Occupational Therapy Assistant Students Research Articles

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Student Volunteer Activities During COVID-19 and Beliefs about Practitioner Roles in Crisis Management

Background: Due to the global novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many students in entry-level occupational therapy programs faced changes to their daily roles, habits, and routines. To understand beliefs about OT practitioner roles in a public health crisis, a cross-sectional study was designed to understand occupational therapy students (OTS) and occupational therapy assistant students (OTAS) volunteer activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A survey was developed and distributed in April 2020, and closed after five weeks. Quantitative data was analyzed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 27) and open response data was categorized in Microsoft Excel. Results: Respondents included students from entry-level OT/OTA accredited programs such as occupational therapy doctorate, entry level master’s, bachelor’s to master’s and occupational therapy assistant (n=853, 2.8% of OTS/OTAS population). Nearly all respondents endorsed that OT practitioners have at least one role during a crisis (n=851, 99.8%) and after a crisis (n=848, 99.4%) like COVID-19. A minority of students volunteered in response to COVID-19 (n=60, 7.0%). Volunteer activities addressed clinical work, food insecurity, loneliness, social justice, healthcare workers, COVID-19 transmission, and personal protective equipment. Inspirations for volunteering included altruism, justice, personal responsibility, changes to routines, calls to action, and fulfilling obligations. Discussion: It is hoped that this study serves as a springboard for future research related to the OTS/OTAS response to COVID-19. Educators can prepare students for future public health emergencies by exposing them to information regarding OT’s role in disaster management.

The Revised American Occupational Therapy Association Fieldwork Performance Evaluations: Evaluation of Internal Structure, Response Processes, and Precision-Part 2.

There is an evidence-based need to assess the validity and reliability/precision of the revised American Occupational Therapy Association's Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) items for the occupational therapy student (OTS) and the occupational therapy assistant student (OTAS). To evaluate evidence of validity in relation to response processes, internal structure, and precision of the FWPEs. Cross-sectional study design. OTS and OTAS fieldwork practice settings, United States. Two hundred sixty-seven fieldwork educators participated in total, providing 228 OTS evaluations and 39 OTAS evaluations. A Rasch model was used to evaluate aspects of validity and precision. The rating scales provided evidence of the tools' overall validity. Thirty-two of 37 items on the FWPE for the OTS, and 27 of 31 items on the FWPE for the OTAS demonstrated acceptable fit, but the evidence of unidimensionality in the subscales and in the total scales was not fully supported. The total/reduced FWPE scales were able to separate students into at least four distinct groups of fieldwork performance. The relationships between the current and revised FWPEs indicate that the new scales measure different but related constructs of student fieldwork performance, compared with the current version. The findings support that the revised FWPEs for the OTS and OTAS demonstrate preliminary evidence of internal structure, response processes, and precision, supporting evidence-based practice in fieldwork evaluations. What This Article Adds: This article highlights evidence demonstrating the validity and precision of the revised American Occupational Therapy Association's Fieldwork Performance Evaluation items and supports academic and fieldwork settings for occupational therapy students and occupational therapy assistant students.

Life Skill Needs of Occupational Therapy Assistant Students: Perceptions of Instructors, Preceptors, Graduates and Current Students

Life skills are the basic skills required to function in everyday life. Occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students may struggle with life skills, and as a result experience challenges in academics and practicum. The purpose of this phase of a multiphase study was to identify the life skill needs of OTA students from multiple perspectives. This study used a pragmatic qualitative design. Students in the second year of a 2-year therapy assistant diploma program, graduates, instructors, and preceptors participated in interviews or focus groups to discuss OTA students’ life skill needs. Interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcribed. Applied thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview and focus group data and draw conclusions. Common themes were identified: contributors to student success; impact of students’ life skills on clinical encounters; and life skills training needs. These themes were identified across all participant groups. Findings suggest that OTA students with lower confidence or abilities in life skills may also have lower confidence and success in clinical encounters. Life skills training tailored to OTA students may help students develop foundational skills to enhance their confidence and competence in relevant life skill areas.

