The number of occupational therapy graduates is nowhere near enough to meet the demand for qualified therapists, says Helen Mulligan, public relations officer for the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland.
This is compounded by the fact that many occupational therapists trained here go abroad, as their qualifications are recognised worldwide. Therapists may find work in physical medicine, mental health, the community, academia, management or private practice, says Mulligan.
The job requires a holistic approach. "It's about coming up with practical solutions to problems and being creative about finding a solution that is inexpensive but safe," says Murphy.
Work hours are usually regular and the starting salary of £17,982 is good; however it then rises slowly by annual increments, with the top of the basic grade scale being £24,019. A review of career structure and pay is currently under way. TCD offers the only undergraduate course in the State. The college's school of occupational therapy is currently situated in prefabricated accommodation in the grounds of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. However, a new school is being built in St James's Hospital, Dublin, and it will accommodate physiotherapy and occupational therapy students from 2001. At present, students spend half their time on the main campus in TCD and half in Dun Laoghaire.
Director Dr Geraldine O'Neill explains that there is a substantial clinical practice element, accounting for some 1000 hours over the four-year period. The course is divided into basic and human sciences (anatomy, kinesiology, physics, physiology and psychology), clinical sciences (medicine, orthopaedics and psychiatry), occupational therapy studies and fieldwork. Placements range from hospital setting to community settings to daycare centres.
When asked about the old idea that occupational therapists teach basket weaving, she smiles and says activities such as art, drama, music, pottery and painting may be used if a person wants to do them and it's relevant. "We are concerned with the occupation of the person and what they need to do in their lives, she says. Would-be occupational therapists do not need to be artistic or musically gifted themselves," she stresses.
`There are three main areas that occupational therapy is concerned with - self-care (activities such as washing and dressing); work or productivity and leisure." The patient or client may have a mental health, physical or learning disability. Occupational therapy is not curative but attempts to improve the quality of life for the individual.
There are no recipes, says O'Neill. Each case must be dealt with individually - a mother who has had a stroke may have totally different needs to an 85-year-old man who lives in a nursing home.
A huge component of the four-year course is developing personal and professional skills and the course takes an innovative approach. O'Neill explains: "we would encourage a lot of self-directed learning, students do a lot of group work and verbal presentations. We also encourage peer assessment and self-assessment. The aim is that students become responsible for their own learning and they become lifelong learners . . . when they're on placement, students set their own learning goals with the therapist, in a learning contract."
Occupational therapy invariably attracts more women than men. About 10 per cent of the 30 first-year places are usually filled by men (often mature). Mature students bring a welcome dimension to the course in the form of their life experience.
