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• Occupational Therapy Essays

Occupational Therapy Essays (Examples)

300+ documents containing “occupational therapy” .

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Occupational therapy hand specialist.

Occupational Therapy Hand Specialist Occupational Therapy: Hand Specialist Hand therapy is a specialty practice within occupational therapy. It combines elements of preventative care with recovery in order to allow individuals to regain proper mobility, dexterity, and strength in their hands and arms. As a combination of occupational and physical therapy, the practice requires a keen knowledge of the functionality of the upper limbs. It is a highly specialized practice that can help ease pain and prevent future suffering for those in need. The practice is a combination of several major factors, primarily because it deals with so many different types of injuries, conditions, and their subsequent strategies to help relieve pain and strengthen patients' abilities. According to the research, "hand therapy is the art and science of rehabilitation of the upper limb, which includes the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder girdle. It is a merging of occupational therapy and physical therapy and practice….

American Society of Hand Therapists. (2011). Hand therapy. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Web.  http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/HandTherapy.aspx 

Certified Hand Therapist. (2012). Who is a certified hand therapist? The Recognized Specialist in Hand Therapy. Web.  http://www.htcc.org/about/index.cfm 

International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy. (2010). IFSHT Hand Therapy Practice Profile. Web.  http://www.ifsht.org/en/content/international-profile-hand-therapy-clinical-practice

Occupational Therapy Literature Review Ot

This is not just an opinion of the authors. They actually did a study called the Defining Issues Test (DIT) which measures ethical judgment. The (DIT) was given to over five hundred (500) college students upon entrance into an occupational therapy program and just prior to completion of the program. The study revealed a significant increase in ethical judgment scores as the students neared the end of their program (2008). The information in both articles could prove to be beneficial to an occupational therapy student. Ethics should be taught in the classroom in this type of profession to give the student a strong foundation before he actually starts practicing therapy. Once the student is an actual occupational therapist, professional organizations will serve as an excellent source of information and networking for the professional. They can always use the standards of ethics set forth by these organization as a reference and….

Dige, M. (2009). Occupational therapy, professional development and ethics. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16: 88-98.

Geddes, E.L., Salvatori, P. And Eva, K.W. (2008). Does moral judgment improve in occupational therapy and physiotherapy students over the course of their pre-licensure training? Health and Social Care, 8(2), 92-102.

Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Paper Health Evidence-Based

Occupational Therapy Evidence-based practice paper health Evidence-based practice: Public health According to Anne Cusick, Iona Novak, and Natasha Linon's (2009) article "Occupational therapy home programs for cerebral palsy" from Pediatrics, a home-based treatment approach has been demonstrated to be effective, based upon the relatively small study conducted on behalf of the journal. This study compared a group of children with cerebral palsy who received treatment through an occupational therapy home program (OTHP) versus those who did not. Children within the experimental group after eight weeks showed significantly better functioning, participation, ability to obtain goals, and physical skills, according to the parents surveyed, as compared with the control group. Occupational therapists first assessed the children involved in the program, then prescribed a course of treatment the parents were supposed to administer to their children over the study's duration. 86 in total children participated in the study. The study allowed for flexibility regarding the duration….

Cusick, Anne, Iona Novak, & Natasha Linon. (2009). Occupational therapy home programs for cerebral palsy: Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics, 24 (4): 606 -614.

Laforme Fiss A; S.W. McCoy, L.A. Chiarello. (2011). Comparison of family and therapist perceptions of physical and occupational therapy services provided to young children with cerebral palsy. Physical Occupational Therapy Pediatrics.

Novak, Iona Anne Cusick, & Kevin Lowe. (2007). A pilot study on the impact of occupational therapy home programming for young children with cerebral palsy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(4) 463-468.

Occupational Therapy Not Every Person

There are some very important characteristics for an individual that wants to be successful in Occupation Therapy; compassion for others and their situations, dedication to consistently staying educated and striving for continued excellence. Commitment to making a positive change in clients lives, being a positive and making a positive impact on the field of occupational therapy. Purpose, knowing why you are helping people, and realizing the true rewards come from seeing a client leave in a better physical and mental state than when they first entered the rehabilitation facility. All of these characteristics I bring to the table; I bring my love for people, my commitment to excellence, and my hunger for continued knowledge and understanding in the field of occupational therapy. Very few fields allow such a hands on approach, and that is what draws me to it the chance to be apart of something amazing, and help….

Occupational Therapy Position Statement the

In other words, the outcomes are relatively consistent and can be predicted. This facilitates the care that occupational therapists are able to give, as the outcomes are provided by clinical trial research. More indirectly, clinical trial outcomes provide the profession as a whole with a sense of validity; providing it with a stronger image in the eyes of the general public as well as clients themselves. This increased confidence in the profession will perpetuate not only its efficacy, but also the possibilities of applying successfully for funding to conduct further clinical trials. Another advantage of clinical trials are for recipients of care themselves. Occupational therapists might for example choose a certain type of client to participate in a clinical trial for the improvement of his or her problem. Such clients can then also have access to therapies that are not yet widely available while being assured of the knowledge that they….

Sperling, R. (2009). Gray matters: Clinical Trials. Retrieved from: www.dana.org/WorkArea/downloadasset.aspx?id=19738

US National Institutes of Health. (2007). Understanding Clinical Trials. Retrieved from:  http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand 

Unsworth, C. (2000). Measuring the outcome of occupational therapy: Tools and resources. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, no. 47.

Occupational Therapy My Career as

Success was bitter sweet as I learned once licensed that there were no additional positions with my agency for occupational therapists and had to move on to another agency to obtain employment. When I did so I had to leave my clients behind. I had worked with some of my clients for longer than two years and I considered many to be my friends. I left my position as a rehab coach in good standing and asked that they keep me in mind for any future occupational therapist positions. Some of the most difficult situations I have encountered as an occupational therapist and in the past as a rehab coach have been associated with unreasonable expectations. In some cases employers seek to employ clients served simply because of the benefits of the service, as a portion of the employees pay is provided by the state and therefore the employer has only….

Occupational Therapy Good Morning My

hat are the main emerging physical issues that occupational therapists face? In the July-August-September 2004 edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the authors emphasize that in the near future, occupational therapists "will be treating an increasing number of clients with visual impairment." This is due to the fact that more and more adults are choosing to work until the age of 70, in order to make ends meet and pay off home mortgages. Older people may still have good use of their hands and be alert in their minds, but human eyesight inevitably fades with the passing of time. In conclusion, it is also important to understand that other issues that negatively interfere with good healthy living - like cigarette smoking, eating disorders, stress and alcohol abuse - can be alleviated with creative approaches to occupational therapy. Indeed, according to the book, alking Medicine: The Lifetime Guide to….

Works Cited

Cynkin, Simme, and Robinson, Anne Mazur. Occupational Therapy and Activities Health:

Toward Health Through Activities. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1990.

Ellexson, Melanie T. "Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation. Vision Rehabilitation." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 20.3 (2004): 154-172.

Jacobs, Karen. Ergonomics for Therapists. Boston: Butterworth Heinmann, 1999

Occupational Therapy Tertiary Prevention Occupational

This research will tie together the research that has preceded it in this area. Benefits This research will result in improved patient outcomes, which will benefit the patients, skilled nursing facilities, occupational therapists and other stakeholders. Goals This project will focus on ways to determine when occupational therapy would be helpful for patients and when it would not likely be of benefit. SMAT Process Objectives This research will result in a deliverable that will present the results of the data obtained during the research study. This document will present the literature review, data and analysis from the research study. This research will provide a data breakdown as to the conditions and initial assessment categories of the patients. It will evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy for each of these patient categories. Deliverables The key deliverable for this project will be the final report detailing the conduct, data, and results of the study. Success Criteria The project will be a….

Chin, T., Duncan, J., & Johnstone, B. (2005). Management of the upper limb in cerebral palsy. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B. 14(6):389-404.