Using Self-Assessment and Reflection to Develop Self-Efficacy in Occupational Therapy Assistant Fieldwork Students

Many occupational therapy students navigate the transition to the Level II fieldwork experience effortlessly, while others require support due to a lack of perceived self-efficacy. This perception dramatically impacts fieldwork performance and challenges academic fieldwork coordinators to support students struggling to believe in their own capabilities. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental research design with a purposive sample of 16 occupational therapy assistant students to determine if an educational intervention increased perceived self-efficacy and overall confidence. Data collected from the Student Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ) pre, and post-intervention provided insight into the students’ report of perceived self-efficacy and overall confidence during the Level II fieldwork experience. This questionnaire assessed the domains of professional competence, communication, adaptability, innovation, risk-taking, supervision, and clinical practice (Derdall et al., 2002). The educational module included an introduction to the key concepts of self-efficacy, self-assessment, and reflection, seven weekly reflective practice journal assignments centered around domains of the SCQ, and feedback using a reflective practice rubric to scaffold the development of self-efficacy. A statistically significant increase occurred in self-efficacy and overall confidence after the intervention across all seven domains of the post-test SCQ. The results indicated that the educational module created an influential impression on the development of self-efficacy and overall confidence during the Level II fieldwork experience. Level II fieldwork performance was not measured. Considering that many students struggle with perceived self-efficacy this educational intervention provides a potential solution to support fieldwork students challenged by a lack of belief in their own capabilities.

Impacting Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Knowledge about Occupation and Occupation-Based Practice

It is important for occupational therapy assistant (OTA) programs to teach about occupation and occupation-based practice (OBP). Few have published on this topic in relation to OTA education. This study focuses on determining if an educational module covering occupation and OBP would increase student knowledge of occupation and occupation-based practice. In this mixed-methods parallel convergent study, OTA students were immersed in an author-designed educational module to increase their knowledge of occupation, OBP, and the selection of occupation-based interventions. The students engaged in pretesting activities, prior to the module, consisting of short-answer essay and intervention selection tasks. At the conclusion of the module, the students completed posttest activities. The study results demonstrated significant learning in the areas of occupation, OBP, and the selection of occupation-based interventions. Quantitative analysis indicated a statistically significant increase in student learning, and qualitative analysis revealed increased levels of performance, when classified according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. This study addresses a gap in the OTA education literature by showing evidence that use of the learning module increased OTA student knowledge of occupation, OBP, and the ability to select occupation-based interventions. This module was an efficient and effective method of meeting accreditation standards related to OTA education.

Clinical and Professional Reasoning Development in Level II Fieldwork: Occupational Therapy Assistant Students’ Perception

Clinical and Professional Reasoning Development in Level II Fieldwork: Occupational Therapy Assistant Students’ Perception

Application of Active Learning Strategies for Online Delivery in an Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact worldwide in every aspect of society including occupational therapy assistant students enrolled in academic coursework. This manuscript examines the unique experience of occupational therapy assistant faculty in a northeast state who were able to quickly modify classroom and lab teaching-learning strategies to a fully online virtual format for two semesters. Since no available information on strategies for online delivery of occupational therapy assistant education were found in the literature, their experiences implementing active learning strategies are described and discussed. Strategies covered include: the flipped classroom model; think-pair-share and jigsaw technique using breakout rooms; polling and student response systems; muddiest point via chat box; lab kits; one-minute paper using discussion forums; and student-generated videos. Twenty students provided feedback through a survey about the helpfulness of each strategy. The breakout room and chat box feature of the synchronous virtual classroom as well as lab kits were perceived as most helpful, whereas student-generated videos and one-minute papers were perceived as least helpful. Implications for continued incorporation of online learning in occupational therapy assistant curricula are outlined.

