Mattingly, C. (1991). What is Clinical Reasoning? American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 979-986.

This article gives an interesting viewpoint regarding the use of clinical reasoning to defend treatment in occupational therapy. The author gives a nontraditional definition of clinical reasoning as being tacit, imagistic, and deeply phenomenological method of thinking. He argues that clinical reasoning is "more than the ability to offer explicit reasons that justify clinical decisions because it is also based on tacit understanding and habitual knowledge gained through experience," on top of what is known from the application of theory. I thought his viewpoint on the development and use clinical reasoning skills was very interesting.

MacEwan Dysart, A., & Tomlin, G. (2002). Factors Related To Evidence-Based Practice Among U.S. Occupational Therapy Clinicians. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 275-284.

This article examined how members of AOTA viewed utilized evidence based practics. It found that the majority of respondents (57%) implemented between one and five new, research-based treatment plans in the year prior to the survey. It also found, however, that "Compared with respondents with less experience, a greater proportion of respondents with 15 or more years of clinical experience did not believe that research conclusions usually translated into treatment plans for individual clients." I think that the findings of this article were very interesting regarding the use of EBP. As new OTs, we need to understand the importance of EBP in our own practice, but also find a way to introduce the evidence-based treatments to other practitioners that may be using out-date and unsupported treatments.

Hannah, S. (2011). Psychosocial Issues after a Traumatic Hand Injury: Facilitating Adjustment. Journal of Hand Therapy, 95-103.

This article talks about the ways in which a traumatic hand injury can effect a person both physically and psychosocially. It discusses how OTs and hand therapists need to be able to recognize and provide appropriate support and resources that have had this sort of injury. I thought that I was able to relate to this article from working in the Hand Clinic. I got to see first hand how an injury to the hand/arm can greatly effect the way a person is able to function day-to-day. Many of the patients that I worked with were unable to work or do the daily activities that are often taken for granted. Until working in the hand center, I never really realized how debilitating a hand injury can be.

Robinson, A., Tanchuk, C., & Sullivan, T. (2012). Professionalism and occupational therapy: An exploration of faculty and students' perspectives. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 275-284.

The purpose of this article was to explore occupational therapy faculty and students' perspectives of the meaning of professionalism. This article found that there were common themes identified by students and by faculty. Some of the common themes that were identified were maintaining professional relationships in practice, having professional awareness and maintaining a high level of professionalism, and that professionalism is context-specific in nature. Ultimately, the authors found that understanding and enacting professionalism is a developmental process.

Hummell, J. (1997). Effective fieldwork supervision: Occupational therapy student perspectives. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 147-157.

This article examines the views of OT students about what kind of supervision is most effective. Some of the skills that students identified as being important to effective supervision included: communication, teaching-learning, feedback and evaluation, and clinical/professional skills and support. In my first rotation, I feel as though I was able to be more successful because I knew that I had the support of my supervisor and maintained constant communication. The setting that I worked in also allowed me to get positive and negative feedback throughout the day so that I could work on my skills.

The American Occupational Therapy Association
Advisory Opinion for the Ethics Commission
Professional Boundaries: Where to Draw the Line

This article discusses ethics associated with occupational therapy, ranging from student-faculty relationships and general socialization to accepting gifts from clients. This article stresses that OT practitioners and educators must "understand the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and conducting themselves appropriately." It is important to adhere to professional boundaries when working with others in order to maintain an ethical practice. I think that this article presents some ethical dilemmas that we may face in the future as OTs.