OT's

lengthly

second-year

Lesley Parker, OTR/L, stated, “Katelyn is able to explain the role of OT in a variety of settings and recognizes the specific role of a school based OT in a confident manner. She interacts with students, family members and faculty with confidence and compassion.”

Robert Rabalais, LOTR, stated, “Receptive to supervisor feedback and is very dependable.”

Robert Rabalais, LOTR,

Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System

These clients had committed a crime, been arrested and had been then diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMHS)

Because most of the clients I worked with did not have a strong educational background, I frequently had to paraphrase and re-explain terminology used in an evaluation or reassessment in order to increase the clients ability to understand the questions being asked of them.

at ELMHS, Robert Rabalais, LOTR

Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMHS) in Jackson, Louisiana

At Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMHS), each client attended OT group sessions two times per week for a 45 minute long session. During one session, we typically allowed the clients to participate in a free-choice leisure or craft based activity. The other session was a more structured discussion or education based group. Allowing the client to choose their own activity provided them the ability to pursue their own personal interests and the freedom to participate in activities they enjoyed. Many times clients would choose to create a stamped leather bracelet or belt or participate in a woodworking project. Although these are not activities I would typically choose, these activities were of high interest to the clients with whom I worked. Since I did not know how to make a leather stamped bracelet, I asked one of the clients to show me how to create one. He was excited to share his skills and show me how to line the stamp up just right in order to create the impression on the leather. I expressed to him my gratitude and explained that since I now knew the correct way to stamp the leather, I could help other clients successfully participate in this activity. This simple interaction provided this client with encouragement and allowed me develop a positive relationship with the client. I was able to show the client I respected his choices and valued his opinion during this activity.

Allowing the client to choose

Completing these chart reviews allowed me to learn about the clients with whom, I was working

Since occupational therapists provide treatment and care to a wide variety of clientele in numerous settings, it is important that as a student and future practitioner, I be able to appreciate and accept others that are different than myself.

LEADER CHANGE AGENT

EVIDENCED BASED CLINICIAN

THICALLY GROUNDED PROFESSIONAL WITH A STRONG OT IDENTITY

OCCUPATION AND CLIENT CENTERED PRACTITIONER 

Actively participates

Actively participates in leadership or supportive roles in local, state, ​and/or ​national associations.

Modifies behavior in response to feedback; seeks opportunities ​to apply feedback

Modifies behavior in response to feedback; seeks opportunities ​to apply feedback.

Demonstrates the ability to giveconstructive and timely feedback

   Although it was challenging to provide constructive feedback to my fieldwork educator, I knew that it was an important part of my learning process. I realize that during my career as an OT, I will be expected to provide constructive feedback to peers, patients, and even my own fieldwork students. Below is an excerpt of my ability to provide constructive feedback during my fieldwork experience.

Incorporates continued education as a lifelong​practice with the commitment to remainup-to-date and well-informed

Incorporates continued education as a lifelong​practice with the commitment to remainup-to-date and well-informed. 

OCP

 I cannot express how much I learned from having the opportunity to help mentor occupational therapy students with varying levels of exposure to inpatient rehab.

Applies the domain of occupational therapy in gathering, evaluating, setting goals, plan

Applies the domain of occupational therapy in gathering, evaluating, setting goals, planning and implementing occupational therapy.

Integrates individual clinical expertise and patient values with the best available external clinical evidence.

patient values

Invests in the acquisition of evidence through participation in workshops, continued education and pursuit of additional degrees

weekly lunch in-services,

erves as a role model for honesty, integrity, and morally grounded decision making

of

Serves as a role model for honesty, integrity, and morally grounded decision making. 

​Upholds the AOTA ​Code of Ethics in practice.

​Upholds the AOTA ​Code of Ethics in practice

     Being ethical in practice is an aspect of OT that is autonomous and will be an essential part of our profession, regardless of the setting we practice in. 

Functions autonomously and effectively ​in a broad array of service models. 

Functions autonomously and effectively ​in a broad array of service models. 

