Working conditions of occupational therapists in Jordan

The purpose of this study was to investigate the working conditions and factors related to job satisfaction among Jordanian occupational therapists. A self-administered survey consisting of several questions about the participants' jobs was developed for this study. The inclusion criteria included occupational therapists who worked in the field of occupational therapy (OT) in Jordan and who had at least six months of experience. The survey was distributed to 120 occupational therapists in different OT settings. One hundred and one occupational therapists from different hospitals, centres, schools and universities responded to the survey. Salaries of the participants were low in comparison with the salaries of the rest of healthcare practitioners in Jordan. Chi-square analysis revealed significant relationship between participants' perceived job satisfaction and the administration of the setting, and between the choice of studying OT and the salary that the participant makes. Most occupational therapists in Jordan are young, have modest experience and work in general OT services in government-owned facilities or paediatric centres. A sense of dissatisfaction was obvious among the participants. Further studies are needed to explore reasons of work satisfaction and dissatisfaction among occupational therapists in Jordan.     

Male occupational therapists: A profile of job satisfaction and work environment variables

Occupational therapy is a female-dominated profession with only 4% of all clinicians in Canada being men. Traditionally, occupational therapy training programmes have had limited success recruiting men into their educational programmes and those men who do qualify as therapists tend to work only in the profession for short periods of time. The purpose of this study was to identify work-related factors that impact on male occupational therapists. Specifically, five job satisfaction factors (work, pay, co-workers, supervision and promotional opportunities), work environment traits and the demographic characteristics of male occupational therapists in Canada were examined. A mailed survey questionnaire was sent to all male therapists who were members of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (n = 199) during the 1990–1991 membership year; 83% of the sample responded. In terms of job satisfaction, male occupational therapists indicated that they were relatively dissatisfied with their work, pay, promotional opportunities, supervision and co-workers as a group. However, they characterised their work environments as being above average in terms of supervisor support, autonomy and physical comfort, whereas they obtained a well below-average score for the control dimension. Further research is needed to explore the issue of job satisfaction among occupational therapy personnel and to identify what factors impact on the job retention of male occupational practitioners.     

Predicting the effect of extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction factors on recruitment and retention of rehabilitation professionals

The purpose of this study was to ascertain which extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction areas are most predictive of rehabilitation professionals' career satisfaction and desire to stay on the job. This article discusses the results of a survey conducted on practicing occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists regarding factors that contribute to career satisfaction and desire to stay on the job. Five hundred surveys were mailed to each profession; 463 were returned, of which 328 were able to be analyzed. Results from regression analysis showed that intrinsic factors such as professional growth and having a work environment in line with personal values are more significant in predicting career satisfaction than are extrinsic factors such as pay and continuing education. These same intrinsic factors are also significant in predicting the rehabilitation professional's desire to stay on the job. These findings are significant to healthcare managers desiring to recruit and retain qualified occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists. In addition to extrinsic benefits such as pay, healthcare managers need to focus on provision of intrinsic factors such as opportunities for professional growth, recognition of accomplishments, and opportunities for departmental input to motivate rehabilitation professionals.     

Job satisfaction in occupational therapy: a qualitative investigation in urban Australia

Background:  Job satisfaction has been shown to affect levels of staff retention and work productivity, but few studies have been conducted with occupational therapists in an Australian setting.
Methods:  Using a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, the findings from a study examining the factors that contribute to job satisfaction in occupational therapists working in Australia, are reported.
Results:  Job satisfaction in occupational therapy was derived from the sense of achievement felt when providing effective clinical care. Job dissatisfaction stemmed from the poor profile and status of the profession.
Conclusions:  Based on the study findings, there is an imperative that the profession of occupational therapy continue to use research findings to support clinicians in providing effective health care, and improve the community understanding of occupational therapy.     

