2 and completed a post‐pilot survey. Results indicated participants found the SPEF‐R2 relevant to a range of traditional and contemporary settings, easy to understand and an improvement over the previous version of the tool. Most participants found it more concise and less repetitive than the SPEF‐R. Participants particularly valued additions regarding culturally responsive practice, student health and well‐being and reflective practice. In Phase 2, five post‐pilot focus groups/interviews were held, gathering a deeper understanding of its utility. Discussion highlighted desire for an additional core item within the self‐management domain (Domain Two). Increased confidence in rating and provision of feedback on student performance were also evident. Reflection on findings led to final amendments and publication of the SPEF‐R2. Conclusion: Extensive consultation with the occupational therapy community informed the development of the SPEF‐R2, reflecting contemporary practice and meeting the expectations of Australian occupational therapists. Action research was an effective approach to the development of the SPEF‐R2. Use of the manual and training website and support from universities are paramount if practice educators are to use the tool effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allied health new graduates are entering private practice in increasing numbers despite limited opportunity to experience this setting during training. Exploring strategies used to host students may provide insight into how students can be integrated into practice whilst minimizing disruption to staff, clients, and service delivery. This study aimed to explore actual and potential strategies to integrate students into private practice organizations from the perspective of practices who currently, have previously, and who have never hosted allied health students (n=26) and university clinical education coordinators (n=13). Four themes were generated that encompassed key strategies in hosting allied health students. Allied health private practices and clinical placement coordinators use a range of strategies to integrate students, centering on supporting involvement in client care and steps to minimize disruption to service delivery. Consideration of such strategies may provide avenues for future practice-university partnerships, thereby increasing placement capacity in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Newly graduated occupational therapists face well‐documented difficulties as they embark on professional practice. Occupational therapy departments need to ensure that new graduates conduct their roles appropriately while developing experience and building clinical and professional skills. This study aimed to explore the experiences of new graduates at a major Australian metropolitan hospital occupational therapy department, the support provided to them and their perceptions of this support. Methods: The research design was Interpretive Description. Semi‐structured interviews of approximately 60 min were undertaken with seven occupational therapists, their team leader and the Departmental Head. The two research questions were as follows: What were the graduates' experiences of their first year in practice? What support was provided to graduates and what were their perceptions of this? Results: New graduates perceived the transition to practice as overwhelming, particularly regarding their caseload responsibility. During the first few months, work tasks took them longer and they felt stressed and anxious. They received a range of support and education, both inter‐professional and discipline specific. Their occupational therapy team leader and clinical senior provided tailored support, guidance and reassurance. Guided questioning facilitated development of new graduates' clinical reasoning and professional skills. Reflection helped them to identify and address learning goals relating to occupational therapy professional competencies. New graduates valued having a consistent caseload and a supportive workplace was highly valued. Conclusion: New graduates initially feel overwhelmed by being responsible for their decisions. However, they can benefit from tailored supervision and guided questioning to help develop clinical reasoning and professional skills, formal and informal support from experienced occupational therapists and their inter‐professional teams and time to increase skill with their caseload. Engagement in a professional community of practice is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational therapists implicitly rely on tacit knowledge to inform the strategies they use to engage children and parents in a therapy session. Objective: To identify strategies occupational therapists use in a therapy session to engage children and parents. Methods: A qualitative approach was employed using interpretive description methodology. This involved seven therapy session observations with six occupational therapists (involving child, parent and therapist) and a key informant interview with the therapist after each session. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: Two themes emerged. (a) 'Engaging the child' included 'building a connection', 'attending to feelings', 'thoughts and behaviours', 'structuring or designing the session', 'giving choice and respecting their choice', 'use of self', 'helping the child feel success' and 'helping the child understand and explore'. (b) 'Engaging the parent' included 'connecting', 'listening', 'explaining', 'demonstrating anddiscussing', 'including the parent and valuing their input' and 'collaborating'. Conclusions: The strategies therapists used to engage children and families can be mapped with autonomy, relatedness‐ and competence‐supportive strategies of Self‐Determination Theory. Therapist attunement and responsiveness to the child as well as collaboration with the parent were strategies that represented all aspects of SDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to understand parent engagement and disengagement in the delivery of occupational therapy to their children. Methods: This study used a qualitative interpretive description methodology. Focus groups and individual interviews were employed. Thirty-two occupational therapists participated in focusgroups or one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Thematic analysis of the data revealed two overarching themes which influenced parent engagement and disengagement in therapy: (1) Parent-therapist relationship and; (2) Therapist responsiveness. Within these two themes: parent feelings; time and timing of therapy; levels of engagement and factors influencing parent engagement were evident. Conclusions: Findings contribute to understanding parent engagement and disengagement in therapy. The findings extend current models of therapeutic engagement in occupational therapy informed by self-determination theory (SDT). Autonomy-, relatedness- and competence-supportive SDT strategies to enhance parent engagement in therapy are described. Occupational therapists reported that parents experience a range of feelings when engaged and disengaged in therapy. These feelings related to hopelessness, having confidence in the therapist and feeling supported, validated and empowered. Parent engagement and disengagement in therapy was described by occupational therapists as occurring at different levels: when it works well (engaged); engaged in the idea of therapy but not engaged in the doing of therapy (middle ground engagement); and when it doesn't work well (disengagement). Occupational therapists reported the importance of being aware of how the factor of time and family, service and therapist characteristics can variously impact parent engagement in therapy. Occupational therapists focus on the parent-therapist relationship and being responsive to parent needs and feelings when engaging parents in therapy. Occupational therapists can draw on principles from self-determination theory to guide them regarding the selection of strategies to engage parents in therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.: Achieving optimal outcomes for children in occupational therapy settings is influenced, in part, by their engagement. The nature of child engagement from the occupational therapy perspective remains relatively unexplored. Method.: A qualitative research methodology was adopted, using an interpretive description approach. Thirty-two occupational therapists participated in five focus groups and six individual interviews that were thematically analyzed. Findings.: Four themes emerged from the data: (i) signs of child engagement and disengagement; (ii) it's about the child feeling safe; (iii) a sense of meaning and purpose; and (iv) service and therapist factors influencing child engagement. Implications.: Helping the child feel safe; providing meaningful experiences; and being flexible and responsive were key means of connecting with, and supporting, child engagement. Strategies occupational therapists reportedly used to engage the child aligned with the tenets of self-determination theory (autonomy, relatedness, and competence). