OT 425 Clinical Reasoning

Clinical reasoning is the thought process we use as occupational therapists to evaluate clients and determine and carry out interventions. Clinical reasoning involves thinking and how we feel, and these things are greatly shaped by our experiences. Emotion and your instinct/gut feeling play a major role in the clinical reasoning process. The clinical reasoning process is very dynamic much like the OT process and is largely dependent upon what is happening at the time. Clinical reasoning is something that is developed over time as we gain experience. Professor Lancaster gave some really helpful tips on how to build our clinical reasoning skills. It is important to build a library with the stories of clients and others because this helps develop empathy and clinical reasoning. Creating my own visual aid of the clinical reasoning process will help me envision how the process works. Asking questions like "what is the next step" and "why" will help in the intervention planning process. Seeking and paying attention to feedback during the clinical reasoning process will help in relation to professional development. Clinical reasoning can also be developed by practicing introspection and prediction through journaling. Finally, embracing the gray is important because it is a part of the process and development of my OT identity.