"Perpetual Problem-Solving": An Ethnographic Study of Clinical Reasoning in a Therapeutic Recreation Setting

Authors

  • Susan L. Hutchinson
  • Adrienne LeBlanc
  • Rhonda Booth

Keywords:

Clinical Reasoning, Therapeutic Recreation Practice, Reflective Practice

Abstract

The purposes of this paper are to review literature on the concept and practice of clinical reasoning and to present evidence of clinical reasoning in a therapeutic recreation (TR) setting. Clinical reasoning is considered both a way of thinking and interacting with clients that facilitates effective client-centered practice. Observational and interview data of two recreation therapists' work with six people (three men and three women, aged 23 to 67) receiving inpatient services in a rehabilitation hospital in Eastern Canada provides evidence of the therapists' clinical reasoning practices. This ethnographic evidence supports the way clinical reasoning is conceptualized in allied health professions. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of clinical reasoning for research and practice in clinical therapeutic recreation settings.

Published

2002-01-24

Issue

Section

Research Papers