The first year of practice as a registered nurse, midwife, or allied health professional (AHP) is recognised as a challenging time as the transition from student to autonomous practitioner can be complex and at times stressful.

–  Banks et al. (2011) p. 3568

The topic of our next #OTalk on Tuesday 2nd April 2013 at 8pm BST  is the transition from student to practitioner.

You are invited to join if you are preparing for this transition, have recently experienced it, or even if it is a distant memory. We also welcome the participation of graduates who are using their skills in non-traditional settings. You do not have to be an occupational therapist or occupational therapy student to participate –  we recognise that our colleagues in other professions experience a similar transition.

If this is your first Twitter chat, you may find this guide to tweetchats useful.

In preparation for the chat, you may wish to reflect on your own expectations or experience of this transition, including challenges and support/coping strategies. You can read my (me being @clissa89) reflection on my transition, using the metaphor of a roller-coaster, here. Edit: Munchknmunch has also written a blog post in preparation for this talk, about using her occupational therapy degree in a customer service role.

There are also numerous journal articles available on the topic, if you want to read some in preparation. Here are a few examples:

• Banks, P., Roxburgh, M., Kane, H., Lauder, W., Jones, M., Kydd, A. and Atkinson, J. (2011) ‘Flying Start NHS: Easing the Transition from Student to Registered Health Professional’, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, pp. 3567-3576
• Blair, S.E.E. (2000) ‘The Centrality of Occupation During Life Transitions’, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(5), pp. 231-237
• Hodgetts, S., Hollis, V., Triska, O., Dennis, S., Madill, H. and Taylor, E. (2007) ‘Occupational Therapy Students’ and Graduates’ Satisfaction with Professional Education and Preparedness for Practice’, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3), pp. 148-160
• Moriarty, J., Manthorpe, J., Stevens, M. and Hussein, S. (2011) ‘Making the Transition: Comparing Research on Newly Qualified Social Workers with Other Professions’, British Journal of Social Work, 41, pp. 1340-1356
• Robertson, L.J. and Griffiths, S. (2009) ‘Graduates’ Reflections on their Preparation for Practice’, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(3), pp. 125-132
• Smith, R.A. and Pilling, S. (2007) ‘Allied Health Graduate Program – Supporting the Transition from Student to Professional in an Interdisciplinary Program’, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 21(3), pp. 265-276
• Tryssenaar, J. and Perkins, J. (2001) ‘From Student to Therapist: Exploring the First Year of Practice’, The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55, 19-27