Attrition and Retention of Rehabilitation Professionals: A Scoping Review
Susanne Mak1, Matthew Hunt, Serena Speranza Riccio
1Ms. Mak: Assistant Professor (professional), School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, and Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Dr. Hunt: Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada and Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Ms. Riccio: Physical Therapist, PhysioMobile Inc., Montréal, Québec, Canada. Dr. Razack: Professor, Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada and Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Ms. Root: Assistant Professor (professional), School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Dr. Thomas: Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, and Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Introduction:
Attrition is defined as a permanent departure from one's profession or the workforce. Existing literature on retention strategies, contributing factors to the attrition of rehabilitation professionals and how different environments influence professionals' decision-making to stay in/leave their profession, is limited in scope and specificity. The objective of our review was to map the depth and breadth of the literature on attrition and retention of rehabilitation professionals.
Methods:
We used Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. A search was conducted on MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), AMED, CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses from 2010 to April 2021 for concepts of attrition and retention in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology.
Results:
Of the 6031 retrieved records, 59 papers were selected for data extraction. Data were organized into three themes: (1) descriptions of attrition and retention, (2) experiences of being a professional, and (3) experiences in institutions where rehabilitation professionals work. Seven factors across three levels (individual, work, and environment) were found to influence attrition.
Discussion:
Our review showcases a vast, yet superficial array of literature on attrition and retention of rehabilitation professionals. Differences exist between occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology with respect to the focus of the literature. Push , pull , and stay factors would benefit from further empirical investigation to develop targeted retention strategies. These findings may help to inform health care institutions, professional regulatory bodies, and associations, as well as professional education programs, to develop resources to support retention of rehabilitation professionals.
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