My Final Placement
What a crazy week! I started my final fieldwork placement in an acute care setting at a major hospital. Talk about culture shock. It is a whole different world there and I am scrambling to learn what I need to survive the next 7 weeks. Everyone keeps telling me that I will see a lot there. I have no doubt about that. In my first four days I have already seen things I have never seen before. My fieldwork educator (FWE) threw me right in with the first patient and, though I was nervous, I did what I needed to and all went well. I am already providing treatment on about 50% of my FWE’s patients and about 25% of those I am seeing mostly on my own. It is great to know that at this point, I am holding my own. However, if anyone has any tips on how to make my experience in the hospital better, I would love to hear them.
Also, this past Tuesday, I returned to me previous placement to help with their Halloween event. I miss those kids already. It was so much but I was exhausted. The constant go, go, go pace of the hospital combined with two and half hours of working with kids nearly did me in. However, I was glad I made the time to go back and help out.
That brings us to today and this weekend. In a few hours I will be off to the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association (MiOTA) conference. I am attending with one of my classmates. I am looking forward to learning and networking with OTs from around the state. It is going to be a great experience and one I hope to repeat annually. I just hope I can make it through the weekend. I am exhausted!