scholarly journals The first year experience of occupational therapy students at an Australian regional university: Promoting student retention and developing a regional and remote workforce

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Boehm ◽  
Reinie Cordier ◽  
Yvonne Thomas ◽  
Bronwyn Tanner ◽  
Karen Salata
2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 319-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Wilson ◽  
Ann Wilcock

The open question, ‘What prevents you from reaching occupational balance?’, was posed within a questionnaire aimed at exploring the meanings of occupation, health and wellbeing with a cohort of first-year occupational therapy students during their initial few weeks at university. Their written responses to the question about occupational balance were analysed and are discussed in this paper. Not surprisingly, occupational balance appeared to be achieved by only a few and more by chance than design. People, time and money factors were identified as the main impediments to achieving occupational balance, with psychological and emotional pressures being at the forefront. Interestingly, despite these barriers, the overall educational benefit of considering the occupational balance question in this way raised the students' awareness of its relationship to health and wellbeing. This increased awareness might have longer-term health benefits, both personally and professionally, which would be worthy of further research.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbra Beck ◽  
Karene Boos ◽  
Elizabeth Bright ◽  
Wendie Leveille ◽  
Amy Vega ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This study presents a unique combined approach to integrative health education and interprofessional practice in primary care with first-year health science graduate students.Methodology Physician assistant, physical therapy, and occupational therapy students participated in an integrative health interprofessional curriculum and collaborated with Hispanic seniors in a medically underserved community while working on interprofessional teams. Impact on students’ knowledge and attitudes related to integrative health and interprofessional practice are assessed.Results Following exposure to the year-long curriculum, students demonstrated significant improvements in their knowledge of and attitudes towards integrative health and in their attitudes and perceived skills related to interprofessional practice.Conclusions Results suggest that the combined integrative health and interprofessional practice approach in a medically underserved community was successful in positively affecting related knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Further study related to longitudinal results is recommended.


Author(s):  
Jacquie Ripat ◽  
Pamela Wener ◽  
Kendra Dobinson ◽  
Cynthia Yamamoto

Background: Pre-licensure interprofessional education prepares students for collaborative client-centred practice. However, most interprofessional educational efforts are aimed at developing the collaborative component of practice. The purpose of this article is to share the findings of a study that explored occupational therapy students’ client-centred development, in order to inform other pre-licensure educators about integrating client-centredness into uni- and interprofessional education contexts.Methods and Findings: Twenty-nine participants were recruited from each of three stages assumed to be representative of occupational therapy client-centred development in each of the two years of the educational program and during the first year of practice. Semi-structured focus groups were used to capture the participants’ experiences. The core emergent theme, internalizing client-centredness, included three main processes: identifying occupational therapy as a client-centred profession, engaging in the push and pull of client-centredness, and defining self as a client-centred practitioner.Conclusions: Educators of pre-licensure health care students should deliberately focus on client-centredness in their uni- and interprofessional education curricula; the authors offer examples of curricular opportunities focused on internalizing client-centredness. Enabling health care students to internalize client-centredness may be an important aspect of developing practitioners who are prepared to enact interprofessional collaboration for client-centred practice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharn Donnison ◽  
Sorrel Penn-Edwards ◽  
Ruth Greenaway ◽  
Rosemary Horn

In 2014, we developed a new approach to supporting first year students’ transition into higher education building on the work of Kift, Nelson, and Clarke (2010) whose 3rd Generation Approach is one of transition pedagogy foregrounded by a whole-of-institution transformation. Our 4th Generation Approach focuses on students’ social capital and extends the remit beyond the institution. Our approach recognises students’ social capital as an unexplored resource to be drawn upon to inform the membership of a Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP members collaboratively develop strategies to support the development of students’ important cultural capital, which we consider essential for successful transition. In 2015, we trialled the 4th Generation Approach with a Queensland regional university satellite campus. This paper reports on the implementation of the CoP as one element of the 4th Generation Approach and the important refinements required for future success.


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