Exploring Preparedness for Competency in the Role of Clinical Fieldwork Educator

Clinical education (fieldwork education) is a critical piece to professional development and competency in the discipline of occupational therapy. As part of their core curriculum, all students enrolled in accredited occupational therapy programs must complete full time fieldwork experiences under the direct supervision of a licensed occupational therapy practitioner. This component of the student’s education relies on the skills and training of the clinical educator. Students are dependent on practitioners to provide them with experiences necessary to integrate and apply theory to practice. Continued competency in the area of fieldwork supervision strengthens the profession’s overarching goal to “positively influence health, welfare, education and vocation at an international level” (WFOT.org, 2016).

The purpose of this descriptive exploratory research was to examine how occupational therapy practitioners prepare for the role of fieldwork educator. 151 occupational therapy practitioners, from across the United States, responded to a 19-question survey disseminated by the researchers. The goals of the study were:

1. Identify how occupational therapy practitioners were prepared to assume the role of fieldwork educator during their professional education

2. Identify how occupational therapy practitioners prepare to assume the role of fieldwork educator post professionally

3. Examine occupational therapy practitioners perceived effectiveness of available tools to support their role as a fieldwork educator

4. Examine the barriers encountered by occupational therapy practitioners when utilizing tools designed to support fieldwork education

Data collected from the survey was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. To assess and compare demographic information and occupational therapy practice environment characteristics, descriptive statistics were used to calculate frequencies, means, and standard deviations. Spearman’s Rho and Kruskal Wallis statistical tests were used to determine significant differences within the data.

Preliminary results have identified numerous supports to facilitate professional competency in the role of fieldwork educator, and barriers to the utilization of fieldwork education tools, with no statistically significant differences identified across practice environments. Pairwise comparison of practice settings identified significant differences in the distribution of the number of students supervised per year and the model of supervisory practice utilized. The results of this study will serve to inform the process by which occupational therapy practitioners engage in professional learning to support their competency as fieldwork educators.

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2012). COE guidelines for an occupational therapy fieldwork experience- level II. AOTA. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/EducationCareers/Educators/Fieldwork/LevelII/COE%20Guidelines%20for%20an%20Occupational%20Therapy%20Fieldwork%20Experience%20--%20Level%20II--Final.pdf

Higgs, J., & McAllister, L. (2005). The lived experiences of clinical educators with implications for their preparation, support and professional development. Learning in Health and Social Care, 4(3), 156-171. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-6861.2005.00097.x

Johnson, C., Haynes, C., & Oppermann Ames, J. (2015). Supervision competencies for fieldwork educators. In D. M. Costa (Ed.), The essential guide to occupational therapy: Fieldwork education, resources for educators and practitioners (237 - 245). Bethesda, MD: The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2016). WFOT code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.wfot.org/about