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Presentation
The Effects of an Intraprofessional Educational Session Among OT and OTA Students
Canadian Occupational Therapy Association (2019)
  • Kimberley Persons, St. Catherine University
  • Debra Battistella
Abstract
Introduction: Literature reveals that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants are unclear regarding their respective roles and responsibilities. This can negatively impact client outcomes, professional growth of individual practitioners, and the image of the occupational therapy profession. There is an opportunity to enhance occupational therapy education using intraprofessional education, a collaborative model where students of different levels of the same profession learn together.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of OT and OTA students participating in a collaborative learning session. This was a pre-experimental research study with a pretest-posttest design. The study was completed with students from an occupational therapy program and an occupational therapy assistant program. Methods: Students’ confidence of the supervisory process and role delineation in occupational therapy were measured at pre-test, following a one-hour lecture, and following an intraprofessional class project. Measures included a researcher developed, multiple-choice OT/OTA Knowledge Quiz and adapted versions of the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale and the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education–Revised. Results: 157 OT or OTA students participated. Results of the study showed students had an increase in general knowledge of OT/OTA roles after the lecture with no significant changes to attitudes or perceptions. After the collaborative group project, both OT and OTA students had more positive attitudes and perceptions towards intraprofessional practice. Conclusion: By engaging in intraprofessional education, OT and OTA students will be better equipped to confidently perform and articulate their roles to consumers, health care providers, and other stakeholders.
Disciplines
Publication Date
May, 2019
Location
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Citation Information
Kimberley Persons and Debra Battistella. "The Effects of an Intraprofessional Educational Session Among OT and OTA Students" Canadian Occupational Therapy Association (2019)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kimberley-persons/4/