Jeena Parmar brings OTA experience to the classroom

Jeena Parmar joined the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy in 2023 as a Classroom Teaching Support, assisting occupational therapy students in the classroom by setting up practice labs, supporting skill demonstrations, answering students’ questions and helping with the creation of training materials for students. 

On top of her enthusiasm and welcoming smile, she brings more than 20 years of experience working as an occupational therapist assistant in rehabilitation settings to the classroom. She shares her journey from working in health care to education, and why she is an advocate for improving collaboration between rehabilitation professionals. 

Tell me a little bit about your career as an occupational therapist assistant before joining our department.  

My journey began many years ago in British Columbia. While working towards a degree in psychology, I discovered a new career path – the Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant program. I admired that the profession encompassed a holistic view to help improve people’s quality of life from both an occupational therapy and physiotherapy lens.  

My career as an occupational therapist assistant was set in motion as I explored the diverse settings I could work in. I spent time working in long-term care, inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation, paediatrics, psychiatry, orthopaedics, neurology and general medicine until I found myself in acute care at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto for more than 18 years. I specialized in the areas of cardiology, vascular surgery and coronary intensive care, where I received the Health Discipline Clinical Excellence Award.   

As an advocate and leader in the profession, I have been recognized for my role as a preceptor and clinical instructor, and I am currently the Vice-Chair of the OTA/PTA Program Advisory Committee at Centennial College. 

It has been exciting to be a part of a unique profession that continues to evolve and make strides through advocacy and research. Though my profession is not yet regulated, there is momentum to make this happen. After several conversations, occupational therapist assistants can now join the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists, allowing for a greater representation of the profession and recognizing the importance of being “stronger together.” 

Tell me more about your role as our Classroom Teaching Support.  

I believe innovation is important for the continued success of any organization and the experience I bring as an occupational therapist assistant has been beneficial to our students, faculty and staff. 

I spend much of my day in the classroom, labs and workshops making sure the space is properly set up for our students to learn. I am available to answer students’ questions on lab techniques, procedures and protocols and help facilitate class discussions. Since I spend so much time in the classroom, I get to know our students well and provide continuity and consistency for them across their classes. 

What unique experience do you bring to the classroom as an occupational therapist assistant?  

As many of the occupational therapist assistant’s competencies align with the occupational therapist, the skills I bring to this role help create a climate of collaboration. I also help to bridge gaps in communication between the teacher and the learner, which can occur in large classrooms. These experiences are similar to the interactions between occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants in the hospital and community environments.  

As an occupational therapist assistant, I have developed keen observational skills, which help me recognize challenges before they develop into a problem – like what is working well and what is sustainable for the students. 

Over the years, I have worked with many levels of students, and it is still so exciting to see their excitement and curiosity for the profession. Our students bring different lived experiences and backgrounds and naturally gravitate toward the aspects of occupational therapy they most relate to. I encourage them embrace new ideas while “thinking outside of the box.” We all have to be open to adaptations, which is representative of the profession. 

Do you find, working with occupational therapy students and faculty, that there are any misconceptions about occupational therapist assistants?  

There continues to be a limited understanding of the occupational therapist assistant’s abilities and how both the occupational therapist and occupational therapist assistant roles complement one another. There is uncertainty around individual responsibilities, which is why we need more education in the two roles. 

As the occupational therapist assistant role has evolved, occupational therapist assistants and occupational therapists can come together to advocate for the profession and support one another for a successful exchange of ideas. We must see obstacles as opportunities to keep moving forward.   

What are some of the most common questions students ask you? 

Students ask me a lot of questions about the relationship between theory and practice. The building blocks can be hard to see at the beginning. It takes time to consolidate knowledge.  

Bringing my diverse experience to the classroom allows me to facilitate and promote reflection and reflexivity on the several domains of occupational therapy.  

What is your favourite part of your job?  

Supporting an environment of collaborative learning! Through sharing my experiences, I provide a safe space for open conversations with students to encourage knowledge sharing and translation, which strengthens and promotes a sense of community in the classroom.  

If we can inspire and empower our students at the ground level, they will enter the workforce with the tools for building relationships in an interprofessional team, especially with the occupational therapist assistant, and become effective leaders in the profession. 

Since joining the department in the Classroom Teaching Support role, Jeena has been nominated by faculty members and students for an award recognizing her contributions to student learning.