Occupational therapists as change agents in multidisciplinary teams

Introduction This qualitative study explored the experiences of occupational therapists attempting to implement change within multidisciplinary teams via a 5-week training intervention. This encouraged ward staff in inpatient mental health rehabilitation units to facilitate service user engagement in activities. This study is supplementary to a randomised control trial (RCT). Method Daily diaries and training reflections completed by two therapists (P1 and P2) during the training were subjected to Framework analysis. The indexing stage of this process was completed in collaboration with the participants. Findings When implementing change, the occupational therapists encountered a number of barriers such as emotional responses and attitudes towards service users. Facilitators of change included openness, sharing knowledge and skills, and reported change. The analysis revealed a change process moving from ‘assessing the context’, to ‘building relationships’ and ‘addressing issues’ that was aided by the therapists’ high-level skills and capacity for social and self-awareness. Conclusion The process of change aligned well with the chosen three-stage model of change as well as occupational therapy philosophy. When acting as change agents, the therapists adapted and applied their clinical skills to the organisational context in accord with their core values and capacity for social and self-awareness.