Assumes responsibility for professional behavior and growth, in accordance with AOTA standards

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Assumes responsibility

Below is an excerpt of the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation I received on my first rotation, as well as my scores on said evaluation where I received 4's (exceeds standards) and 3's (meets standards) for each AOTA fieldwork performance standard regarding professional behavior. 

Represents the uniqueperspective of occupational​therapy when participating in inter-professional situations.

Represents

Fulfills commitments to the professional community. 

Fulfills commitments

pictured below

​Considers client motivation when usingoccupation-based intervention tomaximize functional independence

NWB

Collaborates with clients and caregivers in establishing ​and maintaining a balance of pleasurable, productive, and restful occupations to promote health and prevent disease and disability.

pay

Communicates effectively

Appreciates the influence

altar

I certainly fault

Maintains values over ​self-promotion or profit.

Empowers clients and team members

Uses knowledge and information in an​ innovative way

Takes risks to ​maximize outcomes.

Maintains professional behavior, regardless of problem or situation.

Uses humor to diffuse tension

Demonstrates functional level of confidence and ​self assurance

Maintains balance in personal and professional​life while prioritizing professional responsibilities and commitments.

Productively

oo much consistency

Is a knowledgeable consumer of global research ​related to occupational therapy and utilizes an evidence based approach to practice.

Advocates

I​nspires confidence in​clients and team members.

patients.

Please click the links below for more information regarding each​competency area within my Professional Development Portfolio.

Maintains values over self-promotion or profit.

Actively participates in leadership or supportive roles in local, state, and/or national associations.

Empowers clients and team members.

Uses knowledge and information in an innovative way.

(which I bought)

Takes risks to maximize outcomes.

My Fieldwork Educator from this rotation, Diane Flanagan, OTR/L, speaks on my behalf in this area on my Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation stating "she is wise in the choices she makes and when to confront an issue or gently redirect it in other ways", "she is great with establishing rapport with patients yet maintains boundaries in a very professional manner" and "she is very professional and timely in all matters". Please see supporting documents attached.

Fieldwork Educator

Uses humor to diffuse tension.

In the general comments section, Flanagan states "She has poise and confidence in her skills as an OT. She is an excellent clinician and will make a great entry level clinician as well as be a great addition to any therapy department". See supporting document attached.

Maintains balance

It was in my last Level II Fieldwork when I was able to get ample experience with this, both voluntary and not.

Modifies behavior in response to feedback; seeks opportunities to apply feedback.

to give constructive and timely feedback.            Th

continued education

knowledge base

Applies the domain of occupational therapy

individual clinical expertise

knowledgeable consumer of global research

Invests in the acquisition of evidence

role model

AOTA Code of Ethics

Functions autonomously

Assumes

narrative from a discussion board post that illustrates

In my final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation, Diane Flanagan, OTR/L, stated "All documentation is done in a timely fashion" and "She is very professional and timely in all matters". In the same document at my second Level II Fieldwork, Cynthia Harvey, OTR/L, stated "Tara Beth shows improvements in this area evidenced by collaborating with COTA and completing documentation in a timely manner" and "Her time management is effective".

Advocates

Fieldwork Educator

Applies theory

Cynthia Harvey, OTR/L

Considers

Inspires

Collaborates

85 year old gentleman

Communicates

Appreciates the influence of socio-cultural, socioeconomic, political, diversity factors, and lifestyle choices on engagement in occupation throughout the lifespan.

, Jamie Bergner, OTR/L, OTD, CHT, COMT,

12.

Without broadcasting or expecting any recognition whatsoever, I went above and beyond to meet the needs of my patients with anything in my scope of practice, as well as many things that were not my “job” to do such as getting extra sheets/blankets if they were cold, warming up their coffee before I left the room, changing their dirty sheets. etc.

11

moving and start

AOTA and TNOTA

Empowering our clients will allow them to achieve their highest potential and be their best possible self. By empowering team members, this will allow for a stronger team bond. Empowerment and encouragement can go such a long way. It is important to always remember this day in and day out as we work as a team to create the best possible outcome for our patients. I know how it personally feels to be empowered, so I always strive to do the same for others. It creates unity and confidence.

