Shelly Norvell

Dr. Shelly Norvell has over 26 years of clinical experience primarily working in adult outpatient orthopedics specializing in hand therapy, but she has also worked in skilled nursing facilities, home health, and in-patient acute care. She continues her clinical work per diem at a local outpatient hand clinic and especially enjoys the challenge of creating custom orthotics, working with individuals recovering from upper extremity trauma to include tendon injuries and fractures, and assessing and developing interventions with clients experiencing osteoarthritis related thumb pain and disability. Dr. Norvell is passionate about the occupational therapist’s role in the prevention and reversal of chronic diseases and she is currently acquiring training through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to become a Lifestyle Medicine Professional. She plans to apply this training to develop a curriculum which emphasizes wellness and health promotion- the core principles within the occupational therapy profession.

Following two years of serving as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Occupational Therapy in various roles, Dr. Norvell joined the program full time in the fall of 2021 and is currently teaching in the Adult Rehabilitation series, the OT Foundations course, and is an evidence-based project chair in Evidence Project II.

The Puget Sound Experience

“I feel it is imperative that the emerging occupational therapist is equipped to enter the field of occupational therapy as a compassionate and knowledgeable health care provider who possesses the skills to think critically and ethically. I especially enjoy utilizing my experiences in the clinic setting to bring real-life scenarios into the classroom and challenge students to make connections between academic instruction, evidence, and practice. The faculty in the department of occupational therapy work closely together to collaborate and scaffold learning opportunities for their students across the curriculum. I find that teaching at a private liberal arts university creates a holistic and student-centered experience that aligns closely with the foundation of occupational therapy principles and values.”

Scholarly Interests

• Injury prevention in the occupational therapist population.
• Multidisciplinary inter-professional collaboration and building positive healthcare team relationships to improve client-centered care.
• Pre-habilitation and the occupational therapist’s role in preoperative elective orthopedic procedure education.

Personal Interests

In her free time Shelly enjoys cycling, travel, attending live music and theater productions, hiking the trails of the Pacific Northwest, reading, watching sports of all kinds, and walking her energetic rescue Doberman.