TOMBALL, TX: At the Lone Star College-Tomball (LSC-Tomball) Health Science Building, colleges and a university from the greater Houston area gathered over 100 students, who are soon to graduate as Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) or Occupational Therapists (OTs), for a collaborative problem-solving workshop focused on patient clinical issues.

“In practice, regardless of the setting, OTs and OTAs work collaboratively to help patients achieve their highest level of independence,” said Stephanie Johnston, OTR, fieldwork coordinator of the LSC-Tomball Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. “Through this event, we aim to enhance face-to-face interactions and discussions that normally occur within a clinic setting.”

Prior to the collaborative event, the OTs from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) were teamed up with the OTAs from San Jacinto College (SJC) or LSC-Tomball. Via telehealth, the students got to know one another and began discussing the assigned case. On the morning of the event, the hosting school’s students prepared and served the visiting students’ breakfast and chatted about the challenges of their OT programs, commute times, and more.   

After breakfast, small groups of students from different schools and different programs sat down to discuss the given case of their fictitious client, Raymond, a patient with Alzheimer’s disease. They set goals for Raymond, discussed the treatment issues he might face, and specified the outcomes they hoped Raymond could achieve

They planned therapeutic treatments and interventions to help Raymond get more sleep, increase his safety at home, and ways to bolster Raymond’s sense of purpose. The students listened to one another as they shared their ideas about installing grab bars in the shower, adding night lights to dark hallways, and getting Raymond comfy grippy socks to prevent falling. The students complimented one another’s creative ideas to help Raymond get more z’s, by putting in relaxing lavender lighting, hanging bedroom curtains, and working with him to establish a bedtime routine, that included teaching him muscle relaxation techniques. 

For Samantha Ferron, an LSC-Tomball student, in her second and final year of the OTA program, this was her first time to collaborate with OTs. “I enjoyed getting together with like-minded individuals and learning about their views and experiences regarding the OT profession. The teamwork and communication skills we utilized will be a vital part of our work in the field,” said Ferron.

At the conclusion of the event, the students gathered in a large conference room where Johnston guided them to think through the experience and share what they learned. In front of the room packed with their peers, the brave students who shared their interventions were invited to role play the case scenarios and put their treatment strategies into action. Some students played the OT, the OTA, the patient, or family member.

There was lots of laughter as the students acted out the scenarios, and a few pauses in the role play for student inquiry. The questions that arose centered on how the partnerships between the OTAs and the

OTs would happen in the workplace. “Can the OTA assist the OT before meeting with a patient? What can the OTA do while the OT is working with the patient’s care giver? How can the OT write patient goals in such a way that the OTA is free to introduce creative, customized therapeutic treatments to achieve patient goals?”

Johnston was quick to identify for the audience of students that, “what happened today, in these role- play scenarios, was a taste of real life,” and the reason the schools have continued to host and participate in this collaborative learning event for 17 years.

“Learning these roles while in school, solidifies the OTs and OTAs partnership and enhances the quality of treatment they provide their patients,” said Johnston. “Communicate freely with your OTAs or OTs. Seek to understand each other’s case load and skill sets. Collaboration is key to the best patient care.”

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