Hsieh, C., Putnam, K., & Nichols, D. et al. (2010). Physical and Occupational Therapy in Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: The Contribution of Therapy Extenders. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 89(11):887-898.

Johnston, K., Barras, S., & Grimmer-Somers et al. (2010). Relationship between pre-discharge occupational therapy home assessment and prevalence of post-discharge falls. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 16(6):1333-1339.

Sackley, C., van den Berg, & Lett, K. (2009). Effects of a physiotherapy and occupational therapy intervention on mobility and activity in care home residents: a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 339:b3123.

Occupational Therapy Emotional Intelligence Personal

" (p. 1) As we can see here, researchers are likely to differ considerably in the way that they assess or prioritize competencies. But there does tend to be a certain consensus on the idea that certain overlapping emotional qualities may be used to project one's occupational capacity and propensities. The source by Cherniss goes on to identify certain behavioral features that are most typically found in those with high levels of emotional intelligence, pointing to several that correlate perfectly to the healthcare profession. Among them, Cherniss identifies the ability of the individual to manage stress as a primary indicator of emotional intelligence. Given the sometimes extremely pressurized atmosphere of the nursing home -- where the needs and demands of highly compromised patients can often be impossible to juggle -- the capacity of the healthcare worker to manage stress is tantamount to his or her long-term survival within the profession. Cherniss also….

Works Cited:

6 Seconds. (2004). Benefits of Emotional Intelligence on Life, Education, Business, and Health. 6 Seconds.org.

Abraham, R.: Emotional competence as antecedent to performance: a contingency framework.

Genet Soc Gen Psychol Monogr, 130(2): 117-43, 2004,

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list

Occupational Therapy Ethics

Ethics in the nursing and occupational therapy communities is an ongoing concern that is being addressed in a number of different arenas and manners. This paper discusses national and international frameworks that have been created to address, define and provide ethical behavior guidelines for the healthcare communities that comprise measured and timely responses to the ethics issue as it pertains to those communities. Specifically, the paper will look at ethical decision making in healthcare regarding patient consent; how it is presented, used and documented. Additionally, the paper will seek legal and ethical frameworks as defined by a variety of Australian and international healthcare and medical entities. National and International Ethical Frameworks A number of organizations have established guidelines for ethical behavior by the members of those organizations. International and national healthcare organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) have set forth guidelines that affect how not….

Commission on the Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2008). Australian

Charter of Health Care Rights.

Gallagher A. The teaching of nursing ethics: content and method. In: Davis A, Tschudin

V and De Raeve L (eds) Essentials of teaching and learning in nursing ethics:

Definition Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy 4 Contextual Definitions Define occupational therapy to a friend. Occupational therapy is a combination of therapeutic treatments that try to help a person gain a maximum level of independence in their daily lives. It is based on the idea that occupations provide structure and organize time. Take a child with attention deficit disorder, for example. The occupational therapist would try to break down activities into achievable components and try to increase the kid's ability to perform daily tasks. It addresses the problem by directly performing the occupations that affects the child the most in living a normal life. An occupational therapist may work with the child to improve his/her performance in school and assignment completion. An important part of occupational therapy is to constant reevaluate the treatment. This focuses not only on the actual improvements in attention span but also on the child's level of satisfaction with the treatment. The….

Occupational Science

Exploring the Complexity of Occupational Science Introduction Occupational science is a field of study that aims to understand the complexities of human behavior in the context of everyday activities and occupations. It goes beyond traditional views of work and encompasses a wide range of activities that individuals engage in to create meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in their lives. The study of occupational science involves examining how individuals interact with their environment, how they engage in everyday tasks, and how these activities contribute to their overall well-being. It considers factors such as culture, social norms, personal preferences, and physical abilities that influence the choices individuals make in how they spend their time. Occupational science is an interdisciplinary field, drawing on knowledge from various disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and health sciences. It is focused on understanding the nature of occupations, how they are performed, and the impact they have on individuals and societies. By studying….

1. Yerxa, E.J., et.al. “An Introduction to Occupational Science, A Foundation for Occupational Therapy in the 21st Century.” Occupational Therapy in Health Care, vol. 6, no. 4, 1989, pp. 1-17.

2. Zemke, R., Clark, F. “Occupational Science: The Evolving Discipline.” Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company, 1996.

3. Wilcock, A.A. “An Occupational Perspective of Health.” Thorofare: SLACK Incorporated, 2006.

4. Gutman, S.A. “Neuroscience and Occupation: Building New Bridges.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 62, no. 4, 2008, pp. 473-481.

Trend in Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy The medical field is constantly undergoing significant changes in response to the changing health and social needs of Canadians, as well as health care delivery systems. Occupational therapy is an integral part of this process, as it has expanded from traditional hospital settings to home and community care. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists identifies some of the existing trends as affecting occupational therapy: • an aging population • increased awareness of the needs of people with disabilities • higher survival rates from accidents and injuries • increased emphasis on health promotion and prevention to keep health care costs down • higher incidence of mental health and family problems • changes in work conditions such as job stress and early retirement • a more informed public regarding health and health concerns In my opinion one of rapidly evolving trends in occupational therapy in Ontario is its increasing role in providing care to the aging population in long-term care….

Ontario Long-Term Care Association. (2011). Elements of an effective innovation strategy for long-term care in Ontario. The Conference Board of Canada. Web.  http://www.oltca.com/Library/march11_cboc_report.pdf

History of Occupational Therapy 1950-1960

History Of Occupational Therapy Frame 1 - Introduction Occupational therapy is an essential part of the recovery process. It allows the person to engage in meaningful activity that adds structure and purpose to their daily routine. Occupational therapy is now considered an essential part of the treatment process for those with long-term, or severe injuries. The role of the occupational therapist is to help the person we turn to a life where they can be independent and are in there and living, regardless of their condition. Occupational therapy helps a person to adjust to the changes in their lives as result of a severe illness or injury. This presentation will explore the history of occupational therapy with a focus on the changes in paradigm that took place during the 1950s and 1960s. Frame 2 - Occupational therapy was first conceived in the early part of the 1900s. It was originally designed to help….

American Occupational Therapy Associaton. (2010). Occupational Therapist. Health Care

Careers Directory 2009-2010. Retrieved from 0  http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/40/tr01-occup-ther.pdf 

Essentials of an acceptable school of occupational therapy. (1950). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 4, 126-128.

Kearney, P. (2004). The Influence of Competing Paradigms on Occupational Therapy Education:

Occupational Therapist Name Here Date

One thing is certain through my evaluation I now acknowledge that there are good and bad aspects to every choice one makes considering employment and opportunities. I have a newfound respect for the sensitivity and fragile frame of the field. There is nothing promised, one can hold top degrees in his/her field and have all of the training and experience in the world. These things do not sure a sustainable future. I have learned that there are certain aspects of life that give particular fields more "job" security that others, however this does not insure individual success rates or even amounts of money that will be made by any individual. Honestly, job security no longer looks so secure. There are possibilities that I may have to work harder and longer for the same pay or possibly even less, not to mention that the market will be so overflowing that there….

Hecker, Daniel E. "Occupational Employment Projections to 2010: Occupations Requiring a Postsecondary Vocational Award or an Academic Degree, Which Accounted for 29% of All Jobs in 2000, Will Account for 42% of Total Job Growth from 2000 to 2010." Monthly Labor Review 124.11 (2001): 57+.

Hecker, Daniel E. "Occupational Employment Projections to 2014." Monthly Labor Review 128.11 (2005): 70+.

Occupational Therapy

I\'m searching for essay topics on speech and language development. Do you have any recommendations?

1. The Role of Nature and Nurture in Speech and Language Development Discuss the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to speech and language skills. Explore the interplay between innate abilities, parental input, and sociocultural influences. Examine how early experiences can shape language development and academic success. 2. The Importance of Parent-Child Interactions for Speech and Language Describe how parental speech, singing, and reading foster language development. Analyze the role of scaffolding, imitation, and feedback in language acquisition. Discuss the challenges and strategies for supporting language development in homes with limited English proficiency. 3. The Use of Technology to Promote Speech and....

