Browsing by Author "Van Stormbroek, Kirsty"

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    Community Service Occupational Therapists: thriving or just surviving?
    (2016-12) Van Stormbroek, Kirsty; Buchanan, Helen
    Introduction: Community Service was introduced to improve access to health care for all South Africans, yet little is known about the experiences of Community Service occupational therapists. This article describes the characteristics and general experiences of Community Service occupational therapists. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was undertaken. Data were collected with an online questionnaire to all occupational therapists completing Community Service in 2013 (n=240). Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics, version 21.0, and responses to open ended questions were post-coded. Results: A 44.3% (n=104) response rate was achieved. Almost half the participants (44.7%) were located rurally with 51.5% working at primary level at least some of the time. Referrals were frequently received for wheelchair related services (61.2%), interventions related to child development (49.5%), disability grant assessments (36.9%) and treatment of adults with neurological conditions (39.8%). While some therapists felt challenged (54.2%) and frustrated (58.3%), many (75.0%) reported satisfaction from interacting with clients. Although the majority perceived the profession to be poorly recognised (63.5%), most were proud to be occupational therapists (66.7%). Conclusion: Community Service occupational therapists are playing an important role in improving access to services but Community Service needs to be situated within a broader plan to extend and strengthen services in-line with government policy.
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    Open Access
    The extent to which community service occupational therapists are equipped to treat patients with hand injuries and conditions
    (2015) Van Stormbroek, Kirsty; Buchanan, Helen
    South Africa is one of the most violent nations in the world and has an extremely high incidence of road accidents and work place injuries. The precise effect of this on upper limb injury statistics is not known as the incidence and prevalence of these conditions has yet to be determined. Hand injuries are, however, common worldwide and, in South Africa, may be complex in nature. This places a demand on occupational therapy services to provide comprehensive upper limb rehabilitation, a responsibility that inevitably falls on novice occupational therapists at some point. Occupational therapists in South Africa are required to complete a year of compulsory Community Service after graduating before they are permitted to practice independently. These placements are often in rural, under-resourced areas and graduates are faced with multiple new roles while negotiating the transition into practice. No published research to date has described the general experience of Community Service occupational therapists in South Africa or the extent to which these therapists are equipped to treat patients with upper limb injuries and conditions. The study sought to determine the extent to which Community Service occupational therapists are equipped to treat patients with upper limb injuries and conditions.
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    Hand health for all: do undergraduate occupational therapy hand curricula respond to the call?
    (2018-12) Van Stormbroek, Kirsty; Buchanan, Helen
    The call for higher education curricula to be responsive to the South African context is growing louder. Injuries to the hand are common in South Africa and intervention is often provided by novice occupational therapists who may work in complex practice contexts with limited supervision. Comprehensive hand health practice addresses both the biomedical and occupational dimensions of the human hand. Undergraduate education programmes should be responsive to this reality in preparing graduates adequately for hand practice. This article describes the content of hand curricula within occupational therapy undergraduate programmes in South Africa with the purpose of considering how they prepare graduates for the practice realities they may face during community service. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used with an online questionnaire aimed at determining the nature and extent of hand curricula presented in South African undergraduate occupational therapy programmes (n=8). Data were analysed using Stata 12. Time allocated to hand impairments varied considerably across universities. While assessment of biomedical performance components were taught by all universities, the occupational perspective was limited. The range and number of hand conditions and treatment modalities that were taught also varied. Findings are discussed against the contextual realities of practice in South Africa, primary health care policy, and national and international minimum standards for the education of occupational therapists. Core aspects of a hand curriculum are proposed as a means to enhance comprehensive hand health practice.
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    Novice occupational therapists: Navigating complex practice contexts in South Africa
    (2019-01-30) Van Stormbroek, Kirsty; Buchanan, Helen
    Background/aim: The transition from student to occupational therapy practitioner is challenging. In South Africa, this transition is undertaken in rural and underserved areas, as graduate health professionals are deployed by the government for a year of compulsory Community Service. This study set out to establish the characteristics of these practice settings, the resources available for occupational therapy services, the availability and quality of supervision, and participants’ perceived ability to communicate with their patients and negotiate cultural differences. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey design was utilised and a questionnaire was sent to all occupational therapists completing Community Service in 2013 (N = 240). Data were analysed using Stata 12 and IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables and associations tested with Odds Ratios and the Pearson's Chi square test. Responses to open‐ended questions were post‐coded. Results: A 44.3% (n = 103) response rate was achieved. Practice settings often provided few resources. Although most participants had supervisors (89.6%), many did not find supervision satisfactory (65.9%). Communication difficulties featured strongly (73.9%), but the majority of participants felt they possessed basic cultural competence. Conclusion: Participants worked within complex practice settings that were frequently resource‐restricted with less than satisfactory supervision. Practice required cultural competence and an ability to work across language barriers. Undergraduate curricula need to be tailored to equip new graduates to navigate these contextual realities. Furthermore, human resourcing strategies need to be evaluated and effective supervision and support structures need to be developed.