Time use in occupational therapy fieldwork education: a pilot Delphi study to identify time use items

ABSTRACT

A major concern of occupational therapy (OT) fieldwork educators (FEs) is that supervising students takes increased time and could lead to reduced productivity. A standardized tool to measure time-use while supervising OT students has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to gain consensus on items to include in a time-use tool. Utilizing a modified Delphi, ten experienced OT FEs completed a two-round online survey. Round 1 presented time-use items, whereas Round 2 obtained consensus. Twenty-eight (28) items were presented and agreed upon by FEs. Results will aid development of a standardized tool for assessing productivity.

KEYWORDS:

• Fieldwork education
• supervision tasks
• productivity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Donna Drynan

Donna Drynan is an Associate Professor of Teaching and Associate Head of Fieldwork & Clinical Affairs at the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. Donna demonstrates scholarship in student learning and behavior, with particular interests in: competence acquisition in the practice setting, interprofessional collaborative practice, and student well-being experiences in the practice setting.

Katie Eichar

Katie Eichar was a student occupational therapist, MOT Class of 2020, at the time of this research. She is currently working for Island Health as an Occupational Therapist in Long Term Care.

Prabhjot Chahal

Prabhjot Chahal was a student occupational therapist, MOT Class of 2020, at the time of this research. She is currently working at Fraser Health Authority as an Occupational Therapist.

Jeff Boniface

Jeff Boniface is an Occupational Therapist and Associate Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Clinical Assistant Professor, at the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. Jeff’s teaching philosophy is anchored in the values of equity, justice, inclusion, diversity, problem based and participatory learning, curiosity, humility, and joy. These values have been realized through commitment to seizing evidence to inform practice, exercising socially and environmentally conscious citizenship, and engaging in lifelong learning.