OT FIELDWORK EDUCATION: ADDRESSING PEDIATRIC PRACTITIONER SHORTAGES

Abstract

OT practitioners include occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. 23.2% of occupational therapists and 19.3% of occupational therapy assistants report working in early intervention (EI) and schools (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020). Based on data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the prevalence of children aged 3 to 17 years with a developmental disability is increasing (Zablotsky et al., 2019). These children are more likely to receive services that include occupational therapy (Cogswell et al., 2022). The literature indicates a need for OT practitioners in early intervention with demands across most states (Wise et al., 2010). However, there is a gap in the literature in understanding the demand for OT practitioners across pediatric work settings, including school, outpatient care, inpatient care, home health, mental health, and other settings. This study aimed to understand if there is a discrepancy between the demands of pediatric populations and the supply of OT practitioners in pediatric settings to meet the demand and to reveal possible contributing factors. Lastly, this study aimed to understand the factors, including level II fieldwork to influence OT practitioners’ and OT students to seek employment in a pediatric setting and to predict OT satisfaction in a pediatric setting. Purpose: The purpose of this multi-phase doctoral project was to better understand the discrepancies between the demands of pediatric populations and the supply of OT practitioners in pediatric settings to meet the demand. Factors that have the potential to increase the likelihood of choosing pediatric settings within one’s career plan were examined and developed. These factors included the influence of level II fieldwork on seeking employment in a pediatric setting and a training program to support pediatric fieldwork students in their level II rotations with the intention of increasing likelihood of choosing pediatric settings as a career plan.