‘Positive Preparation’: Educational Input on HIV/AIDS in British Occupational Therapy Schools

1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 76-78
Author(s):  
Sue Rugg

This article presents the results of a national postal survey to determine the type and amount of educational input on HIV/AIDS received by British occupational therapy students. All respondents (18/25 courses, 72%) indicated that they currently provided such input, with an average of 11.9 hours of course time being devoted to it. The majority of presenters were occupational therapists, although colleagues from many other backgrounds were also involved. Much of the material was considered in small group settings, with the content being balanced among a range of aspects. The article concludes that most British occupational therapy students are ‘positively prepared’ to work with clients with HIV/AIDS.

1999 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Strong ◽  
Leigh Tooth ◽  
Anita Unruh

In recent years there has been a growing awareness amongst health professionals of the need to prepare undergraduate students more adequately for practice with clients who have pain. Occupational therapists have a central role in enabling such clients to have productive lives despite pain. In this study, an examination was made of the adequacy of preparation for pain practice in graduates from one Australian occupational therapy curriculum. Recent occupational therapy graduates from the University of Queensland, Australia, who responded to a postal survey, obtained an overall 53% correct response rate to a 69-item pain knowledge and attitudes questionnaire. Results indicated the need for further education in this area, especially in the areas of pharmacological management, and pain assessment and measurement. These results were comparable to those obtained from final year occupational therapy students at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia prior to undertaking an elective course about pain. Follow-up interviews with a number of new graduates supported the inclusion of an elective pain course in the undergraduate occupational therapy curriculum at the University of Queensland in Australia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuria Menéndez Álvarez ◽  
Emiliano Diez Villoria ◽  
Estíbaliz Jimenez Arberas ◽  
Ana María Castaño Pérez ◽  
Antonio León García Izquierdo

Importance: For the first time in recent history, people worldwide have faced severe restrictions in occupations because of the measures adopted by governments to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Objective: To determine the limitations on participation of occupational therapists and occupational therapy students during “lockdown” and their impact on social determinants of health. Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted via an online survey. Participants: A total of 488 occupational therapists and occupational therapy students in North America, South America, and Europe. Outcomes and Measures: A questionnaire consisting of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and items developed to assess the impact of lockdown on daily life was emailed to occupational therapy professional associations, organizations, and universities between April and June 2020. It was available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and met all the parameters listed in the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: The roles and routines of people across the developed world have been affected by lockdown measures. The study shows marked differences between participants in the domains of getting along and life activities, as well as influence on the environment. Moreover, South American participants experienced these difficulties to a greater extent than European participants. Conclusions and Relevance: This study quantifies the limitations in the participation of occupational therapists and occupational therapy students and the relationship of occupation to social determinants of health. What This Article Adds: The results of this research corroborate the relationship between health and occupation and highlight elements, such as the environment and context, that are important in occupational therapy. Therapists’ ability to analyze occupation in relation to contextual and cultural factors will benefit clients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Linnane ◽  
Alison Warren

Purpose Role-emerging placements have been used internationally within occupational therapy education but are relatively new to Ireland. At times, there has been a debate in the profession regarding the use of this placement model. This paper aims to generate views from both occupational therapists and occupational therapy students on the use of role-emerging placements in the Republic of Ireland. Design/methodology/approach Electronic surveys were administered to occupational therapy students and occupational therapists in Ireland. Quantitative data were analysed using the SPSS Statistics software package and the content of the open question responses were analysed into themes. Findings Occupational therapists (n = 60) and occupational therapy students (n = 45) indicated that there were inconsistent views surrounding role-emerging placements. It is deemed as an effective method for student learning, but apprehension exists around inclusion within occupational therapy programmes in the Republic of Ireland. Preference was indicated towards inclusion of role-emerging placements on a part-time basis within formal occupational therapy education. Originality/value Both respondent groups viewed that role-emerging placements can positively influence new areas of occupational therapy practice and concern over the use of the placement model requires further exploration and debate. This study is from an Irish context, although there are similarities with other countries’ use of the placement model. There is a need for research through an in-depth exploration of the learning experience of undertaking role-emerging placements from the students’ perspective and identification of supports required to promote an optimal learning experience.


