Developing a Preceptorship Programme for Newly Qualified Occupational Therapists: Action Research

Abstract

This action research study used three focus groups and one interview to explore the experiences of five recently qualified occupational therapists, four supervisors and five occupational therapy managers. The participants were asked to identify the perceived development needs of new practitioners and the mechanisms that supported or hindered these being met. The findings showed that the recently qualified occupational therapists experienced satisfaction at making a difference in their first posts. However, for some, their first post had fallen short of their expectations because they faced challenges when moving from student to practitioner, sometimes with limited support. The participants identified development needs that they felt were common to other new practitioners and also the factors that constrained or enabled the meeting of these needs. These findings informed the second phase of the action research study to design a preceptorship programme that was compliant with the revised National Health Service employment contract (Department of Health 2005) and would improve the transitional experience of occupational therapists. This paper presents the focus group results and the rationale for the preceptorship programme, which was launched as a pilot evaluation study with occupational therapy staff from over 20 organisations in Autumn 2005.