Novice occupational therapists’ perceptions of their undergraduate management fieldwork experience

Introduction: The complexities of managing occupational therapy and rehabilitation services necessitate the strengthening of undergraduate management and leadership education. However, there is paucity of literature on experiential learning of management- and leadership competencies for occupational therapy students. This study explored the perceptions of novice occupational therapists regarding their undergraduate management fieldwork experience at a university in South Africa. Method: A qualitative descriptive research design was used. Sixteen novice occupational therapists were purposefully sampled. Telephonic interviews were conducted, and data were analysed thematically. Results: Four themes emerged from the data: What was new / unfamiliar; gap between theory and practice; inhibitors to learning management skills; and benefits of management fieldwork. Conclusion: Management fieldwork provided opportunities for experiential learning of management and leadership competencies, and revealed disparities between theory and practice. Logistical issues, misunderstandings of expectations, and negative perceptions were obstacles to learning. Nevertheless, the management fieldwork experience prepared participants for their first year of work and promoted professional- and personal development. occupational therapy educators should adopt experiential learning as an approach to foster the development of management and leadership competencies at undergraduate level. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE Management and leadership competencies should be viewed as equally significant to clinical competencies, and students should be equally equipped with both competencies for future roles as practitioners. Experiential learning can be used to strengthen management and leadership education from the undergraduate level and to further prepare students for management realities during community services and beyond. Understanding perceptions of novice occupational therapists regarding their undergraduate management fieldwork experience and how it prepared them for community service may foster the development and revision of curricula that effectively respond to the community service realities.