But maintaining our values and advocating for our client allowed him to receive the best medical care possible.

and friends who don't have any experience in the medical field.

ended up adding those clients to my caseload first. While this was difficult to adjust to for the first couple of weeks, I am so thankful I took this risk.

balance being professional with caregivers with engaging in play with children all at the same time.

This humorous situation allowed me to build rapport with my client, made her laugh for the first time since her life-changing event, and helped diffused the tension in the room motivating her to engage in the therapy session. 

I attained a functional level of confidence and self-assurance with increased experience. 

The photo to the right is me and my husband on our wedding day! 

I have learned to maintain balance in my personal and professional life while prioritizing my professional responsibilities and commitments. Below is a brief timeline of the month of September as we finished classes in

Using this knowledge of my weakness has motivated me to develop strategies to address it and to be aware that this area needs extra work. 

It was difficult for me to adjust to these differing personality types each day,

I would often recite how to phrase the feedback I was providing to ensure I was delivering it in the most constructive and positive way. The entire evaluation process had to occur in less than one hour, so within one hour I met, assessed, interpreted results, and provided constructive feedback.

The first continuing education course I plan to take is on Animal Assisted Therapy. This course is called “The Canine Connection: Animal Assisted Therapy & OT” and it is presented by Melissa Winkle, OTR/L, FAOTA. I found this through my current membership with AOTA. Below is the link to the page I found this continuing education opportunity:Earn Up to 12 Continuing Education Contact Hours FREE With These Exciting AOTA Webinars! (n.d). Retrieved from              https://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/Membership/join-webinars-contact-hours.aspxI previously mentioned in skill 3.1 that I am planning to continue my education and become Parkinson Wellness Recovery (PWR) certified. I would also like to eventually become a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. Continuing education is a wonderful opportunity to remain a life-long learner and to grow throughout a career as an occupational therapy practitioner. 

This project allowed me to contribute to the knowledge base of OT practice by performing research and presenting and teaching the therapy team at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital about the benefits of occupational therapy in pediatric inpatient settings. 

OT for my clients. 

I educated her on precautions, what to expect, and what I thought our evaluation should include. I was able to integrate my individual clinical expertise in this situation to promote safety and early rehabilitation for this client.

To the right is a score I received on my final fieldwork performance evaluation of my Level 2 fieldwork B at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. An evidence-based approach is always important to utilize, but it was especially important with our clients in the PICU and NICU to ensure safety and the highest level of functional performance. 

Acquiring evidence and using evidence-based practice is a key component in providing clients with the most efficient occupational therapy services. I completed my Level 2 FW A at The University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville, which promoted and encouraged the acquisition of evidence through workshops led by different members of the therapy department. One of my favorite workshops I attended was on Parkinson’s Disease. The University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville provides an outpatient program for clients with Parkinson’s Disease called the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT). This evidence-based treatment program is provided by OTs, PTs, and SLPs that have received an additional certification in Parkinson Wellness Recovery (PWR). While certification is required to provide the specific treatment through this program, the therapists provided us with intervention ideas, real-life examples, as well as  techniques to use in our (almost daily) encounters with clients with Parkinson’s Disease in the acute care setting. I cannot take the official course to become PWR certified until I’m a registered occupational therapist, but participating in this workshop provided me with techniques and educated me on the certification that I plan to continue my education to achieve. 

trusting my “gut”. 

The AOTA Code of Ethics serves as a guide for OT through addressing the values and expectations to be upheld by all occupational therapy practitioners.​The top photo is the score I received from my supervisor on my final fieldwork performance evaluation of my Level 2 fieldwork A at The University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville. The bottom photo are the scores I received on my final fieldwork performance evaluation of my Level 2 fieldwork B at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Between both of my Level 2 fieldwork rotations, I scored "Exceeds Standards" for all three items scored for the Fundamentals of Practice. 

I assumed responsibility for my professional behavior and growth by seeking out learning opportunities throughout my rotation. 

different professionals.

Fulfilling the commitment I made to the therapy team by creating this handout allowed for a smoother transition to documenting, which resulted in increased time for the therapists to fulfill other responsibilities with clients. 

