Occupational Therapy Education Program in Iceland—Needs and Development

Abstract

Occupational therapy in Iceland is a young profession that today is facing several problems. All Icelandic occupational therapists are educated abroad which means a very low rate of increase of practicing occupational therapists. The education does not always meet the specific needs of the Icelandic health care system and Icelandic occupational therapists miss a common base from which to define their role and professional identity. For several years the Icelandic Occupational Therapy Association has been promoting an occupational therapy education program within the University of Iceland. A great deal of planning and preparation has already taken place within the university, but a final decision has not yet been made at the political level. A four-year Bachelors' program is suggested. The article describes a proposal for establishment of an occupational therapy education program in Iceland, a faculty training program, and the potential resources both within the university and the occupational therapy profession and practice.