A condensed wheelchair skills training 'bootcamp' improves students' self-efficacy for assessing, training, spotting, and documenting manual and power wheelchair skills. (18th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Emma M.; Best, Krista L.; Miller, William C.
• Is Part Of: Disability and rehabilitation. Volume 15:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 418
• Page End: 420
• Publication Date: 2020-05-18
• Subjects: Wheelchair -- self efficacy -- education -- self-help devices; Rehabilitation technology -- Periodicals; Self-help devices for people with disabilities -- Periodicals; 617.03
• DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2019.1572231
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-3107

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: To determine the influence of a bootcamp training approach on students' self-efficacy for assessing, training, spotting, documenting, and performing manual and power wheelchair skills. Methods: In a pre-post design, students in their final year of an entry-to-practice master of occupational therapy program completed a two-day manual (6.5 h) and power (6.5 h) wheelchair skills bootcamp. Outcomes for self-efficacy (in assessing, training, spotting and documenting manual and power wheelchair skills; primary) and capacity (manual and power wheelchair skills; secondary) were collected at baseline and immediately after the bootcamp. Results: Participants ( n = 44) were 27.3 ± 4.3 years of age (41 female). Most students (81.8%) reported little previous experience using manual and power wheelchairs at baseline. Students' self-efficacy for assessing, training, spotting, and documenting manual and power wheelchair skills improved by between 28.4% and 35.3%, representing a change from 'somewhat confident' to 'fairly confident'. Students' manual and power wheelchair skills capacity increased by 47.2% and 37.1% respectively. Conclusions: Wheelchair skills training bootcamps may help prepare occupational therapy students to assess, train, spot, and document manual and power wheelchair skills of future clients, while improving students' wheelchair skills capacity; thus may provide an option for integrating wheelchair skills training into the curriculum of time-intensive programs. Implications for rehabiliation: A two-day condensed wheelchair skills training workshop improves occupational therapy students' self-efficacy for assessing, training, spotting and documenting power and manual wheelchair skills. A two-day condensed wheelchair skills training workshop improves occupational therapy students' power and manual wheelchair skills. Self-efficacy is an indicator of future behaviours. Therefore, improving students' selfefficacy for assessing training and documenting wheelchair skills may influence their future practice.