Meet Roseanna Raymond

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy

Most people have no idea what Occupational Therapists (OT) do - or rather how much we do.

In a nutshell, if there is an activity you want to do and are unable due to disability or health challenges, we figure out how to make it happen. That's what I fell in love with; the problem solving, the variety, creative thinking, and most of all, helping people engage in activities that improve their quality of life.

I didn't always want to be an OT, however after looking into it, I immediately knew that it would become my career and the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Western Sydney University would be the way to get there.

Looking back on the last four years of my degree I know that we have been taught more than just the skills and theoretical approaches of Occupational Therapy. We have learnt HOW to be OTs. Every day I look around and see things as an OT would; it could be buildings that are inaccessible to people with disabilities or mobility problems, negative assumptions that destroy potential for independence for people with disabilities, and people really struggling with day-to-day activities that could be made so much easier with the help of an OT.

In addition to the formal coursework, the highlight of my degree was definitely the clinical placements, which begin in first year. Placement is where practical learning really begins. I had the opportunity to undertake five clinical placements and each one  challenged and shaped me as a healthcare professional. I have worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, mental health and community practice, with all sorts of people and families. What becomes apparent very quickly though is that everybody is a person who has hopes and dreams which for many, can be hindered by health challenges. My job is to minimise the effects of these challenges, and if I'm lucky, help my patient to achieve goals that were previously out of reach to them.

Roseanna has now graduated from Bachelor of Occupational Therapy