Professional association group mentoring for allied health professionals

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalie Coppin ◽  
Greg Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Professional Association ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Mentoring ◽  
The Many

Purpose – Mentoring is widely used in the health sector, particularly for early career professionals in the public health system. However, many allied health professionals are employed in private practice and rely on their professional association to provide mentoring support and training. This mentoring context is under-researched. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A purposeful sample of 15 allied health professionals were interviewed using semi-structured interviews that were then analyzed using template analysis. Findings – The many-to-many group mentoring program delivered valuable knowledge, diagnostic skills and networking opportunities but did not provide inclusion, role modeling or psychosocial support to participants. Also identified were structural and operational issues including; the role of the coordinator in addressing contribution reluctance and participant confidence, confidentiality issues, lack of mentor training and overall organization of the program. Practical implications – Group mentoring is a valuable method of delivery for professional associations. The many-to-many group mentoring model is beneficial in a situation where the availability of mentors is limited. Further, the importance of having a dedicated program coordinator and a skilled facilitator is emphasized. Originality/value – This research contributes to the limited literature on many-to-many group mentoring by reviewing the effectiveness of an existing many-to-many group mentoring program for allied health professionals delivered by a professional association.

Responding and adapting to change: an allied health perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-349
Author(s):  
Lisa Beasley ◽  
Sandra Grace ◽  
Louise Horstmanshof
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Change Leaders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the response and adaption to change of allied health professionals. Understanding how individuals respond and adapt to change is essential to assist leaders to manage transformational change effectively. Contemporary health-care environments are characterised by frequent and rapid change, often with unrealistic and challenging time frames. Individuals operate independently, but also as members of teams, professions and organisations. Therefore, having a sound understanding of individual response to change is important for change leaders. In the Australian context, allied health professionals represent a quarter of the health-care workforce. There is a significant gap in understanding how allied health professionals respond and adapt to change. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review was designed to report on the nature and extent of the literature on the response and adaption to change in the context of allied health professionals. Change leaders in the health-care environment face a number of complex challenges when attempting to facilitate change. While this scoping review did not identify any specific literature on the response and adaption to change of allied health professionals, it did however provide information on change models and factors to take into consideration when implementing a change process. Findings The results of this scoping review identified findings in two main areas with regard to response and adaptation of allied health to change: a review of change management literature at the organisation level and change management for allied health. Most of the literature described organisational level change management without providing a structural framework for change. At the professional individual level, the literature focused on specific clinical interventions, rather than on the response and adaption to change for allied health. Minimal literature was identified in regard to the response and adaption to change of allied health professionals. In an environment characterised by continuous change and policy reform, a greater understanding of the response and adaption to change by allied health is a priority for research, policy and practice. Research limitations/implications This scoping review was undertaken to explore the response and adaption to change of allied health. It sought to identify the factors that may explain why certain disciplines within the allied health professional group responded to change differently. Scoping reviews do not set out to comprehensively source all relevant literature but rather to ascertain the nature and extent of the published literature in the field. Therefore, it is possible that a systematic review might uncover additional relevant papers. However, this scoping review provides a clear indication of the nature and extent of the literature in allied health. Practical implications Social implications This scoping review will assist change leaders to gain a better understanding of theoretical frameworks of individual, team and organisational change processes and the impacts these have individually and collectively on change processes. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this scoping review is the first of its kind to identify the minimal literature available on the way allied health professionals respond and adapt to change.

Perceptions of fairness in the psychological contracts of allied health professionals

