What,Why, How – Creative Activities in Occupational Therapy Practice in Sweden

Creative activities have historically been used in occupational therapy, and although their usage has declined in recent decades, they are still used in Swedish practice. The aim of this study was to better understand how occupational therapists use creative activities in practice. A web‐based survey was sent to 520 occupational therapists, of which 304 (58.5%) responded. The main reason identified for using creative activities was to strengthen the client's occupational performance, well‐being and self‐esteem. The expected outcomes of applying creative activities were to support the client in self‐expression and experiencing joy and desire. More than half of the occupational therapist respondents did not use creative activities to the extent they desired. Creative activities in occupational therapy are still used as a vital treatment to strengthen the clients' occupational performance abilities. The survey has looked at only a professional perspective on effectiveness of applying creative activities in occupational therapy. More research is needed to evaluate how occupational therapists internationally apply creative activities. There is also a need to gain information from the client's perspective on the therapeutic value of creative activities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of creative activities in occupational therapy practice in sweden

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of creative activities in occupational therapy in Sweden and how often Swedish occupational therapists use creative activities as a means of intervention. A web‐mail survey was sent to 2975 Swedish occupational therapists working in health care at regional, county council or primary health care level, and those working in vocational rehabilitation. A total of 1867 (63%) answered the questionnaire and showed that 44% did use creative activities as a means of intervention and most often by practitioners working in psychiatric health care. The most commonly used form of creative activity was arts and crafts followed by gardening. This web‐mail survey was based on a limited amount of items regarding creative activities. Further research should focus on in‐depth inquiries about how occupational therapists and their patients perceive the use of creative activities as a means of treatment in occupational therapy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paediatric Occupational Therapy Services in Queensland Part 1: Demography

A survey of paediatric occupational therapy services in Queensland was undertaken to document current distribution of paediatric therapists, to obtain data on paediatric case load size; establish proportions of time spent in direct versus indirect services; and to investigate models of service delivery. Eighty seven questionnaires, from a total of 146 distributed to full and part-time paediatric occupational therapists, were returned. This paper reports geographic location, employment status, venue for service delivery, paediatric client groups, nature of intervention, therapist facilities, effect of school holidays and use of waiting lists.     

Experiences and perceived roles of occupational therapists working with children with special learning needs during transition to school: A pilot study

Occupational therapists provide support to children with special learning needs and their families during the child's transition from early childhood to mainstream school. Little has been documented regarding the role and experiences of occupational therapists working with children, families and teachers during transition in an Australian context. Six paediatric occupational therapists from one geographical area in New South Wales were interviewed and asked to relay their role and experiences when providing a service to children with special learning needs during their transition to school. Participants described their role to include: preparing the child for school; working with school personnel; and providing parental support. Although participants described both positive and negative experiences, among the negative experiences were: limited time to provide a service; recommendations to school personnel not being followed; school personnel not being supportive; feeling uncomfortable in the classroom; and limited involvement in planning. Participants described a role which is consistent with current school-based occupational therapy practice; however, in the participants' experience, there was a gap between the ideal service and what participants were able to provide. This included limited collaboration with teachers.     

An analysis of relationships among transformational leadership,job satisfaction,organizational commitment and organizational trust in two Turkish hospitals

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among employee organizational commitment, organizational trust, job satisfaction and employees' perceptions of their immediate supervisors' transformational leadership behaviors in Turkey. First, this study examined the relationships among organizational commitment, organizational trust, job satisfaction and transformational leadership in two Turkish public hospitals. Second, this investigation examined how job satisfaction, organizational trust and transformational leadership affect organizational commitment. Moreover, it was aimed to investigate how organizational commitment, job satisfaction and transformational leadership affect organizational trust. A quantitative, cross‐sectional method, self‐administered questionnaire was used for this study. Eight hundred four employees from two public hospitals in Turkey were recruited for collecting data. The overall response rate was 38.14%. The measurement instruments of survey were the Job Satisfaction Survey (developed by P. Spector), the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (developed by J. Meyer and N. Allen), the Organizational Trust Inventory‐short form (developed by L. Cummings and P. Bromiley) and the Transformational Leadership Inventory (TLI) (developed by P. M. Podsakoff). Five‐point Likert scales were used in these measurement instruments. Correlation test (the Pearson's rank test) was used to examine relationships between variables. Also, multiple regression analysis was used to determine the regressors for organizational commitment and organizational trust. There were significant relationships among overall job satisfaction, overall transformational leadership and organizational trust. Regression analyses showed that organizational trust and two job satisfaction dimensions (contingent rewards and communication) were significant predictors for organizational commitment. It was found that one transformational leadership dimension (articulating a vision), two job satisfaction dimensions (pay and supervision) and two organizational commitment dimensions (affective commitment and normative commitment) were significant regressors for organizational trust. There is a lack of research in the health organizations regarding organizational commitment, organizational trust, job satisfaction and transformational leadership. The investigator of the proposed study intends to add to the literature and intends to prove that the proposed study would be important for healthcare organizations. A number of specific measures should be undertaken to reduce factors that negatively affect organizational commitment, organizational trust and job satisfaction of hospital personnel and to improve transformational leadership behaviors of hospital administrators. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sharing the agenda: pondering the politics and practices of occupational therapy research

