Occupational Therapy Professional Identity: Learning From the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectures.

Abstract

Background: Given the well-documented professional identity challenges experienced by occupational therapists, reinforcing the profession's identity (collective and individual) is crucial for navigating changing environments and optimizing its contribution. The Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship is an important component of the collective identity of the profession in Canada.

Purpose: A professional identity lens was used to trace the evolution of the profession's collective identity in Canada through this lectureship.

Method: Using sociological professional identity theory, a documentary longitudinal analysis was conducted on the 43 published lectureship articles (1975-2023), identifying key messages, values, knowledge, and practices.

Findings: Eight main themes were identified: professional identity, epistemology, axiology, change and leadership, contribution, history, quality, and technology. The analysis revealed an evolving common base of values (occupation, client-centred, social justice) and knowledge (occupation-centred). Persistent challenges included defining theoretical foundations, resisting the biomedical model, and realizing the social vision in practice. The lectures highlighted occupational therapists' evolving roles and ability to contribute to and lead change.

Conclusion: The lectures provide insights into the evolution of occupational therapy's collective identity in Canada. Despite ongoing challenges, the contemporary context appears to be increasingly favourable for occupational therapists to practise consistent with the collective identity trends identified.