Habits, Routines, and Roles of Graduate Students: Effects of Hurricane Ike

ABSTRACT

Disasters such as a major hurricane are likely to disrupt individuals’ habits, routines, and roles. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore the extent to which master's students’ habits, routines, and role participation were affected by Hurricane Ike during the transition from academic work to Level II Fieldwork placement. Three master's level occupational therapy students who experienced the hurricane while attending school were recruited for the study and were administered a qualitative interview and the Role Checklist. On the basis of the interview, emerging themes with subthemes were Temporal Aspects—preparation, storm, immediate poststorm, and recovery/rebuilding; Effects of Storm on Occupational Performance—loss of personal space, lack of leisure participation, changes in habits, and loss of routines; and Personal Outcomes—areas of transformation and changes in roles. As noted by the Role Checklist, some new roles were assumed by the participants following the storm, while some prehurricane roles were not resumed posthurricane. Implications for occupational therapy for individuals affected by disasters are highlighted including the importance of role participation and impact upon occupational performance.

KEYWORDS. :

• Disasters
• occupational performance
• transition to fieldwork