Clients’ Perspectives of Spirituality in Occupational Therapy: A Retrospective Study

Background: While occupational therapy (OT) identifies itself as a holistic profession, there is little guidance in the literature and in academia to assist practitioners in addressing spirituality. An assignment was developed to provide a platform for occupational therapy assistant students to explicitly screen for clients’ perspectives of spiritual occupations. This paper summarizes the client responses to that assignment.

Emotional Contagion and Group Affective Tone in the Student Cohort Model.

The student cohort model used by most occupational therapy programs can produce outcomes that are either adaptive or maladaptive as a result of the unique identities formed by student cohorts. The purpose of this study was to examine the cohort model through the lens of group-level affect and emotional contagion theory. The study used a cross-sectional survey design with 159 undergraduate health care cohort members (including occupational therapy assistant students) across 24 student cohorts. The survey consisted of three measures, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Emotional Contagion Scale, and the Emotional Expressivity Scale. Data analysis showed that group affective convergence occurred along a continuum of positive affect. The results also showed that cohort members' susceptibility to the emotion of anger strengthened the cohort's emotional convergence. Cohort identity may be influenced by the process of emotional contagion, creating a distinct group-level affect.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Students’ Perspectives About the Development of Clinical Reasoning

A mandatory component of the training of occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students is the development of their clinical reasoning skills. As the demand for OTAs continues to increase in response to the growing need for occupational therapy services, the number of academic programs to prepare these future therapists has expanded. Unfortunately, there is no empirical literature addressing the preparation of OTA students, specifically the development of their clinical reasoning skills. Artifact analysis, focus groups, and questionnaires were used to explore OTA students’ perceptions of what Level II fieldwork learning experiences facilitated the development of their clinical reasoning skills. The results suggest OTA students develop clinical reasoning skills during Level II fieldwork by engaging in a variety of learning experiences with support from fieldwork educators who are welcoming and approachable. Learning experiences that students perceived as most helpful to the development of clinical reasoning included hands-on learning, opportunities to witness best practice, receipt of clear expectations and regular feedback, gradual responsibility for caseload management, and opportunities for collaboration. This study adds to the profession’s body of knowledge and has implications for OTA educators, fieldwork educators, OTA students, and future consumers of occupational therapy services.

Awareness and Use of Electronic Health Records in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant Curricula

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) requires programs to instruct entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students in technology that may include electronic documentation systems, distance communication, virtual environments, and telehealth (standard B1.8). At this time, there are no publications describing if and how electronic health record (EHR) instruction is implemented in entry-level OT and OTA programs. The purpose of this study is to investigate awareness and use of EHRs in entry-level OT and OTA curricula. Respondents from 76 nationally accredited entry-level programs (two OT doctoral, 24 OT masters, two OT combined bachelors/masters, and 48 OTA) completed a survey. The findings showed inconsistent and incomplete EHR instruction in entry-level OT and OTA education. This study provides a baseline for investigating best practices in EHR education for entry-level OT and OTA students.

What Is Really Motivating OTA Students to Learn in the Classroom?

Abstract Date Presented 4/8/2016 Study of instructional practices effect on occupational therapy assistant students' achievement goal orientations, cognitive learning strategies (CLSs), and plans for continued professional learning (CPLs) at admission and over time. Results were use of multiple goals, deep processing and surface CLSs, and many CPL plans. Primary Author and Speaker: A. Lynne Umbarger

The Collaborative Model of Fieldwork Education: A Blueprint for Group Supervision of Students

ABSTRACT. Historically, occupational therapists have used a traditional one-to-one approach to supervision on fieldwork. Due to the impact of managed care on health-care delivery systems, a dramatic increase in the number of students needing fieldwork placement, and the advantages of group learning, the collaborative supervision model has evolved as a strong alternative to an apprenticeship supervision approach. This article builds on the available research to address barriers to model use, applying theoretical foundations of collaborative supervision to practical considerations for academic fieldwork coordinators and fieldwork educators as they prepare for participation in group supervision of occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students on level II fieldwork.

