Internationally educated occupational therapists transitioning to practice in Canada: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: While internationally educated occupational therapists (IEOTs) may assist Western countries in addressing workforce shortages, their transition to practice can be difficult. Provincial and national levels of government in Canada have funded initiatives to address the barriers experienced by IEOTs. The purpose of this study is to identify the key forces shaping the experiences of IEOTs transitioning to practice in Canada. METHODS: An interpretive description approach was taken to interview 11 IEOTs who graduated from the Occupational Therapy Examination and Practice Preparation (OTepp) program. Data analysis was guided by the theoretical scaffolding of the occupational therapy profession. Two team members, who are also occupational therapists, developed codes and categories independently and then through discussion reached a higher level of interpretation. RESULTS: The experiences of IEOTs in Canada were shaped by two key forces: Realising that more than exam preparation is required and the impact of previous person, environment and occupation transactions. Participants underestimated their learning needs related to their transition to Canadian practice. As they engaged in the OTepp program, they realised that their learning extended beyond that required for the national certification exam. Also, the extent to which the participant (person), previous context (environment) and previous practice (occupation) were similar to Canadian therapists, influenced IEOTs' performance in OTepp and their overall transition to practice. The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model provided a framework to contextualise this theme. CONCLUSION: IEOTs will benefit from individualised learning needs assessments and education plans to address their specific needs. At an international level, the occupational therapy profession must engage in dialogue about the differences between education programs and the resulting implications for the profession. More research is also needed to understand the experiences of IEOTs who withdraw from or do not engage in formal supports.

Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Fieldwork Educators' Experiences.

Background. Fieldwork is an essential part of experiential learning in occupational therapy education. Fieldwork educators identify limits on reasonable accommodation and difficulty implementing disability-related accommodations. Student occupational therapists with disabilities report discrimination from within the profession, including inflexible fieldwork environments. Purpose. To understand the experiences of occupational therapy fieldwork educators in Canada in accommodating students with disabilities and to develop action-oriented practice recommendations. Method. In this interpretive description study, we interviewed 11 fieldwork educators about their experiences accommodating students with disabilities. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings. Educators emphasized a meta-theme of "Learning" when asked about disability-related accommodations. Three subthemes about student learning emerged: 1. Educators focused on "Student Learning in Preparation for Professional Practice" rather than their fieldwork setting only; 2. Educators were "Using Occupational Therapy Skills for Student Learning" in fieldwork; and 3. Educators recognized that their professional and personal "Context Influences Student Learning." Conclusion. Fieldwork educators can work with students to align their accommodations with required learning outcomes for professional practice and use their occupational therapy skills to assist with implementation. Fieldwork educators require time and other supports to work effectively with all students.

Texts influencing the accommodation process of students with disabilities in professional rehabilitation programs: an analysis of discourse.

PURPOSE: Students with disabilities have lower enrollment and higher attrition than their non-disabled peers. They identify negative attitudes from educators in their accommodation experiences within professional programs, such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Educators in these accredited programs must address a myriad of requirements through curriculum delivery. The documents or "texts" containing program requirements include discourses or dominant understandings of reality. The purpose of this study is to identify these discourses and the resulting positions of educators, to better understand the tensions in accommodating students with disabilities. METHODS: A critical discourse analysis study was conducted. Key informants and inclusion criteria led to the collection of 9 texts, which were subsequently analyzed using Norman Fairclough's three-dimensional conception of discourse. RESULTS: Three discourses were identified. "Rights and responsibilities" was the most salient discourse, followed by "normative assumptions" and then "inclusion and equity." The associated educator positions are "navigator," "gatekeeper" and "advocate," respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The discourses and resulting educator positions are varied and in conflict with one another. There is a potential for change in the social practices related to accommodating students with disabilities. However, these changes need to be conscious and deliberate to ensure inclusivity within the occupational therapy and physiotherapy professions.Implications for RehabilitationCritical discourse analysis is a methodology that can raise awareness of implicit assumptions embedded in texts that reflect and potentially perpetuate inequities and power imbalances.Conflicting discourses in the accommodation process provide a valuable opportunity for educators to critically reflect on personal and professional values and beliefs.Critical reflection on unconscious bias while writing policies and practices could ensure a more diverse pool of applicants for professional programs, thereby enriching rehabilitation professions.