A survey of the training experiences and needs of paraprofessionals serving adults with brain injury

Powell, Laurie Ehlhardt; Gomez, Doug; Gau, Jeff M.; Glang, Ann; Perez, Amanda; Slocumb, Jody; Beck, Laura; Dawson, Matthew

doi:10.1080/02699052.2019.1686773

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…family members, friends). Less familiar partners such as nurses, rehabilitation staff and support workers also need basic knowledge to build awareness of post-injury impairments and to inform their day-to-day work practices (24)(25)(26).…”

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confidence: 99%

Communication partner training in traumatic brain injury: a UK survey of Speech and Language Therapists’ clinical practice

Behn

Francis

Power³

et al. 2020

Brain Injury

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While 96% reported training familiar communication partners, only 58% reported training unfamiliar communication partners. Therapists reported providing communication partner training consistent with best practice 43% of the time. Evidence-based published programmes were used by 13.8% and 19.9% of participants for training familiar and unfamiliar partners respectively. Therapists reported using outcomes for familiar and unfamiliar communication partners 83% and 78% of the time. The most frequently-reported barrier was lack of behavioural regulation (e.g., planning). Most frequent perceived facilitators were clinicians wanting to deliver communication partner training and that training was part of therapists' professional role (social professional role and identity).Conclusions: Therapists were motivated to deliver communication partner training but reduced capability affected implementation. Further support to clinicians on outcome measurement with materials to develop workplace systems to monitor implementation are needed.

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confidence: 99%

Communication partner training in traumatic brain injury: a UK survey of Speech and Language Therapists’ clinical practice

Behn

Francis

Power³

et al. 2020

Brain Injury

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“…These results contribute to the growing body of research evaluating paid caregiver training programs for staff working with adults with TBI, focusing on the feasibility and benefits of online, interactive, self-guided training. 1,12,15,18,31,32 That said, survey research 17 indicates that a range of paraprofessional training options customized to the unique circumstances of each staff member and program is preferred (eg, workshops, onthe-job training, learning in small chunks, certification training programs, 33 online curricula 3 ). No single training approach is likely to be sufficient for all groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Staff TBI Skill Builder is an online, interactive program designed for staff inexperienced working with people with brain injury and is intended to complement other forms of staff training (eg, on-site training and workshops). The content was informed by the project's training needs survey,17 the project's 11-member stakeholder advisory board—composed of paraprofessionals, professionals, persons with brain injury, and family members, and the project's 4 content expert consultants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the outset of the project, staff interviewed advisory members and consultants to learn their perspectives on paraprofessional training and to create an initial list of training topics. The project director (first author) and the project coordinator (sixth author) coalesced this input along with the training needs survey data 17 into a Word document organizing the information into topics and subtopics. Advisory board members and consultants were then asked to iteratively review the document and offer feedback via email and/or phone interview.…”

Section: E332mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ONLINE TECHNOLOGY has significantly broadened access to a range of information, treatment, and training options for persons with brain injury, family members, and providers 1–14. The use of online resources can overcome barriers such as time, cost, scheduling, and transportation associated with in-person activities 15–19. The availability of online informational resources for persons with brain injury and family members has steadily increased,11,20,21 as has the use of the internet to deliver therapy services 2,12,16,19.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Staff Traumatic Brain Injury Skill Builder: Evaluation of an Online Training Program for Paraprofessional Staff Serving Adults With Moderate-Severe TBI

Powell

Gau

Glang

et al. 2021

Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation

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Objective: To evaluate the online, self-guided, interactive Staff TBI Skill Builder training program for paraprofessional staff. Design: A within-subjects, nonexperimental evaluation involving 79 paraprofessionals and professionals working across a range of settings. Participants completed a pretest (T1), a posttest immediately upon program completion (T2), and follow-up (T3) 60 days after program completion. Measures: (1) Knowledge of basic traumatic brain injury facts; (2) knowledge application; (3) self-efficacy in responding to text-based application scenarios; (4) self-report of skill utilization and effectiveness; and (5) program satisfaction (ease-of-use and usefulness). Results: Participants demonstrated high levels of knowledge, knowledge application, and self-efficacy at pretest. Despite the high pretest levels, participants showed significant improvements in knowledge application (d = 0.50) after using the program. Nonsignificant gains in knowledge (d = 0.13) and self-efficacy (d = 0.02) were found. The use of selected skills significantly increased from posttest to follow-up. Participants reported high program satisfaction; 99% of the participants indicated that they would recommend the program to others. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the feasibility of providing interactive, online training for paraprofessionals serving adults with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury.

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“Communication Is Not Exactly My Field, but It Is Still My Area of Work”: Staff and Managers' Experiences of Communication With People With Traumatic Brain Injury

Christensen

Power

Togher

et al. 2023

Am J Speech Lang Pathol

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Purpose: Communication between people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and rehabilitation staff can be impacted by cognitive-communication disorders. Communication partner training (CPT) programs hold potential to improve communication between people with TBI and their communication partners. To tailor CPT programs to the rehabilitation environment, it is critical to understand the nature of communicative interactions for staff members. This study explores staff and managers' experiences of communication with people with TBI in the rehabilitation setting. Method: Individual semistructured videoconference interviews were carried out with staff members ( n = 22) and managers ( n = 4) varying in terms of professions and length of work experience. Interviews were guided by a phenomenological approach to gain comprehensive knowledge of staff and managers' lived experiences of communication with people with TBI. Results: Four themes with nine subthemes were generated: (a) cognitive-communication disorders challenge interaction (communication is socially inappropriate, the diversity of presenting symptoms associated with TBI is demanding), (b) staff struggle in communication (there is a breakdown of communicative collaboration, communication increases staff's workload, emotional well-being of staff is at risk), (c) communication context is crucial (tasks affect communication, extending the professional roles), and (d) staff want communication knowledge and skills (needs vary according to work experience, access to tailored strategies, and feedback). Conclusions: Staff and managers experienced communication with people with TBI as highly demanding. The socially inappropriate communication in people with TBI was perceived to disturb the collaborative aspects of communication and create negative emotional impacts for staff. Staff experiences varied according to discipline, work experience, rehabilitation tasks, and facility. Consequently, staff and managers expressed a need for specific communication strategies to help them overcome the communicative challenges. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21579159

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A survey of the training experiences and needs of paraprofessionals serving adults with brain injury

Cited by 7 publications

References 22 publications

Communication partner training in traumatic brain injury: a UK survey of Speech and Language Therapists’ clinical practice

Communication partner training in traumatic brain injury: a UK survey of Speech and Language Therapists’ clinical practice

Staff Traumatic Brain Injury Skill Builder: Evaluation of an Online Training Program for Paraprofessional Staff Serving Adults With Moderate-Severe TBI

“Communication Is Not Exactly My Field, but It Is Still My Area of Work”: Staff and Managers' Experiences of Communication With People With Traumatic Brain Injury

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