I got to do this by providing motor therapy for babies just days old in the NICU, as well as providing sensory integration strategies and addressing other common issues in children ages 1-5 with NAS. 

therapeutic relationship with all of my clients and their caregivers was an important piece in the delivery of occupational therapy services.

ommunication. 

little bit better.

Through this collaboration, we were able to promote health and prevent disease and disability by establishing and adapting occupations for this individual client with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. 

completed documentation in a timely manner to communicate my findings and any recommendations with the other healthcare professionals

I was proud of myself for showing integrity and honesty to ensure my client received the care they needed.

 By reflecting on each of the six ethical behaviors of the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics, I can justify I have upheld all of them in my practice as an OT student.  

el II rotation. 

I adapted typical grid paper to make small math problem grids.  I had the student try a few math problems on the grid, and we determined he would need more spaces.  Therefore, I adapted it once again to meet his needs and made 6x6 grids.  This seemed to work well for the type of math problems he is learning in the 4th grade.

I was able to contribute the role of OT. 

Participating in this activity without my FWE present pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to be autonomous.

I was able to advocate for their well-being daily by contributing to a positive environment and providing opportunities for enhancing their development.

 I plan to find out if there are any similar companies in the Memphis area and if not tell other professionals about these programs.

I would change my treatment plan to either grade the activity up or down.  It is important to apply the domains of OT to practice and understand how they interact and affect each other. 

The next time we treated the client, I gave them my suggestion to bring essential oils he might like or something that would remind him of home.  When I explained the evidence behind this, the client's mother began crying and hugged me.  Below is my discussion board post about this situation and other ways I combined my emerging clinical expertise with clinical evidence. 

I sought out research on this topic.

I hope to one day pursue an additional degree that will allow me to teach others about occupational therapy.  

I was honored to be asked to serve as this role, and the entire experience made me realize my potential of holding a leadership position.

board.

It was in my client's best interest that I took this risk, and I took the proper measures to help them safely meet their needs. 

When I addressed my FWE about my opinions of this situation, she fully respected my decision. 

"read the room" t

This allowed me to think on my toes and critically evaluate an activity to meet the client's need without as much dependence on my FWE. Below is my my FWE's comment on my Midterm Evaluation during my second Level II fieldwork rotation. 

rofessional growth. 

, I got engaged!

I developed strategies to complete the evaluations quicker and ask for assistance if I am struggling in a patient's room.

We are all human, and it's important to learn how to keep each other in check without being over critical and judgmental. 

therapy session.  

I found a way she could help her daughter during our transfer by holding her leg up.

y questions or concerns.

One, I tried to not let what I read in their chart give me an opinion of the client before I met them.

Through this, I was able to develop of better sense of how I was spending my time and ultimately it helped me meet productivity.

An OT can empower by teaching skills and new best practice tips as well as identifying their co-workers strengths and encouraging them to use their strengths to better the rest of the team as well as their clients. 

Below I have attached photos of activities

I took a risk in contacting the PT to collaborate and discuss their findings as well as share my findings. I then got to speak to the doctor and explain the patient’s discharge environment and how discharging home may lead to further readmissions. In the end, we all collaborated to determine that SNF would be the safest discharge environment for the patient. 

holds them accountable and improves effectiveness of the treatments we discussed.

When I walked outside the room, Kaydee (my supervisor) was standing right outside the door and congratulated me on handling the situation professionally and not letting my emotions impact patient safety.

be a difficult

“Looks like you got our special taco bed. Only the best patient’s get that kind of treatment.”

Patch Adams

In order instill

Hank I

Once I learned how to balance these two aspects

developing a therapeutic relationship with them.

I developed a safety checklist in which I wrote on every client information sheet prior to entering the room.

impact our personal and professional skills

o be by the AOTA continuing education website.

prior to beginning their rotation.

I plan to mentor students to help them grow in their strengths and weaknesses.

I have attached a discussion board post below depicting how I applied the domain while continuing to be client centered.

describing my project and one of the research articles included within the binder. 

opportunities available.

To the right is a scanned image of the first page of the handout I created for my site. 

determine what motivates a client

others.