Throughout my level II fw rotations, I was intentional about presenting information in a way that the patients and/or family members could understand. When things get complicated, it can be difficult to explain and rationalize provided services while also providing enough information at the same time. During my rotation at Methodist north pediatric outpatient clinic, I created handouts for the caregivers explaining the evaluation process from what we look for in the child to what we can do to address deficits and treat the child. These handouts I made were put in layman’s terms in order to ensure the best understanding. These handouts were used to give to the parents of kids at the facility receiving other services such as PT or SLP that may need OT services but may not know anything about what we are able to do for their child. 

Sometimes we will be required to take risks to advocate for the best possible treatment and care for our patients. Taking risks ca2n be stepping outside of your comfort zone to maximize outcomes. One example in particular happened when I was at Methodist north pediatric outpatient clinic. I had a patient who had some behavior issues. Out of nowhere, she would spit in your face and anywhere on you that she could reach. She likes being told “no” and getting a response out of you. I can assure you that being spit on and attempting to ignore it is a very hard thing to do. I had been pondering different behavior management techniques and the next session I decided to try it. She began to spit on me and I kept my attention completely focused on the treatment activity we were doing, increasing my excitement for the activity, and doing everything I could to refocus her attention. By letting her get it out of her system and ignoring the behavior by not giving her the response she desires, she stopped spitting and began participating in the session. Had I not taken the risk of using a different approach to address this behavior issue, I would’ve been in the same boat getting nothing accomplished. 

ca2n

Professional behavior is important to have in any situation. Throughout the past few months, I have experienced uncomfortable situations with patients and family members that required me to maintain professional to deal with each situation. From a family member saying “so you call this therapy?” to patients cussing me out, I have learned to master this skill. 

I love humor. I think humor is one of the most effective ways to diffuse tension, especially with patients as they have found themselves in a place they may not want to be. I found humor to be an excellent way to diffuse tension throughout all 3 of my fieldworks. I feel confident I have mastered this skill. I found myself using humor with children just as much as I did with older adults. One intervention in particular that I found to create much tension was working on handwriting with pediatrics. Every single one of my kids hated to work on handwriting. I got on Pinterest and researched many different ways to attempt to make it more exciting. One thing I found to diffuse the tension and decease the anger in the patients was to create humor with sentences. By coming up with funny sentences and stories, the kids would laugh, keep better attention, and be anxious to see what the next sentence would be that they were going to write. We would also take turns creating funny sentences. Humor is always a great remedy! 

​Having confidence in myself is definitely something that has developed over the last 9 months of fieldwork, as well as something that will continue to develop. The more experience I have gained, the greater level of confidence and self-assurance I have developed. It is important to have confidence and self-assurance during practice in order for your patients to be sure you know what you are doing as well as for them to be able to have

Maintaining a personal and professional life balance is something that I prioritize daily. I am a firm believer in the importance of “balance” in order to enjoy life. I also find it extremely important to prioritize professional responsibilities and commitments. Throughout the last 9 months of fieldwork, I have given it my absolute everything to be “all-in” while I am at work, devoting everything in me and all I have to my patients and their needs. Being a student, we are also required to do additional assignments, projects, etc as asked by our supervisors. I was always devoted and willing to do anything asked for me. Outside of work hours, I prioritize time to treatment plan as well as work on school work as well. With the time I have left, I make it a priority to devote that time to all the things I enjoy such as exercise, time with friends, personal responsibilities, family, etc. I believe throughout level II fieldwork I have mastered this area.

, etc.

for

Below is a comment from Level II Fieldwork B  written by my FWE Lyndie Scram "Caitlin has demonstrated the ability to adapt to constant changes in the therapy department. She is very flexible and willing to do anything asked of her."

As practitioners, we should all be aware of our strengths and weaknesses. We should never be too proud to ask for help in any situation. As early-entry practitioners we are all still learning and need to be fully aware when we may need to seek help.In addition, during the first semester of OT school, we read a book called Strengths Finder 2.0 which allowed us to identify our strengths, mine in particular being: woo, positivity, communication, include, and activator. It allowed me to better understand these areas as well as myself as a member of different therapy teams who have different strengths than my own. It has made me a more valuable member of each team I have been a part of by knowing what I do well and how I can best assist others in and outside of the classroom. 

