DOING OCCUPATION: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO OCCUPATION-BASED PRACTICE

Background: Even with an avowed intent that occupational therapy (OT) practice should be occupation-based, practitioners identify that this can be difficult to achieve within many settings. Aiken, Fourt, Cheng and Polatajko... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Even with an avowed intent that occupational therapy (OT) practice should be occupation-based, practitioners identify that this can be difficult to achieve within many settings. Aiken, Fourt, Cheng and Polatajko (2011) labeled this challenge the “meaning gap” in our practice.
Method:
This narrative inquiry examined stories of four occupational therapists as they had encountered, and explored ways to bridge, this meaning gap. Therapists with varying educational preparation, number of years of experience, and from diverse practice areas and settings participated in individual interviews with the researcher along with “research dinners” in which participants shared practice stories. Transcribed interviews and group discussions were examined within the three-dimensional inquiry space (Clandinin, 2007), exploring narratives in terms of continuity, interaction of personal and social, and impact of place. Narrative accounts of each participant were shared with them individually to ensure that narratives were represented accurately. Further revisions to the narrative accounts were completed and the four accounts compared for points of connection/disconnection.
Results:
Participants reported that they struggled with the meaning gap, and employed a variety of bridging strategies. The value of strong theoretical underpinnings, occupational language, and venturing into new practice areas/settings were some identified strategies. Across narrative accounts, OT identity, real over simulated activities, spiritual dimensions of practice, and resisting dominant messages were identified as common issues.
Conclusion:
Occupation-based practice is rewarding and possible, though challenging, and can be supported with a variety of strategies.
Application to Practice:
Findings can be used in support of occupation-based practice.