GrowthNest
GrowthNest
GrowthNest Events · AOTA Approved Continuing Education · Live Online Cohort
Find it. Use it. Lead with it.
Most occupational therapy practitioners learned evidence-based practice once. Then clinical life happened: time is short, evidence is overwhelming, and the gap between research and practice quietly widens. This course rebuilds EBP for today's practice, with sharper clinical reasoning, modern search strategies, and responsible AI literacy that puts the best evidence in your hands quickly and confidently.
Course description
This course provides occupational therapy practitioners with a contemporary, application-focused approach to evidence-based practice that aligns with current expectations for evidence-informed, client-centered care. Moving beyond traditional models, it emphasizes the integration of best available evidence with clinical expertise, client values, and contextual factors to support participation and occupational outcomes.
You will develop skills in formulating clinical questions, efficiently locating and critically appraising evidence, and synthesizing findings across sources to inform decision-making. The course introduces emerging technologies, including AI-supported tools such as Consensus and Elicit, to enhance evidence retrieval, synthesis, and communication while maintaining professional judgment and ethical standards.
Through case-based learning, guided application, and reflective activities, you will strengthen your ability to translate evidence into practice, address implementation barriers, and communicate effectively within interprofessional teams.
The practitioners who lead their teams are not the ones who know the most. They are the ones who know how to find it, use it, and communicate it.
Target audience: Occupational therapy practitioners (OTs and OTAs) across practice settings, including clinical, community-based, and educational environments.
Prerequisites: Foundational knowledge of evidence-based practice, including basic familiarity with literature searching and research terminology.
Course outline
Each module pairs a live workshop (1.5 to 2 hours) with one hour of asynchronous application to your own caseload: readings, guided practice assignments, and reflective tasks. AI support and instructor guidance are intentionally reduced across the modules, so you finish leading, not depending.
Position EBP as an enacted clinical practice connecting research evidence, clinical expertise, client values, and participation outcomes. Reflect honestly on where your own practice stands.
Move from information overload to precision. Formulate answerable clinical questions and compare AI-powered tools against traditional databases in a hands-on tool comparison lab.
Move from reading research to judging it. Practice identifying bias, evaluating validity, and recognizing when even confident-sounding sources, including AI summaries, cannot be trusted.
Bridge individual studies and clinical action. Synthesize evidence across sources into a mini clinical guideline a practitioner could realistically use.
Address the gap between knowing the evidence and using it. Analyze real-world barriers and apply knowledge translation frameworks to build context-sensitive implementation strategies.
Practice prompting, refining, and critically evaluating AI outputs. Build confidence in using these tools responsibly while maintaining professional judgment and ethical standards.
The capstone. Step into the role of clinical leader: communicate evidence clearly to clients, families, and teams, and defend recommendations with confidence and clarity.
Return with real cases from your practice. Consolidate what worked, troubleshoot what didn't, and set your next steps as the evidence-based voice on your team.
| Date (Tuesdays) | Live session | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| January 12, 2027 | Module 1 · Contemporary Foundations of EBP in OT | 1.5 |
| January 19, 2027 | Module 2 · Clinical Questions and Efficient Evidence Searching | 1.5 |
| January 26, 2027 | Module 3 · Critical Appraisal (applied integrative assessment) | 2 |
| February 2, 2027 | Module 4 · Evidence Synthesis and Intervention Planning | 1.5 |
| February 9, 2027 | Module 5 · Knowledge Translation and Implementation (applied integrative assessment) | 2 |
| February 16, 2027 | Module 6 · AI-Supported EBP | 1.5 |
| February 23, 2027 | Module 7 · Communication and Leadership (final applied integrative assessment) | 2 |
| March 23, 2027 | Integration and follow-up session | 1.5 |
| Live sessions (13.5 hrs) + asynchronous application, 1 hr per module (7 hrs) = 20 contact hours | 20 | |
All sessions take place on Tuesdays, 12:00 to 1:30/2:00 pm ET.
Learning objectives
Instructional methods: synchronous online instruction (lecture and facilitated discussion), interactive clinical case learning, applied integrative assessments, guided application exercises, and asynchronous discussion board participation and reflection.
Your instructor
OTD, PhD, OTR
Dr. Gafni Lachter has taught evidence-based practice at the post-professional level at Boston University for ten years, delivering the course online. Her teaching reflects deep familiarity with the challenges occupational therapy practitioners face in translating research into clinical decision-making.
An active researcher, peer reviewer, and mentor to OT practitioners and students across five continents, she brings an international perspective on how evidence-based practice applies across diverse settings, healthcare systems, and cultural contexts.
Logistics and policies
A certificate of completion with AOTA CEUs is issued upon meeting all requirements.
Learner cancellations: Cancellations received 14 or more days before the course start date receive a full refund minus a 5% payment processing fee. Cancellations 7 to 13 days before the start date receive a 50% refund. No refunds are issued within 7 days of the start date. As a fee-free alternative, any registration may be transferred to a future cohort or to a colleague at no charge.
Provider cancellations: If the course is cancelled or rescheduled by the provider, registrants will be notified promptly and receive a full refund or the option to transfer to a future cohort.
This course is delivered through accessible technology in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for distance learning. Live sessions include captioning on request, and all materials are provided in accessible digital formats.
To request accommodations, contact Dr. Liat Gafni Lachter at info@growthneststudio.com at least two weeks before the course start date.
Registration includes all seven live workshops, the follow-up integration session, all asynchronous materials, and your AOTA CEU certificate upon completion. No additional materials are required.
Fee: $395 USD (early registration $345 through December 30, 2026) · Registration: online registration form
Register nowQuestions about registration or accommodations? Contact Dr. Liat Gafni Lachter at info@growthneststudio.com.
Boston University is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 17120. This Distance Learning independent and interactive activity is offered at 2.0 CEUs, Intermediate level, Professional Issues. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
PD Provider: Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences · AOTA Approved Provider #0000000345 · CE Administrator: Karen Jacobs, kjacob@bu.edu