AIMS: Occupational therapists espouse a client-centred philosophy of practice, yet little attention has been given to pondering the politics or client-centred practices of occupational therapy research. The aim of this paper is thus to foster reflection on occupational therapy's commitment to client-centredness in the practice of occupational therapy research. MAJOR FINDINGS: Occupational therapy research is not consistently undertaken in a collaborative manner. Power resides in control of the research agenda and participants' priorities can be supplanted by those of researchers. However, examples from the literature and from the authors' research suggest that study participants may wish to influence the research agenda such that their needs and priorities are addressed. PRACTICE CONCLUSION: Client-centred principles appear to require occupational therapists to undertake collaborative research and to ensure that research agendas are informed by clients' priorities. Commitment to client-centred principles demands concerted efforts to identify and address potential barriers to meaningful client participation in the occupation of research. However, it is argued that if researchers and disabled people collaborate, and pool their knowledge and expertise, they may achieve research that is more philosophically compatible with espoused professional values; and that collaborative research may also inform more relevant and useful client-centred clinical practices.     

Factors Associated with Comfort Level of School-Based Occupational Therapists in Providing Low-Vision Services

This study identified factors associated with the comfort level of school-based occupational therapists in providing services to children with visual impairments. Sixty-one school-based occupational therapists completed an on-line survey. Fifty-four percent of respondents were comfortable or somewhat comfortable when choosing assessments and 84% were comfortable or somewhat comfortable in providing occupational therapy services for children with visual impairments. Multivariable linear regression analyses indicated years of professional experience, history of a caseload of children with visual impairments, and training received in treating children with visual impairments from continuing education were uniquely and significantly associated with the respondents’ comfort level. Though not included in the final model, collaboration with other low vision service providers (e.g., teachers, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and orientation/mobility specialists) was also significantly associated with respondents’ comfort level in the univariate analysis. Findings provide an initial direction and strategies to improve occupational therapists’ comfort level in providing services to children with visual impairments in school settings.     

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.     

Factors influencing job satisfaction among Jordanian occupational therapists: a qualitative study

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing job satisfaction and dissatisfaction among Jordanian occupational therapists. Methods: Ours was an explorative qualitative study involving the use of structured open‐ended written questions. Participants were asked to answer in narrative their perception about the factors behind their job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In addition, they were asked to express their suggestions, ideas, or solutions for increasing job satisfaction. Results: Ninety‐three occupational therapists responded to the survey. For job satisfaction questions, four themes emerged: a humanistic profession; professional issues; work benefits; and work environment. Participant’s comments at the end of the survey revealed one general theme for improving job satisfaction, ‘a call for improvement’. Discussion: This qualitative study revealed that the humanistic nature of occupational therapist was counterbalanced by several dissatisfying factors for occupational therapy practitioners in Jordan. The need for better supported working conditions in terms of financial rewards, recognition, awareness and resources as well as public and professional recognition of occupational therapists are needed to enhance the occupational therapy profile in Jordan. A comprehensive collaboration is highly needed between the individual practitioners, representatives of the profession, government and hospital administrators.     

Sources of stress experienced by occupational therapists and social workers in mental health settings

This study examined the sources of stress experienced by occupational therapists and social workers employed in Australian public mental health services and identified the demographic and work-related factors related to stress using a cross-sectional survey design. Participants provided demographic and work-related information and completed the Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale. The overall response rate to the survey was 76.6%, consisting of 196 occupational therapists and 108 social workers. Results indicated that lack of resources, relationships and conflicts with other professionals, workload, and professional self-doubt were correlated with increased stress. Working in case management was associated with stress caused by client-related difficulties, lack of resources, and professional self-doubt. The results of this study suggest that Australian occupational therapists and social workers experience stress, with social workers reporting slightly more overall stress than occupational therapists.     

