The shaping of professional identity and education of occupational therapist students in Denmark - a qualitative...

Few studies are available regarding occupational therapist students' experiences relating to their professional identity during their education.

The aim was to gain knowledge about the process that occupational therapist students undergo in the shaping of their professional identity.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants divided into two phases: a phenomenological phase, followed up by a hermeneutical phase. The data was analysed with the use of thematic analysis.

Three themes emerged: study environment, responsibility, and choice of internships. As a part of the first theme study environments, the relations among the students were important for the shaping of a professional identity.

The occupational therapy students undergo an increasing sense of responsibility throughout the education programme. Particularly, the clinical practice was found to have a positive impact on the shaping of professional identity.

The findings in the study can contribute to clarifying students' perspectives on the shaping of their professional identity. Based on these findings the occupational therapist education programmes could integrate these elements as a part of their curriculum.