1. Demonstrates the ability to give constructive and timely feedback.Throughout my fieldwork experiences, I had weekly discussions with my fieldwork educators regarding how I was doing from their standpoint and mine. I always felt comfortable speaking with my fieldwork educators, but I have always been someone who can hold in a lot of emotion without realizing it and not ask for help when I probably could benefit from it. Both of my fieldwork educators were great with communicating with me throughout the day as they always provided feedback and asked how I was feeling with my performance and workload. During my second level II fieldwork, there were days where my list of people to see was extremely long as our therapy department was extremely busy. As time passed, I got more and more comfortable speaking up for myself when I was feeling overwhelmed. My fieldwork educator reassured me that it was okay to be overwhelmed but that I was doing a great job and that she was available to step in and help if needed. I have learned that it is very beneficial to speak up and ask for help in a timely manner rather than attempt to take on everything on my own.
2. Modifies behavior in response to feedback; seeks opportunities to apply feedback. Modifying behavior in response to feedback and seeking out opportunities to apply feedback is very important, especially as a student. Seeking out learning opportunities has been something that I found so beneficial because I was able to expand my knowledge while also gain and apply feedback to better my skills. During my second level II fieldwork, I spent a lot of time in the cardiac intensive care unit where it was essential for me to listen to feedback from my fieldwork educator and apply any corrections to ensure the safety of everyone involved. This was my first experience in the intensive care unit, but I was able to quickly shift my handling, line management, and approaches to treatment sessions following feedback from my fieldwork educator. I believe I also did well responding to feedback and asking for recommendations from my fieldwork educator and other OTs throughout my other rotations. Another time when it was beneficial for me to modify my behavior in response to feedback was when assisting clients with bathing and shower transfers during my first level II fieldwork. In inpatient rehabilitation, assisting with bathing and dressing was a very large aspect of my treatment sessions. I had to listen to the advice of my fieldwork educator to ensure that I was doing what would be the most safe for my clients, especially when bathing with a wet floor to reduce any risks of falls. Below is a comment from my first level II fieldwork educator about my ability to respond to feedback when working in the inpatient rehab setting:
3. Productively uses knowledge of own strengths and weaknesses. One of my greatest strengths has always been communicating with others and building rapport. I have always been praised on that aspect of my personality and ability to demonstrate patience and intentionality when working with clients and co-workers. My biggest weakness throughout all of my fieldwork experiences has been confidence. I was consistently told that I was doing a great job, but I do not think I ever fully believed in myself. Imposter syndrome quickly began to creep in the closer I was to completing my rotations. I had very open and honest conversations with my fieldwork educators about how I was feeling and that my biggest barrier was just trusting in my instincts. They could tell that I knew what I was doing, but I had a difficult time at articulating it. Over time, I feel as if my confidence grew when speaking with medical professionals and clients the more I asked for feedback from my fieldwork educators. When I became more independent with evaluations and treatment sessions, I would take the time with my fieldwork educator to reflect on what I thought I did well with and what I thought I could improve on, and she would then provide her own feedback to those areas. There was one evaluation I performed in the second half of my second level II rotation where my fieldwork educator praised me for my confidence in answering questions, obtaining necessary information, and reporting how the evaluation went to the nurse. That was one of the biggest moments when I finally felt more confident in my abilities. I plan to continue to utilize my strengths and work to improve my confidence level as I step into my career as an OT.
4. Maintains balance in personal and professional life while prioritizing professional responsibilities and commitments. For my first level II rotation, I continued living in my apartment in Memphis which is about 30 minutes from my parents. I really enjoyed getting to go home at least once a week to see my family and have dinner, and I was close to many hometown friends as I am from Southaven, Mississippi. As for my second level II rotation, I was in Houston, Texas which was a big change for me. It was hard being away from home, but thankfully I had friends in the area that I was able to see every week to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Throughout both rotations, I had to make sure to prioritize my school work over spending time with family and friends when there was a deadline for an assignment. As I worked on my advanced professional development evaluation, I was out of town but still prioritized completing assignments while also spending time with friends. I know the challenge will only continue to increase as I begin studying for boards, working, and (hopefully) building a family one day!
5. Demonstrates functional level of confidence and self assurance. As I mentioned above, one of my weaknesses, especially during my second level II fieldwork, was confidence. Being in a level one trauma center, there were many clients who I encountered where I felt like I had no idea where to even begin. I had to speak with my fieldwork educator and be reassured that I did know the basics and that it was okay for me to not know everything. I struggled the most with neurological diagnoses as these were more overwhelming to me. My fieldwork educator assured me that neurological impairments can be overwhelming, so it was perfectly normal to feel that way. We discussed appropriate ways to approach treatment sessions and engage with clients with a neurological diagnosis. One of my clients was admitted to the hospital following a gunshot wound to the head, and she underwent a craniectomy shortly after admission. During my treatment sessions with this client, I learned to assess cognition every time, keep commands short and direct, always complete movements for the client even if it involves total assistance, and incorporate functional tasks into sessions. Following my experiences with this client, I felt much more confident in my abilities and even was praised for progressing in my skills when working with clients who had neurological conditions.