Workers' compensation insurance agents' satisfaction with occupational therapy activities of daily living assessments

Background and Aim:  Little is known about insurance agents' (insurers) satisfaction with the services provided by occupational therapists when they assess injured workers' activities of daily living (ADL). Demonstration of accountability and provision of high-quality services are important to the occupational therapy profession. The aim of this study was to evaluate insurers' overall satisfaction with occupational therapy ADL assessments for injured workers, including communication, timeliness of reports, equipment provision, knowledge of insurers' requirements and the workers' compensation process, and provision of a professional opinion. Relationships between insurers' overall satisfaction with ADL assessments, degree of experience in their job, formal qualifications and roles within their organisation were also investigated.
Method:  A telephone survey was developed and administered to a sample of 40 claims officers and injury management advisors from 10 Victorian Work Cover Authority authorised agents.
Results:  Insurers were generally satisfied with occupational therapy ADL assessments. They were less satisfied with occupational therapists' knowledge of workers' compensation system requirements and how occupational therapists made decisions when recommending household services.
Conclusion:  To improve services to the insurance industry, occupational therapists need to better understand relevant legislative frameworks.     

The recruitment and retention of speech and language therapists: what do university students find important?

Education of health professionals is costly to the general community and more specifically the educational sector. The increasing need for speech and language therapy (SLT) services, coupled with poor employment retention rates, poses serious cost-benefit considerations. The poor job retention rates among speech and language therapists are associated with high levels of job dissatisfaction. One factor known to influence job satisfaction is the congruence between one's career motivation and actual career experience. The current study sought to explore (1) why students choose to embark on an SLT degree, (2) what factors are important to maintain their long-term employment in SLT, and (3) how long they predicted they would remain in the workforce practicing in SLT. Students from two tertiary SLT courses, one in Australia (n=67) and one in the United Kingdom (n=84), completed an online questionnaire targeting these issues. Students' responses were consistent across cohorts, so they were combined into one data set. Three categories of responses emerged, relating to altruism (i.e., helping others), intellectual interest (i.e., interested in disease and disability), and professional issues (e.g., salary, desire for a professional career). There was good agreement in responses to questions focusing on why participants chose to study SLT and what they foresaw as important for their future career. Students who were motivated to enter SLT for professional reasons tended to report that they would remain in the profession for a shorter time than those students who chose the career with a primarily humanistic or intellectual motivation. The implications of these findings for educators and professional bodies are discussed.     

Working Conditions Influencing Professionalization of Occupational and Physical Therapists—Part 1: A Quantitative Perspective

The aim of this study was to survey the perception occupational and physical therapists had of their working conditions in the context of ongoing professionalization. Seven hundred Swedish occupational and physical therapists, equally represented and surveyed nationwide, met the criteria established for inclusion in the study. The findings revealed that most of the therapists experienced a strong feeling of job satisfaction and professional self-concept and that physical therapists are a significant step ahead of occupational therapists in their answers. A final multiple regression equation was completed on the working conditions variables, theoretically connected with professionalization. The findings showed that most of them turned out to be significant predictors of overall job satisfaction. Surprisingly, only half of the therapists experienced a reasonable possibility of developing and learning new things at work, and a minority admitted autonomy concerning identification of the patients' treatment needs. A tentative conclusion is that most of the therapists are extenders of functions performed by the physician. They neither seem to have a fair chance, nor do they seem to care to take on full responsibility for their professional development and field of competence, and to make their expert knowledge explicit. This might constitute an important barrier to full professional status.     

Perceptions of Important Retention and Recruitment Factors by Therapists in Northwestern Ontario

Recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural and remote communities are well-known challenges. Although the literature states that lifestyle factors and being from a rural background influence recruitment and retention, much of the research is dated and of limited relevance to rehabilitation professionals. This study reports on a survey of physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) in northwestern Ontario. Seventy-four percent of the OTs and PTs from this geographically isolated region of Canada responded to a mail survey examining factors that influenced their job recruitment and retention decisions. Availability of leisure and recreation activities, proximity of family of origin, need for OTs and PTs and influence of spouse or partner frequently contributed to recruitment decisions and were also important in retention decisions. Although professional autonomy was an important source of job satisfaction for the respondents, almost one-third reported a feeling of professional isolation. Professional development initiatives appeared to influence job satisfaction but were unlikely to influence working life decisions. The findings suggest that recruitment and retention strategies should be multifaceted to reflect the complexity of therapists' decision-making.     