Research Paper

Health - Nursing

Occupational Therapy Hand Specialist Occupational Therapy: Hand Specialist Hand therapy is a specialty practice within occupational therapy. It combines elements of preventative care with recovery in order to allow individuals to…

Article Review

Business - Ethics

This is not just an opinion of the authors. They actually did a study called the Defining Issues Test (DIT) which measures ethical judgment. The (DIT) was given…

Occupational Therapy Evidence-based practice paper health Evidence-based practice: Public health According to Anne Cusick, Iona Novak, and Natasha Linon's (2009) article "Occupational therapy home programs for cerebral palsy" from Pediatrics, a home-based…

There are some very important characteristics for an individual that wants to be successful in Occupation Therapy; compassion for others and their situations, dedication to consistently staying educated…

Reaction Paper

In other words, the outcomes are relatively consistent and can be predicted. This facilitates the care that occupational therapists are able to give, as the outcomes are provided…

Success was bitter sweet as I learned once licensed that there were no additional positions with my agency for occupational therapists and had to move on to another agency…

hat are the main emerging physical issues that occupational therapists face? In the July-August-September 2004 edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the authors emphasize that in…

Capstone Project

This research will tie together the research that has preceded it in this area. Benefits This research will result in improved patient outcomes, which will benefit the patients, skilled nursing…

Application Essay

" (p. 1) As we can see here, researchers are likely to differ considerably in the way that they assess or prioritize competencies. But there does tend to be a…

Ethics in the nursing and occupational therapy communities is an ongoing concern that is being addressed in a number of different arenas and manners. This paper discusses national and…

Occupational Therapy 4 Contextual Definitions Define occupational therapy to a friend. Occupational therapy is a combination of therapeutic treatments that try to help a person gain a maximum level of independence…

Exploring the Complexity of Occupational Science Introduction Occupational science is a field of study that aims to understand the complexities of human behavior in the context of everyday activities and occupations.…

Occupational Therapy The medical field is constantly undergoing significant changes in response to the changing health and social needs of Canadians, as well as health care delivery systems. Occupational…

History Of Occupational Therapy Frame 1 - Introduction Occupational therapy is an essential part of the recovery process. It allows the person to engage in meaningful activity that adds structure and…

One thing is certain through my evaluation I now acknowledge that there are good and bad aspects to every choice one makes considering employment and opportunities. I have a…

60 Occupational Therapy Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best occupational therapy topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on occupational therapy, ⭐ simple & easy occupational therapy essay titles.

• Asthma in Pediatric and Occupational Therapy Treatment The flow peak is more than 80% of the child’s personal best, and less than 30% variability in the day-to-day flow of the peak measurements.
• Environmental Adaptation in Occupational Therapy In addition, the assessment also includes their home and work environment to ensure that the intervention selected and recommended can improve the patient’s independence and ability to meet their needs. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Advanced Practice Between Occupational Therapy and Pharmacy in the UK On the other hand, the occupation therapy framework guides the therapist on using their knowledge and actions relevant to occupation and occupational therapy of the identified areas of practice and the patient needs.
• “Evaluation of an Occupational Therapy Program…” by Pillastrini et al. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the occupational therapy program provided in combination with a course of neuromotor rehabilitation measuring the levels of functional improvement and independence the patients with […]
• The American Occupational Therapy Association They help in the facilitation of activities that aid the child in the course of interaction and communication with peers and caregivers.
• Occupational Therapy on Limbs Limitations In this respect, it is the role of occupational therapists to mobilise the community and involve them in a range of services and activities that aim at improving, promoting, and protecting the overall health status […]
• Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism The main reason for the appearance of autism is the disturbance of the development of the patients brain which results in the appearance of various symptoms.
• Occupational Therapy: Role and Importance Reflecting on Jacob’s physical situation: he was born with very short arms that rendered him comparable with a person with both hands amputated and deserved an artificial limb on one leg and a brace on […]
• Occupational Therapy and the Modern Society Learning the role of the occupational therapy in the sphere of health promotion, one can figure out the new ways of enhancing the occupational therapy effect among the enabled and thus provide them with sufficient […]
• Occupational Therapy: Becoming a Member of Society Because of the complicacies that the enabled people can face in the unusual and thus hostile environment, the concern for the health of these people is becoming quite understood.
• The Heart, Mind, and Soul of Professionalism in Occupational Therapy: Wendy Wood In her article “The Heart, Mind and Soul of Professionalism in Occupational Therapy”, Wendy Wood presents the notion that one of the current concerns in OT is the endemic proliferation of the disheartened within the […]
• Occupational Therapy Theory: Enhancing Research and Practice Knowledge of this concept can greatly enhance the ability of a therapist to improve on strategies that are already in place.
• Arthritis: The Use of Physical and Occupational Therapy Incorporating credible evidence, the paper expounds on biological factors such as unusual bowel permeability, genetic and microorganism as the causes of arthritis The paper examines the use of physical and occupational therapy, as some of […]
• A Palliative Care: Knowledge, Skills and Attributes Needed to a Newly Graduated Occupational Therapist Cooper and Littlefield performed a study of occupational therapy interventions in oncology and palliative care and, focusing on patient contact activities performed by occupational specialists, they also stress the importance of goal setting.
• Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease Hypotension is an “abnormal condition in which the blood pressure is not adequate for normal perfusion and oxygenation of the tissues”.
• Terminal Illness and Occupational Therapy The medical history of the patient shows that she was previously diagnosed with a terminal illness high-grade borderline mucinous tumour, which presents a case of the recurrence of the condition.
• Suadi vs. Australian Aging and Occupational Therapy Therefore, the objective of the given paper is to investigate the current system of occupational therapy operations in Saudi Arabia and identify the gaps to fill. The focus of the study is occupational therapy for […]
• Equipment Provision in the Occupational Therapy Frame The primary goal of the given paper was to choose from a wide range of strategies and search tools in order to find a substantial number of credible academic sources providing relevant and appropriate information […]
• Personal Development in Occupational Therapy The proponent of the study decided to focus on the personal circumstances and preoccupation of Nessrine and Hoa due to fact that they belong to the same age range that is suited for the design […]
• Occupational Therapist: The World Through a Different Lens It is hard to pinpoint the exact definition of an occupational therapist, since the job of the latter involves a lot a issues; however, when putting all the qualities of an occupational therapist together, one […]
• Improved Occupational Therapy for Adults With Learning Disabilities
• Unique Role of Occupational Therapy in Rehabilitation of the Hand
• Occupational Therapy for Children With Cerebral Palsy
• Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools
• Development of Informational and Historical Literacy Competencies in Occupational Therapy Students
• Student Success on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
• Occupational Therapy Interventions in Primary Care
• Occupational Therapy for People With Dementia
• The American Occupational Therapy Association
• Structure of the Occupational Therapy Practice
• Role of Occupational Therapy in Pain Management
• Health Professionals on Occupational Therapy
• Important Factors for Success in Occupational Therapy
• Occupational Therapy and Community Reintegration of Persons With Brain Injury
• The Occupational Therapy Theories and Educational Learning
• Occupational Therapy for Adults With Cancer
• Occupational Therapy Wellness Program
• Special Education on the Role of School-Based Occupational Therapy
• Botulinum Toxin and Occupational Therapy for Writer’s Cramp
• Occupational Therapy Efficacy After Stroke
• The Conceptual View of Occupational Therapy
• Ethical Dilemmas in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy
• Social Policy for Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics
• Measuring the Efficacy of Occupational Therapy in End-Of-Life Care
• Equine-Assisted Experiential Learning in Occupational Therapy Education
• Mental Health and the Occupational Therapy Setting
• Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Occupational Therapy and Eating Disorder Recovery
• The Role of Psychologists in Occupational Therapy
• Relationship Between Patient Functionality and Occupational Therapy
• Video Telehealth Occupational Therapy Services for Older Veterans
• Autism Spectrum Disorder and Occupational Therapy
• The Applicability and Feasibility of Occupational Therapy in Delirium Care
• The Role and Scope of Occupational Therapy in Africa
• Healthcare Reform and Occupational Therapy
• Occupational Therapy Interventions to Improve Reading in Older Adults With Low Vision
• Occupational Therapy Practice in Sleep Management
• School Occupational Therapy: Staying Focused On Educational Performance
• Early Occupational Therapy Intervention for Schizophrenia
• Aging in the United States: Advancing the Value of Occupational Therapy
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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We’ve broken down TIME into 4 key elements of academic writing: Targeted, In-depth, Measured and Evidence-based.