I have found it extremely important to seek feedback in any way possible in order to apply it and continue to grow as a student and entry level practitioner. This has been a great time for me to use being a student to my advantage to ask and receive feedback from my fieldwork educators to learn from mistakes and grow. Throughout the past 3 fieldworks, I have made an effort to seek feedback, respond well to feedback to be able to apply and implement it in my practice.

My supervisor did not take the time to invest in me like my first 3 supervisors did.

​At all 3 of my fieldworks, I had the opportunity to attend many in-services related to continued education on a wide range of topics. I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend these in-services to expand my knowledge. I have also been able to have discussions with each of my fieldwork educators about continuing education courses they have attended and what has been the most beneficial.  They have each advised to participate in as many continuing education courses as possible due to its distinct value to their practice. One of my supervisors allowed me to look through her binders of continued education on the FIM as well as lymphedema. I am so excited for the opportunity to never stop learning as a practitioner! Continued education is so important as we should always take any opportunity we have to learn and grow. 

​During my first rotation, I had the opportunity to supervise 3 COTAs as I was able to mentor and collaborate with them when assigning patients to be treated. That was a great experience for me as we were able to learn from each other. Also, on my 3rd fieldwork placement, I had the opportunity to mentor high school students observing, COTA students, as well as a student from our school on level I fieldwork. I enjoyed the opportunity to mentor these students and share advice with them to best prepare them with their future!  

“Holistic” is one of the first words that comes to mind when I think of occupational therapy. It is important to apply the domain to gather all the information in order to treat client’s holistically throughout the whole OT process.  Using a holistic approach is what makes our profession so unique as we treat the person rather than the disease or diagnosis. I have really gained so much insight and knowledge of this throughout the last 9 months on fieldwork.

On my first level II rotation, I had the opportunity to help QNRC with a program development by utilizing research to promote best practice in the facility. The idea was to create “stations” to establish the best “flow” for therapists to take the patients through in order to address all goals and needs holistically. I also worked with another student to research the upper extremity/hand to give all therapists better understanding of EBP treatment ideas as well as understanding of the most common UE diagnoses. 

Throughout the last 9 months, I really tried to incorporate knowledge and various experiences from each fieldwork despite the infinite differences between them. During each rotation, I also made an effort to apply all the knowledge I gained from didactic work into the clinical setting. For example, I was able to use everything I learned on my two-week rotation in a psychosocial setting, as well as everything I learned in the classroom about mental health and use it on my acute care rotation when I would frequent the psych unit.

working with high school students.After graduation, I have plans to continue participating in workshops and continuing education courses to gain as much knowledge as possible in order to be the best practitioner I can possibly be. 

1.

t is so important for a health care professional to maintain morals of honesty, integrity, and decision making. This is especially important working in healthcare, as our patients lives are so important. Through this profession, we have the opportunity to effect the lives of our patient and help them return back to their friends/family and everyday routines as much as possible.  I believe I have met this criterion over these last 9 months due to the quality of treatment, attention, and respect I give to my patients.

 It is crucial for any healthcare professional to be ethical each and every day. The client is our number one priority, and we should strive to be professional and respond in an ethical way in each situation.  I have made it a priority to uphold the AOTA code of ethics throughout all rotations.

​5.

the drop of the hat

I had the opportunity to see 4 completely different settings over the last 9 months of fieldwork, and I am confident it has allowed me to meet this criterion. I have had the opportunity to treat clients on a physical dysfunction level, treat fine motor/visual perceptual skills, behavior management, psychosocial needs, fears and concerns from parents to children as well as family members to loved ones in a nursing home.

