IngentaConnect A national evaluation of the Australian Occupational Therapy Comp...

Authors: Rodger, Sylvia¹; Clark, Michele²; Banks, Rebecca¹; O'Brien, Mia³; Martinez, Kay⁴

Source: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Volume 56, Number 6, December 2009 , pp. 384-392(9)

Abstract:

This paper summarises results from an evaluation of the adequacy and utility of the Australian Competency Standards for Entry-Level Occupational Therapists © (OT AUSTRALIA, 1994a). It comprised a two-part study, incorporating an online survey of key national stakeholders (n = 26), and 13 focus groups (n = 152) conducted throughout Australia with occupational therapy clinicians, academics, OT AUSTRALIA association and Occupational Therapy Registration Board representatives, as well as university program accreditors. The key recommendations were that: (i) urgent revision to reflect contemporary practice, paradigms, approaches and frameworks is required; (ii) the standards should exemplify basic competence at graduation (not within two years following); (iii) a revision cycle of five years is required; (iv) the Australian Qualifications Framework should be retained, preceded by an introduction describing the scope and nature of occupational therapy practice in the national context; (v) access to the standards should be free and unrestricted to occupational therapists, students and the public via the OT AUSTRALIA (national) website; (vi) the standards should incorporate a succinct executive summary and additional tools or templates formatted to enable occupational therapists to develop professional portfolios and create working documents specific to their workplace; and (vii) language must accommodate contextual variation while striking an appropriate balance between providing instruction and encouraging innovation in practice.

Keywords: accreditation; focus groups; multiple stakeholders; professional competence; professional standards; registration

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2009.00794.x

Affiliations: 1: Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 2: School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 3: Teaching and Educational Development Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, and 4: Faculty of Arts, Education and Social Sciences, Teaching and Learning, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

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A national evaluation of the Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (1994): A multistakeholder perspective