• What is an academic piece of work

Your assignment needs to be targeted .  It should:

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Therapy — Pursuing a Career in Occupational Therapy: My Background and Aspirations

Pursuing a Career in Occupational Therapy: My Background and Aspirations

• Categories: Career Choice Therapy

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

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Introduction, personal values and beliefs, challenges and overcoming adversity.

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Introduction to Occupational Therapy - Level 5

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• Entry requirements

Fees and funding

What's next.

For module start dates, please view our Module Calendar found on our CPD page.

Please note this module is planned to be delivered at our Colchester campus. Application deadlines and interview dates are available on the module calendar. Please contact [email protected] for further information. . This module is aimed at those who have previously obtained a relevant level 5/assistant practitioner qualification, but lack formal occupational therapy academic learning.

This is an occupational therapy specific pathway module that provides the an opportunity for you to explore and develop your knowledge of theory underpinning the profession: its origins, core beliefs, values and skills.  A 2-week full-time placement will also be undertaken within a placement ‘away’ from your current place of work.

This module will introduce students to the core knowledge and skills of occupational therapy enabling them to consider themselves and others as occupational beings and to identify potential influences on occupational performance.

The module will be delivered 1 day a week in the summer term and includes a 2-week full-time practice placement in an allocated occupational therapy setting. You will start to develop an understanding of your professional identity in relation to the core tenets of occupational therapy and have an opportunity to practice some core skills.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

• Evaluate occupational therapy and the core skills of an Occupational Therapist (Essay and PP Explore).
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the meaning of occupation to identify humans as occupational beings (Essay).
• Critically analyse the underlying concepts of how humans engage in occupations (Essay).
• Apply a critical understanding of the influences upon occupational performance across the lifespan (Essay).
• Evaluate and apply the theoretical frameworks that underpins the occupational therapy profession (Essay).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the OT process relevant to your placement setting (PP Explore).
• Demonstrate effective use of reflection to develop the professional practice (PP Explore).
• Demonstrate the ability to interact with individuals/people using a broad range of communication styles (PP Explore).

Accreditation and professional recognition

The completion of this module can lead to eligibility for applying to the OT degree apprenticeship.  Only after successful completion of the OT degree apprenticeship will learners be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Our expert staff

A unique feature of our School is that most of our staff work or have worked within clinical practice. This enhances our grasp of the contemporary links between academic research, the major issues of the day and real-life practice.

Occupational Therapy is taught by registered experienced staff with a variety of different backgrounds. The course is led by Selena Goodchild. Selena qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2003, and has practised in a variety of settings, including inpatient orthopaedics, A&E, and Hand Therapy.

We also have expertise in the areas of mental health, brain injury and hand therapy. Specialist guest lecturers additionally lend external expertise to our academic staff. Full details of our staff can be found on our HSC Staff Profiles .

Entry Requirements

• Evidence of Level 2 Maths and English.
• Relevant foundation degree or level 5 qualification (e.g., assistant practitioner).
• Completed 75 taster/insight hours in a relevant area of practice outside the applicant’s usual place of work and ideally outside of the organisation. This can be up to 10 insight days in different areas of practice that are negotiated with your employer and will need to be evidenced. If you require any further guidance, a template document can be provided.
• Employing organisation has a reciprocal arrangement in place for the individual to undertake a 2-week full-time practice placement ‘away’ from the individuals usual place of work and ideally outside of the organisation (RCOT 2019, Learning and development standards).
• Completion of a Placement passport provided by the university with the relevant mandatory requirements completed to undertake the practice placement including evidence of DBS, Occupational Health, and mandatory training.
• Identified work-based learning mentor to support the learner's progress and tripartite approach for the duration of the module.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the scope of occupational therapy and practice settings together with effective communication skills.

Module Outline

The module will be delivered on a Thursday and will require the learner to undertake an induction and practice placement preparation session prior to undertaking the module. This module is delivered 1 day a week, supported by work-based learning opportunities.

The full-time placement provides an opportunity to explore the role of the OT in a different settings and inform the module learning.

A tripartite meeting between the university, learner and employer will be undertaken at the end of the module to discuss any next steps.

Teaching and learning disclaimer

Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.

The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently planned for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.

Assessment strategy

• 100% weighting of a 2000 word written essay, based on an occupational profile
• Completion and achievement of a Pass grade for a 2-week full-time practice placement in which students will be able to explore occupational therapy in a different practice setting and be assessed using the standard practice placement form.

Our CPD Funding page has more information on fees for our modules and potential funding sources.

Application deadlines and interview dates are available on the module calendar. Please contact [email protected] for further information.

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Exploring Occupational Therapists’ Professional Identity: A Q-Method Study

Ana-isabel souto-gómez.

1 Integra Saúde Unit Research, Escola Universitaria de Traballo Social, Universidade Santiago de Compostela, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Miguel-Ángel Talavera-Valverde

2 Integra Saúde Unit Research, Health Science Department, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidade da Coruña, 15570 A Coruña, Spain

3 Área Sanitaria de Ferrol, 15405 Ferrol, Spain

María-del-Pilar García-de-la-Torre

4 Psychology Department, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidade da Coruña, 15008 A Coruña, Spain

Luis-Javier Márquez-Álvarez

5 Área Sanitaria de Vigo, 36204 Vigo, Spain

Associated Data

The author confirms that all data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. Furthermore, primary and secondary sources and data supporting the findings of this study were all publicly available at the time of submission.

(1) Background: This study examines the nature of the rarely studied factors of the professional identity from an occupational therapist’s perspective. (2) Methods: Q-methodology was applied to identify the different perspectives. Participants were selected through a non-probability sampling procedure in the whole Spanish territory. Different assessment tools were considered, in order to develop an ad hoc tool which had 40 statements classified into four categories. A factor analysis was performed by applying Ken-Q analysis v.1.0. (3) Results: Thirty-seven occupational therapists participated in the study. Their diverse approaches revealed different perspectives that influence the professional identity of occupational therapists: professional identity, due to referents, a grey field on professional identity, reaffirming a common professional identity, the role of education and mentors on professional identity and the outcome of ongoing training, in order to develop the abovementioned identity. (4) Conclusions: Once the different aspects of the professional identity have been understood, future educational initiatives can be designed to adapt curricula to the professional scene.

1. Introduction

Professional identity is a multidimensional concept that is constantly changing and evolving [ 1 ]. This process helps us to acquire knowledge, professional skills, an understanding of the reality, the ethical, and the professional requirements [ 2 ], as well as of personal and professional needs [ 3 ], along with the development of the moral context of the practice [ 4 ].

Research on professional identity in occupational therapy rarely focuses on professional identity aspects, values, environments, or beliefs prioritised and highlighted by occupational therapists. On the other hand, studies on the impact and development process of professional identity among students tend to have greater participation and, therefore, greater scientific popularity. Studies focused on professional identity in working professionals are in the minority [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].

Research on how professional identity is formed examines how early training experiences influence the professional identity of students of occupational therapy and how educational initiatives can be fostered to promote this identity [ 3 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Contributions from this line of work must not be ignored, but understanding the central question about what encompasses the professional identity of occupational therapists is relatively under-researched.