​As a professional, it is important to take responsibility for our actions, education, growth, and professional behavior. The last 9 months of level II fieldwork have helped me grow professionally in more ways than I thought. I am very appreciative for this experience as it has given me opportunity for growth as a practitioner. This is an area that I will always strive to improve as I become an entry-level practitioner as well as throughout

Occupational therapy is a unique and one of a kind profession within itself. It is important for us to represent our profession well while working with other disciplines. Throughout the last 9 months on fieldwork, I have seen how important it is for all disciplines to be cohesive, as well as how important it is for us to bring our knowledge and perspective to the table. Inter-professional relationships are important as it creates the best holistic treatment approach for our clients. Throughout the last 3 level II FW experiences, I have made an intentional effort to participate as much as possible in inter-professional situations through interaction of discussion about our patients best interest.

2. Fulfills commitments to the professional community. It is important to fulfill your commitments and do your part in the professional community. I had the opportunity to assist Dr. Mitchell with research she is conducting so that she can examine how our beliefs about knowledge and knowing may have changed by the end of Level II fieldwork. By doing this, it will also help by influencing the occupational therapy curricula and help improve educational experiences for students in the future.After having some incredible fieldwork educators, I have plans in the future to fulfill commitments to the professional community by investing in students just like they did for me. I think it is important to pay it forward and give back. 

During my first rotation at Quince Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, I had a patient that I noticed to be showing signs and symptoms of depression. Through developing a therapeutic relationship and rapport with her, she opened up to me about her daughter taking her depression medication away from her when she went into the hospital after telling her she doesn’t need it anymore. The patient informed me how she noticed she was feeling more and more depressed and did not want to participate in therapy. I informed her that she would be able to talk with her nurse to let her know she wanted a psych consult. The patient informed me her nurse was extremely rude, hateful, and was not interested in her well-being as she acted like this was a hassle. I spoke with my supervisor and realized I was able to notify the social worker that this patient would like a psych consult as soon as possible. The social worker met with the patient, and was able to get her a psych consult. Through advocating for this patient, she was able to get back on her depression medication, and I noticed a huge improvement in her mood and participation in therapy! Our clients will always be our number one priority and as their therapist, we should never stop advocating. 

It is important to use occupation and adaptation to evaluate and treat clients in order to be an effective therapist. Each client deserves client-centered care, as each individual’s situation will be completely different. We also must work hard to create rapport with our patients in order to build a therapeutic relationship. Building relationships with all of my clients is something that is so important to me and something I strive to do day in and day out. I have learned over these last 9 months how closely related “occupation,” “client-centeredness,” and “therapeutic relationship” are.

​In order to ensure the best and most effective treatments, the client must be motivated to make progress towards goals. The most successful treatment sessions happen when the patient is “all in.” Keeping each treatment session occupation based/client centered. Over these past few months, I have found the most effective treatments to be when the client is the most motivated during the session which typically always happens when the activity is meaningful to them. I am confident I have fully gained understanding of this concept and mastered this area.

Empowering my clients has been one of the most important things I’ve learned throughout fieldwork. Often times, it is easy to get discouraged and depressed when found in a very unfortunate situation with your health, home environment, or bad news. If the patient does not have the confidence or determination/motivation within, it is harder to make gains and meet goals. With some of my patients, confidence can be easily shattered. It is my job to constantly support, encourage, and most importantly EMPOWER others. I believe I have fully met this criterion.

"One of Ms. Cole's strengths is her ability to connect to her patients. She takes time to listen to them, know their priorities and find out the activities or occupations that are meaningful to them. In this way, Ms. Cole creates a treatment approach that is more engaging and motivating to the patients." 

The client should always be our number one priority. It is crucial to put the client first when planning treatments, goals, and interventions. If I put together a treatment plan without collaborating with the client and their loved ones, how am I to know it is going to motivate the client and be something they have prioritized to work on during therapy? This has been a skill I have developed over the last 3 fieldworks. This is also a huge component of working with pediatrics. It is so important to include the parents in the intervention and treatment planning process to make sure to address all of their concerns as well.

"Once a month, a care plan meeting is held for each patient to discuss patient progress and future plans. The patient, along with their family members, are invited to attend. Before my first care plan meeting started, I had a chance to collaborate with the PT, nurse, social worker, and speech therapist about this particular patient’s progress and concerns we have for her future therapy. The meeting went so smoothly, and I had the opportunity to share what I had seen so far in therapy. We discussed with her husband that we have noticed signs of depression and unwillingness to get out of bed. We were able to stress to the patient and the family member that in order to reach their goals of being mobile again and getting home, consistency with getting out of bed and coming to therapy will be key. We were also able to schedule a psych consult for this patient to hopefully relieve her depression symptoms to increase participation in therapy. This was a great experience, and I always enjoy collaborating with other team members because ultimately, we all have the same goal – to improve the quality of life for our patient!"

Below is a comment from Level II Fieldwork B written by my FWE Jessica Lambert "Great communicator, friendly & approachable. Confident & clear regarding purpose/necessity of OT & collaborates well w/others." 

In the healthcare field, it is important to appreciate the diversity seen day in and day out. I have seen much diversity at each facility thus far as well as in everyday life. As a therapist, we will see differences everywhere we look, and we must accept the diversity and qualities we find. We must learn to accept the qualities in others we may not agree with or necessarily like, because in the end our client is our number one priority.Below is a blackboard post from my second rotation in acute/inpatient rehab at Physician’s Regional. This post is a reflection of how I appreciated and respected the diversity of client’s coming from all backgrounds and beliefs, which is especially important to build rapport."During these last 6 weeks, I have had the opportunity to collaborate each day with those of all backgrounds including patients, families, OTs, PTs, STs, COTAs, PTAs, nurses, CNAs, case managers, and many others. I have found at this facility that they make an effort to stay in constant communication with other disciplines to ensure the best outcome for each patient. Occasionally I float up to inpatient rehab when not needed in acute care. Because I typically walk in blindly having never seen these patients before, it is crucial for me to collaborate with the other disciplines who have been working with these patients to learn the assistance needed for transfers, goals, and so much more. Typically, when I walk in a patient’s room, they have family present. I have learned to communicate with families on PLOF, current level of function, and plans for d/c, as well as their main concerns for their loved one. Each patient, family, and employee of the hospital I encounter have different beliefs and values. It is important to always show respect and put the patient's best interest before anything else."

4.12

I would politely decline again and offer a joke about student loan debt or free labor and end my session with the individual

4.11

4.10

for the participants who have experienced a CVA

4.9

4.8

Level II Fieldwork C at Vanderbilt Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute - Treatment Plan for patient session described in above narrative:

to our activities

Vanderbilt Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute, I had a patient who had experienced an anoxic brain injury after a suicide attempt.

4.7

Level II Fieldwork A at Circle Center Adult Day Services - Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation

During my third Level II Fieldwork rotation, two of the occupational therapists experienced vestibular migraines. On a day in which this would happen, the other OTs covered for them and rearranged the therapy schedule so they could go home and rest until the migraine passed. On several occasions I would step in and see a patient who was not familiar to me.  I have covered for both therapists who experienced vestibular migraines to maintain our patient schedule. Typically, I would distribute treatment plans for patients 2-3 days prior to my treatment session to the OT that would be supervising. However, on these days I would only have a few minutes to compile treatment plans before my new patients would arrive. By treating patients from another therapist's caseload, I not only increased my experience with other neurological impairments, but I contributed to the clinic when needed to increase productivity and patient care. 

4.6

confidence

4.4

G

had a lot of personal problems going on at home

Fieldwork Coordinator

4.3

For example, for this assignment, I divided each of the four Competency Areas into a table with each Competency Skill listed below it - Table 1. I also composed a table of each Competency Skill and in the row next to each skill I listed the narrative and evidence to be transferred to this webpage for completion of my project - Table 2. As I transferred each completed Competency Skill to my webpage, I would delete the row on Table 2, and black out that skill on Table 1. If there was something missing from the completion of a skill, the skill would be highlighted in yellow in Table 1 and that missing component would be added to Table 2 in its row. This was all done to keep track of which skills were completed and which required further work. See below for a snapshot of both tables in the midst of completion.

4.1

lifelong practice

3.5

Teaching Assistant

3.4 Applies the domain

tweaks

3.3

Level II Fieldwork A at Circle Center Adult Day Services

patient values

by helping care for my grandmother

3.2

3.1

bridge my Master's of Occupational Therapy degree to a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree