Defining the profession's expertise is difficult, for sure. One of the reasons I chose OT as a profession is the infinite array of "career paths" within the one "profession." It is often one of the things I discuss when talking to others about my joy in my career. Personally, I have "specialized" in pediatrics and autism. I would consider myself an expert in that area. I have dabbled in stroke and orthopedic rehab. Although I would consider myself COMPETENT and CONFIDENT in my skills to effectively help those patients return to their base occupation, I by no means would consider myself an EXPERT.
So, to answer the question. I will choose to define OT's expertise in the same manner I explain OT to those who need educating :) What an OT does (therefore my perspective of our expertise as a profession) is to return someone....ANYONE....to their daily occupations. Whether it be a child, whose occupational role is to play and learn, or be it a older man s/p CVA whose daily occupations include making the same PB&J sandwich everyday, like he has for the past 15 years..... OUR job is to facilitate the return to or begin to engage in meaningful, functional occupations of life. When I transitioned from peds to adults people in my life had a hard time understanding why people who had a stroke would need to swing and play. I realized that my explanation of OT had been specific in my previous career, but lacking in the overall explanation of my profession. It seems like explaining the idea and theory of occupation has better educated those in my life who are not OTs!! Bottom line..... (and being a long time lurker, I believe this will be the answer you are looking for, Ron:) ) Our professional expertise is.... (drumroll, please) OCCUPATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whatever that means to the patient or client, it is our role to facilitate that, in whatever means is appropriate, effective and meaningfult to that person. Phew..... longwinded for a first time responder!! Kelly, OTR On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 7:30 AM, Juan Turcios <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > when you put it like that it can be difficult to answer. As we all know we > treat in a wide variety of environments so the professions expertise is > difficult to answer like that. But when you look at the individual and > their > experience as an OT then you can more or less say that you are an expert. > But being an expert or claiming that you are an expert in an area, to me, > sais that you poses extra education and experience in that area. I have > been > an OT for 10 yrs and have done a lot of geriatrics( stc/ltc, and home > health), EI, DOE, and lately i have been specializing in driving, but i do > not consider myself an expert in any of the above mentioned. But i have met > OT that are experts in their field like Susan Pierce is an expert in > driving. Then to that question i will ask about our counterpart professions > like PT or ST. They would also fall under the same realm as ours. What is > their professions expertise. It's very difficult to answer. > Juan > > > On 9/2/08, Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Thanks Juan! > > > > What is the PROFESSION's expertise. > > > > Ron > > -- > > Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Juan Turcios <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 > > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > > > JT> I believe that OT are experts in what they do, be it early > > intervention, > > JT> geriatrics, driving, hands. It all depends on experience and > training. > > Most > > JT> important is how does the individual feel about their skills as an > OT. > > Do we > > JT> as practitioners feel that we are experts in our fields? Would we be > > able to > > JT> go into a courtroom as an expert witness, etc. But I do think that we > > can be > > JT> experts. Juan C. Turcios > > > > JT> On 9/2/08, Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> > > >> Thanks for the definitions. > > >> > > >> So, what do members of this list see as OT's expertise???????? > > >> > > >> > > >> Ron > > >> -- > > >> Ron Carson MHS, OT > > >> > > >> ----- Original Message ----- > > >> From: Susan Orloff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >> Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 > > >> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > >> Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > >> > > >> SO> Before we can say what OT Expertise is we have to define > > "expertise"... > > >> > > >> SO> on the web... > > >> SO> A capability of a person to perform an operation in a limited > domain > > >> SO> with exceptional results when compared to others capable of > > performing > > >> SO> the same operation > > >> > > >> SO> Special skill in or knowledge about a particular topic or > activity. > > >> > > >> SO> Specialized domain knowledge, skills, tricks, shortcuts and > > rules-of- > > >> SO> thumb that provide an ability to rapidly and effectively solve > > >> SO> problems within a particular domain. > > >> > > >> SO> Knowledge and skills gained from both/either training and/or > > >> SO> experience, ie, practice wisdom > > >> > > >> > > >> SO> So having defined "expertise" it becomes easier to define OT > > >> SO> Expertise---But inclusive of all that is above, it is also about > the > > >> SO> background of experience to have a "sixth sense" about what you > are > > >> SO> observing (in the client both passive and interactive) so that > your > > >> SO> therapeutic actions meld into a response that is knowledge and > > >> SO> experience based, intuitive and creative. > > >> > > >> SO> Being able to keep passionate about not what you know but what you > > >> SO> have yet to learn and to emerese yourself in that process for the > > >> SO> benefit of colleagues and clients. > > >> > > >> SO> Susan N. Schriber Orloff, OTR/L > > >> SO> CEO/Exec. Director > > >> SO> Children's Special Services, LLC > > >> SO> Atlanta, GA > > >> > > >> > > >> SO> On Sep 1, 2008, at 7:33 PM, Ron Carson wrote: > > >> > > >> >> Anyone??? > > >> >> > > >> >> ----- Original Message ----- > > >> >> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >> >> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 > > >> >> To: OTlist <[email protected]> > > >> >> Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > >> >> > > >> >> RC> What do you think is OT's expertise? > > >> >> > > >> >> RC> Ron > > >> >> RC> -- > > >> >> RC> Ron Carson MHS, OT > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> -- > > >> >> Options? > > >> >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > >> >> > > >> >> Archive? > > >> >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -- > > >> Options? > > >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > >> > > >> Archive? > > >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > Options? > > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > > > Archive? > > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
