I thought it would be beneficial to provide the steps to take in order to obtain an OT license, since most of us will be taking the certification exam and applying for a license. We are allowed to practice before taking the NBSOT exam, but OTs practicing under a temporary license are required to have supervision by a licensed OT. A student who has graduated from an accredited OT program, but has not passed the certification exam, may practice under a temporary license. However, they must practice under the supervision of a licensed OT in both the evaluation process and the intervention process. To obtain a license, these are the steps that are required: Graduate from an accredited OT or OTA educational program, complete fieldwork requirements, apply for and pass the NBCOT® Certification Examination, and apply for a license and pay a fee for each state/jurisdiction in which you wish to practice.

This article was interesting to read because it discussed the importance of professionalism and becoming successful within your first job. Several interviews with rehabilitation directors and other experienced healthcare professionals took place to discuss information about landing your first job. One of the individuals stated that it usually takes about six to eight months to learn a new role so it is important to stay in one setting or at one job for at least a year. Also, jumping from job to job does not demonstrate stability when an organization is looking into hiring you. Some of the directors recommend staying at a job for at least two years before you decide that you want to leave. For practitioners looking into going into the acute care setting, make sure you have a good general knowledge of various diagnoses because you will see a variety of diagnoses. It is also important for new graduates to look into jobs at organizations with a mentorship program. In this situation, you are assigned a mentor in which you can ask questions and learn from someone who has been in the game and really understands what is expected of the employees at the organization.

This article is from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. I felt that it went along with our discussion about becoming fieldwork educators in the future. This study researches the effectiveness of case studies that influence clinical reasoning vs, typical educational case studies. This study goes into depth about clinical reasoning and how it influences educational experiences of students. The research participants, OT students, were asked to complete intervention plans based on client needs and in response to both the medical model of clinical reasoning and paper case study educational methods of learning. Information was qualitatively reviewed to analyze the intervention plans and videotaped discussions were used to guide clinical reasoning process/learning experience. The results showed that clinical reasoning case studies, compared to traditional case studies, promoted three main themes including increased quality of intervention plans, participant confidence levels in treatment plans, and enhanced understanding of the clinical reasoning process. This study is important for FEs and educators to increase clinical reasoning process of students as well as interventions for clients.

This website summarizes the benefits of implementing evidence-based practice in the healthcare setting. This process may involve conducting research within the healthcare setting but it does not necessarily mean a healthcare professional has to be directly involved in conducting research. It can also mean to understand the latest evidence from research and use it to guide patient care to provide the best possible outcomes. Some of the benefits include a higher quality care that is supported by evidence and improved healthcare outcomes. This article also reports that healthcare professionals will also have increased confidence when making decisions and using critical thinking because their decisions will be supported. Using EBP may also reduce costs in healthcare because it is more effective and efficient. Insurance companies are also more likely to support practices that are evidence-based. It is important to understand the benefits of implementing EBP in occupational therapy because practitioners will be more likely to implement these supported practices if they understand the benefits.

Self-initiation, exploration, and free play are vital parts of growing up and learning for children. Children with physical disabilities may be deprived of normal play opportunities and hindered during this vital part of growing up. This can lead to disturbances in psychosocial health in children, also known as a second disability that decreases potential for independent behavior and performance. This interesting article describes the important role that occupational therapists have to increase independence and opportunities for children with physical disabilities. OT practitioners should consider a variety of factors when addressing needs of these children to influence play activities. These include considering the uniqueness of each child, understanding their capabilities, positively influencing parent-child and peer relationships, considering role of other caregivers, adapting toys and materials, and modifying the environment or the setting to promote success and play situations.

Documentation is extremely important in the OT profession, and is necessary whenever professional services are provided to a client. The AOTA standard's of practice state that, "an OT practitioner should document OT services and abide by the time frames, format, and standards established by practice settings, governmental agencies, payers, AOTA documents, and external accreditation agencies." This document is based on the AOTA framework and describes and defines the various components of documentation so that OT practitioners have a clearer idea of what documents are and how they can be used to document client services. I believe this document will be beneficial to us as we begin to start our jobs as practitioners and will assist us in the documentation process.