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Flower ◽  
Defne Demir ◽  
John McWilliams ◽  
Dianne Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Psychological Contract ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Psychological Contracts ◽  
Organisational Commitment ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organisational Justice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between components of the psychological contract, organisational justice, and negative affectivity (NA), with key employee outcomes (i.e. organisational commitment, job satisfaction, depression, and psychological distress) among allied health professionals. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 134 (response rate of 46 per cent) Australian allied health professional completed a questionnaire. Findings – Multiple regressions revealed that higher NA was associated with lower organisational commitment, lower job satisfaction, and higher levels of depression. The psychological contract variable, breach, was associated with depression. Informational justice was associated with organisational commitment. Distributive justice was associated with job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – This research is limited by its cross-sectional design and that the data were self-reported. The results obtained suggest the potential utility of collecting longitudinal data to replicate and extend the results. Practical implications – While NA may be beyond management control, it may be ameliorated by attention to improving communication of management decisions and by sensitivity to the elements implicit in psychological contracts. The negative consequences of contract breach may be offset by informational and distributive justice. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to examine multiple measures of the psychological contract in addition to organisational justice and NA. Further, this study adds to the literature for allied health professionals, where little is known about factors contributing to their turnover.

scholarly journals Capitalising on the transformational opportunities of early clinical academic career training for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Cowley ◽  
Claire Diver ◽  
Alison Edgley ◽  
Joanne Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Identity Transformation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Career Training ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background A highly skilled workforce is required to deliver high quality evidence-based care. Clinical academic career training programmes have been developed to build capacity and capabilities of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) but it remains unclear how these skills and roles are operationalised in the healthcare context. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of early career clinical academic NMAHPs who have undertaken, or are undertaking, clinical academic master’s and doctoral studies in the United Kingdom. Methods We conducted 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early career clinical academics which included; nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Two themes emerged from the data; identity transformation and operationalising transformation. Both these highlighted the challenges and opportunities that early clinical academic training provided to the individual and organisation in which they practiced. This required the reconceptualization of this training from the pure acquisition of skills to one of personal and professional transformation. The findings suggest that individuals, funders, and organisations may need to relinquish the notion that training is purely or largely a transactional exchange in order to establish collaborative initiatives. Conclusion Stakeholders need to recognise that a cultural shift about the purposes of research training from a transactional to transformative approaches is required to facilitate the development of NMAHPS clinical academics, to enable them to contribute to innovative health and patient care.

Managing emotional and psychological distress in older people

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-242
Author(s):  
Felicity Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Common Problems

Purpose Much has been written about helping those with dementia. But what about those for whom distress is not primarily related to a neurological cause and there is no psychiatric history? The purpose of this paper is to offer a guide for allied health professionals and family carers to manage distress in older people who are able to engage in language based communication and who are experiencing significant change or loss. Design/methodology/approach This practice informed paper draws on the authors’ extensive experience working as a mental health social worker who specializes in work with older people in the community and in care, with family carers and in educating allied health professionals on how to manage presentations of distress in older people. Findings Three foundational management strategies are discussed: understand the reason for distress, implement the C.A.R.E. Plan and maximize comfort in exploration and referral. Research limitations/implications This viewpoint piece has not been substantiated through research and does not reflect training in the field of clinical geropsychology. Originality/value The ideas in this paper are original and are practical solutions to common problems that can be faced by workers or family in close contact with older people. The information can be applied immediately to whatever setting is relevant for the reader and is written in easy to understand language. Furthermore, its aim is not only to increase skill and confidence for the reader but also to promote the emotional and psychological wellbeing of older people.

Psychological contract breach among allied health professionals

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rodwell ◽  
Andre Gulyas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Psychological Contract ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Healthcare Organisation ◽  
Interpersonal Justice ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Organisational Justice

Purpose – Allied health professionals are vital for effective healthcare yet there are continuing shortages of these employees. Building on work with other healthcare professionals, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of psychological contract (PC) breach and types of organisational justice on variables important to retention among allied health professionals: mental health and organisational commitment. The potential effects of justice on the negative outcomes of breach were examined. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple regressions analysed data from 113 allied health professionals working in a medium-large Australian healthcare organisation. Findings – The main negative impacts on respondents’ mental health and commitment were from high PC breach, low procedural and distributive justice and less respectful treatment from organisational representatives. The interaction between procedural justice and breach illustrates that breach may be forgivable if processes are fair. Surprisingly, a betrayal or “aggravated breach effect” may occur after a breach when interpersonal justice is high. Further, negative affectivity was negatively related to respondents’ mental health (affective outcomes) but not commitment (work-related attitude). Practical implications – Healthcare organisations should ensure the fairness of decisions and avoid breaking promises within their control. If promises cannot reasonably be kept, transparency of processes behind the breach may allow allied health professionals to understand that the organisation did not purposefully fail to fulfil expectations. Originality/value – This study offers insights into how breach and four types of justice interact to influence employee mental health and work attitudes among allied health professionals.

