Fieldwork Wrap-Up
Hi everyone! I know it's been a while, but I needed some time to catch my breath after finishing Level II Fieldwork a little over a month ago. Lots has happened since, but I'll get into that later.
My second fieldwork placement was dramatically different than the first. I was in an acute rehab setting, working primarily with patients with spinal cord injuries, strokes, and other neurological difficulties. I saw a variety of diagnoses and had the opportunity to experience a lot of interesting treatments. Let me tell you, though, that acute rehab is hard work! This is especially true when patients' length of stay is longer due to a more severe or more complex injury.
There were many things I liked about it. I was initially wary of working with the SCI population because I wasn't sure of the mental toll it would take on me. However, I was proven wrong in that respect. My patients were great people who wanted to work hard in therapy. I did have my share of moments of sadness or frustration, but it wasn't more than I would expect with any other patient population. That was a relief.
I also liked that I had a lot of resources available to me at this particular site. It was a boon to be at a facility that had the funding to have cutting-edge rehabilitation equipment and was involved in research and community advocacy. I wish that everyone could be at a facility like that, just to see what OT and rehab in general looks like when it is maximized to its full potential.
Looking back upon my experiences throughout school and both Level I and Level II fieldwork, I have a few requests. To all the fieldwork educators out there, I ask you to please consider the following things when dealing with/evaluating your student:
1 - Were your student's placement preferences met? If your student is in an environment that they did not want to be in and do not feel is their strength, take it into consideration. For a student to excel in that kind of environment in spite of the fact that they are uncomfortable and maybe not enjoying themselves is a big accomplishment. Don't lose sight of that.
2 - Avoid putting your student under a microscope. Nitpicking can be demoralizing and make a student feel like they can't ever do anything right, when in fact they are doing a lot of things right.
3 - Remember that you're evaluating the student as an occupational therapist, not as a person. Everyone copes with things differently and as long as your student is punctual, professional, on-target with interventions, and has good rapport with patients and coworkers, it isn't your place to evaluate their personality.
4 - Realize that your student may have different methods for getting their work done, things that work better for them, and that forcing them to take on your methods may do more harm than good. This also applies to learning styles.
5 - Be on your student's side. Fieldwork is a nerve-wracking, sometimes lonely experience and if a student doesn't feel that their clinical instructor has their back, it makes it that much more difficult.
6 - Statements such as "Why don't you know that?" and "You're working under my license so don't screw up" are unnecessary and at times humiliating. We don't know everything - that's why we're doing fieldwork. And we are well aware that you are putting your good record and reputation on the line to teach us. We're grateful, but please don't remind us of it constantly. It just adds more stress to what is already an incredibly stressful experience.
Fieldwork really is the make or break time in OT school. One bad fieldwork experience can be very detrimental, and may in fact push people away from ever practicing OT. Realize the power you have, fieldwork educators, and wield it carefully!
In closing, I've made it through Level IIs and all of OT school. It was a long, busy, and frequently difficult ride, but I know I made the right choice. Congratulations to all of my classmates! We survived!
Congrats also to anyone who has finished or will finish school this year, or anyone who has made that momentous decision to start pursuing their OT education. And you, the students right in the middle, slogging through classes and writing papers, congratulations to you, also. It will be over before you know it.