Factors Associated with the Establishment of New Occupational Therapist Positions in Norwegian Municipalities after the Coordination Reform

Job Satisfaction among Occupational Therapists Employed in Primary Care Services in Norway

The aging population will place healthcare services under considerable strain in the years ahead. Occupational therapists play a vital role in securing sustainable healthcare services and are increasingly employed by municipalities. To promote sustainable services, the job satisfaction among core professional groups needs monitoring. A comprehensive cross-sectional survey was distributed among municipality-employed occupational therapists in Norway during May-June 2022, to which 617 responded. Job satisfaction was assessed with the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS), and factors associated with job satisfaction were assessed with linear regression analysis. The mean JSS score in the sample was 51.4. The regression model explained 14.4% of the variance in job satisfaction scores. Having more work experience as an occupational therapist (β = 0.16, p = 0.02) and having higher perceived influence on the work unit's goals (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) were significantly related to higher job satisfaction. The study implies that job satisfaction in the occupational therapy profession increases with years of experience and also with the ability to engage with and influence the larger work environment. Thus, to promote job satisfaction, occupational therapists should seek to engage not only with their own work at hand but also with the larger goals and strategies of the organization they work for.

Limitations and Recommendations for Advancing the Occupational Therapy Workforce Research Worldwide: Scoping Review and Content Analysis of the Literature

Occupational therapy workforce research can help determine whether occupational therapists exist in sufficient supply, are equitably distributed, and meet competency standards. Advancing the value of occupational therapy workforce research requires an understanding of the limitations and recommendations identified by these investigations. This scoping review and content analysis synthesizes the study limitations and recommendations reported by the occupational therapy research worldwide. Two independent reviews included 57 papers from the past 25 years. Stated limitations included: focus on cross-sectional studies with small and convenience samples; participants from single settings or regions; local markets or preferences not specified; focus on self-reported data and intentions (rather than behaviors or occurrences); challenges in aggregating or synthesizing findings from descriptive data; lack of statistical adjustment for testing multiple associations; and the lack of detailed, up-to-date, and accessible workforce data for continuous monitoring and secondary research. Stated recommendations included: strengthening routine workforce data collection; developing longitudinal studies that include interventions (e.g., recruitment or retention packages); developing context-sensitive comparisons; studying the impact on ultimate outcomes; promoting nation-wide, coordinated workforce plans and requirements; and fostering international coalitions for workforce research and developments at scale. These study limitations and recommendations reported by the literature must be considered in the design of a local and global occupational therapy workforce research agenda.

Type of Findings Generated by the Occupational Therapy Workforce Research Worldwide: Scoping Review and Content Analysis

Occupational therapists are needed to meet the health and occupational needs of the global population, but we know little about the type of findings generated by occupational therapy workforce research conducted worldwide. We aim to synthesize these findings and their range of content to inform future investigations. A scoping review with content analysis was used. Six scientific databases, websites of official institutions, snowballing, and key informants were used for searches. Two independent reviewers took selection decisions against the eligibility criteria published a priori in the review protocol. Of the 1246 unique references detected, 57 papers were included for the last 25 years. A total of 18 papers addressed issues of attractiveness and retention, often in Australia, and 14 addressed the issues of supply, demand, and distribution, often in the US. Only these two categories generated subtopics. Many workforce issues were rarely addressed as a main topic (e.g., race/ethnic representation). Cross-national, cross-regional, or cross-professional studies generated more actionable findings. Overall, we found few discernable trends, minimal evidence of research programs, and various gaps in content coverage or in the use of contemporary research approaches. There is a need for a coordinated strengthening of the occupational therapy workforce research worldwide.