Continuing professional development for occupational therapy emergency department services

Aim:  To explore continuing professional development (CPD) resources and needs of Australian emergency department occupational therapists. Method:  Australian websites and occupational therapy newsletters were searched to identify CPD resources/opportunities. Occupational therapists with recent clinical experience in Australian emergency departments were surveyed on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to their service, research information needs, supervision/mentor arrangements and quality assurance activity. Results:  No Australian CPD opportunities were identified; 1.3% of the 2008 OT AUSTRALIA conference topics were emergency department specific. Forty-one Australian hospitals employed a total of 51 occupational therapists of whom 30 responded. Half were supervised by occupational therapists; 20 had occupational therapy mentors; 23 perceived that they were very independent; seven did quality assurance projects; 25 had unmet research needs; 27 thought their service was effective; and service strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to service could be identified by most occupational therapists. Conclusion:  Australian occupational therapists in emergency departments need specialised CPD opportunities. The information needs and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats provide a CPD topic planning guide.