A comparison of international occupational therapy competencies: Implications for Australian standards in the new millennium

Abstract

The proposed 'frameworks' and identification of influential characteristics provided a 'lens' through which to understand and evaluate competency standards. While consistent application of and attention to some of these characteristics appear to consolidate and affirm the authority of competency standards, it is suggested that the national context should be a critical determinant of the design and content of the final document. The Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (OT AUSTRALIA, 1994) are critiqued accordingly, and preliminary recommendations for revision are proposed.

Comparison of Canadian Pharmacy Education and Practice Standards with Accreditation Standards of the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board

“…[12][13][14][15][16] Furthermore, an international process of alignment of standards has been undertaken in occupational therapy, based on a comparison of standards across 10 countries. 21,22 Core competencies have been amalgamated for medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy to support harmonization of these competencies into a framework for interprofessional education. 17 Because the current analysis was focused on residency training, a direct comparison between the AFPC and NAPRA standards was not completed.…”

“…8,18 At the international level, thoughtfully aligned standards could facilitate alignment in practice between Canada and other countries, potentially assisting in professional mobility. 18,22 It is also important to consider that professional education is ultimately accountable to society to ensure that the considerable resources required to educate pharmacists are used wisely and that the education efforts will result in optimal effects on health care delivery. Well-aligned competency-based standards could help to support these mandates.…”

Leadership Style Preference of Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Students in Australia

“…It also identifies seven primary roles of occupational therapists as: an expert in enabling occupation; a communicator; a collaborator; a practice manager; change agent; a scholarly practitioner; and a professional. These multiple roles no doubt require wellhoned leadership skills (Rodger, Clark, Banks, O'Brien, & Martinez, 2009). The professional competency documents from several countries also state that effective leadership skills are required for successful occupational therapy practice (College of Occupational Therapists, 2007; Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand, 2004).…”

Clinical Competencies for Burn Rehabilitation Therapists

“…Parry et al 1 touched upon a topical issue for Australian Occupational Therapists in the 32 (4) issue of the Journal of Burn Care and Research. Occupational therapy will become a registered profession in Australia in 2012.…”

“…In Australia, there is only one nationally agreed competency document pertaining to graduate entry occupational therapy that was released in 2010. 4 The developers acknowledged that senior level competency development was lacking: recently there has been some exploratory work undertaken in the areas of community rehabilitation 5 and occupational rehabilitation 6 to address this gap. Although grassroots involvement in competency assessment has been encouraged, 7 one must question the ability of clinicians to determine workforce skill.…”