Burns

1. Lisa Burns
2015AOTA
Education Summit
Please do not copy without permission!

2.  Interest in topic
 Literature
 Worries about millennials
 Lack of information
 Problem
 Millennials’ attitudes may contradict
expectations of professionalism in healthcare
nyu.edu

3.  Do therapists’ attitudes toward
professionalism vary by
generation?
 DV: Attitudes toward
professionalism, PSCOM
Professionalism Questionnaire
(Blackall et al., 2007)
 IV: Generational cohort, Howe &
Strauss (2000) taxonomy
outnowwhat.com

4.  Millennial: 1983-2000
 Gen X: 1961-1982
 Boomer: 1943-1960
 Silent: 1925-1942
 Professionalism: commitment to patient’s
interest, emphasizing altruism, accountability,
excellence, honor, integrity, respect for others.
yourfoundation.org

5.  Mannheim (1952): cohorts develop
common identity when they
experience unique, sociologically
significant events.
people.com

6.  Silent: “greatest”;WWII soldiers; great
depression, polio epidemic; patriotic,
75% of US financial assets.
 Boomer: competitive, work=self-
worth;Vietnam, JFK & MLK
assassination; optimistic.
 Gen X: latch-key kids, independent,
Jonestown, Challenger, Iran hostage
crisis; apathetic, disengaged.
history.com

7.  Formative events: terrorism & 9-11,
Columbine, Iraq
 Helicopter parents
 Self-esteem movement
 Individualism
whizzingwords.com

8.  Technology
 Gaming, instant gratification
 Constant connection
 Poor communicators
 Workplace habits
 Next ‘greatest generation’ vs.
‘generation whine’

9.  OccupationalTherapists
 Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM)
Professionalism Questionnaire (Blackall et al., 2007)
 36 items, 7 elements of professionalism
 Rate extent to which item contributes to
professionalism
▪ “Avoids offensive speech that offers unkind comments
and unfair criticisms to others”
▪ “Does not seek to advance one’s career at the expense
of another’s”

10.  Covert, post survey; SurveyMonkey
 SPSS 19.0, alpha set a priori at p < .05
 ANOVA grouped using cohort
▪ 36 individual questionnaire items
▪ 7 elements
surveymonkey.com

11.  Millennials: lower scores for 21/36 items.
 Lowest mean score across cohorts:
 Participates in correct action processes toward those
who fail to meet professional standards of conduct
 Takes time to review other colleagues’ work and
provides meaningful and constructive comments to
improve it
 Highest across cohorts:
 Maintains patient or client/therapist relationships that
do not exploit personal financial gain, privacy, or sexual
advantages

12.  11 items with significant variance
across cohorts
 Between boomers and Xers: 3 items
 Between millennials and others: 8
items (scores were significantly less)
 2 elements varied significantly
across cohorts (duty, honor &
integrity)
 Millennials provided lower average
scores for both
123rf.com

13.  OTs recognize some elements of
professionalism
 Appropriate client relationships
 Worrisome
 All cohorts: Low scores: feedback
 Millennials: Low scores, multiple areas
academicmedicineblog.org

14.  Honor & Integrity
 Reports data consistently, accurately and honestly
 Meets commitments and obligations conscientiously
 Assumes personal responsibility for decisions
 Represents information and actions truthfully
 Duty
 Reports errors in service provision
 Shows commitment to confidentiality
 Discloses conflicts of interest

15. • Duty
• Honor & Integrity
AttitudesVary
by Generation
• Recognize Relationships
• Fail to Recognize Feedback
Similarities
Across
Generations
• Continue efforts
• ↑ emphasis in specific areas
Education,
Practice

16.  Low scores across cohorts
 Increase familiarity and
comfort
 Professionalism:
 Self-reflection
 Accurate, multi-source feedback
 Evaluation
forbes.com

17.  Assess students’ provision,
reception of formative feedback
 Provide students with
multi-source feedback
 Incorporate self-assessment and
reflection assignments
 Role modeling
 Managers, supervisors: incorporate
feedback and reflection in employee
evaluation
open.ac.uk

18.  Provide students with specific examples of
professionalism elements
 Include examples of violations
 Use case scenarios across curriculum
 How is professionalism transmitted?

19.  Additional elements of professionalism
 Professionalism in daily practice
 Compare to expectations and core values
aaronwrixon.com

20.  Blackall, G., Melnick, S., Shoop,G., Goerge, J., Lerner, S.,Wilson, P., & Kreher, M. (2007). Professionalism in
medical education:The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward
professionalism. MedicalTeacher, 29(2-3), e58-e62. doi:10.1080/01421590601044984.
 Coleman, J., Shay, D., & Lester, A. (2006). Connecting services to students: New technology and implications for
student affairs. College Student Affairs Journal, 25, 220-227.
 Greenberger, E., Lessard, J., Chen, C., & Farruggia, S. (2008). Self-entitled college students: Contributions of
personality, parenting, and motivational factors. Journal ofYouth Adolescence, 37, 1193-1204. 15(17), 13-16.
 Howe, N. & Strauss,W. (2000). Millennials rising:The next generation. NewYork, NY: Vintage Books.
 Shrank, W. H., Reed,V. A., & Jernstedt, G.C. (2004). Fostering professionalism in medical education. Journal of
General Internal Medicine, 19, 887-892.
 Twenge, J., Konrath, S., Foster, J., Campbell,W., & Bushman, B. (2008). Egos inflating over time:A cross-
temporal meta-analysis of the narcissistic personality inventory. Journal of Personality, 76, 875-901.
 Twenge, J., Zhang, L., & Im, C. (2004). It’s beyond my control: A cross-temporal meta- analysis of increasing
externality in locus of control, 1960-2002. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8, 308-319.

 Please email for complete reference list!
 Lisa Burns PhD, OTR/L
 lburns@mbc.edu
Please do not copy without permission!