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Doing occupational therapy: dimensions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction
1Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1532.
Summary
Occupational therapists experience practice through the dimensions of Change, Community, and Craft. These aspects shape the core nature of providing occupational therapy services.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Therapy
- Phenomenological Research
- Healthcare Practice
Background:
- Understanding the lived experience of occupational therapists is crucial for enhancing practice.
- Previous research has explored clinical reasoning, but the holistic experience of doing therapy requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and understand the nature of the lived experience of occupational therapists.
- To identify key dimensions that define the practice of occupational therapy.
Main Methods:
- A phenomenological study design was employed.
- 148 occupational therapists nationwide provided narrative data on satisfying and dissatisfying practice experiences.
- Dimensional analysis techniques were used to analyze the qualitative data.
Main Results:
- Three overarching dimensions of occupational therapy practice emerged: Change, Community, and Craft.
- Change relates to the outcomes and endings of therapeutic stories.
- Community reflects the harmony within interrelationships, while Craft encompasses therapeutic skills and the core experience of practice.
Conclusions:
- The findings of Change, Community, and Craft complement existing models of clinical reasoning.
- This study deepens the understanding of the multifaceted experience of doing occupational therapy.