Fieldwork OT 581a - Reflection on Action
Fieldwork OT 581a - Reflection on Action
Administration:
Course Coordinator:
Professor Ann Bossers
Associate Professor and
Fieldwork Coordinator
Office: Rm 2553 Elborn College
Contact: 679-2111 Ext. 88982
Email: abossers@uwo.ca
Office hours:
by appointment
Course Description:
Students will begin the
process of reflecting on their actions in a practice setting. Students will be
expected to generate assessment and intervention options with clients and
evaluate implementation. Fieldwork is a cumulative process and topic/area and
objectives from 580b continue to be developed at higher levels of reasoning in
this 8 week (300 hour) full-time experience. Portfolio development continues.
OT 581a occurs in Session 3 of the curriculum in May/June
or July/August 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 the
spring 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 581a, level 2 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 (680b, 681a).
| TOPIC AREA |
OBJECTIVES |
| |
At the end of this course, the student will be able
to: |
| 1. Assessment |
1. Begin to interpret assessment findings and
document reasoning methods, findings, and analysis. |
| 2.
Treatment and Planning |
2. Develop a realistic, cost effective, and meaningful
service implementation plan with the client. Measurable, observable, and
achievable terms are used with the client in identifying the expected
outcome. |
| 3. Treatment,
Implementation, and Modification |
3. Select and engage the client in occupations
associated with occupational roles and supporting occupational potential.
Determine the need for change and implement change to ensure that expected
outcomes remain consistent with client goals. |
| 4.
Completion of Treatment |
4. Plan
for the completion of occupational therapy with client. |
Process Requirements:
| PROCESS |
OBJECTIVE/EVALUATION |
| 1.
Critical Inquiry |
1. Locate,
apply, and transfer information from current literature and professional
standards to practice. |
| 2.
Communication |
2. Communicate
referrals and other recommendations, using written and verbal means. Record
changes and reasons for change. |
| 3.
Professionalism |
3. Develop
concept of self as a professional. Delegate tasks to support personnel. |
| 4.
Clinical Reasoning |
4. Use
interactive reasoning. Procedural reasoning continues to develop |
-
The student assumes responsibility
for a learning contract identifying personal learning objectives, which
are negotiated with the fieldwork educator and referred to throughout the
placement.
-
The "student initiated agenda" is introduced and used for student/fieldwork educator meetings.
-
Journaling is used by student
to record perceptions and interpretations to be discussed through regular
feedback meetings.
-
Basic skills exist, and the
emphasis is on continued growth and refinement.
-
Fieldwork educator serves
in a coaching role as student is presented with increased challenges through
progressively more complex cases.
-
Student identifies clinic
goals.
-
Student and fieldwork educator
engage in collaborative planning and problem solving.
-
Student is encouraged to engage
in self-analysis.
-
Fieldwork educator prompts
with appropriate questions and listens to understand student=s clinical reasoning.
-
Student is encouraged to search
for alternatives and options.
Sessions to Prepare for Year One Placements occur in various courses throughout
the curriculum (OT 571, 511a). In
addition, several sessions specific to placement preparation are offered through
OT 580b and 581a. In first term these
were listed on the OT 580b course outline and in second term additional sessions
to prepare for 581a are listed below:
Schedule:
November 25, 2002 - Placement requests for OT 581 collected
Feb
3, 2003 - Report of matches for OT 581 reviewed and recommendations sent by
the university to CAOT
February
17, 2003 - All leftover placements become available to all universities regardless
of catchment area
- Competency Based
Fieldwork Evaluation and university expectations for OT 581a
March
10, 2003- Letters of introduction
and resumes due
Note: On March 10, 2003 CAOT sends the confirmation report of student
placements to sites
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 must accompany the student to the placement for reference throughout
the course.
Course Costs:
There is a fee of approx $50. for each fieldwork placement matched
through the national placement system.
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 supervisor about that absence 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.
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 for level 2 fieldwork, the learning objectives for
OT 581a, 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 4 on all
competencies in order to pass the 581a 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 all is going well.
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