Recruitment and retention issues for occupational therapists in mental health: Balancing the pull and the push

Background/aim: Recruitment and retention issues for mental health occupational therapists have been the subject of significant concern for many years. This paper describes recruitment and retention issues as reported by mental health occupational therapists employed by a large Area Health Service in metropolitan Sydney. Method: Thirty‐eight mental health occupational therapists (response rate 84%) completed a survey in the first half of 2008. Key themes investigated were: overall satisfaction; attractive elements of positions; positive aspects of positions; constraints of positions; factors associated with leaving positions; supervision; professional development; career pathways; and interest in and access to management positions. Results: Key elements that kept respondents in positions included the nature of the work, being in a supportive team and the opportunity to use occupational therapy skills. Elements that prompted people to consider leaving positions were the desire for new and different types of work, a desire to work closer to home, insufficient time or high workloads, feeling ‘bored’ or ‘stale’, organisational change or juggling multiple demands, working in unsupportive or dysfunctional teams and family or other personal factors. Conclusions: The results supported the development of a ‘push and pull’ conceptualisation of recruitment and retention issues, including job‐related (intrinsic) and non‐job‐related (extrinsic) issues. This conceptualisation allows organisations to closely examine factors that attract practitioners to positions and those that support or damage staff tenure.     

Communicating with Employers: Experiences of Occupational Therapists Treating People with Musculoskeletal Conditions

Purpose Many employed people with musculoskeletal conditions rely on healthcare practitioners, including occupational therapists, for work-related advice and support. Good communication between healthcare practitioners and employers is considered vital in facilitating work retention and return to work. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of occupational therapists in communicating with patients’ employers. Methods Qualitative data were collected from the responses of occupational therapists to ten statements/open questions in a questionnaire survey of UK occupational therapists. Data were copied verbatim into word documents and analysed thematically. Results A total of 649 comments were made by 143 respondents. Five themes were identified that were associated with communicating with employers: patient-dependent; employer-dependent; therapist-dependent; extrinsic factors; methods of communication. Conclusion This study has identified that communication between occupational therapists and employers is influenced by a number of factors, including those which are outside the therapists’ control. These need to be acknowledged and addressed by therapists, their professional organisation, employers, commissioners, therapy service managers, educators and employees in order to support return-to-work and work retention of people with musculoskeletal conditions.     

基于结构方程模型的基层医疗卫生机构全科医生人文执业能力、感知医患关系与工作满意度关系研究

目的 构建结构方程模型,探讨基层医疗卫生机构全科医生人文执业能力、感知医患关系与工作满意度间的关系,为提高全科医生工作满意度提供参考。方法 采用整群抽样法,于2022年5月-6月选择新疆维吾尔自治区14个地州市全部基层医疗卫生机构1 580名全科医生进行问卷调查。运用SPSS 22.0软件对数据进行统计分析,利用AMOS 24.0软件建立结构方程模型。结果 建立结构方程模型拟合度较好,全科医生人文执业能力对感知医患关系和工作满意度有正向影响(P<0.01),感知医患关系对工作满意度也有正向影响(P<0.01),且感知医患关系在人文执业能力和工作满意度间起到了部分中介作用。结论 人文执业能力和感知医患关系是全科医生工作满意度的重要影响因素。相关部门应调整基层医疗卫生机构全科医生培养目标,不仅应培养全科医生医学职业素养和人文关怀能力,而且应着眼于如何提高全科医生感知良好医患关系水平,以提升全科医生工作满意度。     

A survey of Israeli occupational therapists' definitions of the profession

The broad definition of occupational therapy, its holistic basis and its unifying characteristics enable occupational therapists to treat their clients as whole human beings. Yet, the holistic basis of occupational therapy and the divergence of its specialty areas seem to be polarised. This study explores Israeli occupational therapists' perceptions of their professional role and boundaries, and how it is affected by professional background; 265 Israeli occupational therapists participated in the study. A two-part questionnaire was constructed: (1) an attitudinal questionnaire including statements on issues that concern occupational therapists regarding the definition of the profession and its role; (2) nine items representing the main unifying characteristics of occupational therapy. Results indicate seven factors underlying the main issues concerning occupational therapists in Israel. From the seven factors two main sources of tension were revealed: strong sense of self-value as compared to lack of recognition by others and the advantages and the pitfalls of the holistic definition of occupational therapy. The most unifying characteristic of occupational therapy was the holistic definition, and the least important was the use of arts and crafts. In addition, occupational therapists from developmental disabilities area of specialty were distinct from others in their perceptions of the profession.     

