The use of Twitter for continuing professional development within occupational therapy

Abstract

With role demands and diminishing resources occupational therapists have limited access to training and learning events. Therefore, clinicians are thinking creatively about how they engage with and consume Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities. This study explored the impacting factors in using Twitter for CPD seeking to understand the attitudes towards its use and its perceived barriers and opportunities. The study comprised of a mixed-methods approach utilising an online questionnaire seeking data from both occupational therapists and students. Ethical approval was gained to recruit participants via social media and the link to the survey, the participant information sheet and consent form was live for a two-week period. A deductive thematic approach was used to analyse the data from 50 participants, identifying themes and trends correlating with the studies objectives. Findings revealed that attitudes toward the use of Twitter for CPD are positive, evidencing that practitioners are embracing new ways to engage with CPD, however they seek guidance in developing the skills and confidence to use it effectively. The Twitter tool has many notable benefits but if it is to become a credible platform for CPD within occupational therapy then further support and guidance is required. ARTICLE HISTORY

Facilitators, Barriers and Motivators of Paramedic Continuing Professional Development

“…Paramedics are shift-workers who experience fatigue from workload and staffing shortages in some metropolitan and rural areas (1), therefore it was not surprising that the responses from the participants in this study mirrored those of other health professionals. Interestingly, time was described as a facilitator by paramedics, which is the opposite of what is generally reported in the literature for other healthcare professionals (3)(4)(5)(6)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). Working in rural or remote areas with a low case load provided an ability to engage in online CPD or self-directed study, uninterrupted while on shift.…”

How occupational therapy practitioners use virtual communities on the Facebook social media platform for professional learning: A critical incident study

“…Occupational therapy practitioners have encountered distrust and scepticism towards social media for professional use in some workplaces [1]. However, the use of social media as a tool for professional learning is rising in popularity due to its fiscal and temporal accessibility, speed of access to the latest information, opportunities for networking which lead to collaboration, as well as diverse knowledge sharing and exchange beyond one's immediate physical environment [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Occupational therapy practitioners have encountered distrust and scepticism towards social media for professional use in some workplaces [1]. However, the use of social media as a tool for professional learning is rising in popularity due to its fiscal and temporal accessibility, speed of access to the latest information, opportunities for networking which lead to collaboration, as well as diverse knowledge sharing and exchange beyond one's immediate physical environment [1][2][3][4]. Professional social media use has also become increasingly widespread with the establishment of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) international social media advisory group, as well as the release of a position statement [5].…”

“…Most published empirical research on social media and learning in occupational therapy involves preregistration students [12][13][14][15]. Only two articles have focussed particularly on qualified practitioners [1,3]. Social media learning experiences can vary between students and practitioners, with the former enjoying more opportunities to learn in a structured, guided setting than the latter [1,15].…”

“…Only two articles have focussed particularly on qualified practitioners [1,3]. Social media learning experiences can vary between students and practitioners, with the former enjoying more opportunities to learn in a structured, guided setting than the latter [1,15]. While practitioners generally have positive perceptions of social media use for professional learning, the lack of tangible and concrete guidance around its use poses a significant challenge [1].…”