therapeutic agent – have you got it ?

©2013 North Queensland Therapy Services Pty Ltd. Not to be copied or reproduced without consent. 2013

Therapeutic Agent – Have You Got It ?

By Anna Nicholls

Occupational Therapist / Ergonomist



Introduction


Practice Scholars Network



By Dunton 1919• Occupation is as necessary to life as

food and drink.• Every human being should have both

physical and mental occupation• All should have occupations which

they enjoy, or hobbies• Sick minds, sick bodies and sick souls

may be healed through occupation



Foundation of Occupational Therapy

• Foundations of Occupational Therapy – “Human is an occupational being for whom occupation is a basic need”

• Extending this, anything reducing a humans ability to engage in occupation has the potential to negatively affect the health and well being of the individual even to generate pathology



Core of the Model

•Knowing What•Knowing How•Therapeutic Agent



Knowing What ?Foundation Sciences• Anatomy• Physiology• Social Theories• Occupational therapy theories• Systems• Legal requirements• Research



Knowing How ?• How to do a shower assessment• How to do a home visit• How to do a FCA• How do you measure a patient for a

wheelchair• How to teach manual handling skills• How to do a worksite assessment



Therapeutic Agent• Clinical and professional reasoning for

each situation• Targeted and individual problem solving• More effective personal skills and

competencies• Useful professional power for individuals

advocate for people, for systems to change



Therapeutic Use of Self

• The term “Therapeutic use of self” – it is defined as:

• “The therapists conscious efforts to optimize their interaction with clients. It is the planned use of his or her personality, insights, perceptions and judgements as part of the therapeutic process. “

• (Taylor, Lee, Kielhofner, Kelkar (2009) Therapeutic use of self: A nationwide survey of practitioners’ attitudes and experiences. AMOT 63: 198-207.



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Injury ManagementAdjusting the JCU Model to Injury Management Model



Knowing What

• Health professionals• Legal professionals• Discrimination law• Legislation



Knowing How• How to write suitable duties programs• How to communicate with doctors• How to monitor an injured worker• How to complete the claim application• How to manage the cost of claims for a

company• How to manage claims



Therapeutic Agents• Therapeutic Use of Self• Good communicator• Very patient• Empathetic• But still goal and outcome focused• Persistent



Non – Therapeutic Agents

• Burn out is common• Time limited • The wrong people doing the job• Qualified professionals are not immune to this• Collect data • Measure outcomes• Could a better outcome have been achieved

with a different person involved in the case


Are you a Therapeutic Agent



So Back to our model

• Knowing what• Knowing how• Therapeutic agents• Do you have all of these in place –

are they the best for the job and giving you a holistic view to best support the person



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Acknowledgements

• Yvonne Thomas at the OT Department, James Cook University

• Practice Scholars Network – all the therapists and academics involved

• Staff at NQTS• My patients and customers over many years

who have facilitated my learning• And Bill Neven



The End

Thank You……..

…………………any questions?

therapeutic agent – have you got it ?

Documents

undergraduate curriculum

role of practice scholar

practice areaa commitment

innovative curriculum

revised curriculum

practice scholar group

existing undergraduate

practicea commitment