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Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

Fieldwork (FW) education is integral to occupational therapy (OT) education and enables the transition of a student to an entry-level practitioner. Clinicians who serve as FW educators play a significant role in this process. To deliver OT education, universities must support FW educators and address their needs and concerns. This study surveyed OT FW educators who supervised entry-level OT doctoral students from a public university for Level I and/or Level II FW regarding strategies to address their concerns and needs. An anonymous survey was distributed to the FW educators (n=349) who supervised the students for FW between Spring 2021-2023. By the response deadline, the survey yielded a 32.09% (n=112) response rate. Fieldwork educators perceived themselves to be competent clinical educators, and their perception was not associated with the completion of FW educator training courses, years of experience as a practitioner, or number of students supervised in the past. However, FW educators reported difficulty in teaching soft skills (e.g., communicating with patients/caregivers, participating in Admission, Review, and Dismissal meetings, etc.) and supervising challenging students. They considered providing FW supervision as beneficial to them. Their concerns related to FW supervision centered around student readiness, student behavior, and time management. They expected universities to assess student readiness before sending them on FW. Also, they expected more clarity and guidance from universities on expectations related to FW supervision. Further, they indicated a need for FW educator training programs and access to library/scholarly resources. The implications of the findings for different stakeholders were discussed.

Biography

Karthik Mani, OTD, OTR, FACOT is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at UTMB. His research focuses on professional issues that influence the occupational therapy practice and education and population health. He is currently serving as the NBCOT ambassador for Texas and president of the Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank. He has presented regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Diane M. Collins, PhD, OT is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences at the UTMB. Her research interests focus on improving the quality of life for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders and spina bifida through assistive technology, environmental modification, and occupational therapy interventions.

Lima Ghulmi, OTD, OTR is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the UTMB, her research focuses on Lifestyle interventions with sever obesity, bariatric rehabilitation, and management of chronic diseases through daily habits and routines. She has presented regionally and internationally.

Amy Boyd, OTD, OTR is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Occupational Therapy at UTMB. Her research interests include interprofessional education and mental health within the community.

Anita Zaricor, OTD, OTR, c/NDT is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Occupational Therapy at UTMB. Her research focuses on student outcomes and interprofessional practice during fieldwork.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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