Hands-on-learning for future Occupational Therapists

Mount Sinai Hospital

April 17, 2019

Occupational therapy students listening to instruction from an educator

Robyn Davies, Interprofessional Education Specialist, teaches about the different types of walkers and how they’re used at an education session for second-year Occupational Therapy students from the University of Toronto.

Bridgepoint’s auditorium became a learning lab for students from the University of Toronto earlier this month, as Bridgepoint’s Occupational Therapy team and Seating Clinic hosted a hands-on learning session about mobility devices for older adults.

“It’s helpful to be able to get out of the classroom and have this learning experience in a hospital setting,” said Laura, one of 40 second-year Occupational Therapy Master’s students who attended the session.

The students used walkers, manual wheelchairs and power wheelchairs, learning about the many factors to consider when selecting or prescribing a mobility device to support older adults.

Meridith McClenaghan, Occupational Therapist, shows the students a tool that maps pressure points when a patient is seated in a wheelchair.

The students used walkers, manual wheelchairs and power wheelchairs, learning about the many factors to consider when selecting or prescribing a mobility device to support older adults.

Cathy Choi a Bridgepoint Occupational therapist talks to students about the different measurements taken to ensure a good fit when prescribing a wheelchair for a patient.

“In their future Occupational Therapy practices, these students will assess their patients’ mobility and determine what type of devices will best support them to be independent in their day-to-day lives,” says Meridith, McClenaghan, an Occupational Therapist at Bridgepoint. “In this lab, the students had the opportunity to become familiar with the types of devices that they will someday help their patients learn to use.”

The learning session was organized in collaboration with Bridgepoint’s Academic Office. In addition to hosting the session, the Occupational Therapy team developed educational videos for the students to watch ahead of the session so that they could make the most of their experience.This was the first time Bridgepoint’s Occupational Therapy team had hosted this type of education session. But they hope to be able to do more of these events in the future.

Occupational Therapists — At left: James Patterson, Clinical Seating Technician, shows students how to set-up and adjust mobility devices and how to take them apart for transport. At right: Laura Khoo, Occupational Therapist shows students the features of the controls on a power wheelchair. Students went outside to practice manoeuvring in the chairs.

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Hands-on-learning for future Occupational Therapists

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