Understanding occupational therapy: nursing and physician assistant students' knowledge about occupational therapy

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Allied Health Professions
• Occupational Therapy

Background:

• Healthcare professionals, including nurses and physician assistants, significantly influence occupational therapy (OT) referrals.
• Increased awareness of OT's scope is crucial for the profession's growth and effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the adequacy of occupational therapy (OT) education within nursing and physician assistant programs at a Midwestern university.
• To evaluate students' knowledge of OT's role and its healthcare implications.

Main Methods:

• A two-part survey was administered to nursing and physician assistant students.
• The survey included scaled and open-ended questions on perceived knowledge and a checklist to assess actual understanding of OT's role.

Main Results:

• A low positive correlation was found between physician assistant students' perceived and actual knowledge of OT, though not statistically significant.
• Most students demonstrated a narrow understanding of OT, predominantly associating it with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Conclusions:

• Current nursing and physician assistant curricula provide insufficient education on the broad scope of occupational therapy.
• Targeting allied health professions for OT marketing and education is recommended to improve awareness and utilization.