Level I Fieldwork: The Experience
School Systems- Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, TN
I got the opportunity to do my first pediatrics Fieldwork rotation in the school's system at Hamilton County and I have to say... I absolutely loved it. I was afraid about this one at first. Naturally, because it was our first rotation ever and we've been in school for the past nine months waiting for this moment. I also do not think I am a very kid-friendly person, so I was anxious, wondering if the kids I met would enjoy my company. Of course, I'm naturally harder on myself and expected the worst with this being the first fieldwork experience, but it seems I was quite the opposite. I was eager to dip my toes in and be able to apply what I learned so far into realty. I was under the supervision of a COTA, who was one of the best mentors I had. She was so creative and always thought outside of the box, which was so inspiring to me. We traveled to 4-5 different schools and saw various diagnoses. The majority of the schools were elementary schools with one being a middle school. With the area we were located in, it wasn't a surprise that some of the children receiving OT services always came from homes that were not the most stable. This is when I realized that the psychosocial component of OT is actually in about every setting you go to. This experience taught me how to approach these situations with children and how to direct them to another focus. It was hard hearing how these children normalize the behaviors and actions of their parents that weren't really normal. I asked a lot of questions to my Fieldwork Educator regarding how to go about these situations and the boundaries of what we can do. It's hard not wanting to take the baggage of others home with you, especially your clients. At the end of this rotation, I could see myself growing and flourishing within the pediatric setting. I was absolutely in love with one student who had Aspert's Syndrome. I did my case study on him and observed how he functioned with his deficits from this disorder. My Fieldwork Educator gave me the opportunity to come up with an intervention myself and execute it with him during one of our treatment sessions. I was so honored to gain her trust to be able to do something like this! It went really well as it allowed me to use my OT brain and my skills to consider how I will be addressing his goals and him holistically with the use of this intervention. As this was my first fieldwork experience, I would say it was one I couldn't forget-- truly one of my favorites.
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Outpatient Hands- OrthoSouth in Memphis, TN
For my second Level I experience, I went back to my roots of orthopedics. I was able to go to OrthoSouth here in Memphis and was exposed to the adult/ older adult population in outpatient hands. I wanted to go into this setting and observe under an OT/ Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) to understand a different perspective. I always loved the orthopedic setting considering I was a Physical Therapy Technician for about 2 years. I also had the opportunity to observe an OT in the Hand Setting prior to starting school, so I was always keen to know about this specialty. The beautiful thing about these Level I fieldwork experiences is that they are for 2 weeks. It gives you just enough time to dip your toes in and get a taste of what this setting has to offer. I loved hands and all that was offered within this setting, but as a student, I realized this was maybe not for me anymore. It was a safe route, as I knew the exercises and protocols of the typical shoulder surgeries and modalities. I learned a lot being a student and being able to execute Range of Motion (ROM), Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), and grip testing for the first time in the "real world." My fieldwork educator was a very knowledgeable person and I was in awe with how much she knew about this specialty. I was able to see an interesting case of someone who has no feeling on their left side after having a back surgery he had years ago. The client himself was a kind person, very fun to be around and I was immediately drawn to him and wanted to do my case study on his case. The OT I observed at the time conducted interventions focusing on fine motor skills, strengthening with putty, E-stim, and mirror therapy. All of these are very fitting in the OT world. I finally felt like I was learning something and could relate it to what I had learned. Overall, this experience was a fascinating one, a safe one, but overall gave me a better understanding of the orthopedic/ hand setting as a student. I was thankful I did do that and was able to realize what was best for me. I was seeking adventure and thrill, not being safe in something I knew. I took this in mind for when I chose my next location.
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Acute Care- Methodist South in Memphis, TN
I will forever speak on my last Level I experience as one of my absolute favorites! I had never had any experience in the hospital setting, so I sought adventure and discomfort. I wanted to challenge myself in the best ways to see what was truly best for me. My Fieldwork Educator was absolutely amazing. An approachable person with the best intentions and so much knowledge to pour into me; I was obsessed with her. Now I do have to say, all my educators were amazing and girl bosses truly, but this one was just a queen in her own sense. I clicked with her immediately and told her that I wanted to be challenged here and given the ability to feel ready for Level II. And she did just that. She was an Alum of my program, which made me feel connected to her more as we had a lot to bond over. It gave me a look into the future- if she can girl boss this hard, I definitely could also. When you come into OT school, acute care is always seen as scary and intimidating. I'd be lying if I said I didn't believe that. However, I truly felt like I was in my element here. First of all, I am a huge Elvis girl. Driving to Methodist South and driving past Elvis's house every day was a treat in itself, so you can see how this was very much my sign. I did not see a lot of "scary" or "crazy" within this setting, but there were definitely moments here I would never forget. I saw how interprofessional collaboration worked so well with Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy. There were a lot of co-treats with PT's which was interesting to observe since we never really see that in school. As soon as I was seeing clients with my educator, I stepped right in. There were definitely times I didn't know what to do, but did I still try- absolutely. I allowed myself grace and asked a lot of questions because I was always so curious and wanted to know. I was infatuated with this setting is the best way to put it. I was able to observe and participate in sessions in the ICU with some critical clients, the step-down unit, rooms that required PPE, and regular floors. I'm thankful my educator was open to my questions and eager to know things, which made her so approachable. I loved how the sessions here were tailored to OT-specific things (ADLs, iADLs, transfers, line management, etc). The energy here is fast-paced, and always on the go, which made time fly by. I met a lot of amazing OT's and PT's here, which made me love coming to fieldwork every day. I was truly saddened when this experience came to an end. I did see a variety of diagnoses, one sticking out was Guillain Barré Syndrome. I was always fascinated by this disorder when we learned about it in school, but seeing it in person was another story. I did my case study on this client because even though she had GBS, she also had Bipolar Disorder. Quite the combo if you ask me. It made me understand how to approach situations and go about this in a psychosocial manner as well. By the end of this, I was conducting MMT by myself and even completing evaluation notes and treatment notes. It made me feel so real if that makes sense, a taste of what my reality will be soon enough.
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I learned a lot in these settings and met amazing people throughout these experiences. Networking is always key and I am thankful I was able to create a relationship with my educators who are always willing to pick up the phone if I were to ever call with questions or a story. I owe a lot to the educators I had, as they played a big role in my OT journey- I'm forever grateful. Being with educators who are so passionate about OT drove me as a student and fueled my own passion and desire to be the best OT I can be. I cannot wait till I am allowed to take on students in the future and continue pouring knowledge into those who are passionate about wanting to know more and being able to be the best practitioner they can be. If I were to give any advice, it would be to allow yourself to be challenged and uncomfortable. It is the only way you can truly learn and understand what you want out of this. Never be there and waste your educator's time. Truly ask those questions, they are never "dumb." These experiences shaped the person I am today, and I cannot wait to experience this growth with my Level II's.
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