Social constructivism [ 13 , 14 ], which has been extensively used in other disciplines, but only rarely applied to occupational therapy, states that identity encompasses a mutable process, that is to say, that emerges from a variety of values and beliefs issued from one’s environment, and it is transferred through language [ 15 ] and influenced, in turn, by values and beliefs.

Professional identity is also developed through interactions. Specific contexts or unique interpersonal dynamics may affect the expression of our own professional identity [ 14 , 16 ], and gaining experience is, thus, relevant, since identity may evolve depending on a variety of values and beliefs [ 17 ]. Therefore, we believe that professional identity gives sense to our profession [ 1 ].

Metaxas [ 18 ], Ikiugu, and Rosso [ 8 ] and Walder et al. [ 1 ] described professional identity in occupational therapy as formed through the process of identification: a two-way, internal and external, process that helps us define ourselves and is also defined by others. Professional identity encompasses complex and diverse components, such as personal background, fundamental values, and each one’s work culture. Organisational relations and working circumstances may equally become components that frame the development of professional identity, in order to develop professionalism in occupational therapy [ 19 ]. The factors that may contribute to the professional identity of occupational therapists are illustrative and non-exhaustive.

The study of professional identity in students and professionals is a topic explored in other disciplines, such as nursing [ 20 , 21 ], medicine [ 22 , 23 ], and physiotherapy [ 24 , 25 ]. Professional identity has also been studied within occupational therapy, as highlighted by Turner and Knight [ 26 ]. Currently, there are many occupational therapists who barely have professional identity, a situation that could be due to: (a) a confusion in their role as referred to by Guru et al. [ 27 ]; (b) the status of their professional identity described by Fanshawen [ 28 ], a problem also defined by Godber [ 29 ], who considered that occupational therapists lacked a unique identity.

This research is joined by others, such as Grant’s [ 30 ] in the UK, who studied the collective identity of the profession, identifying it as weak, or Zambonini’s [ 31 ], who studied how professional identity has evolved over 40 years in Brazil.

In contrast, in Spain, such research is not being conducted, which may have influenced the development of Spanish professional identity. As we have not found scientific evidence that analyses identity factors in occupational therapists in the Spanish context, we consider that this study presents an up-to-date topic.

This lack of research has led to an interest in delving into the analysis of the elements that influence professional identity throughout a professional’s career, an aspect not addressed in prior professional identity research. This research provides the necessary variables to reconstruct the curricula, in accordance with the occupational therapists’ professional identity practice, providing evidence to describe the curricular elements at a theoretical level that describe a practice dependent on an occupation paradigm [ 32 ].

Taking, as a starting point, the fact that professional identity is made up of different components, such as values, beliefs, and the environment, our research tries to find out which factors are used by professional therapists to describe their professional identity. Therefore, our survey includes the following question:

RQ: What is the understanding that occupational therapists have of the factors that contribute to professional identity?

Our research intends to examine the widespread beliefs that occupational therapists hold, regarding their professional identity, by applying the Q-methodology [ 33 ], which incorporates aspects of both quantitative and qualitative techniques to examine human subjectivity [ 34 ] within a rigorous and objective procedure [ 35 ].

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. design.

Q-methodology enables the subjectivity of participants to be preserved through an objective process, in which each participant provides his or her perspective by ordering different statements, according to a predetermined study question [ 36 ]. It has been used previously to study subjectivity on professional identity in health professions [ 37 ]. This tool enables a better understanding of people’s perspectives and beliefs, which are generated and explored through a specific method of data collection and statistical analysis [ 38 ]. It uses a specific statistical method that reduces a large number of variables into a smaller number of factors, in order to group people according to how they interpret statements about a topic [ 39 ]. Therefore, it is possible to identify participants’ viewpoints by requesting individuals to undertake an operant procedure (sorting related statements).

Our research complements a previous study performed by Márquez-Álvarez et al. [ 40 ], where the authors used the Q method to identify the perspective of occupational therapy students on concepts that were key to improving professional reasoning. This type of research is paramount to longitudinally study a population where professional reasoning leads to the construction of professional identity [ 41 ].

2.2. Development of the Q Sample

The Q sample is a set of statements representative of the majority of ideas present in the opinions of the field of study [ 36 ]. A concourse relating statements was generated, comprised of a collection of thoughts and information about professional identity. As relevant sources related to professional identity, different assessments and studies were gathered through a literature review [ 1 , 5 , 8 , 26 , 42 , 43 ]. An initial concourse of n = 53 statements was determined.

The statements were reviewed by three authors from the research team (AISG, MATV, and LJMA). In this case, initial statements were transcribed as personal statements from the selected scales in the development of the concourse, selecting the most representative ideas for study purposes. Each of the participants were selected separately the statements, and, in order to maintain the plurality of ideas for the analysis, duplicates were eliminated, and those with no consensus were included. Statements were subsequently refined to 43.

To enhance the rigour of the study, a Q-sort was piloted with a purposively selected sample of three occupational therapists, as Garbellini et al. [ 44 ] included in their method. Thanks to this, a further check of the comprehension and relevance of all the statements was considered. The final Q sample included n = 40 statements. For better legibility of the results, they were included in four different groups and coded as such ( Table 1 ). There was no subsequent modification to this sample.

Q sample statements prepared for Q-sort.

2.3. Selection of the P Set

The P set (set of participants) was assembled by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience. It comprised currently working professional therapists, who wished to take part in the study. Initial contact with professional associations and colleges was made for the recruitment. Participants were chosen based on their availability for the study, as well as their knowledge about professional identity. We included any occupational therapists who expressed interest on the theme and demonstrated basic understanding of the concept of professional identity. Additionally, we addressed any questions or concerns from participants to ensure a minimum level of understanding.

Given that the Q-methodology seeks to identify the different opinions within this group of participants, there is no need to make a minimum sample size calculation. A large sample is not required, as the aim of the Q method is to identify key opinions with the selected participant group. Per the literature, and following the indications of Watts and Stenner [ 45 ], an approximate 1:1 ratio of terms to people interviewed is required to conduct the study. The number of participants should not exceed the number of terms or phrases used. Therefore, professionals participated in the study until reached the specified number of n = 40. However, the final number of occupational therapists included in the study was n = 37, due to the withdrawal of three participants.

2.4. Q-Sort

Before the participants were recruited, an initial design was proposed to the University of A Coruña’s Ethics Committee, with the approval number 2022-001. Following, in April and May 2022, an initial contact with professional colleges and associations of occupational therapist was established. Participants were recruited in May 2022, signed an informed consent for their participation, and ranked Q sample statements on a continuous scale, with a quasi-normal distribution between “most relevant” and “least relevant” ( Figure 1 ). Each column had an added value, ranging from −3 to +3. Participants had instructions to rank the statements according to their individual decisions.

Representation of the grid for the Q-sort used in the online sorting procedure. Participants assigned all 40 statements on the places on the grid.

2.5. Factor Extraction and Interpretation

Factor analysis is used to reduce the number of Q-sets to smaller groups of factors representing a common perspective [ 46 ]. The factor analysis was conducted using Ken-Q Analysis v.1.0. After a correlation matrix, a principal component extraction was conducted to organise all of the Q-sort. Factors were rotated using varimax rotation to identify how variables grouped and to maximise the differences between factors.

The process consisted of the following selection criteria for the extraction of factors based on the criteria of Garbellini et al. [ 36 ] and their review of the work by Chee et al. [ 47 ] and Thompson et al. [ 48 ].

• The starting point was the default number of factors extracted by the Ken-Q analysis software, a total of 8 factors.
• Factors with an eigenvalue greater than 1.0 were included.
• At least two significant factor loadings were required for each retained factor.
• The cross-product of the two highest loadings should be greater than twice the standard error (SE) (Humphrey’s rule). SE was calculated using the formula SE = 1/√n, where n = number of statements in the Q-set. Therefore, loadings of 2 × 1/√40 (factor loadings > 0.31623) identified Q-sorts correlated with each factor.

