1. Invests in the acquisition of evidence through participation in workshops, continued education and pursuit of additional degrees.
In regards acquiring evidence through continued education and workshop opportunities, my psychosocial rotation had the most to offer. As a life-long learner, this was truly ideal for me! I am grateful for my educators, who supported my pursuit of learning and allowed me to attend two continued education courses. The course I found to be most relevant to my needs was, “Compassion Without Fatigue.” Through participation in this course, I learned that, as someone who is deeply empathetic, the potential for burnout is high. I will implement the strategies I learned in this course to avoid burnout for many years to come. Please see the certificates below that acknowledge my attendance.
2. Is a knowledgeable consumer of global research related to occupational therapy and utilizes an evidence based approach to practice.
During my psychosocial rotation, my fieldwork educators and I agreed to participate in a “journal club” that consisted of ourselves and the other occupational therapist on staff in order to promote evidence based practice within our department. In this club, we sent one another articles relevant to occupational therapy in a mental health setting weekly. We provided one another with a brief summary of the article and any implications for practices that we may have found. This practice not only enabled us to be evidence based practitioners, but also to be up-to-date with the latest research. We utilized an evidence based approach by incorporating what we found into our treatments. We conversed with one another about research not only in our “journal club” but also on a daily basis, as we justified our choices to one another and explained our rationales when discussing treatment ideas. Citations of frequently referenced articles are available below.
3. Integrates individual clinical expertise and patient values with the best available external clinical evidence.
Hands down, one of my favorite aspects of occupational therapy is the emphasis we place on our clients’ values. The clients I encountered during my psychosocial rotation were no exception, yet one particular adolescent comes to mind when I consider client values in combination with clinical expertise and evidence. This specific client was recently diagnosed with both autism and schizoaffective disorder. He had many goals and areas for improvement, but developing his social skills topped his personal list. I knew that turning to the evidence was the most effective path I could take to serve this client. Clinical evidence, in turn, introduced me to a variety of methods that I could utilize with this client. I then let my clinical expertise and my educator’s advice guide my decision making, as I discovered the most effective methods for his particular diagnoses and personality via trial and error. Ultimately, a customized program was created for this client, based on programs such as cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive enhancement, social skills training, and social cognitive theory.
4. Applies the domain of occupational therapy in gathering, evaluating, setting goals, planning and implementing occupational therapy.
My level II fieldwork experiences provided me the opportunity to consider how the domain of occupational therapy looks in various settings. While this variation ultimately molded me into a well-rounded student, it was certainly a challenge to accurately apply the domain of occupational therapy in accordance with the population being treated. Repeated practice and opportunity ultimately led to proficiency in this area, however, as evidenced by my fieldwork educators' comments on my final evaluations. Please see the comments via the links below, which speak to my ability to administer evaluations and assessments in a uniform manner while consistently applying the domain of occupational therapy.
5. Contributes to the knowledge base of OT practice by mentoring students, performing research, publishing, presenting and/or teaching.
Through my fieldwork experiences, I have had opportunities to mentor various healthcare professionals in a variety of settings. During my physical dysfunction and pediatric rotations, I was required to mentor certified occupational therapist assistants (COTA). When mentoring a recently graduated COTA during my pediatric rotation, I was able to improve my ability to articulate the rational behind my intervention choices. I was available to answer questions about assessments, scoring, and the implications of a child’s performance. I was also able to mentor occupational therapy students and student observers at this facility! As a mentor to fellow students and student observers, I was conscious to let my actions speak for themselves by serving as a role model for how we, as students, should conduct ourselves. Please see my discussion board post via the link below, where I further discuss mentorship of the individuals noted above. During my psychosocial rotation, I was able to actively observe one of my educators serve as a mentor to a group of occupational therapy students performing a research project. This was my educators first experience as such, so I served as her sounding board. I also answered questions that the students had, and aimed to be a positive support for them as well.
6. Incorporates continued education as a lifelong practice with the commitment to remain up-to-date and well-informed.
While this criteria has not yet been fulfilled, progression is evidenced by my active participation in and pursuit of educational opportunities during my fieldwork experiences. During my psychical dysfunctional rotation, I attended all educational luncheons offered. During my psychosocial rotation, I participated in a “journal club” were I located recent and relevant evidence. I also attended workshops and continuing education courses. These experiences motivated me to continue such pursuits post-graduation. I am excited by the thought of being a life-long learner; I look forward to being an up-to-date and well-informed practitioner. I have already began to plan which continued education courses I will attend, as I hope to specialize in dementia, as well as hospice and palliative care.