The Perceived Status of Occupational Therapy: Myth Versus Reality

A survey of 136 Australian occupational therapists explored their perception of their autonomy and status, through questions concerning role definition; peer network and peer review; professional association and industrial affiliation; skills and procedures characteristic of the profession; views on others' perception of their role; credentials to practise; salary and years of practice. The authors conclude that the profession has a high opinion of its status and autonomy, a belief that it has a unique set of skills (though not aims), and adequate credentials to practise. They also suggest, however, that there is reason to question the extent to which this professional self-image is well founded.     

Developing professional values: perceptions of francophone occupational therapists in Quebec,Canada

Objective Recent literature shows growing interest in the values displayed by occupational therapists. Yet, none of these writings has so far examined the factors that contribute to the development of occupational therapists’ professional values. These factors are important, since values play a pivotal role in forging professional identity, which in the case of some occupational therapists remains somewhat ambiguous. This article proposes possible answers to the following question: What do Quebec Francophone occupational therapists perceive as the building blocks of their professional values? Methods Using a phenomenological qualitative method, the subjective experience of occupational therapists in Quebec, Canada was examined. Twenty-six occupational therapists took part in the study. Results As intended, their professional experience was varied. According to the participants, four factors contributed significantly to their professional values: professional experience, university training, personal experience, and professional development. However, fewer than 50% of the participants cited six other factors (workplace, family upbringing, personal development, personality and abilities, professional normative framework, and sociocultural background). Conclusions Most of these results are consistent with those documented in existing works. They point to the relevance of discussing professional values during university training and continuing professional development, as well as encouraging occupational therapists to become exemplars for their colleagues and interns. This study constitutes an initial step in understanding how occupational therapists’ axiological identity is formed.     

Managed care and primary physician satisfaction

BACKGROUND: We examined whether physician compensation, financial incentives, and care management tools were associated with primary physician job and referral satisfaction. Our study was guided by a conceptual model of physician satisfaction derived from published evidence. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed of 495 primary physicians (family practitioners, general practitioners, general internists) in the Seattle metropolitan area in 1997. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses revealed that salary compensation, productivity bonuses, and withholds for referrals were associated with job and referral dissatisfaction. However, after controlling for physician, practice, and office characteristics, only the association between salary payment and job dissatisfaction remained significant. Practice in offices with more physicians had the strongest association with physician job dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Although managed care features are correlated with physician job and referral dissatisfaction, the source of dissatisfaction may originate from being an employed physician in a large medical group with more physicians, which may be more likely to impose bureaucratic controls that limit physician autonomy.     

Early retirement due to occupational injury: Who is at risk?

BACKGROUND: As the workforce is rapidly ageing, research on the consequences of occupational injuries in older workers is becoming more important. One adverse outcome unique to older workers, early retirement, has significant negative social and economic consequences for workers and employers. Although linked to poor worker health, the roles of workplace factors and occupational injury have not been well-defined. METHOD: Changes in retirement plans attributed to an occupational injury were studied in a population-based sample of 1,449 New Hampshire workers aged 相似文献   

The Nature of Emerging Practice in Occupational Therapy: A Pilot Study

The profession of occupational therapy is responding to changes in the health care system by expanding the contexts and models for service provision, typically referred to as emerging practice. As a pilot study, a survey was completed by 174 occupational therapists to gather information and opinions about emerging practice. Results indicated occupational therapists hold diverse perceptions about emerging practice settings and services as well as the role and significance of emerging practice within the profession. Occupational therapists engaged in emerging practice described numerous rewards and challenges inherent within the process of developing and delivering services. The findings indicate continued professional dialogue and research are needed to support the development and efficacy of occupational therapy services in emerging settings and roles.     

The Careers of Occupational Therapists Five Years After Graduation: Modified Plans But Satisfying Lives

The fourth survey in a longitudinal study of occupational therapists' career patterns elicited a 66% response rate (N = 49). The percentage employed in the profession had fallen by 21.5% since 1980. Less than half of the 22.4% who were unemployed planned to return to professional work. Job satisfaction remained high among the employed though work values had changed. Pay, job security, chances for promotion and respect received were considered more important than in 1980. The most stressful aspects of work had altered with work pressure and worries about patients being the most stressful. While 53% regarded themselves as specialists, areas of speciality differed from those planned earlier. Some had been promoted (40%), but few had high status ambitions. Many therapists (63%) had married and 24% had children. Most mothers of young children were unemployed. The number of children desired had decreased. There was little evidence of role conflict and therapists were satisfied with most areas of their lives.