NEWLY QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS FEATURE
You may go into a clinical setting that you have not experienced on placement. Embrace it and build up your knowledge prior to starting. Join a specialist section that covers your clinical area, start to network online and in person, read up on recent articles in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy and look up the trust’ s policies. Once you are there, speak to colleagues, see if there is a journal club or opportunities to get involved in, ask to spend time shadowing other staff members to learn about the service, and use the resources and people around you to expand your knowledge.
University gives you the core skills and knowledge of what dayto-day practice is like, however it is when you become a band five that you really begin to learn about your specific setting.
A new graduate perspective If you are still worried, know that it is not just you that feels like this. Chloe Woodley, who graduated from Coventry University in 2017 and works in a child and adolescent mental health outreach service, says:‘ Starting a new job is always a nervous time, however I was particularly nervous about going into a generic role and how I could maintain my professional identity being newly qualified.
‘ As I was the only occupational therapist in my team, the transition from student to qualified and joining a new team seemed even more daunting. These nerves were soon settled after my first day. I reflected on how I had managed to become part of many teams over my placement experiences and how I could adapt myself to fit into my new team.
‘ My team are incredibly supportive of me as an occupational therapist and also as a developing practitioner. I have managed to hold on to my occupational therapy identity by attending‘ OTs in CAMHs’ forums, monthly professional supervision and peer support.
‘ My advice to anyone due to graduate is remember that you have managed this before from your placement experiences, and not be hard on yourself. Getting a first job as a qualified occupational therapist is an amazing feeling, because this is what we have all been working towards.’
Carolyn Connage, who graduated from Brunel University, London in 2017 and works in a community mental health team setting adds:‘ Don’ t dwell too much on fears and that no training can prepare you for absolutely everything. Be open and ready to learn and don’ t be afraid to bring up difficulties in supervision. Be proactive when it comes to training and continuing professional development opportunities and continue to reflect, reflect, reflect.’
Change the perspective I fell back on the same advice over and over again to students and new graduates – use a little bit of your occupational therapy skills on yourself.
Let’ s look at this from the viewpoint of a service user. If you had a service user that came to you, as their occupational therapist, and they had spent several years training for something, they had all the core skills, had been through work experience but fear was stopping them from making the next move, what would you say?
Douglas A( 2018) From one newly qualified practitioner to another, Occupational Therapy News, 26( 6): 46-47
McCombie RP and Antanavage ME( 2017) Transitioning from occupational therapy student to practicing occupational therapist: first year
RESOURCES of employment. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 31( 2): 126-142
Robertson LJ and Griffiths S( 2009) Graduates’ reflections on their preparation for practice. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72( 3): 125-132
Toal-Sullivan D( 2006) New graduates’ experiences of learning to practice occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69( 11): 513-524
Would you confirm their fears, tell them the next step is too much and agree they can’ t go into work? Or would you validate the fears, empathise and talk them through coping strategies and reaffirm the value of their current skillset?
Useful advice Yes, leaving the education system to go into full-time employment was a big change. Personally, the first few weeks were hard work. The sudden change of routine from university two to three days a week to working full time and the demands of a professional role took some getting used to. But you do get used to it.
So next time someone asks you‘ Have you got a job yet?’,‘ How many have you applied for?’ or‘ Where are you going?’ and you start to second guess yourself and question what you are thinking, remember, the transition to becoming a newly qualified professional can be daunting, it is perfectly normal to feel nervous and it is your journey, not anybody else’ s, so apply for jobs when you are ready to. Good luck and you will be ok.
References
Morley M( 2006) Moving from student to new practitioner: the transitional experience. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69( 5): 231-233
Royal College of Occupational Therapists( 2017) Career Development Framework: Guiding principles for occupational therapy. Available at: www. rcot. co. uk / practice-resources / learning-zone / career-developmentframework
Tryssenaar J and Perkins J( 2001) From student to therapist: exploring the first year of practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55: 19-27
Amie Mowlam-Tett, former education liaison officer at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, now works as a community dementia practitioner at the Emerald Centre, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. Email: amiemowlamtett @ gmail. com
OTnews October 2018 35