The development of client-centredness in student occupational therapists

Introduction: While the occupational therapy profession emphasizes the importance of a client-centred approach, the student perspective on development of client-centredness has been absent in the research literature. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to gain an understanding of occupational therapy students' perceptions of the curricular and practice experiences that contributed to their client-centred development. Method: Study participants were recruited from three cohorts (n = 29) of an entry-level Canadian occupational therapy programme: students from two separate years of an occupational therapy programme, and graduates from the programme who were 1 year into practice. Researchers conducted six focus groups using a semi-structured interview guide; focus group transcripts were reviewed to develop a coding scheme. Emergent categories were collapsed to develop overarching themes. Findings: Six developmental themes were constructed: Internalizing client-centredness; Relationship building; Who is the client?; Systems influences; Academic/practice discrepancy; and Power and control. Each theme was of greater or lesser emphasis at different points, and participants revisited and expanded upon themes throughout their academic programme. Conclusion: Academic and placement educators can use the findings of the study to understand how student occupational therapists develop client-centredness. Educators can use this understanding to implement strategies to intentionally foster client-centred development in students at opportune times.