The Challenge of Working in Mental Health Settings: Perceptions of Newly Graduated Occupational Therapists
File version
Author(s)
King, Robert
Ryan, Liz
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
137838 bytes
File type(s)
application/pdf
Location
License
Abstract
Working in mental health settings is a growing area of practice for occupational therapists. The work nowadays is mostly within the community, where occupational therapists may be found in a wide variety of teams. This study investigated the specific challenges that new graduate occupational therapists are faced with when commencing work in a mental health setting. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 newly graduated occupational therapists, working in mental health settings in south-east Queensland. The interview transcripts were analysed using a consensual qualitative research approach. Three domains were identified from the transcripts. The first related to the ideas of the participants about the skills and knowledge needed by new graduates commencing mental health practice; the second related to the extent to which undergraduate studies had prepared them for practice; and the third related to the means by which they acquired capacity to practise and overcame deficits in skills and knowledge. The core ideas and themes associated with these domains are examined and the implications of the findings for education and training and for orientation to practice are discussed.
Journal Title
British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
70
Issue
11
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
DOI
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2007 College of Occupational Therapists. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Clinical Sciences not elsewhere classified
Clinical Sciences