Coaching in an Acute Pediatric Setting: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding the Perspectives of Occupational Therapists

Aims To identify barriers and enablers to implementing coaching in acute pediatric settings from the perspective of occupational therapists and develop an implementation plan to address the identified barriers at a large metropolitan hospital. Methods Participatory Action Research was used, and two stages of focus groups were conducted with 17 occupational therapists working in an acute pediatric hospital. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. Results Stage one themes; (1) Lack of clarity around coaching definition, (2) Acute setting barriers to coaching, (3) Family acceptance and appropriateness, and (4) Enablers for coaching. Stage two themes; (1) Addressing skepticism about coaching, (2) Logistics and approvals, and (3) Implementation strategies for coaching. In Stage Two, participants and researchers developed an implementation plan. Conclusion Occupational therapists perceived coaching as hard to implement in acute pediatric settings due to acuity of caseloads and traditional medical models. The six-step implementation plan aims to enhance therapist knowledge and motivation as well as reduce environmental barriers, with the aim of embedding coaching into acute pediatric settings.