Last year, after Basic Fieldwork was completed, I invited
students to share their ideas about what was helpful for their learning while
on placement, with the goal of sharing some of their quotes with OT Fieldwork Educators
through this blog.
Here is a glimpse of what some of our students had to say:
“…Talking
through goals/expectations at the beginning of placement. Also, receiving
feedback as soon as possible after an interaction helped me grow.”
"My educators were extremely supportive!
They would encourage me to practice my new skills as much as possible and
provided great feedback. Their constructive feedback gave me confidence in
interacting with clients and made me eager for the opportunity to improve. The
welcoming and supportive environment they created made me excited to go to
fieldwork and made the entire experience very positive.”
“They got the clients to engage
with me directly, from the start, which helped me feel like an active
participant.”
“….the general welcoming
environment of OTs and PTs…. especially with my educator, was really helpful in
making me feel comfortable to ask questions and seek clarifications when
needed.”
“They also asked me for input
when deliberating about clients and work, and I felt like I had something to
bring to the table.”
“… I found it reassuring
(especially in my first placement) that my fieldwork educators would
first ask if I felt comfortable to engage with the clients alone or
complete tasks individually.”
"My educator was gracious
enough to let me know when she thought I had a good idea - even if it wasn't
something she had thought of. I found it helpful that the relationship we
had built allowed me to ask questions of her that might challenge her a bit,
too.”
“My fieldwork educator would
check-in with me to see if I felt comfortable with the amount of independence I
was given and if I had further questions. I appreciated having an input
on pace.”
“…they gave me the opportunity
to share my thoughts and opinions after we had seen a client. In addition, they
would ask me questions to stimulate critical thinking and understanding.”
“…I found that debriefing after every
client encounter (sharing observations, noticeable improvements, recent chart
note from another healthcare provider regarding client status, etc.) even just
for a minute, was really helpful in my learning as it allowed me to get a
glimpse of what my educator observed/was looking for and how my educator used
her clinical reasoning and/or experience.”
“My educator and I would "debrief" (whenever possible) after we'd seen a
client. She would ask me leading questions as to what I thought was going
on, what I saw as far as OPIs and what might be a suitable intervention,
etc. It encouraged me to think aloud and allowed her to get inside my
brain as well. She could high five the correct insights, tweak the ones
that were off, and redirect the ones that were misguided.”
The above quotes highlight some of the wonderful ways in which
educators make students feel comfortable in their first placement experience,
and begin to foster their clinical reasoning and learning.
Whether you are a “seasoned” or “first time fieldwork educator”,
perhaps one of these quotes will resonate with you in a way that validates what
you are doing or sparks new ideas for you to consider.
Thanks to the Class of 2018 for providing this feedback to share!
Teresa
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