OCCT9013 Transition to Contemporary Occupational Therapy Practice

This topic is the capstone topic in the Master of Occupational Therapy and supports the transition from student to practitioner. Students will undertake a series of workshops and engage in key OT stakeholder panels whereby they examine, reflect and discuss key contemporary issues within occupational therapy. Specific content will include analysing and comparing professional models; examining emerging and evolving areas of practice and the implications of these in terms of professional identity, ethics and competency; professional accountability including using evidence in practice and generating evidence from practice; specialisation and how it may evolve within the profession; future trends that are likely to shape the profession over the next two decades and particularly the ways in which cutting edge technology and knowledge may influence future OT practice. They will also engage with workshops on job seeking and interviewing skills.

This topic also gives students the opportunity to undertake in-depth study in an area of personal interest related to research, evaluation, quality management or development of an innovative resource or intervention relevant to occupational therapy. Students will develop an industry generated project plan and then work independently over the final 6 weeks of the topic to complete the project in collaboration with agencies as clients. Students will present their project as a poster presentation at a final seminar to peers, agency representatives and academic staff.

This topic aims to:

• Examine, debate and reflect on contemporary occupational therapy issues and future directions
• Review students' educational experience in the context of contemporary health and practice issues and OT competency standards
• Facilitate students' ability to develop and manage their own learning and transition to becoming an occupational therapy practitioner
• Provide students with the opportunity to contribute back to the field they are about to enter by way of completing an industry generated project

1. Analyse and compare key contemporary OT practice models, trends and their application in future practice
2. Identify and address issues and strategies in the transition from occupational therapy student to practitioner including job seeking skills, professional accountability, emerging areas of practice, use of evidence in practice, cultural responsiveness and culturally safe practice, client centred and consumer driven practice and professional development
3. Reflect on their educational experience, their current competency levels and develop a plan to address future learning and competency needs
4. Work collaboratively with an agency as client to develop and enact a project brief
5. Present their work back to the OT community at a professional level commensurate with a beginning level therapist