Valuing professional and cultural diversity in support for hand therapists in Aotearoa New Zealand: An interpretive description study

Abstract

This study explored the experiences and perspectives of associate hand therapists’ (AHT) support in Aotearoa New Zealand. The hand therapy workforce has a diverse professional mix of physiotherapists and occupational therapists and cultural representation, including Māori and Pasifika. Research into the support of this workforce is limited. Using an Interpretive Descriptive methodology, 12 participants were interviewed, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists who identified as Māori, Pasifika, Asian, or Pākehā. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The four themes constructed were: (1) Recognising and valuing the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand hand therapy, (2) A therapist-centred approach to learning, (3) An accessible community, and (4) Hand therapy as a unified professional identity. Recognising and valuing the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand hand therapy was a prominent theme that spoke to the dominance of Pākehā and physiotherapy worldviews and the inequities faced by AHTs who fall outside these spaces. Educating Pākehā physiotherapists and establishing support processes that recognise and value the identity of occupational therapists, Māori, and Pasifika is needed. This would allow all hand therapists to feel safe bringing their whole selves to their practice, build confidence in their abilities, develop a sense of belonging to the community, and could lead to meaningful change for the profession and patients.