Predictors of registered nurses' organizational commitment and intent to stay

BACKGROUND: Health care reform has significantly altered employment relations. Research findings suggest that the presence or absence of supportive work environments helps explain the differences observed in employee attitudes and turnover intentions. PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to examine frontline registered nurses' (RNs') perceptions of organizational culture and attitudes and behaviors and test a model linking culture to outcome (organizational commitment and intent to stay). METHODOLOGY: A non-experimental predictive survey design was used to test the model in a sample (N = 343) of acute care RNs employed in one Canadian province. Data were collected with the following scales: Emotional Climate, Practice Issues, Collaborative Relations, Psychological Contract Violation, General Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and Intent to Stay. FINDINGS: The response rate was 29.4%. Most respondents were middle aged and diploma prepared, were in their current positions for 5 years or more, had 10 or more years of nursing experience, and worked full time. Despite moderate levels of job satisfaction, RNs held negative perceptions of culture (emotional climate, practice-related issues, and collaborative relations), trust, and commitment and were unlikely to stay with current employers. Structural equation modeling provided support for the impact of culture, trust, and satisfaction on commitment and partial support for intent to stay, explaining 45 and 31% of the variance, respectively. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The development and implementation of policies and interventions aimed at creating more supportive work environments and greater trust in employers and job satisfaction have merit. The most obvious benefit from such strategic interventions is the potential for improving RNs' organizational commitment and reducing turnover intentions.     

Sharing the agenda: pondering the politics and practices of occupational therapy research

Abstract

Aims: Occupational therapists espouse a client-centred philosophy of practice, yet little attention has been given to pondering the politics or client-centred practices of occupational therapy research. The aim of this paper is thus to foster reflection on occupational therapy's commitment to client-centredness in the practice of occupational therapy research. Major findings: Occupational therapy research is not consistently undertaken in a collaborative manner. Power resides in control of the research agenda and participants' priorities can be supplanted by those of researchers. However, examples from the literature and from the authors' research suggest that study participants may wish to influence the research agenda such that their needs and priorities are addressed. Practice conclusion: Client-centred principles appear to require occupational therapists to undertake collaborative research and to ensure that research agendas are informed by clients' priorities. Commitment to client-centred principles demands concerted efforts to identify and address potential barriers to meaningful client participation in the occupation of research. However, it is argued that if researchers and disabled people collaborate, and pool their knowledge and expertise, they may achieve research that is more philosophically compatible with espoused professional values; and that collaborative research may also inform more relevant and useful client-centred clinical practices.     

教育实习对高师院校学生专业承诺和职业决策自我效能的影响

目的了解实习对高师院校学生专业承诺和职业决策自我效能感的影响。方法采用《大学生专业承诺量表》和《职业决策自我效能量表》对96名高师院校学生随机分为调查组1（重点中学实习32人）和调查组2（普通中学实习33人）及对照组（未实习31人）。调查组进行教育实习,对照组进行任何实习。对学生在教育实习前后的专业承诺和职业决策自我效能进行测量。结果①教育实习后专业承诺总分、情感承诺、继续承诺、理想承诺以及规范承诺的变化差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;②教育实习对3组间职业决策自我效能总分、自我评价、收集信息、选择目标、制定计划以及问题解决的变化差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;③高师院校学生职业决策自我效能和专业承诺均呈正相关。结论教育实习能够提高高师院校学生的专业承诺水平和职业决策自我效能感;高师院校学生的专业承诺和其职业决策自我效能感有显著相关。     

An Investigation of Moral Distress Experienced by Occupational Therapists

This study used a quantitative survey design to investigate the existence of moral distress among occupational therapists. The Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R-OHPA) was distributed to a random sample of 600 members of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The results of this explorative study found that occupational therapists reported moderate levels of moral distress with occupational therapists working in geriatric settings reporting higher levels of moral distress than occupational therapists who work in physical disability settings, although the difference was not statistically significant. However, occupational therapists who were considering leaving their current position reported the highest levels of moral distress. These initial findings are discussed as well as the need for further research.     

Continuing professional development for occupational therapy emergency department services

Aim: To explore continuing professional development (CPD) resources and needs of Australian emergency department occupational therapists. Method: Australian websites and occupational therapy newsletters were searched to identify CPD resources/opportunities. Occupational therapists with recent clinical experience in Australian emergency departments were surveyed on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to their service, research information needs, supervision/mentor arrangements and quality assurance activity. Results: No Australian CPD opportunities were identified; 1.3% of the 2008 OT AUSTRALIA conference topics were emergency department specific. Forty‐one Australian hospitals employed a total of 51 occupational therapists of whom 30 responded. Half were supervised by occupational therapists; 20 had occupational therapy mentors; 23 perceived that they were very independent; seven did quality assurance projects; 25 had unmet research needs; 27 thought their service was effective; and service strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to service could be identified by most occupational therapists. Conclusion: Australian occupational therapists in emergency departments need specialised CPD opportunities. The information needs and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats provide a CPD topic planning guide.