Clinical Experiences in OT

      It has been a very long time since I’ve last blogged. As you know I’ve been busy trying to finish up the academic course work to achieve my MSOT degree, therefore I did not have much extra time to blog. I also had to complete 24 weeks of clinicals, 12 weeks in the Pediatric Setting & 12 weeks in the Adult setting.

      For the pediatric setting I chose to complete the placement with our local BOCES program & I absolutely loved it. I had a lot of anxieties & hesitations regarding this placement before starting because when I had to complete in the pediatric setting for my associates degree it was the worst experience ever. I vowed that I would never work with the kids again. However, this most recent pediatric placement changed my mind. The supervisor I had made this a wonderful experience. She allowed me to explore, be creative and experiment with different treatment ideas; all of which were frowned upon during my last placement. Here’s the thing, if a child is having difficulty with handwriting, don’t you need to find the source? It’s not about having the child practice writing; you have to figure out why they are having trouble. Is it muscle weakness, a sensory processing issue, or something else?. Once you figure out the problem areas, then you work on those areas before you address the handwriting.  At my last setting, my supervisor only focused on handwriting. He hated when I tried to incorporate sensory based activities and at this last setting, I was able to incorporate different activites to address the child's deficits. It was hard saying goodbye to all of the kids 4 months ago. It’s hard to believe that it was 4 months ago & the kids are already back to school. I really miss those kids.

      My adult placement was not as pleasant. It started out really great, but by the halfway point, I was so stressed on a daily basis that it affected my performance. I was afraid that I was not going to pass. It is so stressful when you have someone watching your every move and listening to your every word. I was told that my documentation was not up to par, which I agree, it needs work, but it takes years to perfect your documentation skills in the healthcare field. Every company does their documentation differently, so it was hard at times. I was also told that my “safety” & “judgment” skills were lacking. I am not able to “anticipate and cope with complications during treatment sessions, identify and adhere to precautions, properly set-up equipment, and providing the proper amount of assistance clients require to perform mobility”. This was like a punch in the gut. I feel that I am able to do the above in safe and confident manner. I do agree that at times I was a little nervous or unsure, because it was a situation that I was not familiar with. At times I feel that I was not given a chance to demonstrate my abilities, as my supervisor would always jump right in. Anyway, I passed this placement and I am thankful I do not have to go through that again. It was a very stressful time for me.

      I am now in the process of preparing for the certification exam. It is a four-hour exam. I will have to go to a prometric testing center in order to access this exam. I have been trying to get in about 2-3 hours of studying a day since 9/3 & some days it’s very difficult. I plan on taking the exam during the month of October. I will be spending more time hitting the books, reviewing information & taking practice exams. I really want to and need to pass this exam. So here’s to studying……..