Occupational Therapy Worldview

Occupational therapy is a profession that is currently growing faster than anyone would have expected. Because of the increase in demands for occupational therapy services, therapists are having larger caseloads, needing the help of more occupational therapists. Occupational therapy in the mental health setting is one environment that has grown in popularity over the last decade. Knowing the benefits of occupational therapy in this setting, and the expansion of clients needing occupational therapy services, more funding needs to be established in this setting.

Loma Linda University stands out for many reasons. First of all, the faith that is embodied within the university community is very appealing. Connecting people who prioritize faith in their daily lives results in establishing a healthy network of individuals who value one another and work closely together. This not only allows students to be great team players and helps residents support each other, but also aids me to incorporate my faith in becoming a successful orthodontist in the future. Loma Linda also provides an opportunity to continue serving the community by participating in mission trips and community outreach programs. From a very young age, my family has harvested the need of using my talents to serve others. This has led me to

The concepts and principles in the Founding Vision of 1917 and the Centennial Vision of 2007 establish a connection between our past and present. Comparing the two Visions shows that many of our modern day values were first outlined by occupational therapy’s founders a century ago. The Founding Vision reads, “The particular objects for which the corporation is formed are as follows: The advancement of occupation as a therapeutic measure; for the study of the effect of occupation upon the human being; and for the scientific dispensation of this knowledge” (National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy [NSPOT], 1917). Where the Centennial Vision reads, “We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven,

Most of my professional life to date has focused on working with people with disabilities and in helping them identify and achieve their goals. As an occupational therapist, I had coursework in psychology, but no formal training in counseling. My ability to help my patients reach their highest potential really depended on my professional relationship, or what as therapists we referred to as “therapeutic use of self”. I certainly learned and used specific techniques and assessments over the years to help me achieve better outcomes, but never identified with any specific theory as the framework of my interactions. I recognize there were times when my personality and my skills were a great match and other times when I felt like I just couldn’t figure out the right approach. Thankfully for much of my career, I worked with an interdisciplinary team that included some very skilled psychologists, so I always had the ability to consult.

Within four weeks of fieldwork, occupational therapy students got to know most of the residents at Ruth’s House (dementia unit). The residents have various medical conditions that limit their physical and mental capabilities. Anita, one of the residents in the facility exhibited a range of physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Based on direct observation, Anita demonstrated fluctuating alertness periods. With no evident trigger, Anita had multiple acute episodes of confusion, irritability, and agitation. In a several group sessions, she was restless and was very difficult to redirect. She kept standing up despite being told to take a seat so she does not fall. She was verbally disorganized. In addition, during the 2-week fieldwork,

Vi would benefit from skilled occupational therapy services for post op rehabilitation of flexor tendon laceration of the wrist to improve overall independence with functional activities of daily living as well as identifying areas of interest in leisure activities to address Vi's underlying depression. Therefore the performance areas that will be addressed in occupational therapy sessions are as follows:

I immediately saw the connection between the education received and how well one was able to help others based off the knowledge they acquired. This realization became my core value when searching for colleges that provided an undergraduate degree that would help me to acquire credits and qualify for Occupational Therapy school. Middle Tennessee State quickly rose to the top of my list, once location, class size, price,educational opportunities, and other areas of involvement were considered. This university proved to be the most beneficial for me and my objective because the classes provide more personalized, hands on learning that I believe could put me ahead in my designated career. This is especially important because the more successful I am in my pursuing an education and career, the more I am likely to be able to make a difference in the lives of

I am writing to apply for the Master of Occupational Therapy Practice with Swinburne University of Technology. I initially studied Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Occupational Therapy Practice at La Trobe University from 2013-2017. I took an alternative exit to Bachelor of Health Science as I was excluded from the course due to failing the same subject/placement three times. Despite difficulties and failures, I am determined to strive and become a qualified and competent Occupational Therapist. I always want to become an Occupational Therapist since I was young.

While shadowing occupational therapy professionals at Montgomery General Hospital, I gained much insight into the profession and the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of a COTA. The entire facility caseload consisted of geriatric patients, and many of the diagnoses were due to cognitive deficits or recent falls due to weak lower extremities. Diagnoses observed were dementia, CVA, a hip fracture, a total knee replacement, osteoarthritis of the shoulder, bilateral upper extremity/lower extremity weakness, and total blindness.

Occupational therapy has been in the process of continued development since the 1900’s. With several contributors helping to build the groundwork for creating the awareness needed to bring occupational therapy into the field of health care. Continued research is contributing to the ongoing significance of how occupational therapy is a vital aspect in promoting increased independences in all aspects of healthcare. (Willard, Schell, 2014) With the incorporation of “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd ed.)” helps creates the foundation for occupational therapy clinicians as well as other health care providers in facilitating the core believe of occupational and the relationship of health and occupation. (AOTA 2014) Therefore, providing a uniform outline of the various aspects of each individual and how they are interconnected to create the foundation of each individual. With a greater understanding of the foundations of that induvial, the clinician can then facilitate the best therapeutic treatment plan for that individual to achieve their personal goals with unified foundations of care.

I have personally witnessed the established, unprecedented and warmhearted culture, of Winston Salem State Universities Occupational Therapy program. I visited this program over the summer and experienced the mission state of the university and the occupational therapy program firsthand. I am genuinely a good fit for this program because my reason for becoming an occupational therapist is to offer patients to maintain and retrieve their quality of life. It is of supreme importance to me that every patient, no matter his or her race, background, or gender receives personal, professional, and effective treatment. The patient rehabilitation process reminds me of the universities history and foundation. Starting out as a one-room structure, the

What intrigues me most in the field of Occupational Therapy is that I could make a positive impact in the lives of others. An occupational therapist can help a patient revitalize their physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities, and develop or restore its functionality through continuous practice and effort. There is nothing more fulfilling for me than to see an individual achieving the greatest possible independence. This train of thought arose when I observed an occupational therapist working with my mother to return her arm to feeling normal again after her accident.

Without occupational therapists, millions of people would struggle to live their everyday lives. Occupational therapists give specialized assistance to people with physical, developmental, social or emotional problems. This assistance is used to live productive and independent or semi independent lives. Occupational therapists can be used, and is effective for people of all ages. Many people have not heard of occupational therapy and are not aware of the positive impact it has on members of our society. With this paper I want to spread the knowledge that I have on occupational therapy. Many people that could benefit from occupational therapy do not even know that it exists. This career is difficult for everyone involved, but the impact it has

Education is about growing one’s self and paving the path for one’s journey. Thus, every step of education is important. During my time at USF, I hope to not only learn in a classroom but also outside of the classroom. Learning, however, is not a one way process to learn is to teach, and to teach is to learn. Thus, I aim to share my experiences. I have been active in theatre and dedicated to video production. For others in an LLC, I hope to share my knowledge about these topics and my passion for learning.

A clinical situation that has taken place that has enabled me to incorporate the “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd Ed.)” (AOTA, 2014) into my approach was when an individual that has had a car accident during an ice storm. We will refer to this individual as Jane. She was a 55 year old housewife that was the primary caretaker of her husband who had suffered a stroke a few years ago. Jane took care of all the home management as well as transportation and health care needs for her husband. Jane was very active in her community as well as her family that lived several hours away.