I am a first year student currently studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. I had always wanted to pursue a health profession and found this to be one, which complemented my natural aptitude for wanting to help people. Inspired by my mother, I undertook the course this year and have thoroughly enjoyed it thus far.
Occupational therapy is a holistic health profession and communication is required to achieve positive outcomes for patients. Communication is defined as, “the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual decisions that enhance health" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Effective communication is essential within a healthcare setting as it develops therapeutic relationships, maintains positive interactions between health professionals and promotes optimal health outcome for clients (Prasad, Vandross, Toomey, Cheung & Rho, 2013). Health professionals who implement these strategies clients will be more satisfied (Hall, Gulbrandsen & Dahl, 2014), as they reduce negative thoughts that could adversely impact the health outcomes (O’Toole, 2016). With communication being a core element in any health profession, this unit prepares students to be effective communicators in their future clinical practice (O’Toole, 2016). Through the reflective process of creating an e-Portfolio, students gain a deeper understanding of the learning material and academic literature, which facilitates the development of their communicative abilities. Thus, this e-Portfolio endeavours to showcase the essential role of communication within clinical practice and aids in enhancing the communication skills of future health professionals.