Developing Professional Identity In Occupational Therapy: A Phenomenological Study Of Newly Qualified Staff And Their Experiences In The Preceptorship Period.

The overall aim of this research is to explore the experiences of newly qualified occupational therapy staff, with reference to professional identity and the role of the preceptorship year in developing this.
Using a phenomenological methodology, based on the work of Van Manen (1990), seven newly qualified staff were interviewed using a grand tour question. The subsequent transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis that included a priori coding, as well as codes that emerged from a detailed reading of the data.
The findings and recommendations are presented as answers to the two research questions which are:
How do newly qualified staff, who have recently been through preceptorship, experience the preceptorship process?
In what ways is the preceptorship process perceived as having any influence on the development of professional identity?
The findings indicate that preceptorship is perceived to be important in the development of professional identity as part of a continuum, and that the preceptorship period offers an unrivalled time of reflexivity and growth and puts a large emphasis on role modelling.
Recommendations include action points specifically developed for the Trust where the research was conducted. They may be useful for other organisations who are providing preceptorship programmes. These recommendations include choice and training for the preceptors. The recommendations also highlight that professional identity is the responsibility of every individual member of the profession.