Work-related Practice Research Articles

The Impact of Enterprise Education on Students pursuing Professional Higher Education in Malta: A Grounded Theory study

This study examines the impact of enterprise education on students pursuing Professional Higher Education (PHE) at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST). At EQF Levels 5,6 and 7, PHE is seen to include higher levels of work-related practice and stronger components of impact-based applied research. In particular, the study maps out the students’ learning process by understanding their capabilities to generate ideas and to nurture their enterprise skills by recognising opportunities, solving problems, building relationships, and strengthening self-confidence prior to entering an enterprise venture. Relatively little is known about how students, pursuing enterprise education in a PHE context, are maximizing their potential in order to achieve a higher level of engagement in their enterprise activities within a dynamic business environment. The research method applied is that of grounded theory as advocated by Corbin and Strauss’s (2008, 2015) conditional matrix and Charmaz’s (2006, 2014) constructivist approach. Interpretive and qualitative in-depth interviews are undertaken with five participants, namely fresh graduates from the Master of Business Administration (for the Small Business), specialising in Enterprise Education at MCAST. The approach adopted in this study is in line with research developments in recent years, whereby grounded theory is being used as a methodology using the interpretative approach to undertake enterprise research (Urquhart 2013). It is expected that this initial study will be further extended until theoretical saturation is achieved. An early parsimonious model explains how enterprise education influences PHE students’ entrepreneurial behaviour prior to their engagement in any enterprise venture. In this research study, findings indicate that the paradigm shift from a direct learning approach to an applied research component, during which students directly interview entrepreneurs on topics related to their modules, significantly influences the mindset of PHE students pursuing Enterprise Education. This applied research study comprises several implications for the enhancement of delivering excellence in Enterprise Education by influencing the PHE students’ skills and competences. It provides policy-makers, academic researchers and other educational managers with a theoretical framework that can provide them with factors that may enhance the skills set of prospective entrepreneurs.

Household Assets, the Role of Government Assistance, and Depression Among Low-Income Families in Shanghai

As China’s economy is rapidly changing from a planned to a capitalist economy, many families find themselves financially struggling. In some cases, conflicting values and attitudes may contribute to mental health challenges such as depression that would lead to further feelings of helplessness and immobilization. Using a random sample of 1006 low-income households from Pudong District of Shanghai, China, this study aims to examine the relationships between household assets, beliefs about government as the primary way to improve economic circumstances and self-reported depressive symptoms. In addition, this study investigates the mediation effects of beliefs that government is the best change agent for improved life circumstances on the relationship between household assets and depression. We found those who indicated that government was the main means for attaining a better life had significantly higher depression levels whereas higher numbers of household assets were associated with lower depression levels. We also found that viewing government as the most important change agent only partially mediated the relationship between household assets and depression (p < .001). Findings from this study support anti-poverty policies and social work related practice initiatives aimed at assisting low income families in China, in particular the need to address psychological as well as economic needs.

Enabling Work: Occupational Therapy Interventions for Persons with Occupational Injuries and Diseases: A Scoping Review.

Purpose This review aims to map the scope of published research on occupational therapy (OT) interventions and pertinent work and work-related outcomes for persons with occupational injuries and diseases. Methods The scoping review adapted Arksey and O'Malley's framework. Six electronic databases were searched. Ancestral search was also done on five systematic reviews. The search was conducted from September 2015 to October 2015. Interventions and outcomes were coded using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Vocational Rehabilitation to plot trends. Results Forty-six articles were included in the review. The top five intervention approaches included: acquiring skills (12.27%), health services, systems, and policies (10.43%), products and technology for employment (9.20%), handling stress and other psychological demands (7.98%), and apprenticeship (6.74%). The top five outcomes targeted included: remunerative employment (15.71%); sensation of pain (10.99%); emotional functions (5.76%); handling stress and other psychological demands (5.76%); economic self-sufficiency (4.71%); muscle endurance functions (4.71%); exercise tolerance functions (4.71%); undertaking multiple tasks (4.19%); acquiring, keeping, and terminating a job (4.19%); and looking after one's health (4.19%). Conclusion The trend in interventions show the use of activities and environment facilitators which are attuned to the conceptual nature of OT. Furthermore, the trend in outcomes show that there is substantial evidence that supports the use of OT to target work. This review may provide a platform for collaboration with other professionals and also help identify research directions to strengthen the evidence base for OT in work-related practice.

