TY - JOUR
T1 - Perception on and Collaboration with Occupational Therapy among Medical, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy Students: A Pilot Study in a College of Medicine
AU - Lin, Ling-Yi
AU - Hwang, Yea-Shwu
AU - Chen-Sea, Mei-Jin
AU - Tsai, Jing-Jane
AU - Cheng, Wen-Yun
AU - Chen, Chih-Hung
AU - Chang, Jer-Hao
PY - 2012/12/1
Y1 - 2012/12/1
N2 - The purposes of this study are to investigate perceptions of occupational therapy (OT) among medical, nursing, and OT undergraduates and to survey their collaborative status with occupational therapists in the fieldwork. Three groups of participants were surveyed: medical students (N=60), nursing students (N=67), and OT students (N=87). The students completed a questionnaire examining (1) knowledge about the profession of OT; (2) appraisal of OT; (3) service needs from occupational therapists; and (4) the current status of teamwork practices. All students indicated that academic education was their main source of knowledge about the profession of OT. Thirty-five percent of medical students and 40% of nursing students reported that they could not distinguish between the professions of OT and physical therapy (PT). Both medical and nursing students appreciated OT for improving patients’ function in activities of daily living (ADL). They also reported that the most service needed from occupational therapists is ”ADL evaluation and training.” Most medical students (77%) and nursing students (84%) reported that they rarely collaborated with OT staff in teamwork training for patient care. Ninety-five percent of medical students and 76% of nursing students agreed that working with occupational therapists during fieldwork could enhance their understanding of the OT profession. The findings indicated that a large proportion of medical and nursing students have inadequate knowledge about the role and function of occupational therapists and few opportunities to collaborate with occupational therapists. However, they also showed specific needs for OT in patient care. Therefore, the development of a clinical collaborative education program to facilitate teamwork between occupational therapists and other medical professionals is necessary.
AB - The purposes of this study are to investigate perceptions of occupational therapy (OT) among medical, nursing, and OT undergraduates and to survey their collaborative status with occupational therapists in the fieldwork. Three groups of participants were surveyed: medical students (N=60), nursing students (N=67), and OT students (N=87). The students completed a questionnaire examining (1) knowledge about the profession of OT; (2) appraisal of OT; (3) service needs from occupational therapists; and (4) the current status of teamwork practices. All students indicated that academic education was their main source of knowledge about the profession of OT. Thirty-five percent of medical students and 40% of nursing students reported that they could not distinguish between the professions of OT and physical therapy (PT). Both medical and nursing students appreciated OT for improving patients’ function in activities of daily living (ADL). They also reported that the most service needed from occupational therapists is ”ADL evaluation and training.” Most medical students (77%) and nursing students (84%) reported that they rarely collaborated with OT staff in teamwork training for patient care. Ninety-five percent of medical students and 76% of nursing students agreed that working with occupational therapists during fieldwork could enhance their understanding of the OT profession. The findings indicated that a large proportion of medical and nursing students have inadequate knowledge about the role and function of occupational therapists and few opportunities to collaborate with occupational therapists. However, they also showed specific needs for OT in patient care. Therefore, the development of a clinical collaborative education program to facilitate teamwork between occupational therapists and other medical professionals is necessary.
U2 - 10.6145/jme.201212_16(4).0003
DO - 10.6145/jme.201212_16(4).0003
M3 - Article
SN - 1028-2424
VL - 16
SP - 167
EP - 175
JO - 醫學教育 = Journal of Medical Education
JF - 醫學教育 = Journal of Medical Education
IS - 4
ER -