A pioneer of occupational therapy, former University of Western Ontario professor Barbara Sexton was an exceptional practitioner who can provide inspiration for graduating students, says occupational therapist Elizabeth McKay.
McKay was the guest lecturer at the Occupational Therapy Conference on Evidence Based Practice held June 23. Head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Limerick in Ireland, she offered the keynote address at the conference, which showcases research by students in Western’s MSc (OT) program.
Keynote speaker Elizabeth McKay, left, and Angie Mandich, director of the School of Occupational Therapy at Western discussed exceptional practitioners at the 11th annual Occupational Therapy Conference on Evidence Based Practice on June 23.
McKay encouraged students to reflect on those, including Sexton, who have forged the way for those in the profession and served as inspiration for future generations of occupational therapists.
The key to being an exceptional practitioner like Sexton, is to be a passionate professional, drive development in the field, and be person-centred in one’s practice, says McKay.
“The exceptional professional is a superior package,” she says, adding occupational therapists, by the nature of their work, have the ability to transform people’s lives.
“For people graduating, the world today is very different, she says. “There are lots of chances and lots of opportunity to really make a difference.”
McKay also reflected on the careers of occupational therapists Hester Monteath and Ann Beckett.
McKay has worked in various U.K. universities and led the development of the new program at the University of Limerick. Her clinical experience focused on mental health, and has co-authored two books in this field. She was recently the visiting scholar at the University of Newcastle in Australia.
Faculty, staff and students from the Faculty of Health Sciences and members of the clinical community were invited to the one-day conference, which is a culmination of the two years of research performed by graduate students in the program, says Director of the School of Occupational Therapy Angie Mandich.
“Occupational therapy is in high demand,” she says. “Our profession is really one of hope.”
Some of the research projects included occupational biographies of older adults; narratives of professional practice; implications of active and passive coping strategies for the field of occupational therapy; and ergonomic interventions in the workplace.
“We really are transformers of the health care system,” says Mandich. “For people that are having difficulties and disabilities and are struggling, we are the people that help them get back to doing. We want to get people back to work, back to school, and to leisure activities that are important to them.”