One step closer on my adventure to be an OT

Practice Placement 2 done and dusted!

A little while since my last post as my remaining time on placement was action packed and filled with lots of experiences! I cannot believe how fast the past 8 weeks have gone and I feel like I have really learned so much and grown in confidence during that time. I'm happy to say that my final report was very positive and I did pass my placement :)

Did I meet my placement objectives?

• Plan and implement an art based group at the residential stroke rehab centre
• Complete a competent assessment of the upper limb (with supervision)
• To be able to complete an initial assessment of a stroke patient
• To be able to develop an action/treatment plan following a mood or cognitive assessment for 3-4 patients.

Over-all I feel that I did meet most of the objectives set between me & my educator. However being split across three different settings did make this more difficult. For example; I was not able to go into a lot of depth in planning interventions in any particular area due to the limited time I had there. In community I did make some suggestions for possible interventions following mood & cognitive assessments that I delivered to patients. I also completed some personalised goal setting sheets with patients however did not have the opportunity or time to plan interventions explicitly. I completed initial assessments over the phone but did not always have the opportunity to carry out initial assessments in person during placement - again due to limited time spent in each area.

I did however learn how to complete an upper limb assessment which I could complete independently at the end of my placement - I found this really helped me to develop some anatomy knowledge and understand this more as I applied it practically. I will be able to take this experience with me in future placements. I did of course complete an art group (see previous post) and this was my favourite part of placement, I enjoyed it so much!

The piece of artwork created in my group was placed up in the dining room. Implementing this group has inspired staff to create further groups and continue this on in the future.

There has been pros and cons to being split across 3 settings on placement. The cons being that I was unable to go into as much depth in certain areas etc and also I was tiring being in a different place every day! The commute also did take it's toll after 8 weeks. However, placement enabled me to gain a wide range of experience and my first ward experience which was very valuable to me. One of the best parts of placement for me was getting to build up relationships with patients I had followed from the Acute Stroke Unit into residential rehab and following their complex journey and recovery. It was really interesting to follow the OT process along this and apply theory/policies and guidelines to this process to help me understand it more. I'm hoping that this will reflect throughout my upcoming assessed presentation based on my case study from this placement!

Throughout my placement I have met the most amazing, inspiring people recovering from stroke. It has been really positive for me to see and experience the important role of the OT in stroke rehab and the wider multidisciplinary team. Placement has been bursting full of experiences and I saw how the OT views each person individually & holistically and this helped me to develop these skills further. I went along on some environmental visits with the OT to prepare the patient's environment for their current abilities on their discharge to home. I was interesting to see the emotional affects this can have on an individual - which highlighted the importance of viewing a person holistically and ultimately the  importance of environment upon the health and well-being of an individual.

I have been trained to deliver mood assessments to patients and also a range of cognitive screening tools/assessments. I have worked with the OT's to develop people's memory skills, proprioception skills, sensory skills, object recognition, sequencing, orientation, physical skills, managed anxiety and much more! I can't even really put into words just how many experiences I have been offered and I am so grateful I have had the opportunities!

Feeling Inspired...I completed my sponsored 'Step Out For Stroke' walk with my mum and we raised £100 for The Stroke Association :)

Working within the stroke team has been greatly inspiring to me and has reinforced my interests in neurological conditions. It has highlighted to me the skills I am equipped with which I have been able to apply and develop further during my time on placement. It has also enabled me to recognise my limitations and areas for future development. As for the condition - I have found each case fascinating, both physically and psychosocially. I feel that this will definitely be an area of interest for my future practice as an Occupational Therapist.

Speaking of which... I cannot believe my 1st year is coming to an end already! 2 months and 2 assignments to go and I'll be in my 2nd year preparing for qualifying as an OT before I know it!!

Back to school...

Developing my research proposal has begun with a meeting with my tutor to reinforce my ideas and gaining permission from my chosen charity for me to carry out my research. My proposed question involves the benefits of art as an occupation for adults with autism. I will now develop some specific objectives and think about the methods I will use. This is a very new concept for me and so far I am planning on doing semi-structured interviews with clients and questionnaires to gain the staff perspectives to create a comparison of the two - I will develop my knowledge of this subject further in my upcoming scholarship & research methods classes.

As for this week - we do have some time off which will of course involve me preparing to return to university however, I am taking some time to re-gain some 'occupational balance' in my life by visiting my friend in Edinburgh. I will also be attending the BAOT Student Conference in York on Friday which I am really looking forward to! especially meeting Jennifer Creek! So an action packed week overall - I will post next week on what my week of adventures entailed!

Placement completed will lots of experience gained...preparing for my final term of first year. One step closer every day to becoming an OT.