The Clinical Education Awards in Occupational Therapy were established to recognize excellence in teaching by clinical preceptors who are affiliated with the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University.
The Awards are granted on the basis of demonstrated excellence in clinical teaching, to therapists who have served as clinical preceptors in any type of clinical setting.
Clinical preceptors can be nominated for this award by students, clinical/fieldwork coordinators in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, or by colleagues or supervisors at their clinical facility.
For more information on the Awards or the nomination process, please contact: Susanne Murphy (susanne.murphy@queensu.ca)
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Teresa Broers
Teresa Broers, MScOT
Teresa graduated from Queen’s MSc OT program in 2009. She came to the program with an MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology, and several years of international work planning and evaluating Community Based Rehabilitation programs. As an OT, she has primarily worked on the Stroke and Acquired Brain Injury services at the former St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital and the new Providence Care Hospital. She has been a clinical preceptor for several years, sharing that she enjoys “offering her students opportunities to see and practice as much of the broad scope of OT on this service as possible, and consider how system-level constraints can impact OT practice.”
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Sarah Thompson
Ms. Sarah Thompson, OT
Sarah graduated from Queen’s University as an OT in 1995. She has worked at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital for the majority of her career, with a special interest in stroke rehabilitation. Sarah has been taking students from Queen’s as well as some from McMaster and Ottawa U for 20 years. She has also enjoyed being the clinical advisor for a few OTs to get their currency hours in order to return to practice and for one internationally trained OT to meet their college registration requirements. These experiences have kept Sarah inspired to continue to learn and grow as an OT. She is very grateful to her clients and the interdisciplinary team at PSFDH for being so inclusive and supportive of OT students.
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Lisa Moses
Lisa Moses, OT
Lisa graduated from the University of Toronto before most of her current students were born! I have worked in acute care, rehabilitation, hand therapy, chronic pain, cardiac and neuro rehabilitation and geriatric assessment before moving to a children's treatment facility all in urban settings. My most recent 2 years have been providing service to rural, remote, primarily Indigenous and Inuit communities. I enjoy clinical education and always hope to share my passion for the vast scope of OT. We, as Occupational Therapists, are well equipped to use our knowledge and skills to partner with communities and clients to ensure that we are honouring choices and cultures. I am thrilled to receive this award for mentoring students who were adventurous and courageous enough to embrace isolation. I would like to thank Susanne Murphy at Queen’s for her efforts to make these placements possible.
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Zanna Farmer
Ms. Zanna Farmer, OT
Zanna Farmer is an OT on Lakeview 1 at Providence Care Hospital, on stroke service. She joined Providence Care in 2014, at St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital. Zanna is a Queen’s Grad, obtaining her MScOT degree in 2009, making this her tenth year of clinical practice! Prior to that, she completed a BA Hons in Sociology/Biology at University of Guelph in 2006. Through-out her career, Zanna has worked for a number of hospital networks in Ontario, including Lakeridge Health & Quinte Healthcare. Her practice focus has always been rehabilitation and her focus in stroke-care. Zanna has always integrated student learning into her practice; offering clinical placements in her work settings, as a facilitator for the online clinical education integration program & most recently as an Academic Assistant in the Fall 2019 OT 881 Physical Determinants of Occupation course. By supporting students in their clinical education Zanna’s passion for stroke rehabilitation is often contagious and her students leave with a keen interest in this neurological condition and an appreciation of how a stroke can change a client’s entire life. Receiving this award has been a wonderful surprise and she is grateful for the honour of this recognition, as well as her role in facilitating each student’s clinical knowledge.
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Shannon Mills
Mrs. Shannon Mills, OT
Shannon completed her M.Sc OT from Queen's in 2008, after graduating with a degree in Human Kinetics and Biology from St. Francis Xavier University. She has spent the majority of her career at Kingston General Hospital; initially in orthopaedics and ABI, before settling into neurology/neurosurgery, vascular and cardiac surgery. Other work experience includes private practice, in-patient rehabilitation at Providence Care, and providing services to adults with intellectual disabilities at Ongwanada. Having students join her for placement has always been an important and enriching part of her job as she recognizes the value of hands-on clinical exposure and practice. Being able to facilitate and witness the "click" that often occurs when students begin to thrive and envision the scope of OT in a particular setting is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. Receiving this award has been both humbling and motivating for her as she heads into her 10th year as an OT!
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Adriana Farcas
Working in a community mental health setting within Providence Care since graduation, Adriana had the privilege to meet and introduce dozens of Occupational Therapy students to the practical ABCs of the field. Drawing from the example of her own amazing preceptors and co-workers, and feeling inspired by the students' interest and dedication to the profession, Adriana continues to strive for finding the best approach in channelling clinicians' and students' expertise and compassion towards improving the quality of life of those they serve.
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Kathy Sparrow
Since graduation Kathy has been an Occupational Therapist at Grandview Children's Centre in the Durham Region. As a student Kathy was fortunate to have had amazing preceptors when on clinical placements and wanted to pay this forward to future student occupational therapists. Kathy has supervised 14 OT students in her 15 years of practice. While she was the Occupational Therapy Discipline Lead at Grandview Kids she saw a need to develop a student package for clinicians and students to use as a resource which was well received by her colleagues. Supervising Student Occupational Therapists has allowed Kathy to regularly reflect on her own practice, clinically reason out loud, and share in her excitement when children and families reach their goals.
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Dave Carmichael
Occupational Therapy Award Winner - Carrie Marshall
Carrie is an Occupational Therapist Case Manager with the Heads Up! Program at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston, ON. As a doctoral candidate at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, her research interests are focused on the occupations of persons experiencing chronic homelessness. She has mentored students both within her own clinical practice, and in role emergent placements. Carrie is regularly involved in the education of students not only through clinical fieldwork placements, but also as a teaching assistant in the Queen's MSc OT program. Carrie firmly believes that the challenge of providing education both helps her to expand on her own knowledge, as well as grow personally as a therapist.