A Qualitative Review of Occupational Therapists' Listening Experiences in End of Life Care
Graduation Date
2011
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy
Department
Occupational Therapy
Department or Program Chair
Ruth Ramsey, EdD, OTR/L
Thesis Advisor
Janis Davis, PhD, OTR/L
Second Advisor
Susan Schwartz, MPA, OTR/L, FAOTA
Abstract
Therapeutic listening is an integral part in developing a beneficial healthcare practitioner-patient relationship. This study aims to fill the current gap in literature regarding occupational therapists’ role working in end of life care. Exploring the listening experiences of occupational therapists who work in end of life care will provide insight into the listening skills needed to work effectively with patients with a terminal illness. Convenient and snowball sampling was used to recruit six participants who met the inclusion criteria, English speaking, occupational therapists with five years of clinical experience. A qualitative, non-experimental design which incorporated open-ended, semi-structured interviews revealed four key themes; 1.) working within the occupational therapy practice framework; 2.) competence in listening to patients within the specific setting and population of end of life care; 3.) key listening behaviors utilized; and 4.) barriers and challenges of effective listening. These themes indicate the importance of emphasizing listening training in current academic programs. Research should build on the insufficient knowledge of occupational therapists and listening.