Rachael Schmidt
Role and profile
Rachael Schmidt is a lecturer in the area of Occupational Science and Therapy in the School of Health and Social Development. She teaches at undergraduate level and also coordinates and supervises student fieldwork. Rachael Schmidt is actively researching, as a postgraduate student, into the clinical reasoning processes employed by clinicians particularly when involved in assisting clients with complex wheelchair and seating equipment prescription. Teaching responsibilities
Unit Chair HSO403 (Semester 1)Project Officer: Occupation, Wellness, Satisfaction & Leisure (OWLS) fieldwork, as part of HSO304 Practicum B (Semester 2) Research interests
Rachael Schmidt is currently involved in studying the clinical reasoning process employed by experienced clinicians. This research study, as part of her postgraduate studies, can be broken down into three main areas: • Identifying Clinical Reasoning processes used by experienced clinicians, • Seating consultation process employed to assist people with complex needs, • Evaluating and prescribing seating equipment and products processes. Influx of ready-made commercially available products, in the last ten years has altered clients’ expectations in seating, however seating prescription remains complex even though there is a client assumption that all clinicians should be competent. Documenting the elements of clinical reasoning used by experienced clinicians will assist informing less experienced clinicians who are involved in seating consultations. This qualitative research includes interviewing experienced clinicians (occupational therapists and physiotherapist) who are currently involved in assessing the client’s performance, selecting and trialling seating equipment and products and finally prescribing the appropriate equipment to assist the client with comfort, posture, pressure to enhance their occupational performance as wheelchair users. Rachael Schmidt is currently completing a Masters of Health Science (Occupational Therapy) at the University of Sydney. Memberships
Current Occupational Therapy Accreditation (AccOT) Current Occupational Therapy Association-Victoria Current Occupational Therapy Registration Board Victorian Seating Reference Group Service to the University, discipline or community
Rachael has been involved in a range of activities with the development of the Occupational Science and Therapy (OS&T) Program: • OS&T Program Accreditation process • Deakin Fieldwork Supervisors for OS&T program • Non-traditional Student Fieldwork development in the OWLS program • Student Fieldwork supervision Conferences
• Schmidt, R., Williams, C., Caddy, S., Smelters, R., & Houston, J. Assisting independence with "the latest and greatest" of technologies. Presented at Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association, National Conference 2004. Technology: Everyone, everywhere, everyday. • Schmidt, R., Caldwell, G., & Feldman, H. “Vision Australia Foundation; a model of practice committed to access and equity”. Presented at the 4th National Regional Australia Conference, 2000 |
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21st May 2012