FEATURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
I kept in contact with colleagues who were shielding through video and voice calls , supporting them to work from home to create resources , group protocols and plans that could be used to facilitate running groups once we had an opportunity to do so .
Engaging with research and opening doors A large part of what I wanted to achieve through completion of the CIS was to feel a more confident ‘ research consumer ’; feeling able to systematically move through the stages of evidence based practice ( Melnyk et al 2010 ) and help others through this process too .
Indeed , the latest Research and Development Strategy from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists ( RCOT 2019 ) aims to enable the effective and confident consumption , evaluation and application of research amongst the profession .
To this end , through the year I have worked with colleagues to set up and run a journal club , providing as a result regular , dedicated time for practitioners to practice the skills associated with evidence based practice . I hope the club continues into the future and helps to foster an evidence-based practice culture within the department .
A new direction I can confidently say that there is more discussion around the concept of deconditioning at all levels within my team and , at present , a weekly group-based activity is offered on the ward .
Sharing my literature review with my team sparked an interest in providing education to others and I am preparing to complete a level seven masters module in this area .
At the time of submitting this article , our team runs a ward-based reminiscence group , which provides purpose and meaning to patients ’ days , remains accessible to those with varied cognitive and physical strengths and needs , but importantly creates a visible change to practice that I sought at the beginning of my CIS . This is all done while adhering to current social distancing and infection control policies .
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The CIS has been the catalyst for change that my career needed , affording me the time to re-engage with the literature and develop my understanding of evidencebased practice principles and their application to practice .
The CIS has been the catalyst for change that my career needed , affording me the time to re-engage
References with the literature and develop my understanding of evidence-based practice principles and their application to practice . It has helped me develop both personally and professionally , given me opportunities to explore non-clinical interests , research , and in all , re-calibrated the direction I would like my career to go in .
I highly recommend others seek out similar opportunities .
Clarke C , Stack C and Martin M ( 2018 ). Lack of meaningful activity on acute physical hospital wards : Older people ’ s experiences . British Journal of Occupational Therapy , 81 ( 1 ): 15-23
Gordon S , Grimmer K and Barras S ( 2019 ) Assessment for incipient hospital-acquired deconditioning in acute hospital settings : A systematic literature review . Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine , 51 ( 6 ): 397-404
Koenders N , Van Oorsouw R , Seeger J , Nijhuis-van der Sanden M , Van de Glind I , Hoogeboom T ( 2018 ) I ’ m not going to walk , just for the sake of walking …: a qualitative , phenomenological study on physical activity during hospital stay . Disability and Rehabilitation , 42 ( 1 ): 1-8
Lafrenière S , Folch N , Dubois S , Bédard L , Ducharme F ( 2017 ) Strategies used by older patients to prevent functional decline during hospitalization . Clinical Nursing Research , 26 ( 1 ): 6-26
Ley L , Khaw D , Duke M and Botti M ( 2019 ) The dose of physical activity to minimise functional decline in older general medical patients receiving 24-hour acute care : A systematic scoping review . Journal of Clinical Nursing , 28 : 3049-3064
Melnyk A , Bernadette M , Fineout-Overholt E , Stillwell S and Williamson K ( 2010 ). Evidence-based practice : Step by step : The seven steps of evidence-based practice . The American Journal of Nursing , 110 ( 1 ): 51-53
Royal College of Occupational Therapists ( 2014 ) College of Occupational Therapists ’ learning and development standards for pre-registration education . London : RCOT
RCOT ( 2019 ) Royal College of Occupational Therapists ’ Research and Development Strategy 2019-2024 . London : RCOT
Iain Ballantine , occupational therapist , Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , email : iain . ballantine @ nhs . net
36 OTnews January 2021