What are the attributes of excellence in an acute practice occupational therapist?

Abstract

Background/aim: There is anecdotal recognition within the profession that novice occupational therapists who perform well at interview do not necessarily make the best practising clinicians. Further anecdotal evidence suggests that it is difficult to tell (at interview) which occupational therapists will follow which path and whether further training can achieve excellence in existing staff. What is it that makes the difference? What attributes do those truly 'excellent' clinicians have that makes them better than others? Method: A two-round Delphi survey was utilised and 18 expert occupational therapists were purposively recruited from Perth's three adult tertiary hospitals. Panellists rated and ranked sixteen possible attributes that could comprise excellence in an acute practice occupational therapist. Results: The final order of importance (from most to least) of the 16 possible attributes of excellence was determined. Communication, Self-management and Critical Thinking were found to be the three most important attributes, whereas Humility was considered the least important attribute. All attribute rankings achieved at least a low level of consensus. Conclusion: We now have a much clearer picture of what excellence looks like in the acute practice setting, giving managers a new understanding. There is now the possibility of integrating this information into both the recruitment of new staff and the professional development of existing staff. In this way we can move forward to a future that includes the active development of occupational therapy excellence in ways that were not possible before these results were available.

Contribuições da terapia ocupacional no atendimento a usuários com insuficiência renal crônica no contexto de hospitalização

“…An Australian study aimed to identify the perception of occupational therapists about attributes required for an excellent performance with adults in the context of hospitalization. This study identified that the ability to communicate effectively was the professionals most valued attribute, as it allowed, among other aspects, the construction of the relationship with the user, a greater understanding of the activities performed and a greater understanding of the needs of the subject served (Swan et al, 2019).…”

Comparison of Time Management Ability Between Medical Students Who Entered Medical Universities Through Different Approaches

“…The selection of appropriate students is crucial for medical education; in addition to knowledge, students suitable for medical schools and professions must possess speci c personality traits and attitudes, including lifelong active learning, self-discipline, altruism, adaptability, and compassion. [14][15][16] These personality traits and attitudes cannot be assessed using written tests. 17,18 When recruiting medical students, medical school authorities must pay attention to their personality traits and attitudes in addition to their knowledge.…”

Goal Setting Among Experienced and Novice Occupational Therapists in a Rehabilitation Center

“…Training in interviewing and goal setting, empowerment and advocacy, using formal tools and clinical experience can all support the therapist, especially when working with challenging client groups (e.g., brain injury) and within organizational and other contextual barriers to client-centeredness (Barclay, 2002;Hunt, Le Dorze, Trentham, et al, 2015;McAndrew et al, 2000;Leach et al, 2010;Prescott et al, 2018;Prescott et al, 2019;Thyer et al, 2019). Not many studies to date explored the differences between expert occupational therapists and novices (Hodgetts et al, 2007;Swan et al, 2019). However, it has been recognized that there are significant differences in the clinical reasoning and decision-making practices of those two groups (Kuipers & Grice, 2009;Lui et al, 2000).…”