This article will present a critical analysis of the four dimensions of occupation, doing, being, becoming and belonging, and propose clearer understandings of the terms. The concepts have developed and evolved since Wilcock first introduced them as main constructs of Occupational Perspective of Health (OPH), with doing and being receiving the most comprehensive development. However, the concepts of becoming and belonging remain underdeveloped. Given the complex nature of occupation, this comprehensive analysis of each dimension adds greater depth to our understanding, and provisional definitions of each term are provided to guide their ongoing development.
Objective. This study assessed the psychological well-being of Australian hospital clinical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. An anonymous online cross-sectional survey was conducted in a large metropolitan tertiary health service located in Melbourne, Australia. The survey was completed by nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health (AH) staff between 15 May and 10 June 2020. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 items (DASS-21) assessed the psychological well-being of respondents in the previous week. Results. In all, 668 people responded to the survey (nurses/midwives, n ¼ 391; doctors, n ¼ 138; AH staff, n ¼ 139). Of these, 108 (16.2%) had direct contact with people with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Approximately one-quarter of respondents reported symptoms of psychological distress. Between 11% (AH staff) and 29% (nurses/midwives) had anxiety scores in the mild to extremely severe ranges. Nurses and midwives had significantly higher anxiety scores than doctors (P , 0.001) and AH staff (P , 0.001). Direct contact with people with a COVID-19 diagnosis (P , 0.001) and being a nurse or midwife (P , 0.001) were associated with higher anxiety scores. Higher ratings of the health service's pandemic response and staff support strategies were protective against depression (P , 0.001), anxiety (P , 0.05) and stress (P , 0.001). Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on the psychological well-being of hospital clinical staff, particularly nurses and midwives. Staff would benefit from (additional) targeted supportive interventions during the current and future outbreaks of infectious diseases. What is known about the topic? The outbreak of COVID-19 is having, and will have, a considerable effect on health services. No Australian data about the effect of COVID-19 on the psychological well-being of hospital clinical staff are available. What does this paper add? Australia healthcare providers have experienced considerable emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly nurses and midwives and clinical staff who have had direct contact with people with a COVID-19 diagnosis. In this study, nurses and midwives had significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression and stress during the pandemic than general Australian adult population norms, and significantly more severe anxiety symptoms than medical and AH staff. Despite a lower number of COVID-19 cases and a lower death rate than in other countries, the proportion of Australian hospital clinical staff experiencing distress is similar to that found in other countries. What are the implications for practitioners? Targeted well-being interventions are required to support hospital clinical staff during the current and future outbreaks of infectious diseases and other 'crises' or adverse events.
The aim of this study is to update a previous review published in this journal on the effectiveness of teaching and assessment interventions for evidence based practice in health professions, and to determine the extent to which the five recommendations made from that review have been implemented. The Integrating Theory, Evidence and Action method was used to synthesise all published evidence from 2011 to 2015, which addressed instructional practices used for evidence based practice with pre-registration allied health students. Seventeen articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria, and were analysed for both their individual rigour and relationship to the five recommendations. The evidence reviewed in this study was diverse in both its geographical setting and the allied health disciplines represented. Most of the evidence used less rigorous methods, and the evidence base is generally exploratory in nature. To date, the five recommendations regarding instructional practices in this area have been implemented to varying degrees. Many current practices promote social negotiation, collaborative decision-making and collaborative learning, so the social constructivist approach is being adopted. However, the prior knowledge of students is not being assessed as a basis for scaffolding, communication of evidence based practice to varying audiences is rarely addressed and the role of clinicians in the learning of evidence based practice knowledge, skills, beliefs and attitudes remains limited.
The four dimensions of occupation developed by Wilcock in the Occupational Perspective on Health-doing, being, becoming, and belonging-have evolved. Although the inter-relationships between the dimensions have been explored by clinicians and researchers to some degree, the reciprocal and multidimensional nature of these relationships are rarely explicitly addressed. This article will present a critical analysis of the relationships and interaction between doing, being, becoming, and belonging, initially in dyads and then in a multidimensional way. The article proposes provisional understandings of how they combine and influence each other in occupational engagement. Six observations are made on the dimensions of occupation, along with a discussion of the impact of their interrelationships on research and practice.
Objective. This study investigated the short-term psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital clinical staff, specifically their self-reported concerns and perceived impact on their work and personal lives.Methods. Nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health staff at a large metropolitan tertiary health service in Melbourne, Australia, completed an anonymous online cross-sectional survey between 15 May and 10 June 2020. The survey assessed respondents' COVID-19 contact status, concerns related to COVID-19 and other effects of COVID-19. Space was provided for free-text comments.Results. Respondents were mostly concerned about contracting COVID-19, infecting family members and caring for patients with COVID-19. Concerns about accessing and using personal protective equipment, redeployment and their ability to provide high-quality patient care during the pandemic were also reported. Pregnant staff expressed uncertainty about the possible impact of COVID-19 on their pregnancy. Despite their concerns, few staff had considered resigning, and positive aspects of the pandemic were also described. Conclusion.The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the work and personal lives of hospital clinical staff. Staff, particularly those who are pregnant, would benefit from targeted well-being and support initiatives that address their concerns and help them manage their work and personal lives.What is known about the topic? The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on healthcare workers' psychological well-being. Little is known about their COVID-19-related concerns and the perceived impact of the pandemic on their work and personal lives, particularly hospital clinical staff during the 'first wave' of the pandemic in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper contributes to a small but emerging evidence base about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work and personal lives of hospital clinical staff. Most staff were concerned about their own health and the risk to their families, friends and colleagues. Despite their concerns, few had considered resigning. Uncertainty about the possible impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy was also reported. What are the implications for practitioners? During the current and future pandemics, staff, especially those who are pregnant, would benefit from targeted well-being and support initiatives that address their concerns and help them manage the impact on their health, work and personal lives.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.