1. Demonstrates the ability to give constructive and timely feedback.
Providing feedback in a constructive manner can be difficult in our field because you work with so many different disciplines, as well as varying personalities, and there can be tense situations when feedback is provided. During my outpatient pediatric fieldwork rotation, I interacted with other students there on fieldwork (both OT and PT) who came after I had already been at the clinic for a few weeks. I was able to provide feedback to those students in a different capacity than their fieldwork educators, without overstepping. I had the opportunity to give the OT student who came my last week, a crash course of the ins and outs of how the clinic ran and how some patients respond better to certain activities compared to others. I also had the chance to interact with the PT student at the clinic and provide feedback during our co-treat sessions, on what went well and what we wanted to do differently next time. It was a very positive environment where feedback and advice could be given freely to promote the overall best quality of care for our patients.
2. Modifies behavior in response to feedback; seeks opportunities to apply feedback.
Responding to feedback in an appropriate manner is a key aspect in becoming a holistic occupational therapist. Throughout both of my clinical rotations, I received feedback throughout the rotation and did my best to learn from my mistakes and grow from there to improve the quality of care I provide my patients. You learn by doing, and fieldwork is the best time to try different approaches to interventions and treatment sessions because at the end of the day, your fieldwork educator is there to assist is needed. I learn best by trial and error, which is what I did my best to do during my rotations. I also responded to feedback from other therapists, especially physical therapists, when it comes to interacting with more hands-on patients. I appreciate any feedback provided so that I can make adjustments that will benefit myself and my patient at the next treatment session. Below are two screenshots of comments written on both my Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluations for both my Level II Fieldwork Rotations referencing my ability to receive and implement feedback during my rotations.
Katelyn Tansey, OTR/L
Natalie Cathcart, OTR/L
3. Productively uses knowledge of own strengths and weaknesses.
As previously mentioned, I pride myself in being empathetic and using my personal experiences to relate to patients on a unique level. I believe one of my greatest strengths is empathy and being easy to communicate with - which is important in both the evaluation portion and treatment portion of occupational therapy. In both of my fieldwork settings, I did my best to interact with patients and their families in a way where they would feel comfortable in my ability to treat and care for their loved one. I also previously discussed my ability to use my creativity to create unique and motivating interventions for my patients in outpatient pediatrics. My desire to help others is both my greatest strength and weakness. I tend to overstretch myself when it comes to creating activities and offering my services. During both of my fieldwork rotations, I focused on creating boundaries in my personal and professional life which might cause me to overstretch myself. I feel like I was successful in creating a good work-life balance and not letting my desire to help become negative. During my rotations, I let the positive side of being empathetic and altruistic become the forefront in my approach to treatment sessions. Below, are comments made on my Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluations from both of my Level 2 Fieldwork educators about my ability to interact with my patients using my personal strength (empathy and altruism) in my rotations,
"She is able to easily use her academic knowledge and personal insight to treat patients in both a medical & emotional way. Patients, families, and other associates speak highly of her and rarely realize she is"only" a student." - Natalie Cathcart, OTR/L
"She has demonstrated great respect for our patients and their families as well as our team and place of work. Rachel is naturally gifted in making relationships with people as well as making them feel seen and loved. Overall, she has done a great job loving on and treating our kids and their families while being a great team player!" - Katelyn Tansey, OTR/L
4. Maintains balance in personal and professional life while prioritizing professional responsibilities and commitments.
It is important to maintain the personal and professional life boundaries. Mental health breaks are key in maintaining the best balance in your life. During my first fieldwork rotation, my roommate and I (who is also in OT school) decided to train and run the St. Jude Half Marathon. It was difficult at first to find time after work to train, but we made it happen and finished the race with both setting personal records. It was a very fulfilling experience! To the left, there is a picture of my roommate and I after we finished the St. Jude Half Marathon with our medals on display.
5. Demonstrates functional level of confidence and self assurance. Confidence has been a weak point for me during my time in graduate school, mainly confidence in my ability to feel adequate in providing care for patients. During my fieldwork rotations I took a different mental approach to create the right mental headspace before I went into a patient's room or into a treatment session in the outpatient clinic. I made a point to ask my fieldwork educators about how my performance was when administered evaluations, re-evaluations, implementing interventions, writing goals, etc. to make sure I was doing all I could to provide the best quality of care. I also tried my best to put myself in uncomfortable or unfamiliar positions so I could challenge myself in the ability to adapt to these unforeseen circumstance to challenge myself. As the fieldwork rotations progressed, I felt I gained confidence in both myself and my ability to provide occupational therapy services in different healthcare settings. Below is a comment from my Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation where my fieldwork educator from Methodist Germantown comments on the shift in my confidence levels when it comes to providing care to my patients.
"Rachel is able to confidently go into a treatment session based on information from the evaluation (whether she completed the evaluation herself or is following behind a different OT) and modify sessions based on patient performance and acute issues." - Natalie Cathcart, OTR/L
6. Uses humor to diffuse tension.
Being flexible and easy-going is a key factor in being an occupational therapist. You will encounter a wide variety of personalities, work ethics, and diverse backgrounds. It is important to know how to shift conversations which might veer towards inappropriate or borderline unethical. Humor, can be a good tool to use when these tense/uncomfortable situations might arise. During my acute care rotation, it was common for myself or the PT to make a self-deprecating joke to lighten the mood and instill confidence in the patient who might have hesitations regarding their progress or functional abilities. There is a fine line to walk when using humor as a tool to create a positive environment, but majority of the time, simply putting a smile on someone's face or using humor to change the topic of a conversation, will result in positive outcomes and can allow you to remain in control of the situation during treatment sessions.
7. Maintains professional behavior, regardless of problem or situation. Creating a work-life balance is important when your top priority is the well-being of a patient. Your sole focus is on the patient, their goals, and what you can do to progress them to their goals. There is no room for personal vendettas and selfish decisions in the healthcare setting. A patient deserves your undivided attention during treatment sessions, or potential injuries and accidents can occur. Throughout my 2 fieldwork rotations, I experienced more than one personal emergency/crisis and I decided there was no place for my personal challenges/difficulties when I stepped into work. It is important to remain professional during all aspects of treatment, and that includes not allowing your personal views/experiences to influence the type of services you provide to patients. Remaining impartial is important because at the end of the day, your job is to allow this person to complete their daily occupations, how they prefer, and while you might disagree with their lifestyles/life choices, you are just wanting them to be able to perform those occupations again. Below is a comment from my fieldwork educator at Methodist Lebonheur Outpatient on my Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation, outlining my professionalism.
"Rachel has been an enjoyable addition to our team the last 12 weeks. Throughout her whole FWE, she has maintained professionalism and has always brought her best self to work, despite personal challenges she may be facing." - Katelyn Tansey, OTR/L
8. Takes risks to maximize outcomes. Taking risks look differently for everyone and also depends on the setting and population you are working with. While in outpatient pediatrics, I would try to challenge myself in coming up with interventions/activities which would challenge the patient. For example, on my caseload, I had a large number of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) . Common symptoms/signs of CP consists of high muscle tone, ataxia, poor motor planning, muscle weakness on one side (hemiplegia), etc. I had the opportunity to co-treat a lot of my CP patients with the physical therapist (PT) and therefore felt a little more comfortable putting the patients into challenging positions (tall kneeling, prone over wedge, side sitting, etc.) while they were performing an activity with their upper extremities. While some risks had less favorable outcomes - the patient could have particularly high tone that day or was exhausted and emotional labile and you couldn't get them into the position you wanted to try. Other risks had great rewards - the patient/caregiver/therapists were surprised at how well the child could complete the activity and wanted to try similar activities in the future. I am glad I had the opportunity to expand my comfort zone and become more confident in trying new things, regardless of outcome. Every experience is a learning experience, whether good or bad outcome, and risks should always be taken to really push yourself and your patients in their treatment journey.
9. Uses knowledge and information in an innovative way.
As previously mentioned, I created visual aids to improve visual attention and motivation during the Intensive Therapy sessions I got to participate in during my outpatient pediatric fieldwork rotation. My fieldwork educator and I named the visual aids, Pulley Pals, because when we attached the images to the pulleys, the patients would become more motivated to complete the pulley exercises. I collaborated with my fieldwork educator and other OT and PTs in the clinic to determine which characters would be most motivating for the patients. At the end of my 12 weeks, I had created over 50 Pulley Pals, which can now we used long after I finish my rotation. I have attached pictures below of a few of my creations attached to the pulleys for reference. It was fun to get to implement my creative passion in an innovative way to motivate these patients to complete an activity that would be monotonous for most.
10. Empowers clients and team members.
Being able to motivate your patients as well as the rehab team creates a positive environment for all individuals participating in the treatment sessions. I felt during my fieldwork rotations I did my best to provide positive affirmations during transfers, ambulation, and ADLs. I also felt that communication with both the patient and the physical therapist (when completing co-treats) was important to make sure both us, as a rehab team, and the patient felt confident in our treatment plan. I made a point to vocalize my plan for the treatment session before it began so the patient could mentally and physically prepare for the session and if I was co-treating, the other therapist and I could properly collaborate during the session. Below, is a comment from my Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation made by me fieldwork educator at Methodist Germantown on my ability to interact with both patients and the rehab team in a positive and uplifting way.
"Rachel demonstrates a very good understanding of the role occupations play in patient's lives and how these can be assessed and addressed in the acute care setting. She has improved her ability to communicate this to patients and family members as well as other members of the acute care team. Rachel uses this understanding well to motivate patients for progression towards goals." - Natalie Cathcart, OTR/L
11. Actively participates in leadership or supportive roles in local, state, and/or national associations.
During my time in graduate school, I held a number of leadership positions in different capacities in our program. For example, I was my cohort's Vice President, the Social Media/PR chair for a year for our Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), the Vice President of our Pi Theta Epsilon Honor Society, and a member of our therapy center on campus, Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center. It was a great honor to be able to hold these positions and use my leadership abilities and other qualities to create a unique experience for myself and my cohort when performing my duties. During my fieldwork rotation, while I was not on campus, I was available to help the students who transitioned into these positions after me and provide insight when necessary. I enjoyed getting to interact with students in the cohort below me to assist in their transition into their new roles. I also am a member of the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and remain up-to-date and on changes in both of those organizations. I hope in the future to be able to have a leadership position at the state level to continue to promote and support the field of occupational therapy. Below, I have attached pictures of my membership cards for both AOTA and TNOTA.
12. Maintains values over self-promotion or profit. During both of my fieldwork rotations I was blessed to have great fieldwork educators to guide me on my journey over the 12 weeks I was with them. They both demonstrated values in line with what an occupational therapists should represent. I was glad that I had the opportunity to build relationships with both my fieldwork educators, the rehab team, and my patients at both settings.
In my acute care setting at Methodist Germantown, I had a few patients who were in the hospital for longer than a few days, so I was able to get to treat them a few times before they were discharged. It was always nice getting to see the progress these patients made during my time treating them, and being able to recommend a lower level of care upon discharge. It was also nice to work with a team of therapists at this rotation. I always welcomed a co-treat session with the physical therapists (PT) or physical therapy assistants (PTA). If I thought a patient required a little more care, I would organize a co-treat with a PT/PTA to try to create the least restrictive environment for both the patient and our rehab team. I felt I really got to experience the holistic approach during my time at Methodist Germantown.
At Methodist LeBonheur Outpatient, I had the opportunity to work with both PTs and speech therapists (ST) during my 12 weeks working in outpatient pediatrics. Although billing is different in outpatient vs. inpatient, my CI and I made the decision to co-treat if we thought it was appropriate for the patient because we thought that would promote the best holistic approach for the patient and their family. Now while our productivity might have dropped because we had a larger number or co-treats on our schedule, at the end of the day we knew that a team approach would benefit the patient. Sure, I could have treated these patients by myself and had high productivity, but it would not have benefitted the patient as much as a co-treat did. It is important to put your patient and their family above self-promotion and profit. I am glad I got to work with such a great rehab team at Methodist LeBonheur Outpatient.