1. Demonstrates the ability to give constructive and timely feedback.
Giving feedback is a something we do on a daily basis with clients. However, in the scope of being a leader change agent, I think of giving feedback to peers and other professionals. In this scope, giving feedback can be a bit more difficult because you're no longer in the role of professional giving feedback to a patient. I had the opportunity to co-treat with an SLP who was a new hire during my rotation at Le Bonheur outpatient. We were working with a child with severe autism, who is non-verbal, and I had been working with the child for about 8 weeks. During the treatment session, I was able to describe to the new SLP what our routine was and how we did certain things while still giving her the opportunity to treat the child as she saw fit. Following, both the supervising SLP and my fieldwork educator commented on my comfort level discussing patients with another peer as well as "taking lead" on the session although still co-treating and not just taking over the session.
Giving feedback is a something we do on a daily basis with clients. However, in the scope of being a leader change agent, I think of giving feedback to peers and other professionals. In this scope, giving feedback can be a bit more difficult because you're no longer in the role of professional giving feedback to a patient. I had the opportunity to co-treat with an SLP who was a new hire during my rotation at Le Bonheur outpatient. We were working with a child with severe autism, who is non-verbal, and I had been working with the child for about 8 weeks. During the treatment session, I was able to describe to the new SLP what our routine was and how we did certain things while still giving her the opportunity to treat the child as she saw fit. Following, both the supervising SLP and my fieldwork educator commented on my comfort level discussing patients with another peer as well as "taking lead" on the session although still co-treating and not just taking over the session.
2. Modifies behavior in response to feedback; seeks opportunities to apply feedback.
Being a lifelong learner is a passion of mine. Seeking and responding to feedback is just one way for continued growth, both personally and professionally. Although accepting feedback is an important quality, I think it is even more important to implement feedback when possible. Below is an excerpt from comments written on the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation by my FWE at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital following my inpatient psychiatric rotation:
"She willingly accepted positive and constructive feedback, and utilized that feedback immediately to improve her skills. She maintained a positive attitude no matter how busy or stressed she was; stress and time management skills are among her top professional skills." - Bobbi R., OTR/L
Being a lifelong learner is a passion of mine. Seeking and responding to feedback is just one way for continued growth, both personally and professionally. Although accepting feedback is an important quality, I think it is even more important to implement feedback when possible. Below is an excerpt from comments written on the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation by my FWE at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital following my inpatient psychiatric rotation:
"She willingly accepted positive and constructive feedback, and utilized that feedback immediately to improve her skills. She maintained a positive attitude no matter how busy or stressed she was; stress and time management skills are among her top professional skills." - Bobbi R., OTR/L
3. Productively uses knowledge of own strengths and weaknesses.
During the first semester of OT school, we read and completed Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. This book and test identified the following as my strengths: Achiever, Arranger, Responsibility, Relator, and Learner. I've been able to better understand these areas and use them to my strengths as an individual as well as a member of teams both in the classroom setting and fieldwork settings. I've also learned the value of having team members with different strengths than mine. This has made me a more valuable member of the team in that I have learned which types of tasks I do well with and which I can utilize the help of other team members.
During the first semester of OT school, we read and completed Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. This book and test identified the following as my strengths: Achiever, Arranger, Responsibility, Relator, and Learner. I've been able to better understand these areas and use them to my strengths as an individual as well as a member of teams both in the classroom setting and fieldwork settings. I've also learned the value of having team members with different strengths than mine. This has made me a more valuable member of the team in that I have learned which types of tasks I do well with and which I can utilize the help of other team members.
4. Maintains balance in personal and professional life while prioritizing professional responsibilities and commitments.
Due to the nature of occupational therapy, relationships frequently develop with clients and their families. Consequently, it can be difficult to "leave work at work." Maintaining life balance is crucial to success and happiness in personal and professional life. During my first two Level II fieldworks, I had decided to fundraise and train for the Memphis St. Jude Half Marathon. I wanted to train as a way for me to regularly exercise. I also found the runs to provide me time to self-reflect and process the work day in order to "leave work at work." Although the training took a lot of time, I found it to help with my life-balance. Additionally, training and fundraising for this race gave my runs a sense of purpose.
Due to the nature of occupational therapy, relationships frequently develop with clients and their families. Consequently, it can be difficult to "leave work at work." Maintaining life balance is crucial to success and happiness in personal and professional life. During my first two Level II fieldworks, I had decided to fundraise and train for the Memphis St. Jude Half Marathon. I wanted to train as a way for me to regularly exercise. I also found the runs to provide me time to self-reflect and process the work day in order to "leave work at work." Although the training took a lot of time, I found it to help with my life-balance. Additionally, training and fundraising for this race gave my runs a sense of purpose.
