Impact of physical therapy and occupational therapy student placements on supervisor productivity: a scoping review.

Introduction: Clinical educators may perceive that student supervision is time consuming and reduces productivity. This perception is in contrast to research conducted in the 1990's that found students do not negatively impact productivity. There is a need to review the current literature on this topic as a result of health care cost-containment measures that emphasize efficiency.

Continuing competency in ethical decision making: An interpretive description of occupational therapists' perspectives.

Background.: Competency in ethical decision making is a criterion for ethical practice, and it is expected to advance with ongoing professional development. However, research exploring continuing competency needs of occupational therapists regarding ethical decision making is limited.

On-line ethics education for occupational therapy clinician-educators: a single-group pre-/post-test study.

Ethics education is a critical component of training rehabilitation practitioners. There is a need for capacity-building among ethics educators regarding facilitating ethical decision-making among students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of an on-line ethics education module for occupational therapy clinician-educators (problem-based learning tutors/clinical placement preceptors/evidence-based practice facilitators).

Doing what's right: A grounded theory of ethical decision-making in occupational therapy.

Ethical decision-making is an important aspect of reasoning in occupational therapy practice. However, the process of ethical decision-making within the broader context of reasoning is yet to be clearly explicated. The purpose of this study was to advance a theoretical understanding of the process by which occupational therapists make ethical decisions in day-to-day practice.

Staff perceptions of collaboration on a new interprofessional unit using the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS).

The aim of this study was to obtain baseline information on staff attitudes and perceptions of interprofessional collaboration on a newly formed interprofessional education unit. The Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS) was administered to 54 interprofessional team members on a 30-bed medical interprofessional education (IPE) unit. We found that the team members respected each other but felt they needed more organisational support to further develop team skills.

Forensic Occupational Therapy in Canada: The Current State of Practice.

Although occupational therapists have been practicing in forensic settings for many years, there is a paucity of literature regarding the nature of this practice in Canada. The purpose of this study was to describe the practices of Canadian occupational therapists in forensic mental health. An online survey was designed based on the Canadian Practice Process Framework.

A new comprehension and communication tool: a valuable resource for internationally educated occupational therapists.

Background/aim: The need was identified for a way to assess internationally educated occupational therapists’ skills in understanding and communicating professional terminology used in occupational therapy practice. The project aim was to develop and validate such a resource.

Methods: A scenario-based assessment was developed using a three-phase process for tool development.

Intraprofessional fieldwork education: occupational therapy and occupational therapist assistant students learning together.

Background: In the past 10 years, the use of support personnel in Canada has generated significant interest from occupational therapists, professional associations, regulatory bodies, employers, educational institutions, and government agencies.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a combined collaborative fieldwork placement and weekly tutorial as a teaching strategy for intraprofessional education.

Methods: Seven pairs of student occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants were assigned to fieldwork placements.

Becoming a tutor: exploring the learning experiences and needs of novice tutors in a PBL programme.

The tutor plays an important role in facilitating learning in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. This paper explored the ways that novice tutors were educated in a PBL programme at McMaster University. Thirteen novice tutors were interviewed in this qualitative, ethnographic study to identify their learning needs and culture at the entry phase of 'becoming a tutor'.

The effectiveness of community-based occupational therapy education and functional training programs for older adults: a critical literature review.

Background: This paper examines the results of a critical literature review describing the provision of education and functional training programs by occupational therapists with older adults to maximize their occupational performance.

Purpose: The critical review addressed the following question: What is the effectiveness of education and functional training programs in improving occupational performance and quality of life for older adults? Review methods are described and the outcomes of the critical review discussed.

Results: The results indicate that there is evidence that programs are effective in three areas: prevention of functional decline and falls, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis.

Problem-based learning in occupational therapy: why do health professionals choose to tutor?

For over 20 years the occupational therapy programmes offered by McMaster University and Mohawk College, Hamilton, Ontario have used small-group, problem-based learning tutorials as a major component of their curriculum. These programmes were among the first occupational therapy programmes in the world to use a problem-based tutorial format. The inclusion as tutors of both full-time faculty and clinicians, from all clinical practice areas, was central to the design of the problem-based learning courses.

Collaborative fieldwork education with student occupational therapists and student occupational therapist assistants.

The profession of occupational therapy has a long history of working collaboratively with support personnel. This paper describes the process of a fieldwork education partnership developed between the McMaster University, BHSc (OT) Program and the Mohawk College, Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Eight student occupational therapists and eight student occupational therapist assistants learned together in a variety of fieldwork settings, either in pairs or in groups.