An Interprofessional Education Nursing Home Dining Simulation Promotes Changes in Student Attitudes

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to assess changes in attitudes toward interprofessional collaborative competency attainment of undergraduate dietetics, gerontology/long term care administration, and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students as a result of participating in a problem-based simulated nursing home dining experience. METHODS A one-group quasi-experimental post-test design, with convenience sample, was used in this study. Forty-three students completed the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS) tool, a validated 20-item scale measuring attitudes toward interprofessional collaborative competency attainment. The ICCAS assesses six competencies: communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, collaborative patient/familycentered approach, conflict management/resolution and team functioning. A paired-sample t-test was conducted to evaluate the impact of the dining simulation on students’ ICCAS responses. RESUlTS A statistically significant increase was found in the ICCAS summative score from the retrospective look designated as Time 1 (M=108.95; SD=19.76) to Time 2 [M=127.65; SD=17.86, t(42)= -8.63, p<.0005]. CONClUSION The results of this study have potential implications for educators, practitioners and researchers. Careful planning during case development enhanced the realism and accuracy of the simulation. This nursing home dining simulation using problem-based case scenarios was found to be an effective method of promoting interprofessional collaborative competencies with a unique group of healthcare students. Received: 04/11/2016 Accepted: 12/14/2015 © 2016 Arvin et al. This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. H IP & Interprofessional Education Nursing Home Dining Simulation ORIGINAL RESEARCH 2(4):eP1078 | 2 Introduction Healthcare educators in academia are challenged with meeting complex discipline-specific standards while also incorporating interprofessional skill development into their curricula. Interprofessional education (IPE) and healthcare simulation (HCS) can be used to promote collaboration and teamwork among students of multiple disciplines. Although IPE and HCS have been in existence for decades as unique fields, research exploring how these two fields overlap is relatively new (Palaganas, Epps, & Raemer, 2014). Research in this area has primarily involved medical students, nursing students, physical therapy students, and pharmacy students (Buckley, Hensman, Thomas, Dudley, Nevin, & Coleman, 2012; Efstathiou & Walker, 2014; Kyrkjebo, Brattebo, & Smith-Strom, 2006; Stephens et al., 2011) and, to date, does not include IPE nursing home environment simulations. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in IPE attitudes and competence among undergraduate dietetics, gerontology/long term care administration, and occupational therapy assistant students who participated in a problem-based simulated nursing home dining experience.

Kinesiology for the Occupational Therapy Assistant: Essential Components of Function and Movement

Kinesiology for the Occupational Therapy Assistant: Essential Components of Function and Movement is the first edition of a text designed and written for occupational therapy assistant students by ...

Readying occupational therapy assistant students for level II fieldwork: beyond academics to personal behaviors and attitudes.

Being prepared for Level II fieldwork--and ultimately for clinical practice--requires a mastery of scientific, technical, and interpersonal knowledge and skills. Personal preparedness starts at the beginning of the occupational therapy assistant student's educational journey and can be facilitated and monitored by educators who agree that personal insight and the chance to learn and grow in this area are legitimate goals of occupational therapy education.

Development of a level I fieldwork evaluation.

The Wisconsin Council on Education (Wiscouncil) developed and pilot tested an evaluation of student performance for Level I fieldwork to be use for both occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students. Data were gathered from 259 students, fieldwork supervisors, and faculty who rated the form on a number of variables. The majority of students and clinical faculty believed the form was good to excellent in meeting their needs, in being useful in a variety of settings, in being applicable for both occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students, and in overall efficiency. On the basis of the results of the 1-year pilot study, short (23-item) and long (38-item) versions of the form were developed. Implications for use and the importance of future research to determine reliability and validity are discussed.