ScholarWorks > HHS > OT > OJOT > Vol. 13 > Iss. 3 (2025)
Credentials Display
Marissa J Wuennemann, OTD, OTR/L
Barbara Nadeau, PhD, OTR/L
Abstract
Background: Research is vital for continued development and support of practice for occupational therapy, yet little is known about occupational therapists currently in research roles. Occupational therapists who primarily conduct research see themselves as a unique minority in the profession. This study aimed to understand the process of occupational therapists who shift their professional identity from being a clinician to a researcher.
Method: Purposive and snowballing sampling was used to recruit occupational therapy clinicians who transitioned into roles where they spend the majority of their time conducting research. Data was collected through individual, semi-structured interviews and analyzed following Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory method.
Results: Moving from occupational therapy clinician to researcher is a journey initiated by a spark of interest that causes an innate need to discover the best interventions. The process is shaped by external influences that facilitate research and are tied to underlying threads of possessing a strong character and having an affinity for the research process.
Conclusion: The journey from clinician to researcher is a winding path influenced by internal and external factors. Understanding occupational therapy researchers’ unique experiences can help guide the profession in creating supports to make a career in research more accessible to clinicians.
Recommended Citation
Wuennemann, M. J., & Nadeau, B. (2025). Paving A Path From Occupational Therapy Clinician to Researcher: A Grounded Theory. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 13(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.2311
Comments
The authors declare that they have no competing financial, professional, or personal interest that might have influenced the performance or presentation of the work described in this manuscript.