Supporting Northern Territory Top End allied health graduates and early career staff by means of an interprofessional graduate program

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Prasha Sooful ◽  
Justine Williams ◽  
Renae Moore
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Pilot Program ◽  
Interprofessional Practice ◽  
Allied Health Professionals

Objectives For allied health graduate staff, entry into the workforce can be challenging and complex to navigate. Formal, structured graduate programs in the Northern Territory are limited and are typically discipline specific. Discipline-specific graduate programs focus on clinical and specific skill sets. However, there is a need to support graduates and early career staff within a diverse and large health service by developing and encouraging interprofessional practice, as well as reflective and critical thinking skills. This article outlines a pilot inter-professional allied health graduate program trialled in the Northern Territory Top End, including program development, implementation and outcomes. Methods A formative study design using online pre- and post-program surveys for participants and their line managers was adopted. Results There was significant improvement noted in the graduates’ confidence levels of understanding other professional roles after the pilot program. Graduates also reported an improved sense of support and reflective skills moving into their subsequent year of professional practice. Managers of graduates reported improved interprofessional practice and collaboration with other health professionals. Conclusions The pilot program provided a sustainable model of learning and development for early career allied health professionals. Supporting the Top End graduate allied health workforce proved to be an important factor in facilitating interprofessional practice from an early stage, as integrated care and interprofessional practice are crucial to patient treatment. What is known about the topic? Research from within Australia and internationally has demonstrated that preparing allied health professionals for interprofessional practice helped facilitate collaboration and partnerships among different professions. This, in turn, improved quality of patient health care outcomes. Interprofessional education has been documented as an effective means of educating clinicians. What does this paper add? This paper describes how interprofessional learning and education in the form of a structured graduate program affected the perceptions of staff and implementation of interprofessional practice in the Northern Territory (NT). The Top End of the NT is unique in that a large number of allied health professionals work within integrated multidisciplinary teams or hold sole positions within regional settings. This is the first graduate program for NT allied health professionals. What are the implications for practitioners? Allied health professionals are an integral part of a health service and fostering interprofessional practice early on can prepare new employees to collaborate and support each other with an understanding of the roles of other professionals.

Becoming an expert: highly-experienced allied health professionals' relationships with their work

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 709-724
Author(s):  
Bianca N. Jackson ◽  
Suzanne C. Purdy ◽  
Helena D. Cooper Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Work Orientation ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Junior Staff ◽  
Level Performance

PurposeHighly-experienced allied health professionals have the opportunity to perform at the expert-level by sharing knowledge and skills with more junior staff, with the aim of upskilling the workforce. The study explored the current motivators, aspirations and the role of work in the life of highly-experienced practitioners, revealing factors that hinder or support them to further develop their own expertise and be inspiring role-models and mentors for less experienced staff.Design/methodology/approachTaking a grounded theoretical research design, we report on interviews with 45 allied health practitioners with at least seven years of professional experience from different professions and across organisational sectors. Transcripts were coded iteratively in conjunction with reviewing the literature, and cases were categorised to form a conceptual typology of work orientation.FindingsFour work orientations are characterised capturing the diversity of the allied health workforce, particularly in relation to two dimensions of personal fulfilment and future ambition. The relationship between the types and expert-level performance is discussed, leading to recommendations for support that can be implemented to develop and sustain expert-level performance within a community.Originality/valueA new view of work orientation is introduced that relates expert-level performance with meaningful work. The findings highlight a diversity of work orientation for highly-experienced allied health professionals, that all require managerial awareness. Once recognised, the four types would benefit from different supports that could develop and maintain expert-level performance in those that seek it. Alternatives are also available for those that do not. Implications for workforce policy are discussed.

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