Fieldwork OT 680b - Towards Reflection In Action

E. Fieldwork Policies
Time Missed
Assignments
F. Fieldwork Evaluation
Questions and Concerns
Reference

Fieldwork OT 680b - Towards Reflection In 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:

During this fieldwork course, students may implement their ISEBP proposal developed in 695. Students will reflect on their actions in the practice milieu by Aanalysing@ the occupational therapy process and their role in it. Students will be encouraged to articulate their clinical reasoning. Fieldwork is a cumulative process and topic/areas from 580b & 581a continue to be developed at higher levels of reasoning in this 7 week full-time experience (263 hours). Portfolio development continues.

OT 680b occurs in Session 5 of the curriculum from Jan 6 - February 21, 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 680b, initial level 3 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 course (681a).

TOPIC AREA	OBJECTIVES
	At the end of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstration of Professional Accountability	1. Participate in routine quality assurance activities ongoing at the fieldwork site. Carry out evaluation of provision, quality, and outcome of services in collaboration with clients and in reference to occupational therapy=s key role.
2. Record Keeping	2. Document the rationale for assessments and interventions utilized.
3. Assessment	3. Assess the individual=s occupational potential, considering the opportunities and barriers of that individual, his/her occupations, and his/her micro environment. Features and interactions of the occupation-person-environment (HOEP) that are specific to the setting will be identified.
4. Treatment and Planning	4. Engage the client in the process of selecting from among treatment options, establishing desired outcomes, and determining time frames.
5. Treatment, Implementation, and Modification	5. Review and evaluate with the client the range of resources which could assist in promotion, acquisition, maintenance, and restoration of occupational performance and assist the client in accessing selected resources. Plan changes to treatment implementation with findings from continuous assessment.
6. Completion of Treatment	6. Identify completion criteria with clients

Process Requirements

Sessions to Prepare for Year Two Placements occur in various courses throughout the curriculum (OT 571, 511a, 671). In addition, several sessions specific to placement preparation are offered through OT 680b and 681a. In first term these are listed on the OT 680b course outline:

Schedule:

September 10, 2002 10-12 am Room 1534 - Meeting with fieldwork coordinator to discuss timelines and expectations for OT 680b. The manual of placement offers is expected to be in the fieldwork resource room by Friday, Sept 13, 2002

September 24, 2002 11-12 am Room 1534 - Class meeting to complete the placement request form

October 1, 2002 11-12 am Room 1534 - Open session

Note: On October 15, CAOT runs the matching program and a matched report is sent to the university on October 21, 2002

October 29, 2002 10-12 Room 1534 - Class meeting to review matched placements

Note: On November 18, 2002 CAOT sends the confirmation report of student placements to sites.

November 12, 2002 11-12 Room 1534 - Class meeting to review CBFE expectations and collect letters of introduction and resumes

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 3 fieldwork, the learning objectives for OT 680b, 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 6 on all competencies in order to pass the 680b 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

PROCESS	OBJECTIVE/EVALUATION
1. Critical Inquiry	1. Alter/revise ISEBP plan as required in communication with 695 professor and/or advisor. Review and analyse evidence from research literature and/or outcome evaluation of past practice to validate intervention.
2. Communication	2. Collaborate with relevant persons in evaluation. Document therapeutic rationale.
3. Professionalism	3. Acknowledge contribution clients/facility/fieldwork educator and share ISEBP results. Follow and respect legal and ethical procedures - confidentiality, client permission, facility procedures with respect to the ISEBP.
4. Clinical Reasoning	4. The use of both procedural and interactive reasoning is demonstrated. Conditional reasoning will be facilitated.