Former support worker and now specialist occupational therapist Catherine McNulty reflects on her learning journey , in the hope her narrative inspires others who , like herself once , might not see a future in which their career continues to develop .
M
y unexpected career pathway was full of accidental meetings and opportunities , which somehow came together and brought me to where I am now – an experienced specialist occupational therapist and an academic with , among other achievements , a Masters in Advancing Professional Practice .
My aspirations are that others should not have to rely on such coincidental opportunities , but rather that their knowledge , skills and experience are routinely appraised in relation to their potential for undertaking further education towards becoming qualified occupational therapists .
However , I appreciate this pathway is not for everyone and some may choose to remain in their valued roles as occupational therapy support workers .
The circle opens
I reach back into my past , to May 1986 , arriving for my first day at work in one of the old mental health hospitals , where I was given the usual introduction to a new post by the head occupational therapist .
I signed a temporary , four-month contract to cover maternity leave of an occupational therapy helper and was issued with bottle green trousers and pale blue tunic tops . I was invited to change into
this uniform , which became my mode of dressing for work over the next 11 years .
Eventually , the support worker with her new baby decided against returning to work and I was offered a permanent contract . At the time this was a shock , because I only saw the job as a temporary venture to earn funds to keep our family afloat in uncertain waters .
Managing a permanent , full-time post , while bringing up three young children , seemed like an impossibility . Yet the security this employment offered me was significant .
I found that the job did not just offer security but was truly rewarding . As an occupational therapy support worker , I was helping people to have a better quality of life . I had found work that not only suited my nature , but also matched my deeply held philosophical beliefs and humanitarian values .
Furthermore , I had access to a medical library , where during my lunch break I could engage my brain in learning , to assuage my hunger for knowledge .
Once I was in a permanent post , the head occupational therapist encouraged me to become a member of RCOT . Learning about the benefits of membership , in particular the monthly journal and the professional magazine OTnews , I joined immediately . I have much to thank that manager for .
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46 OTnews April 2022