W8: Occupational Transitions Flashcards
What is an occupational transition?
major change in the occupational repertoire of a person in which one or several occupations change, disappear, and/or are replaced with others (Christiansen & Townsend, 2010)
- can be associated with life course transitions
What are predictable transitions?
transitions you can anticipate and plan for
examples:
- school transitions – ie. elementary to secondary to post-secondary
- weekday to weekend
- moving – ie. from place to palace, from city to city, etc.
- travel (?) – does the transition have to be long-term?
- retirement
- parenthood
- aging
What are unpredictable transitions?
transitions that you have no control over
examples:
- injury
- illness
- divorce
- death of someone known
- job loss
- bankruptcy/homelessness
- parenthood
- forced migration (having to flee) – civil conflict and war, sudden and quick escalation of violence, natural disaster
- climate-induced transitions – ie. plan differently for summers (getting hotter)
- wedding proposal
- winning prize/lottery
Is predictability a false dichotomy?
- things that you can plan for can still involve lots of stress (ie. planning retirement – how long are you going to live, how much money will you need)
- experience of the transition isn’t necessarily predictable
- there are unpredictable transitions that you can plan for (ie. not planning to be in a car accident but having car insurance and keeping a first aid kit in the car, having health and life insurance)
- having multiple plans in case something does not originally go the way you want it to – plan A, plan B, plan C
- many life transitions have monetary considerations
What are some examples of transitions that aren’t black and white in terms of predictability?
- parenthood – planned/unplanned pregnancies
- bankruptcy/homelessness – sense that there may be some trouble, but may not be aware of how quickly things might occur
- future plans not going according to plan – ie. not getting to desired grad school program
or future plans going according to plan - death of someone known – sometimes prognosis is known, sometimes sudden and unexpected
- wedding proposals – can be expected or unexpected
- job promotion – can be predictable or unpredictable
What are occupational implications?
impact of transition on occupations
Occupational Implications
How might retirement impact occupations?
- stopping work – main intent/stereotype
- social circle may change – some friends may still be working, etc.
- change to routine – everyday is the weekend, more time for leisure
- less structure and daily occupations – time may slow down
- shifting experience of time – plan more time for physical activity
- pain – shift in the use of body
- change to identity
Occupational Implications
How might global migration impact occupations?
- change in mental health – distance from support system, lots of change (for better or for worse)
- changing status (and navigating that) – legal and symbolic; things like professions may be viewed differently than in home country
- acculturation and discrimination
- change in identity
- lifestyle – learning new things, different societal norms; some family members may stay behind while students move to a new country for school and develop independence
- re-building social circle
- de-skilling – lack of recognition of education and experience
- learning how to navigate new systems (bureaucracy)
Community/Social Transitions
Presence (Who is in a Space)
the presence of a population in a place can gradually cause a shift
Community/Social Transitions
What is gentrification?
development of an area
- process tends to push out existing locals
- increasing price points of rental units, groceries, etc.
- raises the socioeconomic status of the neighbourhood
Community/Social Transitions
People Leaving Communities
- demographic shifts based on life course
- may have more challenges for the aging population
- loss of seniors to some communities (sometimes seniors volunteer) – move to retirement community, or different city that is more relaxing
Community/Social Transitions
Change of Government/Policy
- does not always cause a change to communities
- policies that are enacted can cause change to communities – ie. BC government making changes to short-term rentals as businesses (AirBnBs)
Community/Social Transitions
Others (2)
- shift in social issues (ie. LGBTQ+ rights, legalizing cannabis)
- COVID-19 (and other public health restrictions)
(Raanaas et al., 2019) Re-creating self-identity and meaning through occupations during expected and unexpected transitions in life
What are the main concepts of this article?
- examined occupational engagement during times of transition
- understanding identity as not only individual, but also socially and culturally constructed
(Raanaas et al., 2019) Re-creating self-identity and meaning through occupations during expected and unexpected transitions in life
What are the 4 cases of this study?
- case 1: transitioning between schools for children with disabilities
- case 2: transitioning to a new everyday life after traumatic brain injury
- case 3: transitioning to a new everyday life after stroke
- case 4: transitioning to a new life with serious somatic illness
(Raanaas et al., 2019) Re-creating self-identity and meaning through occupations during expected and unexpected transitions in life
What are the thematic findings? (3)
- disruption of a former self
- pursuing normality
- re-constructing daily occupations and routines
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
What is a life transition unrelated to illness (occupational perspective)?
the process that results when an individual chooses a path of change that affects their occupational repertoire
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
Background For This Study
demand for OTs in BC is not being met
- registration of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists (IEOTs) is one way to address this shortage
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
What is the substantial equivalency assessment system (SEAS)?
assessment set forth by the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO) that all IEOTs must complete before registering as an OT in BC
- academic credential assessment review
- SEAS language assessment
- curriculum and fieldwork review
- jurisprudence knowledge assessment test
- competency assessment interview (around 6 hours)
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
What was the project rationale?
to address the current knowledge gap in understanding the transition experiences of IEOTs as they become registered OTs in BC from an occupational perspective
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
What are the 2 main research questions?
- What are the processes, barriers, and facilitators for IEOTs becoming registered OTs in BC?
- What is the experience of transition like for IEOTs who are registered OTs in BC?
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
What were the 3 methods used?
- recruitment: through College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC)
- online survey: processes, barriers, and facilitators for IEOTs obtaining full registration with COTBC
- semi-structured interviews: to explore the transition experience of IEOTs
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
RQ1: What are the processes, barriers, and facilitators for IEOTs becoming registered OTs in BC?
commonly identified barriers:
- expenses associated with registration
- lack of guidance/overview of the process
- length of time to complete the credentialing process
- lack of information to prepare for the NOTCE
commonly identified facilitators:
- personal motivation
- planning and preparation
- assistance from the college or governing body
Experiences of Internationally Educated Occupational Therapists Transitioning into Canadian Practice
RQ2: What is the experience of transition like for IEOTs who are registered OTs in BC?
theme 1: effects of the environment on occupations
- sub-theme 1: difficulty entering the public health system
- sub-theme 2: impact of the natural environment in enabling occupations
theme 2: a shift in professional identities
- feelings of professional identity being at risk if transition was not successful
- feeling underutilized while working in odd jobs during the transition
theme 3: navigating transitions
- all 10 IEOTs experienced multiple transitions, such as the physical move from one country to another, transitioning to a new culture and transitioning from one practice area to another
Take-Home Messages
- life transitions can be positive or negative – depends on how it is experienced by people
- occupational transitions are closely related to people’s identity – changing occupations impact how you see yourself and also potentially how others see you
- Canadian OT standards are ‘high’ (strict)
- life transitions span concepts of space and time
- barriers for people going through transition
