New graduate transition to practice: how can the literature inform support strategies?
Alis Moores A C and Cate Fitzgerald BA Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health, Douglas, Qld, 4814, Australia.
B Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health, Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102, Australia. Email: Cate.Fitzgerald@health.qld.gov.au
C Corresponding author. Email: Alis.Moores@health.qld.gov.au
Australian Health Review 41(3) 308-312 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH15240
Submitted: 21 December 2015 Accepted: 6 May 2016 Published: 4 July 2016
Abstract
Objective The transition to practice for new graduate health professionals has been identified as challenging, with health services typically adopting a range of support and management strategies to assist safe professional practice. Queensland’s state-wide Occupational Therapy Clinical Education Program supporting new graduates within public sector health facilities conducted a narrative literature review to identify evidence-based recommended actions that would assist new graduate occupational therapists’ to transition from student to practitioner.
Method Searches of Medline, CINAHL and PubMed databases were used to locate articles describing or evaluating occupational therapy new graduate support actions.
Results The themes of supervision, support and education emerged from the literature. Additionally, four interactions were identified as factors potentially influencing and being influenced by the processes and outcomes of supervision, support and education actions. The interactions identified were professional reasoning, professional identity, an active approach to learning and reflective practice.
Conclusions The interactions emerging from the literature will serve to inform the delivery and focus of supervision, support and education for new graduate occupational therapists as they transition to practice. The results may have application for other health professions.
What is known about the topic? The transition to practice for new graduate occupational therapists has been reported as challenging with health services implementing various actions to support and assist this transition. A previous literature review of recommended support strategies could not be found providing an impetus for this enquiry.
What does this paper add? This narrative literature review identified three themes of actions supporting the transition of new graduates from student to practitioner. In addition to these themes of supervision, support and education, also emerging from the literature were factors identified as important to facilitating the transition of new graduates to the workplace. These factors, or interactions, are identified in this paper as professional reasoning, professional identity, an active approach to learning, and reflective practice. It is proposed that these interactions have an effect on and can be effected by supervision, support and education actions. The articulation between the interactions and the themes was a notable outcome emerging from this literature review.
What are the implications for practitioners? This literature review will assist those planning actions to guide new graduates’ transition into practice. It is proposed that the methods of implementing supervision, support and education actions are optimised by the identified interactions.
References
[1] Morley M. Developing a preceptorship programme for newly qualified occupational therapists: action research. Br J Occup Ther 2007; 70 330–8.| Developing a preceptorship programme for newly qualified occupational therapists: action research.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[2] Robertson LJ, Griffiths S. Graduates’ reflections on their preparation for practice. Br J Occup Ther 2009; 72 125–32.
| Graduates’ reflections on their preparation for practice.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[3] Seah CH, Mackenzie L, Gamble J. Transition of graduates of the Master of Occupational Therapy to practice. Aust Occup Ther J 2011; 58 103–10.
| Transition of graduates of the Master of Occupational Therapy to practice.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21418233PubMed |
[4] Hummell J, Koelmeyer L. New graduates: perceptions of their first occupational therapy position. Br J Occup Ther 1999; 62 351–8.
| New graduates: perceptions of their first occupational therapy position.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[5] Cusick A, McIntosh D, Santiago L. New graduate therapists in acute care hospitals: priorities, problems and strategies for departmental action. Aust Occup Ther J 2004; 51 174–84.
| New graduate therapists in acute care hospitals: priorities, problems and strategies for departmental action.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[6] Tryssenaar J, Perkins J. From student to therapist: exploring the first year of practice. Am J Occup Ther 2001; 55 19–27.
| From student to therapist: exploring the first year of practice.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M7otVensQ%3D%3D&md5=6754b604be1900a18e10787161ad57c1CAS | 11216362PubMed |
[7] Fortune T, Ryan S, Adamson L. Transition to practice in supercomplex environments: are occupational therapy graduates adequately prepared? Aust Occup Ther J 2013; 60 217–20.
| Transition to practice in supercomplex environments: are occupational therapy graduates adequately prepared?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23730787PubMed |
[8] Smith R, Pilling S. Supporting the transition from student to professional – a case study in allied health. Aust Health Rev 2008; 32 134
| Supporting the transition from student to professional – a case study in allied health.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18241156PubMed |
[9] Rugg S. The transition of junior occupational therapists to clinical practice: report of a preliminary study. Br J Occup Ther 1996; 59 165–8.
| The transition of junior occupational therapists to clinical practice: report of a preliminary study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[10] Fitzgerald C, Moores A, Coleman A, Fleming J. Supporting new graduate professional development: a clinical learning framework. Aust Occup Ther J 2015; 62 13–20.
| Supporting new graduate professional development: a clinical learning framework.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25331478PubMed |
[11] Green BN, Johnson CD, Adams A. Clinical update: writing narrative literature reviews for peer-reviewed journals: secrets of the trade. J Chiropr Med 2006; 5 101–17.
| Clinical update: writing narrative literature reviews for peer-reviewed journals: secrets of the trade.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19674681PubMed |
[12] Garrard J. Health sciences literature review made easy: the matrix method. London: Jones & Bartlett; 2015.
[13] Morley M. An evaluation of a preceptorship programme for newly qualified occupational therapists. Br J Occup Ther 2009; 72 384–92.
| An evaluation of a preceptorship programme for newly qualified occupational therapists.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[14] Spalding N. The skill acquisition of two newly qualified occupational therapists. Br J Occup Ther 2000; 63 389–95.
| The skill acquisition of two newly qualified occupational therapists.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[15] Siddons S, Rouse SJ. An exploration of the perceptions and experiences of basic grade occupational therapists employed in a development post within an NHS trust. Br J Occup Ther 2006; 69 224–30.
| An exploration of the perceptions and experiences of basic grade occupational therapists employed in a development post within an NHS trust.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[16] Lee S, Mackenzie L. Starting out in rural New South Wales: the experiences of new graduate occupational therapists. Aust J Rural Health 2003; 11 36–43.
| Starting out in rural New South Wales: the experiences of new graduate occupational therapists.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12603445PubMed |
[17] Toal-Sullivan D. New graduates’ experiences of learning to practise occupational therapy. Br J Occup Ther 2006; 69 513–24.
| New graduates’ experiences of learning to practise occupational therapy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[18] Steenbergen K, Mackenzie L. Professional support in rural New South Wales: perceptions of new graduate occupational therapists. Aust J Rural Health 2004; 12 160–5.
| Professional support in rural New South Wales: perceptions of new graduate occupational therapists.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15315545PubMed |
[19] Dreyfus HL, Athanasiou T, Dreyfus SE. Mind over machine: the power of human intuition and expertise in the era of the computer. New York: Free Press; 1986.
[20] Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. Guidelines on continuing professional development. 2013. Available at: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards/CPD.aspx [verified 21 December 2015].
[21] Nayar S, Gray M, Blijlevens H. The competency of New Zealand new graduate occupational therapists: perceived strengths and weaknesses. Aust Occup Ther J 2013; 60 189–96.
| The competency of New Zealand new graduate occupational therapists: perceived strengths and weaknesses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23730784PubMed |
[22] Doherty G, Stagnitti K, Schoo AMM. From student to therapist: follow up of a first cohort of Bachelor of Occupational Therapy students. Aust Occup Ther J 2009; 56 341–9.
| From student to therapist: follow up of a first cohort of Bachelor of Occupational Therapy students.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20854540PubMed |