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace M Sweeney ◽  
Keith A Nichols ◽  
Paul Kline

This article, the first in a series of two on job stress in occupational therapy, reports the results of a postal survey which set out to identify factors that contributed to stress in a sample of Britain-based occupational therapists. Three hundred and ten NHS and LASS occupational therapists were surveyed between November 1989 and February 1990. The results indicated that four different dimensions of job stress were relevant to occupational therapists, and these were labelled ‘professional value’, ‘resources and demands’, ‘rewards and recognition’ and ‘patient contact’. Further analysis indicated that occupational therapists who worked longer hours, who had been in the job for a longer period of time, and who were employed in social services tended to score higher on the dimension of rewards and recognition. Employment at the level of basic grade, senior II or senior i tended to be predictive of a high score on the dimension of stress related to patient contact. Occupational therapists who had been qualified for longer periods of time tended to score lower on both these dimensions of job stress. This article explores possible explanations for these differences, and the second article will propose individual and organisational strategies for stress reduction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
María L. Toro-Hernández ◽  
Liliana Alvarez ◽  
María C. Vargas-Chaparro ◽  
Mary Goldberg

Access to personal mobility is a human right and as such, it implies the provision of wheelchair services for those with mobility impairments that need one. Lack of appropriately trained personnel is a major contributor to the gap in access to wheelchairs. Assistive technology provision is one of the core competencies of occupational therapists. The goal of this study was to assess the current wheelchair provision knowledge of final year occupational therapy students in Colombia as measured by the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals Basic Wheelchair Service Knowledge Test. A total of 83 students from 7 universities took the test. None of the students met the 70% passing threshold. The highest scores were in the assessment domain while the lowest in the fitting and user training domains. These results suggest that the current wheelchair provision education received in these programs do not meet the World Health Organization guidelines on appropriate wheelchair provision. The implementation of strategies to improve current wheelchair provision education in Colombian occupational therapy programs is granted.


1998 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 100-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Golledge

Part 1 of this article explores how occupational therapists use the terms occupation, purposeful activity and activity. A literature review of the topic is presented, followed by a personal reflection and definition. It is hoped that this will provide an illustrative example of how the terms could be used and may assist occupational therapy students and occupational therapists to appreciate the potential differences. It is suggested that the terms occupation and purposeful activity should be used to reflect more accurately what occupational therapists do in their professional practice.


1988 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-134
Author(s):  
Lynn Hammett ◽  
Karen Harburn ◽  
Steve Trujillo

Undergraduate occupational therapy students learn the theory and mechanics of functional strength assessment and manual muscle testing in order to measure the effectiveness of their physical treatments and to ascertain the functional level of their patients. However, it is important to determine how practicing therapists are actually assessing strength. This information would help both in directing curriculum teaching efforts at the undergraduate level and in assessing the needs of the profession in the use of clinical strength measurement systems. The present study sought to determine the therapy areas and extent of use of functional and manual muscle tests by occupational therapists across Canada. Information was also gained about the factors related to the use of manual muscle testing by practicing clinicians. The results of the survey indicated that occupational therapists do use manual muscle testing, but to a lesser extent than functional assessments. A large number of therapists stated they relied on other co-workers, such as physical therapists, to perform manual muscle tests on their patients. Though they did not perform the manual muscle tests themselves, occupational therapists thought that occupational therapy students should have a thorough knowledge of manual muscle testing in order to work effectively as a team member in the clinic. The study also found that University of Manitoba graduates used manual muscle testing with the greatest percentage of their patients than any of the other Canadian graduates surveyed. Of interest is the finding that manual muscle testing use increased when instruction occurred on the job in addition to the University teaching of the skill.


1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 140-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace M Sweeney ◽  
Keith A Nichols ◽  
Maggie Cormack

This article, the second in a series of two on job stress in occupational therapy, reports the results of 30 semi-structured interviews with a random sample of occupational therapists from the Bath District Health Authority and selected local authority social services departments. All 30 subjects had participated in a larger study which set out to identify the factors contributing to job stress in this professional group,1 and the follow-up interviews aimed to examine coping strategies which were used by the subjects in their work situation. This is an applied article, where the attempt is to distil the main findings of the combined studies (the postal survey and the interviews) to recover information that can be made available to occupational therapy managers and to clinical occupational therapists.


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