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The facilitation of meaningful leisure participation for children and young people requires an understanding of what leisure means to them. This study aimed to understand meaningful leisure from the perspective of children and young people with complex physical and communication disabilities. Method: A hermeneutic phenomenological research design was used. Data was gathered through multiple interviews with six young people supported by photo elicitation, Talking Mats and direct observation. Individual case studies were analysed, together with six autobiographies of people with similar disabilities. Data analysis was iterative and multi-directional, alternating between segments and the whole throughout interpretation. Results: Leisure experience meanings were uniquely constructed for each person, based on preferences, personality and circumstances. The tree of leisure emerged as a useful metaphor for three essential features (control, engrossing, enjoyment) and four key meanings (escape, exploration, exchange and expression) of leisure. Children and young people experienced five meaningful outcomes that lasted beyond the leisure activity (restoration, protection, construction, reflection and connection). Conclusion: For children and young people with disabilities, a balanced array of diverse leisure experiences provides a powerful and accessible route to wellbeing. Implications for practice include understanding the individual, focusing on the social environment, supporting self-advocacy and promoting opportunities for free movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Placements are considered vital in promoting theory-to-practice learning. With role-emerging placements increasingly being offered, the learning processes experienced by students warrants further investigation. This research explored the learning experiences of students, from both supervisor and student perspectives, over the duration of a role-emerging placement in schools, to contribute to our understanding of this important student learning process. Method: Action research was used across four cycles with 14 students and 11 supervisors. Data were collected through reflective field notes, placement documentation and semi-structured interviews. Findings were analysed using template analysis. Findings: Limited established occupational therapy procedures and role models meant that the students created and used knowledge differently from role-established placements. The procedural knowledge upon which students most heavily relied in previous placements was largely inaccessible to students. Students relied on occupational therapy conceptual and dispositional knowledge, with the support of their peer and supervisor to guide practice. Tensions were seen between providing a service for the school and taking the necessary time to understand and implement the occupational therapy process systematically. Conclusion: Role-emerging placements are valuable for transformational student learning. These placements do, however, present challenges that require careful negotiation and structured guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction During role-emerging placements students require different support as occupational therapy specific supervision is provided periodically and they cannot model their practice on experienced occupational therapists. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a workbook designed to reinforce the integration of theory with practice and provide an additional resource to support students when a supervisor was not present. Method A social constructionist perspective and action research methodology were used. Participants were 14 final year occupational therapy students and three off-site occupational therapy supervisors. All participants were involved in role-emerging placements in school settings in England. In-depth, semi-structured interviews across four action research cycles informed the development and evaluation of the workbook. Findings While the workbook originally focused on supplementing students’ knowledge of occupational therapy theory, during the action research cycles the focus shifted to consider how educational theory informed workbook design and content. Key features and critical aspects which supported students’ learning were identified. Conclusion The workbook was received positively by students and supervisors. Aspects which were particularly valued included the provision of examples and scenarios which contextualised theory within the placement setting. The workbook was proposed to have scope for use in placements beyond school-based practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim Occupational therapy educators are challenged to provide students with practical experiences which prepare them for ever changing health-care contexts on graduation. Role-emerging placements have been widely used internationally to help meet this challenge, but research into the learning experiences of students during these innovative placements is limited. This research investigated the enablers and barriers to learning from the perspectives of students on such placements from two European universities. Methods Two separate qualitative studies tracked 10 final year students. Interviews explored their learning experiences prior to, during and after an eight- or 10-week role-emerging placement in a range of settings. Results Four themes emerged, which were (1) adapting to less doing, more thinking and planning; (2) understanding the complexity of collaboration and making it work; (3) emotional extremes; and (4) realising and using the occupational therapy perspective. Conclusions These placements presented a 'roller coaster' of authentic learning experiences which created the opportunity for students to use occupation in practice and develop skills for collaborative working in an interprofessional environment. Whereas students viewed their role-emerging placement experiences positively, challenges included the emotional responses of students and placement pace. Findings suggest the need for supportive student placement experiences in both established and role-emerging areas to prepare students for a range of opportunities in an uncertain future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents from refugee backgrounds experience challenges participating in their new school environments. This study aimed to describe and discuss the development of an occupational therapy program to facilitate school participation of high school students from refugee backgrounds. Methods: Three cycles of action research were used to develop a program over 18 months in collaboration with two high schools. Data were collected from four occupational therapists, seven school staff members and two school principals using in-depth interviews, questionnaires and review of documents. Results: The program changed significantly over the three cycles from a focus on individual task mastery in the classroom environment to development of social competence through an activity-based group program. Conclusions: Building capacity for social competence helped create better alignment between the roles of occupational therapist and teacher within the school context and was perceived to contribute to refugee students' overall availability for learning in their new environments. Action research is useful in collaboratively developing programs in emerging areas of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)