AOTA Professional Development Tool (PDT)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN WORKSHEET

Learning Plan
Structure your learning plan to indicate how you will achieve your identified learning goals. The completed plan should be included in your portfolio. Type
information directly into the spaces provided.

LEARNING STRATEGIES RESOURCES SUCCESS INDICATORS TARGET

GOAL DATE
Related Standard What are the best ways to What do I need to help me How will I know I When do I plan
achieve this goal? achieve this? achieved it? to achieve it?

Performance Skills - 1
Improve my knowledge
and competence in
creating hand splints
- Read articles and
textbooks on different
types of splints
- Having a mentor at a
hand therapy clinic.
- Attend a workshop or in-
service on splint making
- Find different research Successfully splinting By June 2024
articles and textbooks clients in a set amount of
- Need permission from time that does not interfere By June 2027
mentor for approval to with upcoming patient
schedules.
shadow/observe them By June 2029
- May need funding for
workshops

Knowledge - 1 - Complete the NBCOT - Study materials When I receive my results By August 2023
self-assessments to from NBCOT, from the exam.
Pass the NBCOT exam. assess weaker areas of AOTA, and
TherapyEd Taking the results exam to
knowledge
- Study group with apply for state licensure.
- Create a study plan peers
- Implement time in study - Use practice tests from
plan to avoid burn-out AOTA, NBCOT,
PasstheOT&
TherapyED

Interpersonal Skills - 1 - Contact OT programs - Contacts in graduate When I have communicated By June 2025
that I am available to programs in Las interest in mentoring
Become a mentor to mentor students during Vegas to form potential OT/health science By June 2028
students.
fieldwork students. fieldwork connections
- Let clinic director of - Resources to provide When potential students
future job that I am mentees about their pass fieldwork they are
desired fields of competent in the setting.
available as a clinical
interest
instructor

Knowledge - 2 - Find event that is in - List of upcoming When I have participated By July 2025
my area of interest events from AOTA successfully in one
Participate in one - Review to resources continuing education course By July 2027
- Attend ethics
continuing education on continuing and have shared the learned
course related to hand workshops/in-service knowledge with others at my
education course By July 2029
therapy or neuro, to - Network with other OTs topic job.
continue to develop to continue developing
position specific knowledge
knowledge.

Performance - Attend - Access to the in- When I have finished the By December
Skills - 2 / in-person/online person/online training. 2026
Interpersonal training to become a training
Skills - 1 - Resources to plan for When the FW student
fieldwork educator
supervising FW student passes fieldwork.
Complete the AOTA - Review different
training to be a FW leadership styles to
educator facilitate a positive
learning environment
- Seek advice from
coworkers who have
been a fieldwork
clinical instructor
Performance Skills - 3
Improve my confidence
and fluency when
speaking in public,
particularly with peers in
occupational therapy and - Ask for feedback from
other health professions.
- Listen to audio - Feedback from peers When I present my OTD By April 2024
samples of speeches and professors on capstone presentation, I will
from OT presentations, my current public feel comfortable and fluent
speaking skills speaking about my topic By April 2027
conferences, or other
with the various
professionals professionals who are
present. By April 2032
peers and professors
about my current
weaknesses related to
speaking
- Make action plan with
specific goals to work
on speaking
- Seek out opportunities
to practice by
discussing areas of
research or topics with
a variety of people
(clients, co-workers,
supervisors, other
professionals)

Performance Skills - 4 - Review professional - Feedback from When I have successfully By May 2023
writing samples from peers and complete larger professional
Improve my level of mentors and AOTA professors on writing assignments with By May 2026
professional writing to various writing positive feedback.
improve my clarity and - Seek feedback from assignments
effectiveness of written peers and professors throughout the
arguments when discussing about my current OTD program
topics. weaknesses - Resources and
- Make sheet with list of guides to self-
weaknesses to work correct my own
through and improve work
- Actively seek
opportunities to
practice improving my
 writing

Interpersonal Skills -2 - Opportunities to - Access to fact By attending either in person By December

Actively participate in
advocacy work related to
our profession.
- Keep log to track
- Attempt to participate
participate in sheets related to or via online 2024
advocacy, which will advocacy topics meetings/conferences/Zoom
- AOTA’s advocacy both the national and state
aid in my professional
website with level. By December
writing and speaking.
information about 2027
policy leaders’ voting
histories
- Support of job site to By December
take time to go to in 2032
person events around
work schedule
participation in
advocacy, and with
whom I communicated
in advocacy at least
once a month either
via in person or via
calls/letters

Ethics - 1 - Discovering an evidence - OTD professors for Attending graduation By June 2024
based topic advising
Adhere to the AOTA - Dedication to OTD - AJOT resources Passing the UNLV OTD By June 2027
Code of Ethics as a - Support from mentors program
student and program
- UNLV’s library By June 2029
- Completing assignments
and projects on time by resources
completing portions each
week
 LEARNING STRATEGIES RESOURCES SUCCESS INDICATORS TARGET
GOAL DATE
Related Standard What are the best ways to What do I need to help me How will I know I When do I plan
achieve this goal? achieve this? achieved it? to achieve it?

