Profession occupational therapist

Occupational therapists assist individuals or groups who have occupational limitations due to diseases, physical disorders, and temporary or permanent mental disabilities, in regaining their ability to perform daily activities. They provide treatment and rehabilitation to enable them to actively participate in society, to live their lives according to their wishes and to perform those activities that are meaningful to them.

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Personality Type

• Social / Investigative

Knowledge

• General medicine

  General medicine is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Neurology

  Neurology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Physical medicine

  The diagnosis and treatment methods applied to individuals with physical impairments or disabilities in order to help them restore their body functions lost because of medical injuries or medical diseases.

• Vocational rehabilitation

  The rehabilitation process of persons with functional, psychological, developmental, cognitive and emotional impairments or health disabilities to overcome barriers to accessing, maintaining or returning to employment or other useful occupation.

• Medical terminology

  The meaning of medical terms and abbreviations, of medical prescriptions and various medical specialties and when to use it correctly.

• Hygiene in a health care setting

  The procedures related to maintaining a hygienic environment within a health care setting such as hospitals and clinics. It can range from hand washing to cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment used and infection control methods.

• Paediatrics

  Paediatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Professional documentation in health care

  The written standards applied in the health care professional environments for documentation purposes of one`s activity.

• Orthopaedics

  Orthopaedics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Community-based rehabilitation

  The method of rehabilitation which involves the creation of social programs for the impaired or disabled persons to allow them integration into the community.

• Psychiatry

  Psychiatry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Occupational physiology

  The complex physiology of specific jobs and its relation to disorders and medical conditions and the way to optimize health, work ability, and productivity.

• Human physiology

  The science that studies the human organs and its interactions and mechanisms.

• Occupational science

  The study of everyday activity including the behaviours, characteristics, and patterns of behaviour and productivity.

• Ergonomics

  The science of designing systems, processes and products that complement the strengths of people so that they can use them easily and safely.

• Psychology

  The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.

• Sociology

  The group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

• Movement techniques

  The various types of movement and physical postures undertaken for relaxation, body-mind integration, stress reduction, flexibility, core support and rehabilitation purposes, and that are required for or underpin occupational performance.

• Pathology

  The components of a disease, the cause, mechanisms of development, morphologic changes, and the clinical consequences of those changes.

• Human anatomy

  The dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and altered anatomy and physiology throughout the human lifespan.

• Health care legislation

  The patients` rights and responsibilities of health practitioners and the possible repercussions and prosecutions in relation to medical treatment negligence or malpractice.

• Geriatrics

  Geriatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Occupational therapy theories

  The fundamental theories that underlie occupational therapy practice, occupation-based models, and frames of reference used in this context.'

• Medical informatics

  The processes and tools used for the analysis and dissemination of medical data through computerized systems.

• Supervision of persons

  The act of directing one individual or a group of individuals in a certain activity.

• Health care occupation-specific ethics

  The moral standards and procedures, ethical questions and obligations specific to occupations in a health care setting such as respect for human dignity, self-determination, informed consent and patient confidentiality.

Skills

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Undertake healthcare examination

  Assess the healthcare user's physical state, taking detailed information on previous injuries, surgery, general health, resources and lifestyle into account.

• Educate on the prevention of illness

  Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.

• Remediate healthcare user's occupational performance

  Remediate or restore the cognitive, sensorimotor, or psychosocial components of the healthcare user`s occupational performance.

• Encourage healthcare user's self-monitoring

  Encourage the healthcare user to engage in self-monitoring by conducting situational and developmental analyses on him- or herself. Assist the healthcare user to develop a degree of self-critique and self-analysis in regards to his behaviour, actions, relationships and self-awareness.

• Instruct on the use of special equipment for daily activities

  Instruct on how to use specialised equipment such as wheelchairs and eating aids in their daily activities.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Monitor patients' progress related to treatment

  Observe and report on healthcare users' response to medical treatment, monitoring their progress or decay on a daily basis and modifying the treatment procedures whenever necessary.

• Perform patient activity analyses

  Perform activity analyses of a patient in the sense of linking requirement and ability analyses. Understand the activity, its demands and context.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Use computer programs to improve patients' skills

  Use specialised computer programs to help patients improve skills they use in their daily lives, working on decision-making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, problem-solving, and perceptual skills.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

• Perform occupation analyses

  Perform an occupation analysis and assess how an activity is experienced by an individual, taking into account the influence on their performance.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Advise on environmental alterations

  Advise on environmental alterations in the home and workplace to accommodate patients, such as wheelchair accessibility.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Assist healthcare users achieve autonomy in everyday activities

  Assist healthcare users to achieve autonomy in all types of activity, like dressing, cooking, eating, and using a computer.

• Develop a rehabilitation programme

  Develop a rehabilitation programme to help patients rebuild their skills and restore their confidence.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Exercise patience

  Have patience by dealing with unexpected delays or other waiting periods without becoming annoyed or anxious.

• Motivate patiens

  Encourage the patient's motivation to change and promote the belief that therapy can help, using techniques and treatment engagement procedures for this purpose.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Apply techniques of occupational therapy

  Apply occupational therapy techniques, such as retraining, and splinting in the rehabilitation and recovery of patients, and advising patients on their daily activities.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Create individual treatment programmes

  Develop treatment programmes to suit each individual patient, helping patients achieve more independence and confidence in their daily lives.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Communicate effectively in healthcare

  Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.

• Identify the healthcare user’s personal capacity

  Identify the healthcare user's personal capacity to act in all spheres of life taking account of environmental factors with regard to the social, cultural, physical and institutional setting, identifying biomechanical, motoric, sensory/perceptive, cognitive and psychosocial skills and competences of the healthcare user.

• Facilitate healthcare user's engagement in occupations

  Identify meaningful and healthy occupations and strategies in partnership with the healthcare user, to enable him to reach his goals.

• Assess risks for the elderly

  Visit the patient`s home to identify environmental factors that contribute to falls or other injuries of the elderly present.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Educate patient's relations on care

  Educate patient`s caregivers, family, or employer on how to accommodate and care for the patient.

• Record healthcare users' progress related to treatment

  Record the healthcare user's progress in response to treatment by observing, listening and measuring outcomes.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Provide assistive technology

  Provide persons with assistive technology to enable them to perform activities more functionally.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB