FEATURE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Exploring the path less travelled : reflections of a teaching and research associate
Following on from recent features on making the switch from clinical work to academia , Sam Whiting talks about taking up an exciting new opportunity to become a teaching and research assistant at the University of Plymouth
Over two years ago , Sam Whiting embarked on a ‘ new and exciting opportunity ’ to become a teaching and research assistant at the University of Plymouth ; a new post that involved her time being split between a role as assistant lecturer on the pre-registration occupational therapy programmes , alongside being engaged in a part-time PhD in Public Health .
‘ Now I feel I am over the shock of undertaking such a change in direction , I feel ready to talk about it and hopefully dispel some myths around being an occupational therapist within research and academia ,’ she says .
Being a technical instructor within occupational therapy prior to her pre-registration MSc in occupational therapy , Sam says she ‘ couldn ’ t wait to become a fully-fledged occupational therapist ’ and , when she signed notes for the first time as ‘ Samantha Whiting , occupational therapist ’, has ‘ no shame in telling you that I shed a tear ’.
Reflecting on the journey so far , Sam says : ‘ I am sure I chose the right path when I ventured into this profession , as all I have ever wanted to do is support people to feel good about themselves . So naturally , when I was working in an acute hospital , I thrived on supporting people to do what they wanted to do , which ultimately for most people was to go home .’
Sam ’ s role in the acute hospital role gave her ‘ firsthand experience ’ of people requiring emergency care , as well as ‘ the first few steps of their recovery from either acute illness or exacerbation of a chronic disease ’.
She says : ‘ This highlighted to me the impact of chronic conditions on people ’ s day-to-day life and how , for some , hospital admissions are a part of their life . It demonstrated that , either the services they needed did not exist , or that this population was so vast , those services that did exist were unable to capture the mass of people with long-term conditions . This is where my inquisitiveness for developing primary care services for long-term conditions began .’
She goes on : ‘ As occupational therapists , we strive to help people live better lives and I feel strongly that the skills we have within this area of practice could benefit many through receiving the right support , at the right time , before a crisis point , such as a hospital admission .
‘ It felt like a natural decision for my research to be centred on my deep-rooted interests in ensuring that older people living with long-term conditions are provided with the occupational opportunities they need to thrive when living with a life-changing , physical or mental health condition .
‘ My experiences taught me that every human has a story to tell and , so often , those stories come from a time that I do not recognise ; including war , true austerity , and a sense of community that is very different to the world I know of .
‘ I am honoured to listen to these experiences and continue to be in awe of those that have lived through times in history I may never be able to comprehend . This is what drives me to deliver the best care to those who need it most in their later stages of the lifespan .’
While in her current role Sam may be ‘ less face-toface ’ now than she was , she hopes that her research and student interaction can have an impact , not only on increasing the evidence base for the occupational therapy profession , but also to instil the values and beliefs occupational therapists hold dearly to the next generation of occupational therapists .
‘ Despite being someone who always viewed researchers as people far more intelligent than me , as occupational therapists , we all have many of the skills needed to be an excellent researcher ,’ she reflects .
‘ Being a researcher is simply about asking questions and seeking answers , and for many , getting to speak to some fantastic people along the way . As an occupational therapist and researcher , being able to speak to people who are able to answer your questions with such honesty and openness is at times humbling , and makes it all worthwhile .
‘ For me , exploring the role occupational therapists could have within primary care involves speaking to those willing to share their experiences of living with long-term conditions , and also the occupational therapists that collaborate with them to further understand the occupational needs of this population .
56 OTnews May 2021
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