Assessing occupational therapy students' clinical competence for entry-level work-related practice

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Avi-Itzhak, Tamara | Krauss, Andrea

Affiliations: Department of Occupational Therapy, York College, City University of New York, Jamaica, NY, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: Tamara Avi-Itzhak, Department of Occupational Therapy, York College, City University of New York, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, USA. Tel.: +1 718 262 3761; Fax: +1 718 262 2767; E-mail: taviitzhak@york.cuny.edu

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The purpose of Occupational Therapy (OT) educational programs is to graduate effective clinicians who join the job market with competencies consistent with the expected entry-level practice. To attain an effective process of clinical competence development, OT educational programs design competence-based curricula to instill pre-licensure readiness in their graduating students for entry-level work-related practice. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to perform a retrospective outcome competence assessment for evaluating OT students participating in the first three consecutive offerings of a graduate seminar intended to assess and increase pre-licensure skills and knowledge required for entry-level evidence-based work-related practice. The assessment examined differences in post vs. pre-seminar National Board Certificate Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) practice test score caused by (a) main time of test-taking effect; (b) main class effect; and (c) tine and class interaction effect. PARTICIPANTS: 62 students. METHODS: A total of 62 students who graduated from the program during the three academic years 2008, 2009 and 2010 participated in the study. RESULTS: Post vs. pre-seminar NBCOT practice test score was significantly higher across the three-year period and increased significantly in each of the three classes. Interaction effect did not alter the pattern of post vs. pre-seminar score increase in each class. CONCLUSIONS: The significant time and class main effects validated the effectiveness of the seminars in increasing post vs. pre-seminar practice test score in each of the three classes. The significant time x class interaction effect validated the pattern of post vs. pre-seminar score increase regardless of the class sequence.

Keywords: Outcome assessment, entry-level skills, clinical competence

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-121571

Journal: Work, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 235-241, 2014