Inspiring confidence looks different for every client.

See photo to the left for an example of how I was able to collaborate during a child's IPP meeting. 

esearching signs that would be useful during intervention.

served as a role model for honesty and integrity. 

e to ethics. 

evaluation. 

xperience. 

organizations. 

project. 

difficulty

running for a leadership position in the future

After I have graduated from school, I desire to continue being an active member and participant in both TNOTA and AOTA as an entry level practitioner

as future

I am keeping it as a sweet reminder of the importance of caring for and empowering my future patients.

Below is a picture of the remote that I adapted for this patient, as well as a discussion board post in which I discuss how I implemented this intervention.

loved! 

I chose to remain calm,

he was able to get to my face.

tense situation,

ast.

hard concept to explain without using "OT talk"

where I found myself questioning my abilities and knowledge

supper club cooked! 

which I have attached below. ​

have striven to apply this growth mindset to the feedback I have received from my supervisors and even in the moments of failure that I have experienced through these 6 months of fieldwork.

I have already started making a list of interesting topics and courses that may be helpful to take during my first few years as a practitioner, and have also received some helpful suggestions from my supervisors, as wel as accessing several free CE's that covered an assortment of topics through AOTA's website.

 ​. 

picture

Center

identify

how conduct

Below is a copy of my in-service presentation on Early Mobilization in the ICU as well as the handout that I provided.  ​

maintained a list of the articles that I read

ty.  

of

ts. 

setting

settings.

day.

g day.

heath

To the right is my current AOTA membership card. ​

ve.  ​

ety of these theories

ay.

andexcited

creativity,

.

bathing and showering are very necessary and functional lifelong ADLs that promote health and self-care.

build a deeper relationship with the families

.

r.

out

Most days, I would write during that time anyway because I knew it would make my documentation more accurate.

I plan to continue to uphold my AOTA membership as it provides so many resources to help me be the best practitioner I can.

 I had to learn to slow down and verbalize my encouragement while uplifting them in the moment so they could recognize how great they were doing.

. 

bjectively. 

.

!

e tasks. 

n.

 I tried my best to not be biased in avoiding these goals and covered them as needed in therapy.

improve.

constructive feedback

This is something I would need to address with patients.  If they weren't performing the activities with appropriate form, they weren't going to receive the benefits and effects as they should, or they could even cause harm.  

!

It also means holistically looking at the patient and catering interventions based on their specific needs while also adhering to protocols and best practice guidelines.

people heal differently based on their compliance, the injured structures, and their overall health. 

. 

.

a hands-on orthotic fabrication course. 

may

 I believe it is vitally important to consistently adhere to AOTA code of ethics in regard to beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity, and fidelity.

flexible. 

n accordance with AOTA standards. 

when participating in inter-professional situations

learned a lot

Advocates for clients who have been neglected or underrepresented in the system

m.

needs

easoning skills

it. 

hey probably won't.

I tried to harp on the

experience.  

I hold my values over any individual accolades and any profit that can be offered.

gs

tell

me

myself

in

thank you note for their hard work and their efforts during my rotation there. 

ion

building

that does not perform their homework

ort

I would explain to them and ask them, if they wanted to get better do they think that the two hours they spend in the clinic are more important to their recovery or the other 166 hours in a week.

Honestly, it was nowhere near as difficult as I thought it was going to be, and I’m glad that I did it to give myself an experience that I would have otherwise not had. 

it showed me that I could respond to problems no matter what is happening. 

here

his no

n

and I had ice in my nose from mucus freezing.

well

study

humor

I have been gaining confidence in my abilities throughout this process.

doing

but that you care about them getting better as well.

efore leaving all of my fieldwork locations I turned documentation into a strength because I would force myself to document early in my rotations to get feedback from my instructors so that when my caseload grew I would be able to handle the documentation needs without issue.

blank sheet of paper out and wrote down all the test that I would perform during an evaluation.

student, fieldwork

It was really rewarding to see that someone valued my opinion, and took my constructive criticism and used in a positive way. 

because it would not be practical in day to day documentation

best interventions for their needs. 

evidenced based

evidenced based

prominent

counts

few