The aim of this action research study was to embed the theoretical tenets of the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and its structures in a way that was appropriate to, and would be used by, all staff within an integrated health and social care setting. The action research involved 10 phases of reflection and action, with data analysis occurring between the cycles.
The findings showed the importance of taking time to embed theory before implementing model structures in order to prevent those structures, and particularly the paperwork, becoming superficial. In addition, the importance of using theoretical structures (models) flexibly and adapting them to particular services was identified.
A more generally applicable finding was that occupational therapists can and should demonstrate their theory through their practice and that this can be done by using a model to illustrate their clinical and, more specifically, their conditional clinical reasoning (Mattingly and Fleming 1994). In addition, the demonstration of clinical reasoning proved vital in making the client-centred and occupational beliefs of the model overt.
It was concluded that implementing theory and using occupation-based literature (Williams and Bannigan 2008) in this way can take a long time but is worthwhile because it provides a sound and strong base for the profession's identity.
In the field of academic advising, the advising and retention of students of color are of particular concern. Academic advisors can utilize practitioner inquiry to better understand the (in)equities in their interactions with and in service to these students. Our inquiry was conducted over one semester at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in the mid-Atlantic region. We utilized practitioner inquiry groups and the Equity Scorecard to identify antiracist actions in our advising practice, including supporting students' connectivity to support services on campus and advocating for changes to inequitable campus systems. The implications demonstrate why advisors may conduct a similar inquiry on their advising practice. The findings further emphasize the importance of proactive approaches and modeling advocacy in prior advising studies.
We synthesize the tools of Critical Discourse Analysis and Anti-Racist Pedagogy to define and exemplify Critical AntiRacist Discourse Analysis (CARDA) as a tool for addressing expressions of systemic racism in institutional policy. We then demonstrate CARDA with the example of a university course syllabus, which represents an institutional policy text negotiated between an individual and an institution. Findings indicate how CARDA can be used to uncover unconscious and implicit racism and amplify antiracism in a syllabus. Implications include areas in which to expand CARDA as a tool for pursuing antiracist policy and pedagogy in multiple educational and other contexts.
This article aimes to review eight of the nine care processes reviewed in 2011/2012 in an acute psychiatric inpatient setting with standards derived from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. Data were collected from the electronic records system for all the inpatients admitted in one week of December 2013 against the selected audit standards. Sixty-six service users were identified out of a total of 508 inpatients. Ninety-five percent of the service users had their HbA1c levels documented (a significant improvement from 64% in the previous audit). There was a slight improvement in the number of service users having their total cholesterol levels documented. Serum creatinine levels were documented in all service users, as compared to 82% in the previous audit. The documentation of blood pressure increased from 82% in the previous audit to 97%, and 38% had evidence of an eye check in the previous 12 months. This is a huge improvement on the previous audit (8%). Foot assessments with documentation of pulses checked in (33%) and vibration in (23%) was an improvement from the (11%) in the previous audit. Improvements continued to be seen in screening for diabetes, weight, body mass index and care planning. The assessment tool needs to be integrated into the clinical computer system to improve the collection and recording of data. Staff education regarding the importance of foot care and eye screening and ongoing training in diabetes care, medications and insulin is also important.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.