Understanding Work-Related Stress and Practice of Professional Self-Care – An Innovative Pedagogical Approach

Social workers experience tremendous work-related stress - particularly among those providing direct services in healthcare settings. A review of related literature summarized several critical challenges faced by social workers who work with highly difficult clients in these settings, including (a) clients who engage in manipulative high-risk behaviors; (b) clients with serious illness who have multiple relapses; (c) clients who attempt or commit suicide; and (d) those who perpetrate violent or aggressive acts against themselves or others. This paper described and evaluated three sets of experiential learning activities with graduate level social work students, designed to increase their self-awareness and understanding of work-related stress, establish professional boundaries with difficult clients, and practice professional self-care. Major themes covered in these activities include: (a) increasing self-awareness and therapeutic competence; (b) becoming emotionally present and accepting limits; and (c) assessing traumatic stress and self-care. Selected journals from 26 students who took a clinical social work practice in health care elective course and the instructor’s blogs were content analyzed. An evaluation survey was administered with 43 students to gather their overall feedback about the course activities. Results indicated that students felt that course activities increased the amount and quality of interaction they had with other students and the instructor. Many students showed an increase of self-awareness and their own abilities in managing work-related stress. Overall, the findings support the use of experiential learning activities and self- reflective journals, as an innovative pedagogical approach, to enhance students’ self-awareness and abilities to manage work-related stress.

Assessing occupational therapy students' clinical competence for entry-level work-related practice

The purpose of occupational therapy (OT) educational programs is to graduate effective clinicians who join the job market with competencies consistent with the expected entry-level practice. To attain an effective process of clinical competence development, OT educational programs design competence-based curricula to instill pre-licensure readiness in their graduating students for entry-level work-related practice. The purpose of the study was to perform a retrospective outcome competence assessment for evaluating OT students participating in the first three consecutive offerings of a graduate seminar intended to assess and increase pre-licensure skills and knowledge required for entry-level evidence-based work-related practice. The assessment examined differences in post vs. pre-seminar National Board Certificate Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) practice test score caused by (a) main time of test-taking effect; (b) main class effect; and (c) tine and class interaction effect. 62 students. A total of 62 students who graduated from the program during the three academic years 2008, 2009 and 2010 participated in the study. Post vs. pre-seminar NBCOT practice test score was significantly higher across the three-year period and increased significantly in each of the three classes. Interaction effect did not alter the pattern of post vs. pre-seminar score increase in each class. The significant time and class main effects validated the effectiveness of the seminars in increasing post vs. pre-seminar practice test score in each of the three classes. The significant time x class interaction effect validated the pattern of post vs. pre-seminar score increase regardless of the class sequence.

Foundations for work-related practice: occupational therapy and physiotherapy entry-level curricula

Aims/background: Occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT) curricula content and preparedness for work-related practice and occupational health and safety (OHS) are not well documented. This study aimed to identify content and other elements of entry-level curricula in 23 OT and 17 PT programmes from Australia and New Zealand, and to identify educators' perceptions of OT and PT graduates' preparedness for work-related practice and OHS topics. Method: A telephone survey collected curricula content as well as teaching and assessment methods from 19 OT and PT work-related practice educators. Educators reported perceptions of new graduate preparedness for 22 topics in the field of work-related practice identified in an earlier study. Results included descriptive statistics and thematic analyses. Findings: Educators reported a high rate of inclusion (81%) of work-related practice topics in curricula. The main teaching method was theory (99.5%) and other methods included hands-on practical work with students and fieldwork with clients. Educators reported similar assessment processes across programmes. New graduates were prepared for practice with minimal supervision in the majority of topics (81%). Conclusions: Work-related practice content was included strongly and consistently in OT and PT entry-level curricula. However, as the majority of content was embedded in other courses, topics may not have been explicit and identifiable to students. New graduates were perceived to be prepared for practice with minimal supervision. This finding will assist employers to understand new graduates' preparedness for practice and needs for further development. Preparedness for practice in this field was similar to expectations of preparedness for other practice areas.

Preparing Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Students for Work-Related Practice: A Clinical Education Initiative at One Australian University

Purpose: Despite increasing numbers of novice occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) entering work-related practice since the early 2000s, clinical learning opportunities are often limited due to legal and insurance issues. In response, clinical educators at The University of Queensland, Australia, developed an industry consultancy service to provide clinical learning for students in this field. Students delivered injury prevention services with supervision from experienced educators. This paper describes the program and an evaluation of student learning. Method: Twenty-six students (10 OTs and 16 PTs) participated voluntarily in an evaluation of the program during 2008 and 2009. Surveys pre and post-placement included open and closed questions that sought students’ knowledge of work-related practice and perceptions of practitioner roles. Knowledge was assessed with 20 questions on work-related practice. Differences in knowledge before and after the placement were analysed with non-parametric statistics. Open ended responses were subject to manual thematic analysis. Results: Students demonstrated a good understanding of the roles and tasks undertaken by practitioners in this field pre-placement. Their knowledge of work-related practice significantly increased following the placement (p&lt; 0.05). Half of the students reported that their expectations for the placement had been met. Open ended responses provided students’ perceptions of the program, both positive and negative. Conclusions: This clinical learning experience in work-related practice for OT and PT students provided a novel practical experience. Students demonstrated a good understanding of professional roles in the field and post-placement increased their understanding of work-related practice. The model provided a valuable method that ensures OT and PT students experienced work-related practice prior to graduation.

Knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by occupational therapist and physiotherapist beginning practitioners in work‐related practice: A systematic review

Occupational therapists and physiotherapists have established roles in work-related practice. However, there is limited information about the attributes required by these professions for competent practice in this field. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the research literature to determine the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by occupational therapists and physiotherapists, including new graduates, in work-related practice. A systematic search was conducted of standard databases using keywords and phrases. All types of studies and reports were included from empirical research to descriptive reports. Included literature was appraised by standard critical appraisal tools by two reviewers. Words, phrases or themes related to the attributes required for work practice were manually extracted and a meta-synthesis conducted. Seven observational studies, six professional practice guidelines, one book chapter, one journal editorial and seven opinion pieces met the inclusion criteria. Observational studies and descriptive reports were low on the evidence hierarchy. Meta-synthesis determined that key attributes required by occupational therapists and physiotherapists in work-related practice were knowledge of injury prevention and management, skills in communication, and professional behaviours of self-reflection and evaluation. Findings from this systematic review provided credible evidence about attributes required by occupational therapists and physiotherapists but not including new graduates, in work-related practice. However, due to low evidence levels findings will need to be applied with caution. More rigorous research is needed to evaluate occupational therapy and physiotherapy workplace interventions to guide practice and to assist occupational therapists and physiotherapists promote the effectiveness of their services.

Knowledge Transfer: Making Information Work

Welcome to the first columnon KnowledgeTransfer: Making Information Work! My name is Lynn Shaw, I am an occupational scientist, researcher, an associate professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Ontario, and I am an editorial board member of WORK. I have developed a passion for KT through my research in chronic pain and work injuries, my involvement in leading and partnering in KT initiatives in occupational therapy as an educational influential occupational therapist in a work practice network in Ontario and in other professions such as chiropractic and audiology. This column is designed to provide readers with knowledge (evidence, theory and practical knowledge) for use in enhancing knowledge brokering and networking in work related practice, in education, in research, in the community and in the workplace. For this column, a broad definition of knowledge transfer is adopted, knowledge transfer includes the exchanging and sharing of research, policy and procedural knowledge between and among a realm of knowledge producers, knowledge brokers and end users [1,2]. For instance, people from all sectors and institutions are key stakeholders in knowledge exchange andmay include but not limited to the following researchers, health professionals, career counsellors, ergonomic specialists, vocational providers, human resource specialists, workplaces, educators, employers, workers, persons with work injuries, family members, students, insurers, health and safety professionals and regulators etc. The types of knowledge transferred and exchanged in work practice can include, research, procedural information, workplace safety information, health information, career information or other information that has the main aim of enabling workers, and their families, students, health and vocational professionals, workplace parties, educators or recruiters, and trainers to consider the relevance and value of new information to make informative decisions. Use of knowledge can where the word that was facilitate adaptation, accommodation, work style redesign, positive change in behaviours or procedures or policies to prevent injuries, promote health and productivity at work and by workplaces, and assist others to advance vocational pursuits or careers. Mediums for knowledge exchange and transfer are also broadly considered in this column and will include dialogic, group or collective approaches and interactions, as well as use of network approaches, the internet, written text, social media, artistic, photo novella or symbolic expressions, etc. This column will also promote the use of theory to inform different strategies and approaches for effective KT that are sensitive to one-on-one, group or organizational specific needs and preferences. Given that the readers of this journal are international, this column is also designed to advance knowledge transfer that underscores cultural ways of knowing and disseminating informationwithin different contexts relevant to work around the world.