6. Uses humor to diffuse tension. Using humor to diffuse tension is something that I found to be very important when working in pediatrics. In the hospital, many of the children did not have family present 24/7, and they were going through very difficult times either with a traumatic injury, major surgery, or an illness. I quickly became one of the favorite "doctors" as they called me as I was seen as someone who was there to have fun and play, even when engaging in the valued occupation of play could be challenging. One way I found using humor to diffuse tension during my rotation was acting silly with my clients. Children always respond well when activities are fun and playful. I loved to sing songs, play funny games, and have dance parties to cheer up my clients when they were going through hard times, such as many of my clients who were experiencing extreme losses in independence following major surgeries. I was able to still address age-appropriate development and progress towards goals through having fun and being silly during treatment sessions.
7. Maintains professional behavior, regardless of problem or situation. When I was in inpatient rehab for my first level II rotation, I experienced many older male patients who would make inappropriate comments when I was assisting them with activities of daily living. This was something I had prepared myself to potentially encounter as I had heard many stories from other classmates and mentors. One day, I was assisting an older client of mine with a shower when he made a comment about me getting in the shower with him. He stated that he was just joking, and I knew it most likely was a joke as he had a bubbly personality and loved to joke around. I still had to maintain my professionalism and tell him that his comment was not appropriate, even if it was a joke. That was not the only time I experienced comments like that, but I knew how to appropriately handle those situations when they came up after my fieldwork educator reassured me that I was responding respectfully and professionally.
8. Takes risks to maximize outcomes. Taking risks to maximize outcomes during my fieldwork rotations was seen in many ways, specifically saying "yes" to learning opportunities that I may have been nervous about. One experience I had was assisting with casting for burns which I was very nervous about because I had never experienced wound care. I ended up really enjoying it and learning a lot about burns and materials for casting, and the OT that I got to work with was very glad that I was there as she found it very helpful to have an extra set of hands to assist with holding the limb while casting. I also agreed to an evaluation for a client who was 12 and was admitted for attempted suicide. This was a heavy case for me as my cousin went through a similar experience, but I felt like it would be a good learning opportunity. As hard as it was, I took a lot away from that experience and got to gain more knowledge about treating in a safe room in the hospital, paying close attention to behavioral plans, and focusing on the mental health aspect within the scope of OT. I was so glad that I took these risks and stepped outside of my comfort zone because I gained valuable knowledge and experiences that are sure to benefit me in my future practice.
9. Uses knowledge and information in an innovative way. One strategy I utilized to use knowledge and information in an innovative way was when needing to assess range of motion in younger children. I learned that the approach to assess range of motion greatly varied between children and adults, so I had to get a little more creative. I knew exactly what I was needing to assess, so I thought about how I could incorporate play into that. Bringing toys to every treatment session was something that I quickly learned was very beneficial as it almost always encouraged children to participate in the session. To assess range of motion, I would facilitate reaching by placing objects on the child's head or having them reach for a toy within the typical range of motion. This proved to be effective and typically led to some laughs from a few kids as they got to play and be silly while I was still able to assess what I needed to.
10. Empowers clients and team members. Empowering clients and team members is an integral part of working well as a team, and I got the opportunity to empower other students during both of my level II rotations. During my first level II rotation, I was at the same facility as another classmate of mine, so we got to work together and encourage each other our entire time. I think this really eased the transition for both of us from our didactic portion of OT school to our clinical portion. During my second level II rotation, there was a PT student who started towards the end of my time at the facility. She was really struggling at first, but I encouraged her and provided peace of mind as I reminded her that I was in her place just a few short weeks ago. I got to perform co-treats with her where I assisted her with understanding what different lines and leads were and how to manage those during sessions, and I also assisted her with documentation as she was very overwhelmed during her first few weeks with goal writing and thoroughly writing SOAP notes. I have seen how beneficial it is to empower others, and I can confidently say that my performance is much better when I am also being encouraged by those around me.
11. Actively participates in leadership or supportive roles in local, state, and/or national associations. During my time on campus, I was an active member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association and the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association. As I previously mentioned, I also participated in the pediatric community of practice within the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association and assisted with developing an OT screening tool for Special Olympics Tennessee. I also served as the fundraising chair for the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center, a student run pro-bono clinic for uninsured and underinsured children in Memphis, TN. I have also maintained my membership with the American Occupational Therapy Association throughout my didactic and clinical portions of OT school. Through my memberships within these associations, I am able to expand my leadership skills and engage in service opportunities while staying up to date with things happening in the field of occupational therapy.
12. Maintains values over self-promotion or profit. Throughout all of my fieldwork experiences, I was always looking for intervention ideas to expand my toolbox. There were many times where my fieldwork educators would praise me for my choice in activities or my creativeness with an activity. I often found inspiration on Pinterest, other social media apps, or friends and mentors within the OT community, so I was sure that I gave credit where credit was due. While I was appreciative of the confirmation that my choices were great, I did not want to take credit for something when it was not my original idea. Within the field of OT, there is so much room for creativity, and that is an area that I strive to continue to grow in. I have discovered that sharing ideas and collaborating is something that is so helpful as we are all doing our best to provide the highest level of care for our clients and their caregivers.