title: Continuing professional development for occupational therapy emergency department services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore continuing professional development (CPD) resources and needs of Australian emergency department occupational therapists.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South, New South Wales 1797, Australia. a.cusick@uws.edu.au
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cusick
authors.forename: Lucinda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bissett
mesh_terms: D016390:Allied Health Occupations; D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013192:Staff Development