What are some techniques you use to motivate a patient who doesn't want to participate in therapy?
As an occupational therapist at the NHS, you may encounter a patient who is reluctant to participate or displays a negative attitude or outlook on their diagnoses or even their program progress or lack thereof. The road to health and wellness is not always easy, so when patients face a challenge, they may feel discouraged or frustrated and withdraw their participation. Share with the interviewer some techniques or strategies you use to overcome the situation and coach and support your patient positively.
"During my apprenticeship, I worked with many patients with cognitive disabilities and disorders, and I also trained on the dementia unit. Many times, the patients did not want to participate, so I learned a few techniques that were effective. One was including functional activities that were interesting to the patient. For example, we would organize their closet, which helped promote range of motion and functional reaching. We would also take walks outside within the gated community and look at flowers or birds or just talk and reminisce as we walked. This was a great form of exercise that promoted mobility, stamina, and balance. Another technique was to reduce therapy sessions when needed. Sometimes, it was difficult to maintain their focus for an hour, so doing two thirty-minute sessions throughout the day was more effective."
"It's first important to understand why the patient doesn't want to participate. If they are not feeling well or are in pain, it's important to notify the nurse or doctor and never force the session. You can always offer to check back with them later in the day when they are feeling better. If a patient refuses for a behavioral or emotional reason, sometimes there are effective techniques to persuade them to participate, but again we never force them. Oftentimes, new patients are reluctant to participate because they don't know or trust the therapist or don't understand the benefit to them of the therapy sessions. I overcome this by introducing myself and taking a non-aggressive approach. I don't tell them what they must do but rather try to help them understand why doing the activity will benefit them, and I give them choices to empower them. For example, practicing pushing up from the chair will build your strength and make doing this at home easier for you or your caregiver, or building coordination and balance will help you be able to dress yourself and regain that independence. This often builds rapport and increases their buy-in to participate in therapy services."
Unlock all 30 NHS Band 3 Occupational Therapist questions
Unlock expert responses tailored to NHS Band 3 OT technical and values-based interviews.
Get Started