Clical Reasoning as Described by Neistdadt - 1819 Words

AccoIntroduction The aim of this essay is to explore the Clinical reasoning thinking frame as described by Neistadt (1996). Clinical reasoning is a set of skill performed by occupational therapists which are central to practice and involved throughout the Occupational therapy process (Neistadt, 1996, AOTA, 2008). This will be done in relation to our case study of which the protagonist is Hugh, a 70 year old widower and retired baker, who was managing well an episode of depression but has recently been found apathetic, unwashed and in soiled clothes by the public mental health nurse, and referred to see an occupational therapist. Narrative Reasoning The first element of this process we will discuss is narrative reasoning which concerns itself with the construction and subsequent analysis of the client’s occupational story (Neistadt, 1996, Duncan, 2006). This process is developed through allowing the client the opportunity to create a narrative image through story-telling, this can manifest itself in an adumbration of their life experience and how it has been altered through disability, disease or transition (Duncan, 2006, Neistadt, 1996). The importance for a practitioner to explore the client’s narrative is not only in the development of their story but it also gives the therapist insight into the person and a possible future for them (Higgs, 2008). The use of certain assessments can be particularly effective in the development of a client’s narrative, one of which being