Towards case-based medical learning in radiological decision making using content-based image retrieval

BackgroundRadiologists' training is based on intensive practice and can be improved with the use of diagnostic training systems. However, existing systems typically require laboriously prepared training cases and lack integration into the clinical environment with a proper learning scenario. Consequently, diagnostic training systems advancing decision-making skills are not well established in radiological education.MethodsWe investigated didactic concepts and appraised methods appropriate to the radiology domain, as follows: (i) Adult learning theories stress the importance of work-related practice gained in a team of problem-solvers; (ii) Case-based reasoning (CBR) parallels the human problem-solving process; (iii) Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) can be useful for computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). To overcome the known drawbacks of existing learning systems, we developed the concept of image-based case retrieval for radiological education (IBCR-RE). The IBCR-RE diagnostic training is embedded into a didactic framework based on the Seven Jump approach, which is well established in problem-based learning (PBL). In order to provide a learning environment that is as similar as possible to radiological practice, we have analysed the radiological workflow and environment.ResultsWe mapped the IBCR-RE diagnostic training approach into the Image Retrieval in Medical Applications (IRMA) framework, resulting in the proposed concept of the IRMAdiag training application. IRMAdiag makes use of the modular structure of IRMA and comprises (i) the IRMA core, i.e., the IRMA CBIR engine; and (ii) the IRMAcon viewer. We propose embedding IRMAdiag into hospital information technology (IT) infrastructure using the standard protocols Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level Seven (HL7). Furthermore, we present a case description and a scheme of planned evaluations to comprehensively assess the system.ConclusionsThe IBCR-RE paradigm incorporates a novel combination of essential aspects of diagnostic learning in radiology: (i) Provision of work-relevant experiences in a training environment integrated into the radiologist's working context; (ii) Up-to-date training cases that do not require cumbersome preparation because they are provided by routinely generated electronic medical records; (iii) Support of the way adults learn while remaining suitable for the patient- and problem-oriented nature of medicine. Future work will address unanswered questions to complete the implementation of the IRMAdiag trainer.

Knowledge, skills and professional behaviours needed for occupational therapists and physiotherapists new to work-related practice

The paper seeks to identify the key knowledge domains, skills and professional behaviours required to prepare occupational therapists and physiotherapists for employment in work related practice. Twelve experienced work related practitioners in one Australian state participated in face to face semi-structured interviews. PARTICIPANTS represented the majority of perspectives in the field and in addition to professional qualifications, a number of participants were employers or contractors of therapists. The paper reviews existing evidence about knowledge, skills and professional behaviours in the field. The results of a study examining requisite knowledge, skills and professional behaviours for occupational therapists and physiotherapists follow. Interviews were analysed using the Leximancer™ text analysis program developed at The University of Queensland. A high level of congruence was evident in key areas of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours between all interviewees and the literature. Findings included the need for very good communication skills by both professions and the need for a sound grounding in specific disciplinary skills. Results identified that occupational therapists take a broad view of function and task analysis and that physiotherapists have good skills in anatomy, musculoskeletal assessment and movement analysis. These results are considered in relation to planning the clinical education of OT and PT students in preparation for work related practice.

Development of roles for occupational therapists and physiotherapists in work related practice: An Australian perspective

This paper will explore the development of occupational therapists' and physiotherapists' roles in work related practice from an early focus on rehabilitation of injured workers, to one including prevention and health promotion. A review of international evidence identified the roles, tasks and employment paths for occupational therapists and physiotherapists in work related practice. The relationship between government regulation and therapists' access to the workplace was also examined. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists hold valued positions in work related professional practice. Whilst initially their roles were based on injury management through occupational rehabilitation, both professions have demonstrated a clear vision of the importance of prevention of work related injury and disease. Social and workplace changes in the late 1970s in a number of western countries, commencing with the Robens' reforms in the United Kingdom, led to improved legislation and regulation for managing occupational health and safety. The approach of both disciplines to practice in this field reflects their individual professional education. However, some role overlaps exists in consultancy activities in the industrial environment. Implementation of modern OHS regulatory programs in other western countries, including Australia, has increased and broadened the opportunities for therapists, as governments, employers and insurers support early intervention to minimise the impact of workplace injuries and diseases.

Professional Strategies in Work-Related Practice: An Exploration of Occupational and Physical Therapy Roles and Approaches

Both occupational and physical therapy have historical roots in worker rehabilitation; however, the core philosophies and areas of expertise of these professions suggest there may be inherent differences in the ways each approaches therapeutic intervention. This study surveyed 600 occupational and physical therapists in the United States to determine the nature and scope of work-related practice, and the degree to which occupation-based strategies are used by either profession. The overall response rate was 54% (n = 324), and 76% of respondents (n = 246) were actively engaged in providing work-related services. Results indicate that both professions provide all services commonly associated with work-related therapy in almost equal proportions. Few significant differences were identified between the professions in terms of approaches to therapy, and findings did not reveal the use of occupation-based interventions to any greater degree by occupational therapists.