July / August / September • Issue 3 • 2018
Tabatha James, MS, OTR/L
As graduates of occupational therapy (OT) schools,
we are gifted the freedom of entering into the workforce
as generalists – malleable, green, and primed with
foundational knowledge to transfer seamlessly across
practice settings. We begin to cultivate our own brand
of therapy and gravitate toward areas that highlight our
passions and strengths, evolving as proficient clinicians.
However, to know our strengths also means to know
our weaknesses: underdeveloped areas and opportunities
for growth. Lucky for us OT practitioners, opportunity
knocks more than once – in fact, not only does it knock,
but the mailers keep the Post Office running and our
inboxes full!
Nearing the end of my second year of practice,
I am more cognizant of who I am as a clinician, and
continually assessing the direction of my practice. Yet,
I struggle to define my personal area of expertise and
pinpoint my efficacy despite my passion for OT and its
various applications across all backgrounds. Recently, I
participated in a continuing education course targeted
at People with Parkinson’s Disease (PWP) and other
neurological conditions. The two-day LSVT-BIG course
revitalized my focus and was undeniably practice-
changing; a special thank you to Patricia S. Brown, DPT,
NCS, and Jenny Tuccitto, MPT, GCS for their engaging
presentation.
While I have not yet implemented LSVT-BIG in full,
the vast practicality of the 4-week protocol is exciting,
client-centered, and transformative. I returned to work
invigorated, armed with tools to narrow the gap between
current practice and optimal care. Continuing education
is an investment, but the immediate ability to translate
that new information into practice is invaluable. A key
principle of the LSVT-BIG protocol is to find “bigness” in
your approach as a clinician and using oneself as a tool to
motivate and encourage others. Determining the correct
dosage of animation and energy with clients is not only
essential for engagement, but also for engendering hope
toward a healthy recovery.
As OT practitioners, we have great responsibility
to maintain the mental and physical health of ourselves
to best act as agents of change. We must be passionate,
knowledgeable and balanced stakeholders, actively setting
examples of our own brand of therapy. As we teach self-
efficacy for activities of daily living, so too must we be
mindful of the clients experience of the disease, not
just the biological presentation, but also their mental
and emotional well-being.
Participating in continuing
education courses allows for
personal growth and greater
oversight into the needs of
specific populations served.
Our clinical lens expands
through a dynamic process
that considers intrinsic
and extrinsic factors that
influence the model of
recovery. While this is not
an endorsement for LSVT-
BIG, it is an encouragement for all clinicians to satisfy
their curiosity, be specific with your intent, and seek out
what drives you. I implore you to stay informed about
research as it evolves, and use the resultant growth and
confidence to spark engagement and excitement during
interventions.
With a refreshed lens and enriched competency, I
transferred the enthusiasm that the LSVT-BIG protocol
demands from its clinicians into overall practice, and
the psychosocial impact on my caseload was remarkable.
It reminded me that the environments in which we see
clients are not always conducive to hopefulness, and that
the actual pathways to success are more psychological in
nature. With that in mind, we must modulate our own
therapeutic use of self in order to promote the holistic re-
calibration of our clients and their families after an illness
or injury.
Continuing education courses have the power
to nourish the innate abilities we already possess as
occupational therapists, and to resist the routine. When
we feel hopeful and armed with new information, we can
transfer this energy and education into practice. Whether
we are baking cookies or working on shower transfers,
our goal is to provide patient-driven care that results in
a meaningful, holistic recovery. If we remain hopeful and
vigilant in our ability to effect change, the expansion of
life and sense of fulfillment for patient and practitioner is
inevitable.
The Importance of Continuing Education in
Practice: A Lens of Excitement and Gratitude
About the Author
Tabatha James is an alumna of The University of
Illinois at Chicago, with experience in home health,
subacute rehab and long-term care. Part-time, she provides
hippotherapy to a pediatric population in Lake Forest.
Page