Professional practice behaviour: Identification and validation of key indicators

Introduction Professional behaviour is regarded as an important competency for occupational therapy practice, yet little guidance exists for indicators underpinning development or remediation in the educational or practice settings. This study sought to confirm the content validity of observable professional behaviour indicators from an existing evaluation framework for representativeness and relevance for occupational therapy practice. Methods A modified Delphi approach was conducted with expert panellists (n = 30) consisting of regulators, administrators, faculty members, practitioners, and students for professional behaviour indicator consensus, together with a cross-sectional survey of practitioners (n = 119). Fleiss' kappa and chi 2 contingency tables were completed for agreement across panellists, and between panellist and survey groups. Cross-case qualitative analyses identified facilitators and barriers for professional behaviour practice. Results Content validity of 17 professional behaviour indicators was achieved, with >85% agreement from the expert panellists and the cross-sectional survey group. Main professional behaviour reporting issues in practice included fear of reprisal, lack of formal policies, and an unsupportive culture. Support from others, documented workplace policies, and self-regulation/duty to monitor were the critical facilitators for supporting professional behaviour in practice. Conclusion The professional behaviour indicators in this study offer observable behaviours from which assessment rubrics or tools may be developed. Further study is warranted.