At work today another staff member cautioned me to wash my hands often, as there seemed to be a bug in the building. Back in school I remember the importance that was stressed with proper hand washing techniques, before and after treatment with each patient, before and after eating, and after any ADL's. As a teacher I remember teaching the ...

  Some time ago I wrote a blog about COTA salaries, and in it I mentioned that with the increased cost of schooling and decrease in salaries that soon we may see a shortage of people seeking to enter the field. Was that a bad prediction?   The cost of the two required years of OTA school can vary greatly. At the local community ...

  Just the other day I was talking with one of the nurses I work with, and we got into a discussion of wasted dollars in healthcare. One of the patients was upset because for three days in a row the lab nurse came to draw blood. Another patient was mad because they were being sent out to the hospital for a routine procedure that could have ...

  This is a topic I've covered before, but I've always wanted to show the emblem I was given after passing my national exam. It was actually enclosed in the envelope with my passing test results. My certification exam was completed under AOTCB (American Occupational Therapy Certification Board) which used to be a part of AOTA (American ...

  As a COTA you'll find some days can be a bit more stressful than others. I guess today was one of those days because I came home tired and frustrated, some from work, some from the drive home, some from a stop I had to make on the way home. Fortunately most days don't go like this. I really do enjoy being a COTA, but to let you know there ...

     I graduated!  I cannot believe that it is over.  I’m done with school.  I’m done with fieldwork.  It is all up to me now.  It hasn’t sunk in yet.  I have been waiting for this for over 2 years and now it’s finally here.     Going back to school at 29 years old was the ...

Last weekend I attended the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association (MiOTA) Conference for the first time.  It was a great experience.  I went with one of my classmates and we had a wonderful time.  It was a 2 day event, but I was only able to attend Saturday’s sessions.  There were several breakout sessions that attendees ...

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 ...

     I cannot believe I am about to type this . . . I am done with the academic portion of the OTA program.  Yay!  After one last visit today, I will also be done with my level I’s as well.  It is crazy to think about.  It seemed as though this day would never come and now it’s here and I don’t know where ...

     Every time you get a group of people together for an extended period of time there is going to be drama.  This applies to families, work settings and even school.  At first the drama can seem fascinating, like watching bad reality tv.  Every week it builds and builds and everyone else is just rooting for the ...