The Influences Shaping New Graduate Occupational Therapists’ Experiences of Learning to Make Paediatric Intervention Decisions in Non-Government Organisations: A Case Study Analysis

Introduction: New graduates commonly experience challenges upon commencing practice, including independently making clinical decisions when working with clients. However, their experiences of learning to make paediatric intervention decisions in the non-government sector has not been investigated. Methods: Case study methodology enabled an exploratory study of the experiences and perspectives of three new graduates and one experienced occupational therapist working in non-government organisations (NGOs). Data were collected over an eight-month period through semi-structured interviews, informal discussions and participant observations. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: The increased demand for services and increased focus on billable hours following the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) impacted new graduates’ ability to utilise workplace support and resources when learning to make intervention decisions. Accessing support and resources outside of working hours or drawing on wider professional networks did not feature highly in their descriptions of support used. Conclusion: Workplace contextual factors created variable new graduate experiences of support when learning to make intervention decisions. Whilst safeguarding time for formal supervision and informal support from colleagues is challenging under the NDIS funding model, prioritising new graduate support for clinical decision-making within the current funding structures is crucial to ensure the provision of high-quality services.