The interpretation of each factor was performed in two steps: (a) each factor was analysed at a general level; (b) the statements at the two extremes (values of −3, −3, +2, +3) were analysed together to observe the counterpoint of perceptions and compare them to the existing literature.

This comparison enabled the identification of the various perspectives and their influence on the student’s learning, as well as how the result could be usefully extrapolated.

Questions from n = 37 participants were given, 2 men and 35 women, with ages ranging from 23 to 56 years old ( x ¯ = 34.86; SD = 9.18). Relevant data for the research were also gathered, such as years of experience, the field of expertise, and active participation in colleges or professional associations ( Table 2 ).

Participant variables and characteristics.

YEX: Years of experience; APOT: Active participation in OT associations (years).

The Q-sorts analysis of the 37 participants yielded 8 default factors, focused on 7 viewpoints, according to the selection criteria ( Table 3 ). The selected factors were rotated through varimax rotation to identify variables that could be jointly grouped and maximise the set of the different observations. All the viewpoints included Q-sorts from therapists who worked in different professional fields, with very different durations of their careers, which helps to show the representativity of the viewpoint on the practice of occupational therapy at a global level.

Application of selection criteria.

Y = Yes; N = No.

3.1. Retained Factor 1: Viewpoint 1—Professional Identity Due to Mentors

The first viewpoint ( Table 4 ) is characterised by the most-valued previous assumptions at the beginning of the occupational therapy training, compared to aspects related to working activity and studies.

Complete list of 40 Q-sort statements and idealised sorts for the five patterns.

V1: Viewpoint 1—Professional identity, thanks to mentors; V2: Viewpoint 2—A grey field on professional identity; V3: Viewpoint 3—Reaffirming a common professional identity; V4: Viewpoint 4—The role of education and mentors on the own professional identity; V5: Viewpoint 5—The outcome of ongoing training in order to develop a professional identity; The numbers ranging from −3 to +3 correspond to location of the statements in an idealized each pattern, placed on a grid, as is shown in Figure 1 . Note: a = **◄; b = *◄; c: *; d = ►**; e = ►*; f: **.

The most-valued statement is “I chose my preferred career regardless of other people’s feedback”. With value 2, those that are considered as characteristic of this profile imply aspects linked to concepts or ideas previous to the training. Two of the most significant statements of the factor are linked to previous knowledge sourced from contact with other professionals: “I personally knew some professionals from my future working field”; “My knowledge on the profession of occupational therapist was sourced from a person I knew”. Those aspects related to training seemed to be less relevant in the profile. The least-valued statement, with the greatest statistical strength and representative of this profile is “I think I have spent too long training to become a professional therapist”. Together with the previously mentioned, it can point out a strong professional identity, with previous knowledge of the profession, but not its duties concerning value −2.

3.2. Retained Factor 2: Viewpoint 2—A Grey Field on Professional Identity

Viewpoint 2 ( Table 4 ) receives very different influences from the previous one.

This viewpoint shows a clear contrast to the previous one. The most-valued aspect implies the professional experience: “When working on problems in the class, I put myself in the shoes of an occupational therapist professional”. In this regard, many of the arguments of value 2 imply a certain level of poorly defined conditions or situations, such as “I would prefer that occupational therapy had a clearer definition” or “I am still searching for my professional identity”. This indecision is transferred to the least-valued factors or with the highest disagreement, such as “When starting my occupational therapy studies, I had a strong identity of becoming an occupational therapist” or “I was positive I mastered all the required skills to be successful in my career”. In addition to this, in this profile, a vision of professional identities without external mentors emerges, characterised by statements such as “I personally knew some professionals from my future working field” or “I was influenced in my decision to study and become an occupational therapist” in values −2 and −3, respectively.

3.3. Retained Factor 3: Viewpoint 3—Reaffirming a Common Professional Identity

Viewpoint 3 ( Table 4 ) has the highest number of Q-sorts included in the analysis, and it is in a unique visible position in extreme values.

The most valued point encompasses situations related to a shared professional identity, where the participant considers himself as a member of a professional group with a positive identification of other occupational therapists through common characteristics with values 2 and 3. At the opposite extreme, with the sharpest disagreement, negative situations for the professional identity can be found, such as “I feel like giving excuses for belonging to this profession”, “I was ashamed to admit I was studying occupational therapy”, or “I still do not know which is my professional identity”.

This coherent comparison between points helps to understand a majority profile of the profession in which the identity feeling is linked to the community or common characteristics among the members of the occupational therapy group.

3.4. Retained Factor 4: Viewpoint 4—The Role of Education and Mentors on the Own Professional Identity

Viewpoint 4 ( Table 4 ) includes training and working aspects linked to professional recognition as the most relevant.

The least valued aspects in this profile are those related to aspects previous to the working activity. The only statistically relevant aspect in this point is “I would prefer that occupational therapy had a clearer definition”. Therefore, participants may have a defined or barely ambiguous professional identity. In this case, the explanation could be found in the most-valued counterpoints, which take into account professional relations, both during the training period and the working practice, more specifically, the importance of looking for educators or mentors with whom to identify, for instance, “I admired the occupational therapists/teachers in the areas I thought I was going to work in”, “I feel I share some features with other members of this professional group”, or “When working on problems in the class, I put myself in the shoes of an occupational therapist professional”.

3.5. Retained Factor 5: Viewpoint 5—The Outcome of Ongoing Training in Order to Develop a Professional Identity

Viewpoint 5 ( Table 4 ) stands in contrast to the previous ones, based on the lack of mentors.

In this case, the statistically strongest points are placed in two statements related to occupational therapy work and studies (“I think I have spent too long training to become a professional therapist” and “When starting my occupational therapy studies I had a strong identity of becoming an occupational therapist”) against the weak promotion of this role in the classroom (“When working on problems in the class, I put myself in the shoes of an occupational therapist professional”). We believe that the knowledge of the profession has not been sufficiently relevant in this viewpoint and that teaching in the class does not contribute to the understanding of this role. Perhaps the distance between teaching and practice denotes that the lack of knowledge of the role that the participants highlight through characteristics with statistical significance of −2. Regarding role development, we believe, from this point of view, that postgraduate training has been a milestone in the understanding of professional identity, which has enabled the development of an identity held by the participants before their training. It seems that university teaching has not been, in this case, strong enough to develop a professional identity, and further training has been required to shape the concept of professional identity.

4. Discussion

Our Q methodology study contributes to a better understanding of the elements that occupational therapists use to construct their professional identity. This examination reveals four dominant viewpoints that shed light on the different ways in which occupational therapists identify with their profession. Our study emphasises the importance that therapists place on the three stages that structure the various perspectives of their professional identity: university training, the period before university training, and the period after university training.

