A Longitudinal Study of Occupational Therapy New Practitioners in Their First Years of Professional Practice: Preliminary Findings

Abstract

There is limited information in the public domain about the experiences of newly qualified occupational therapists during the early years of professional practice. This article presents the preliminary findings of a longitudinal study following the experiences of the first cohort of occupational therapy graduates from the School of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy at the University of East Anglia over the first 3 years of their professional practice. It addresses factors related to the graduates' choice of first post, their perceived level of preparation for practice and their involvement in continuing education.