Factors affecting a clinician's decision to provide fieldwork education to students

Fieldwork represents an important component of the education of an occupational therapist. In this study thirteen occupational therapists in small Saskatchewan occupational therapy facilities were interviewed to determine the factors and the relationships among these factors that affected their involvement in the fieldwork process. The directors of the two large occupational therapy departments in Saskatchewan, together with eight Canadian university fieldwork coordinators were interviewed for comparison purposes. The findings of the study have shown that there were four major influences affecting Saskatchewan therapists' involvement in the fieldwork program of occupational therapy students. They were: workload; feelings of isolation; the parameters of a placement; and professionalism. This study is important because it has identified significant factors for university fieldwork coordinators to consider in their contact with therapists. It has also provided a model for other similar studies.