4.1. Before University Training

The findings showed that Viewpoint 1 (professional identity, thanks to mentors) gives a clear image of a vocational discipline. Given that professional identity encompasses professional self-perception [ 49 ], it is evident how participants join a discipline with some knowledge of its professional goals and skills. Monrouxe [ 50 ] and Vignoles et al. [ 51 ] have argued that many factors contribute to the professional identity of a health professional, including social class, ethnic origin, personal values and beliefs, their perception of being unique, and the interpretation of others’ perceptions [ 52 ]. Our study confirms these factors, along with the influence of five viewpoints:

• (a) Personal: Mark et al. [ 52 ] described how personal relationships, social class, previous education, and social environmental factors can shape an individual’s professional identity. As a result of the multiplicity and interaction of these factors, it has been suggested that professional identity, even before starting university studies, follows its own path, which is determined by the person who chooses to study occupational therapy over other disciplines [ 50 , 53 ].
• (b) Family: As with other disciplines, such as nursing [ 52 ], studies included in the research by Mao et al. [ 54 ] suggest that family support is closely linked to the selection of a particular degree. Our study confirms that nursing students who have relatives working in the health sector express a higher interest in completing a certain training program [ 55 , 56 , 57 ].
• (c) Professional: Mark et al. [ 52 ] noted that clinical experience, role models (e.g., teaching staff, preceptors, and mentors), and exposure to the profession before formal training influence the establishment of a professional identity [ 5 , 50 , 53 ]. Rituals, rites of passage, and symbols in education and health institutions can also contribute to the creation of a professional identity [ 50 ].
• (d) Others: As in the study by Mark et al. [ 52 ], the interest in pursuing occupational therapy studies is linked to an individual’s exposure to a professional before professional training [ 5 ] or to the discourse held by the institutions where the studies were completed.
• (e) Gender: Finally, we believe that gender is a core element in the decision to study occupational therapy. Our sample corroborates that only 8% of occupational therapists are men, while 92% are women [ 58 ], and 10% are LGBT [ 59 ]. This situation is similar to that in other disciplines. Although occupational therapy has traditionally been considered a female-dominated occupation, it is experiencing an increase in the number of male professionals. However, this number is insufficient to achieve professional parity, contributing to the gender inequality present in most professions [ 60 ].

4.2. During University Training

This section of the study explored the influence of the academic and clinical practice environments on the establishment of professional identity among occupational therapy students. The findings from Viewpoint 2 (a grey field on professional identity) offered mixed views on the impact of university training on the development of professional identity. The study revealed that the concept of professional identity was not adequately structured during the university training stage, leading to a crisis among students. As a result, participants compensated for the lack of training by seeking mentors who could serve as role models. This was highlighted in Viewpoint 4 (the role of education and mentors on the own professional identity).

In Viewpoint 2, the study found that the level of professional identity decreased as students progressed in their professional studies. This finding was consistent with other disciplines, such as nursing [ 54 ]. The increase in professional skills and knowledge did not strengthen students’ confidence to provide care. The authors agreed with Khodaei et al. [ 61 ] and Shaterjalali et al. [ 62 ], in that the disconnection between theoretical and practical training may contribute to a decrease in professional identity. This may occur because theory trainers tend to teach ideal knowledge, while practical trainers provide information regarding real activities.

The lack of a clear professional identity was identified as a crisis point among participants. While well-managed crises can contribute to personal and professional growth, an insufficient feedback mechanism may worsen the crisis [ 63 , 64 ]. Participants in the study felt the need to justify their work, in comparison to other socially better-considered occupations, such as medicine, nursing, and psychology. This scenario was previously described by Mark et al. [ 52 ], who emphasised that other professionals considered biomedical models and psychological theories better than professional activities. This situation led to occupational therapists being questioned about the value of their profession and the justification of their practices based on their occupation.

The transition from a student to a professional therapist was stressful for participants, as highlighted by Pillen et al. [ 65 ] and Volkmann and Anderson [ 66 ]. The authors noted that this stage is frequently described as a fight that can be triggered by relational dilemmas, which can threaten a student’s professional identity. When students are allowed to articulate their thoughts on their skills, experiences, and needs, a space for the knowledge and growth of their professional identity is provided to them [ 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 ]. This reflection, as quoted by Pang [ 73 ], helps to reciprocally consolidate confidence, competency, and professional identity.

The authors agreed with Ibarra [ 74 ] and Goldie [ 75 ] that university training enables a high number of theoretical spaces. However, it did not help participants, in this particular case, to identify who they are and whom they want to become in their professional role, in terms of their attributes, beliefs, values, reasons, and experiences. This situation affects the development of the occupational therapist’s professional identity, since the concept of feeling, thinking, and acting as an occupational therapist is not internalised [ 76 ].

The lack of a clear professional identity led to role confusion, mainly due to others’ perceptions of the occupational therapy profession, as well as the perceptions of the professionals of their own work. This role confusion generated an understanding of the discipline both from the inside and the outside, as warned by Ashby et al. [ 63 ], Drolet and Desormeaux-Moreau [ 17 ], Edwards and Dirette [ 42 ], Sauvageau et al. [ 77 ], and Turner and Knight [ 26 ]. The study found that this confusion impacted the way occupational therapists carried out their job, increasing the level of emotional anguish, generating a lack of interest, and promoting stereotypes of the discipline.

In Viewpoint 4, participants emphasised the important role of mentors and supervisors in the development of their professional identity during their practical training. The influence of role models on the development of professional identity has been previously documented in the literature. For example, Mark et al. [ 52 ] described the importance of interaction with referent professionals in the discipline for transferring knowledge and skills, which, in turn, can contribute to the development of professional identity.

Our study findings support the idea that the image projected by mentors and supervisors was assimilated by participants and became a key factor in the development of their professional identity. Participants highlighted the importance of these relationships in shaping their understanding of the core values and beliefs of the occupational therapy profession, which played a significant role in the development of their own professional identity.

The concept of professional identity development can be understood in the context of the four stages described by Sauvageau et al. [ 77 ]: crisis, awakening, exploration, and commitment. The practical training stage, where participants had the opportunity to work with mentors and supervisors, appears to have been an awakening stage for our participants. This is supported by the emergence of a sense of direction and purpose in their professional practice, as well as a greater level of confidence in their abilities and professional identity.

Overall, our study highlights [ 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ] the important role that mentors and supervisors can play in the development of professional identity among occupational therapy students. It also sheds light on the challenges that students face in developing a strong professional identity during their university training [ 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ]. As such, these findings have important implications for the design of educational programs and training models for occupational therapy students, with a particular focus on the role of mentors and practical training experiences in supporting the development of a strong and resilient professional identity [ 86 , 87 ].

4.3. After University Training

Our findings regarding the professional identity of occupational therapists, highlighted in Viewpoint 3 (reaffirming a common professional identity), show a need to share working spaces with other occupational therapists, in order to consolidate and develop the professional identity. Even once they are in the labour market, occupational therapists keep putting their trust in training, as can be seen in Viewpoint 5 (the outcome of ongoing training to develop the professional identity), to complement university training with more benefits than drawbacks [ 49 ].

Professional identity can become even more specific when taking working experience into account [ 88 ]. Understanding that professional responsibility implies learning the patient’s needs will open the door to understanding what being an occupational therapist means [ 82 ]. For this reason, the transition to practice for recently graduated occupational therapists may be challenging [ 70 , 72 , 89 ]. Moores and Fitzgerald [ 90 ] mention that new graduates face many demands, including those made by complex working environments [ 91 , 92 ] and those created by a discrepancy between their expectations and their hands-on experience.

We agree with the participants in our study that interaction with other occupational therapists promotes professional identity, since the latter develops from a sense of belonging and uniqueness [ 49 ]. Professional identity is greatly reinforced by non-clinical work, such as teaching or research together with other colleagues, and it is essential to any discipline where students or recent graduates are barely aware of it [ 75 , 90 , 93 ]. Seeking support from old supervisors and colleagues was an action that led to their practice, which became a clear and relevant model to reaffirm their professional identity. In relation to this, Moores and Fitzgerald [ 90 ] not only mentioned this cooperation between professionals of the same discipline, but also highlighted that team members and colleagues may become a relevant resource to help recent graduates to undergo their transition.

From our point of view, as stated previously in the study, the evolution of professional identity also takes place thanks to interactions with others. We agree with Goldie [ 75 ] and Warmington and McColl [ 93 ] that the development process of professional identity encompasses a transformation period of mainly a social and relational nature. Through this relationship with their peers, occupational therapists are exposed to their discourse and update norms, values, and roles of their profession, which the therapist can compare with and differentiate from [ 94 , 95 ].

