Title: Initiating an Embedded Therapy Program: Tips and tricks for Joining the Team

Author:
Emily Bodensteiner Schmitt, MS, OTR/L

JACOT Volume 2, Issue 2

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Joining any team requires time and effort on both the part of the newcomer and the established team members, and starting an embedded therapy team is no exception. As a new graduate, I was hired to be one of two founding OTs for an embedded therapy team in mixed medical/surgical/transplant ICU at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester. The whole therapy team consisted of six staff entering a well-established team as outsiders with a new agenda. Although the transition wasn’t easy, the six of us worked together to enter the larger team. We utilized several strategies to ease this process, and I have outlined six key tips for establishing an embedded therapy team and/or early mobility program in the intensive care unit: