Fieldwork OT 580b

Students will begin to put occupational therapy knowledge into action by demonstrating application of relevant professional knowledge and skills under the direct supervision of a fieldwork educator in this 4 week (150 hours) full-time experience that occurs within a fieldwork practice setting. Through this and other fieldwork courses, the student begins to develop the fieldwork portion of the portfolio, covering different client populations, practice milieus, and professional roles.

OT 580b occurs at the beginning of Session 2 from Jan 6-31, 2003 within an approved fieldwork setting as matched through the CAOT placement service. Students complete a request for placement form indicating their 5 choices for fieldwork. The matched placement listing is returned to the university in late fall and typically the majority of students are matched to one of their requested placement choices. Flexibility is however required and a particular location or placement area cannot be an expectation. Once the matched placement listing is returned by CAOT to the university the student reviews site information in the fieldwork resource room and completes a letter of introduction and resume for the placement. This information is submitted to the fieldwork office along with a photocopy of the CBFE fieldwork evaluation from the student=s working copy of the CBFE. All student and university correspondence are then sent to the fieldwork placement setting. Further contact is then made between the student and the setting to clarify pre placement readings and preparation. Students are expected to review the fieldwork section of the student handbook as well as comply with all fieldwork site expectations.

Topic Areas and Objectives:

The following topic areas and objectives are expected for OT 580b, level 1 fieldwork. As fieldwork is cumulative in nature, these topics and objectives will continue to be expected across the levels of development with additional topics and objectives expected for the future fieldwork courses (581a,680b, 681a).

TOPIC AREA	OBJECTIVES
	At the end of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Philosophy, Goals and Scope of OT Practice	1. Describe the philosophy, goals, and scope of OT practice in language consistent with the clients= needs and culture.
2. Define Parameters of Practice	2. Describe the agency or service and identify the occupational performance needs which it meets.
3. Demonstration of Professional Accountability	3. Practice in accordance to the professional code of ethics and regulatory statutes.
4. Record Keeping	4. Under the supervision of the fieldwork educator, draft concise, timely, and accurate records.
5. Professional Relationship	5. Establish a client-centred therapeutic relationship using effective communication and shared decision making processes, clarifying the client=s goals and priorities.
6. Assessment	6. Discuss clients= suitability for occupational therapy, demonstrate awareness of appropriate assessment means. Discuss with the client what is important to him/her in the areas of occupation and performance in occupational roles. Begin to implement assessment and analyse results under the direction of an occupational therapist.
7. Treatment Planning	7. Begin to choose meaningful and realistic treatment goals with the client. Discuss with the client occupational roles.
8. Treatment, Implementation, and Modification	8. Apply and carry out treatment interventions, with supervision.
9. Completion of Treatment	9. Identify change and begin to recognize when goals reach completion.

Process Requirements:

PROCESS	OBJECTIVE/EVALUATION
1. Critical Inquiry	1.Demonstrate application and transfer of information from current literature and professional standards to practice. Participate in processes of review and evaluation of outcome and intervention approaches.
2. Communication	2. Reflect on experience and update the professional portfolio. Use language consistent with occupation and client-centred practice. Involve family, team members, and agencies in the ongoing occupational therapy process. Communicate changes and reasons regularly with clients and pertinent others. Record outcome of implementation, future plans, and recommendations. The closure of the professional relationship must be recognized, planned, and completed.
3. Professionalism	3. Recognize and practice within ethical, legal, and moral guidelines, as well as following the facility rules, procedures, and policies. Present self, verbally and non verbally, in a professional manner. Participate in maintaining inventory, safe storage, and repair of materials and equipment. Collect and generate data which reflect service activities and outcomes.
4. Clinical Reasoning	4. Demonstrate professional reasoning and collaborative problem solving and decision making in written and verbal communication. Procedural reasoning will be a major focus.

Sessions to Prepare for Year One Placements occur in various courses throughout the curriculum (OT 571, 511). In addition, several sessions specific to placement preparation are offered through OT 580b and 581a. In first term these are listed on the OT 580b course outline below:

Schedule:

October 7, 2002 - Placement selection process - using the national placement system

October 21, 2002 - Creating a profile of experience - narrative and practice profile - analyzing fieldwork within one=s portfolio to describe placement areas covered and to assess experience in order to cover a diversity of practice throughout fieldwork

October 28, 2002 - What to expect on your first placement

- matched report of placements for OT 580 to be reviewed

- Expectations for letters of introduction and resumes (due on November 11, 2002)

November 11, 2002 - Competency Based Fieldwork Evaluation and university expectations for OT 580b

- Letter of introduction, resume and a copy of the CBFE due - university will send these to site)

Note - On November 18, 2002 CAOT sends the confirmation report of student placements to site

November 25, 2002 - Verbal strategies to reduce and diffuse conflict and safety strategies in community practice

Required Text:

Bossers, A., Miller, L. T., Polatajko, H. J., & Hartley, M. (2002). Competency Based Fieldwork Evaluation for Occupational Therapy CBFE-OT. Albany, NY: Delmar.

The above publication is used for all block fieldwork courses OT 580b, 581a, 680b, 681a and includes a manual and two copies of the evaluation. The publisher has given permission for the student who purchases this text to make additional copies of the evaluation for self-evaluation, etc. The original manual needs to accompany the student to the placement for reference throughout the course.

Course Costs:

There is a fee of approx. $50. for each fieldwork match. In addition, students may have additional expenses related to housing, transportation, etc. These are the responsibility of the student.

Fieldwork Policies:

Students should consult the Student Handbook for information on the various policies regarding fieldwork placement, including Attendance, Immunization, Criminal Record Checks, etc.

Time Missed: Should you be ill and unable to attend placement, call and advise your site supervisor. Once you return to work, discuss options for making up the time. Should your absence extend beyond 2 days, please also notify the School of Occupational Therapy and be prepared to provide a medical certificate. An exception to this is if you take time from the placement to attend a professional conference. Such activity is considered fieldwork by the School of Occupational Therapy. None the less, it is important to advise your fieldwork educator/supervisor about the planned absence for the conference as soon as possible, preferably before the placement begins, and to offer to make up time missed.

Assignments - The fieldwork site may assign a special project, in addition to client care. In addition, for OT 580b students are to reflect on a fieldwork case in which the faced an ethical or professional dilemma and to be prepared to discuss this case within their mentor group upon return to class in February/2003.

Fieldwork Evaluation:

The Competency Based Fieldwork Evaluation for Occupational Therapists (CBFE-OT) (2002) will be used for evaluation of performance during each fieldwork placement. The 7 core competencies of practice captured in the CBFE (Practice Knowledge, Clinical Reasoning, Facilitating Change with a Practice Process, Professional Interactions and Responsibility, Communication, Professional Development, and Performance Management) are the framework of competencies required to practice as an occupational therapist in Canada (ACOTRO, 2000).

Following an orientation process, students review the opportunities for learning offered through the placement, the learning objectives for OT 681a, and their own goals and formulate learning objectives for the seven competencies. These objectives are discussed and negotiated with the student=s fieldwork educator.

The fieldwork educator assesses student performance on the competency as a whole and the student receive an evaluation mark at midterm and final on each Competency Rating Scale. A comment section is also provided for midterm and final comments reflecting student performance. Students are also asked to self evaluate on a CBFE and to discuss their assessment with the fieldwork educator/supervising therapist. In addition, the student is also given feedback on the learning objective visual analogue scale. This scale captures performance on the individuals student objectives that were set for each competency of practice.

At the end of the fieldwork placement the fieldwork educator provide summative comments that identify final comments on the student=s overall performance, directions for future learning and a recommendation of either pass or fail for the fieldwork placement. The academic fieldwork course coordinator reviews the completed CBFE form at the end of the fieldwork course and submits the grade of pass or fail to the registrar=s office for the student=s academic record. Students are required to obtain an average rating no less than 1.5 standard deviations below the class mean. Over the past two years, this has meant that the pass mark is a minimum average of 2 on all competencies in order to pass the 580b fieldwork course.

If at any time during the placement the fieldwork educator believes that the student=s English language proficiency, communication, knowledge, or clinical skills present a risk to clients, the site has the right to withdraw the placement. This would result in an automatic failure of the fieldwork course.

Questions and Concerns -

Should any questions or concerns arise during the placement, please contact the university fieldwork course coordinator by telephone, through the School of Occupational Therapy. (This ensures that, should I happen to be away, your issues are addressed promptly.) The School makes a routine call to each facility sometime around the middle of the placement to insure that objectives for the level 1 placement are on track. Likewise, the fieldwork educator is instructed to contact the School if any concerns about the student=s performance arise. However, it is also your responsibility to contact the course coordinator and let me know if any difficulties arise at any time during the placement. Please call earlier, rather than later, to allow as much time as possible for us to work out the best solution for all involved.

Reference:

Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO) (2000). Essential competencies for occupational therapists in Canada. Author