OTPF

What is the OTPF?
What is its purpose?

The OTPF stands for The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework. It is about 50 pages full of information that explain the goals and motives for occupational therapy practice, including definitions of different aspects of the field. It also defines that scope of practice for occupational therapy, meaning all of the knowledge and skills required and needed to practice as an OT. The reason for this framework is to ensure that all occupational therapists use the same language when working, to create a common ground and improve communication. It also makes certain that OTs are focusing on the correct aspects of the profession when working with clients. As an OT student, it is a great reference to learn about what I will be doing after school, and better prepare me for that time. 

Era Presentations

I found the era presentations in class today to be a unique and interesting way to learn about occupational therapy throughout the years. Each group brought their own spin to keep the class engaged, whether it was playing Kahoot to see what everyone learned, playing a video, or giving out food. The visual aides were especially helpful with cementing the information in each person’s brain. While the little details of the history might not be the most entertaining information to learn about, it is important to know the past 101 years of occupational therapy and how it has changed to be the profession we all want to become successful in today. This class was a great way to enjoy learning about the history.  The most memorable presentation for me was the 1980s, where they incorporated the Breakfast Club. Relating the history of the 1980s, as well as occupational therapy, to a well-known and loved movie was a great way to make the information memorable.

Knowledge Check 2/1

For this knowledge check, I read the blog post Where to Go with an OT Degree? OT Certifications and Specialties. One certification that stuck out to me on this post, as well as throughout my observation hours, is the Certified Hand Therapist, or CHT. I have shadowed multiple hand therapists and it was originally an area of OT that peaked my interest. I worked in Kaiser Permanente's Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy department in Washington, D.C. for a year before beginning OT school. At this job, I worked directly with a CHT and because she knew I was interested in this field, she always came to me for help with patients rather than the other technicians. On the blog, the requirements for getting your CHT are listed and the prerequisite for obtaining your CHT is 3 years of OT work, and 4,000 hours of of direct hand therapy work, which I think is a reasonable amount of time to become comfortable with working as an OT and gaining experience before being able to apply for the certification. 

In Gross Anatomy, we just finished learning about the upper extremities. Every day, I would come home from lecture and lab expressing my amazement from the hand and forearm. There are so many different muscles that go into the organization and function of these areas, each one with a specific and unique role. Learning the ins and outs of the hand and forearm has only peaked my interest in pursuing hand therapy.