Sharing Perspectives on Practice
College Tackles 4 Topics at OSOT Conference
On September 23 and 24 , 2016 the College had a fantastic opportunity to meet and speak with OTs from across the province at the 2016 OSOT Conference : Breaking Barriers .
Hearing about your diverse experiences helps us ensure practice standards and programs are current and effective , and it ’ s inspiring to see the true passion and dedication OTs bring to their work .
The College participated in four presentations at the conference :
Driving in Ontario : The Occupational Therapists Role in Screening for Medical Fitness to Drive
College Registrar Elinor Larney assisted Nellemarie Hyde , OT Reg . ( Ont .) and Brenda Vrkljan , OT Reg . ( Ont .) with the session , which focused on the role of OTs in assessing the ability to drive and contemplated the impact of potential changes to legislation related to the OTs role in reporting of unsafe driving . The large number of workshop participants was reflective of the relevance of the topic to OT practice . The College assisted this workshop by outlining the use of an ethical framework that can be used to help make difficult decisions . The College ’ s Conscious Decision-Making Framework is available online at www . coto . org > Standards & Resources > A-Z List of Resources .
Elder Care – Elder Abuse : When it ’ s a fine line , what can we do ?
This panel conversation explored the challenging situations OTs find themselves in when working with clients and families in circumstances where the OT may witness or suspect elder abuse . Participants were provided with information about legal requirements and College expectations for managing issues associated with elder abuse . Stories shared by clinicians during the workshop provided critical insights into the significant impact of this topic on OTs working within geriatrics . College documents such as the Code of Ethics and Standards for Practice are helpful resources and available online at www . coto . org > Standard & Resources .
Consent : Knowing and Doing
Regardless of the area of practice or the client population , the first step in OT service delivery is obtaining informed consent . This workshop gave College staff a chance to hear OTs questions about consent and work through strategies for decision-making with when dealing with difficult consent dilemmas . Read how your feedback shaped the soon-to-be-released revised Standards for Consent on page 7 .
New Grad Panel : You ’ ve graduated , now what ?
This panel provided an opportunity to welcome new grads to the profession , to help clarify requirements for registration and to offer tips that might help new grads successfully navigate their transition to employment as a regulated health professionals . Visit www . coto . org > Registration Services for more information . Already registered ? View our Welcome Guide online at www . coto . org > Standards & Resources > A-Z List of Resources .
Questions about practice ?
Contact practice @ coto . org or 416.214.1177 / 1.800.890.6570 x240 .
Many OTs stopped by our booth with questions and some addressed the upcoming changes to our Quality Assurance program [ turn to p . 5 for more on QA ]. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences with us over the course of the conference .
13 College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario ON THE RECORD 2016