A poor transition in the identity-forging process may entail a professional crisis. Participants mention them in this study from the approach of a lack of confidence in their actions and decision-making process. These aspects have already been examined by Holland et al. [ 67 ], who raised the alarm about the fact that recently graduated students expressed their need to feel confident in their role [ 70 ], since after six months, a professional confidence crisis arises. We put this crisis down to a problematic transition from a student to a professional, which is mainly due to a lack of understanding, belief in their role, awareness of the limits in their discipline, and deprecation of the profession, all this influenced by the nonachievement of those expectations, which leads them to a lack of confidence, as mentioned by Holland et al. [ 67 ].

Regarding this, the latency of this crisis may linger until the first years of working experience, which is confirmed by this study. The difference changes in the role during the first years and the transition over periods of one or two years to gain professional expertise and to adapt to the complexity of the working environment make participants more familiar with the daily routine and prove to be more competent. As happens in other disciplines, such as nursing [ 54 ], we believe that professional identity starts to outline after the first five years.

In our opinion, the initial crisis faced by occupational therapists can be attributed to the demands of a labour world where interprofessional cooperation generates complex challenges that some professionals struggle to solve [ 2 ]. Furthermore, other professions with a strong professional identity require decision-making or problem-solving that cannot be achieved by many occupational therapists. We concur with Best and William [ 49 ] that interdisciplinary teamwork poses a challenge for occupational therapists.

Professional identity is constantly evolving, and ongoing training is one of the defining features of the occupational therapy profession, as it helps to acknowledge the remaining attributes that contribute to our understanding of professional identity [ 82 ]. Knowledge drawn from ongoing training enhances the confidence of professionals in their work by providing expertise [ 67 ]. As professionals grow, their need to specialise in their training also grows. We believe that ongoing training strengthens professionals’ confidence in their tasks by providing expertise [ 67 ].

We believe that university training may leave some gaps in participants’ knowledge and that efficient ongoing training is essential to overcoming professional technicisms and adapting knowledge to the professional reality [ 96 ]. Ongoing training managed by professional colleges and associations [ 97 ], or even university postgraduate courses, allows individuals to have more autonomy in choosing the type of training they would like to undergo, in contrast to a rigid university training that does not always match the working practice. We think that ongoing training should be focused on understanding the skills required for the occupational therapist profession by identifying the main features of the professional profile in the working practice.

We have observed that participants emphasise the importance of ongoing education over undergraduate education, as occupational therapists realise that ongoing training is not a passive experience [ 98 ]. Ongoing training helps professionals find answers to the development of the discipline, establish connections between concepts learned during the undergraduate period and new, context-specific ones, and gain experience. Under these circumstances, all that has been learned merges with new knowledge, experience, and confidence and reflects ability, yielding professional growth. Benner [ 99 ] and Mao et al. [ 54 ] suggested five stages that all professionals must pass through in the development of their professional identity after training. These five stages (beginner, advanced beginner, competent, professional, and expert) are also proposed by Schell and Schell [ 100 ] or Talavera [ 41 ], in the case of the development of professional reasoning skills for occupational therapists. This leads us to believe that professional reasoning and professional identity are linked to professional growth, as highlighted by Moruno [ 101 ], Schell and Schell [ 100 ], and Talavera [ 41 ].

4.4. Limitations and Strengths of the Study

The fact that participants were recruited from different working fields could be considered the main sampling potential limitation. Nevertheless, these differences were monitored and were taken into account to optimise the group’s heterogeneity to obtain the greatest diversity of viewpoints. Another potential limitation could be related to the whole sample, since these are occupational therapists exclusively located in Spain, which may hinder the ability to transfer the outcome to professionals in other contexts.

Despite this, the aim of Q methodology, and our study, is to display the viewpoint and opinion diversity rather than favouring the transfer of this outcome. The strengths of this study lie in its potential transferability and its use of Q methodology. Our findings on Spanish occupational therapists’ professional identity can serve as a framework for future studies in this area. Q methodology’s focus on subjectivity may uncover diverse perspectives, thus enabling the framework to expand. Additionally, these findings may support the development of stronger professional identities and improved professionals.

4.5. Future Lines

In this field, and with the potential of Q methodology: (a) A comprehensive study on the educators’ training could be undertaken, since they impact in one way or another the professional identity of the participants; (b) it could be channelled to stages prior to university entry; (c) the influence of working environments where occupational therapists carry out their internships could also be analysed.

5. Conclusions

The findings of this study lead us to the conclusion that occupational therapy is a vocation, but there are gaps in understanding the tasks of occupational therapists at the university stage, which hinders the development of a professional identity. The study suggests that university training alone may not be sufficient to build a solid understanding of professional identity, and internships with external mentors during the university stage may be necessary for its consolidation. As occupational therapists work with other professionals, there must be enough discussion to encourage professional identity, while undergoing more discipline-oriented training as the years go by.

This study contributes to a broader understanding of the work culture in occupational therapy by questioning some aspects of university training that the participants mentioned concerning the forging of professional identity. The results provide a view of the priorities shared by the occupational therapists who took part in this research. This awareness may not only impact the understanding of the professional identity formation process, but also provide a solid context for supporting occupational therapists in developing their professional identity.

It can be concluded that there is no book with a universal answer on how to develop a professional identity. However, this study confirms that decision-making, confidence, relationships with colleagues from the same or different disciplines, reasoning, mentorship, practical experience, ongoing training, and the ability to adapt to changes are core factors of professional identity for the participants in this study.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á. and M.-Á.T.-V.; methodology, L.-J.M.-Á.; software, L.-J.M.-Á.; validation, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á. and M.-Á.T.-V.; formal analysis, L.-J.M.-Á.; investigation, A.-I.S.-G.; resources, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á., M.-Á.T.-V. and M.-d.-P.G.-d.-l.-T.; data curation, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á. and M.-Á.T.-V.; writing—original draft preparation, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á. and M.-Á.T.-V.; writing—review and editing, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á., M.-d.-P.G.-d.-l.-T. and M.-Á.T.-V.; visualization, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á., M.-Á.T.-V. and M.-d.-P.G.-d.-l.-T.; supervision, M.-Á.T.-V. and M.-d.-P.G.-d.-l.-T.; project administration, A.-I.S.-G., L.-J.M.-Á. and M.-Á.T.-V. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethical approval: University of A Coruña’s Ethics Committee, approval number 2022-001. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards, as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Sample Essay On Occupational Therapy

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Profession , Health , White Collar Crime , Psychology , Health Care , Therapy , Actions , Activity

Published: 12/22/2021

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This paper would discuss the professional activity of the occupational therapists – the healthcare professionals, who face with the set of the challenges, caused by the diseases or injury - such as emotional, physical, or mental complications. The occupational therapists are referred as integral part of the healthcare team, which may also involve such professionals as physicians, physical therapists, physician assistants etc. It means that the notion ‘occupation’ in this case is mainly related with the completing of the essential tasks by the professionals on the daily basis. In other words, those students, who have made the decision of being occupational therapists, would assist other members of the healthcare team in participation in “occupations” of their life to the fullest possible extent (College of Science and Health, 2011). The occupational therapy may be referred as the profession in the area of the health care, which implies the practical application of the purposeful activity for the further achievement of such effect which has the potential of preventing the disability of the injury, promotion of the healthy lifestyle as well as the sustain, improve or rehabilitate the highest independence (in terms of the health condition) rate among the patients. One of the major reasons for choosing the occupational therapy as an area of professional activity is an option of working in the set of the healthcare settings - such as rehabilitation hospitals, acute care, facilities for curing the mental disease, nursing homes etc. In addition, the major focus of the profession is put on the assistance of the proper patient’s responses on the functional problems, related with the demonstration of performance, acquisition of the skills or pursuing the meaningful living. Finally, the daily activities of the occupational therapists imply the embracement of the case-based approach towards learning as well as practicing the client-oriented approach towards resolution of the routine problems (Stockton University, 2016).

Stockton University (2016) Occupational Therapy. Retrieved from: http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=73&pageID=295

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Essay on Introduction to Purposeful Activity

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• 3 Works Cited

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