Performance Skills - 5
Complete and present
Capstone Project for
further professional
development
- Discovering an evidence
based topic
- Dedication to OTD
program
- Completing assignments
and projects on time by
completing portions each
week
- OTD professors for Attending graduation By June 2024
advising
- AJOT resources Passing the UNLV OTD By June 2027
- Support from mentors program
- UNLV’s library By June 2029
resources

Interpersonal Skills - 3
I will attend an AOTA
conference at least one
time while I am a student.
- I will require - Contacts in graduate My goal will be met once I By June 2025
information about the programs in Las attend an AOTA
AOTA conference from Vegas to form conference, thus I will By June 2028
connections measure my success by if I
instructors and other
- Establish funding to attend the event or not. I By June 2032
students who have have not met this goal at
attend an AOTA
attended or are familiar conference this time.
with the event. I'll need
to plan ahead, which
includes saving money
in order to attend the
event.
 Interpersonal Skills -4 - Explore other websites to - Ask for Once I've changed my portfolio, By June 2023
see what looks references to LinkedIn profile, résumé, and
Update my online professional include on business card to reflect all of the
portfolio, LinkedIn, LinkedIn and changes,
- Discuss personal attributes
resume, and business card resume
with others to assess
to reflect completion of - Business
FWIIs, graduation, - Have peers or career center card website
passing NBCOT and advisors review the - Information
getting OT license. updates to check for about FW sites
quality of writing and and OT license
appearance to include

Performance Skills – 5 / - Gain experience working in - Building Feedback forms from fieldwork By August 2025
Interpersonal Skills - 5 the field connections students
- Attend a Fieldwork with local OT By August 2027
Educator CEU course programs
Mentor fieldwork and - Talk with other OTs who - Talk with By August 2030
shadowing students to fieldwork
had students in the past
provide knowledge and coordinator at
receive CEUs work

Critical Reasoning - 1
Maintain a personal journal
to work on my self-
awareness as a professional
and maintain mindfulness
about ways to improve daily.
 Consider ways that  Blank journal Once I have formed the habit of By August 2025
maintaining a journal will  Time each day to journaling at least 3 times a week
help improve my own spend journaling and maintained it for multiple By August 2027
self-reflection of my  Open ended weeks.
clinical and leadership questions to guide By August 2030
skills my reflection
 Set aside time to mindfully process
reflect on where I am now

Critical Reasoning - 2
I will be confident in
independently charting client
documentation.
Critical Reasoning - 3
I will apply the evidence I
find in evidence-based
research articles by
developing 3 treatment
activities using those
strategies.
Ethics - 2
Maintain a personal journal
to work on my self-
awareness as a professional
and maintain mindfulness
about ways to improve daily.
and where I hope to be
 Use the journal to set short
and long term goals for
myself that are attainable
 Mentorship, professional
writing, readings.
 Peer/supervisor feedback
 Use of case studies to
practice application of
evidence-based practices
 reference
 Consider ways that
  Time each day to
 Supervisor and peer Once I have am confident in By May 2024
feedback documenting client’s history/
 Mentorship feedback profile, evaluation, and treatment By May 2026
after OT sessions sessions without referring to OT
peers for feedback
 Access to PubMed Once I have effectively By July 2025
and/or CINAHL, applied the evidence by
case studies to writing 3 appropriate By July 2027
treatment activities
By July 2030
 Blank journal Once I have formed the habit Ongoing
of journaling at least 3 times
spend journaling a week and maintained it for
 Open ended multiple weeks.
questions to guide
my reflection
process
Ethics – 3
Maintain a personal journal
to work on my self-
awareness as a professional
and maintain mindfulness
about ways to improve daily.
 Consider ways that  Blank journal Once I have formed the habit Ongoing
maintaining a journal will  Time each day to of journaling at least 3 times
help improve my own spend journaling a week and maintained it for
 Open ended multiple weeks.
questions to guide
my reflection
process