5. Demonstrates functional level of confidence and self assurance.
Being a student on fieldwork can be overwhelming. So much is taught and learned during the first year and half of school but nothing quite compares to implementing the knowledge in the real setting. Skills such as taking range of motion measurements, measuring strength/tone, etc. are learned and practiced on typical peers but trying to practice those skills on a client with a supervisor observing is intimidating. However, presenting myself with a bit of confidence and self assurance made myself and my patients a bit calmer. Similar to the "fake it until you make it." When I presented myself as confident, especially in the beginning of a new fieldwork assignment, I inevitable felt more comfortable in the setting. Below is an excerpt from the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation completed by my fieldwork educator at the Firefighters Burn Center:
"Morgan is a very good collaborator, but also knows when to take the lead and make things happen. She takes initiative when appropriate and respects each persons role and beliefs." - Tess G., OTR/L
Being a student on fieldwork can be overwhelming. So much is taught and learned during the first year and half of school but nothing quite compares to implementing the knowledge in the real setting. Skills such as taking range of motion measurements, measuring strength/tone, etc. are learned and practiced on typical peers but trying to practice those skills on a client with a supervisor observing is intimidating. However, presenting myself with a bit of confidence and self assurance made myself and my patients a bit calmer. Similar to the "fake it until you make it." When I presented myself as confident, especially in the beginning of a new fieldwork assignment, I inevitable felt more comfortable in the setting. Below is an excerpt from the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation completed by my fieldwork educator at the Firefighters Burn Center:
"Morgan is a very good collaborator, but also knows when to take the lead and make things happen. She takes initiative when appropriate and respects each persons role and beliefs." - Tess G., OTR/L
6. Uses humor to diffuse tension.
In any setting tensions arise whether with patients, care givers, co-workers, etc. Learning to diffuse tension while still respecting all involved is a bit of an art. Humor is an excellent way to diffuse tension, although if not careful can come across as sarcastic or not respectful. Additionally maintaining professional boundaries and using humor can be difficult, especially when co-workers become friends the boundaries can become blurred. I found humor to be an excellent way to diffuse tension during my inpatient psych rotation particularly while leading groups. Humor was a way for me to quickly develop rapport with clients. Often topics of group conversations and things the clients were dealing with were heavy and intense; humor was a quick way to diffuse tension and put each person at ease. Below is an excerpt from the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation completed by my fieldwork education at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (Inpatient Psych Unit):
"She is consistently respectful, uses humor appropriately, is insightful and consistently uses good judgement." - Bobbi R., OTR/L
In any setting tensions arise whether with patients, care givers, co-workers, etc. Learning to diffuse tension while still respecting all involved is a bit of an art. Humor is an excellent way to diffuse tension, although if not careful can come across as sarcastic or not respectful. Additionally maintaining professional boundaries and using humor can be difficult, especially when co-workers become friends the boundaries can become blurred. I found humor to be an excellent way to diffuse tension during my inpatient psych rotation particularly while leading groups. Humor was a way for me to quickly develop rapport with clients. Often topics of group conversations and things the clients were dealing with were heavy and intense; humor was a quick way to diffuse tension and put each person at ease. Below is an excerpt from the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation completed by my fieldwork education at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (Inpatient Psych Unit):
"She is consistently respectful, uses humor appropriately, is insightful and consistently uses good judgement." - Bobbi R., OTR/L
7. Maintains professional behavior, regardless of problem or situation.
Maintaining professionalism is essential for maintaining boundaries and having successful relationships within the workplace. When a problem or situation arises, maintaining professionalism also demonstrates the ability to uphold professional values. Below is an excerpt from the Midterm Fieldwork Performance Evaluation completed by my fieldwork educators at Le Bonheur Outpatient East:
"Morgan has demonstrated flexibility under a number of unforeseen circumstances during her fieldwork experience thus far. She is consistently professional and respectful of all persons encountered while at Le Bonheur outpatient clinic." - Ashley G., OTD, OTR/L and Rebecca T., MOT
Maintaining professionalism is essential for maintaining boundaries and having successful relationships within the workplace. When a problem or situation arises, maintaining professionalism also demonstrates the ability to uphold professional values. Below is an excerpt from the Midterm Fieldwork Performance Evaluation completed by my fieldwork educators at Le Bonheur Outpatient East:
"Morgan has demonstrated flexibility under a number of unforeseen circumstances during her fieldwork experience thus far. She is consistently professional and respectful of all persons encountered while at Le Bonheur outpatient clinic." - Ashley G., OTD, OTR/L and Rebecca T., MOT
8. Takes risks to maximize outcomes.
During my time at Le Bonheur Outpatient East I had the opportunity to work with a child with autism. This child was very bright and smart, although presented with frequent aggressive behaviors as a result of being non-verbal and having difficulty expressing themself. This child also was noted to frequently be seeking proprioceptive to their trunk. After a discussion with the patient's mother we decided to try a compression vest with the expectation of the patient having a tantrum. A tantrum is exactly what happen, specifically an 8minute (amount of time the vest was donned) tantrum including crying, screaming, attempting to remove the vest, hitting, etc. HOWEVER, for brief moments the patient presented calmly. We sent the mother home with a compression garment and a goal of wearing it for 5minutes each day to desensitize to it. The following week, the patient assisted the mother in donning the compression garmet, although the child cried for moments wearing it, there was also laughter and longer periods of calm behaviors. After removing the garment, the patient sat at a tabletop engaging in 15minutes of adult directed activities with no aggressive or eloping behaviors. Sitting at a table for more than 5 minutes had yet to happen in over 6 months of therapy. Although we and the parent knew there would be a bit of a desensitization period with tantrums, we thought it was worth the risk to provide the patient with the sensory input they are frequently seeking throughout the day and it was well worth the risk!
During my time at Le Bonheur Outpatient East I had the opportunity to work with a child with autism. This child was very bright and smart, although presented with frequent aggressive behaviors as a result of being non-verbal and having difficulty expressing themself. This child also was noted to frequently be seeking proprioceptive to their trunk. After a discussion with the patient's mother we decided to try a compression vest with the expectation of the patient having a tantrum. A tantrum is exactly what happen, specifically an 8minute (amount of time the vest was donned) tantrum including crying, screaming, attempting to remove the vest, hitting, etc. HOWEVER, for brief moments the patient presented calmly. We sent the mother home with a compression garment and a goal of wearing it for 5minutes each day to desensitize to it. The following week, the patient assisted the mother in donning the compression garmet, although the child cried for moments wearing it, there was also laughter and longer periods of calm behaviors. After removing the garment, the patient sat at a tabletop engaging in 15minutes of adult directed activities with no aggressive or eloping behaviors. Sitting at a table for more than 5 minutes had yet to happen in over 6 months of therapy. Although we and the parent knew there would be a bit of a desensitization period with tantrums, we thought it was worth the risk to provide the patient with the sensory input they are frequently seeking throughout the day and it was well worth the risk!
9. Uses knowledge and information in an innovative way.
During my fieldwork rotations, one of my goals was to present information to clients/patients in a way that is understandable. Often, it can be difficult to explain and justify services provided in a manner that is understandable while providing the client enough information.
During my rotation at Regional One Health-Firefighter Burn Center, I created handouts for patients and caregivers. These handouts used layman's terms to described various topics such as skin grafts, donor site care, scar tissue development, among other commonly addressed topics within the burn rehab department. The handouts were created to supplement education provided verbally from rehab staff daily.
During my fieldwork rotations, one of my goals was to present information to clients/patients in a way that is understandable. Often, it can be difficult to explain and justify services provided in a manner that is understandable while providing the client enough information.
During my rotation at Regional One Health-Firefighter Burn Center, I created handouts for patients and caregivers. These handouts used layman's terms to described various topics such as skin grafts, donor site care, scar tissue development, among other commonly addressed topics within the burn rehab department. The handouts were created to supplement education provided verbally from rehab staff daily.
10. Empowers clients and team members.
As OT's we often work with individuals who have been given a new diagnosis/prognosis as their lives seem as if they have been turned upside down. Although it can be difficult to watch individuals go through such difficult times, it's also an honor for me to know that I can have a role in providing them comfort and an opportunity for independence. This was especially true during my rotation in IP psych. For individuals at the behavioral health unit, my role was to empower clients to make changes for themselves through recognizing their self-worth/self-esteem, implementing positive coping strategies, etc. Additionally, I was able to empower team members through my advocacy for patients when needed. Empowering clients and team members can lead to a more positive work environment and ideally improved outcomes. Below is a comment from my FWE at the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital - Behavioral Health Unit on the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation:
"Morgan has a strong set of ethics, maintains her integrity, and speaks up when needed as a patient advocate which lends to building respect and rapport with patients and team members." - Bobbi R., OTR/L
As OT's we often work with individuals who have been given a new diagnosis/prognosis as their lives seem as if they have been turned upside down. Although it can be difficult to watch individuals go through such difficult times, it's also an honor for me to know that I can have a role in providing them comfort and an opportunity for independence. This was especially true during my rotation in IP psych. For individuals at the behavioral health unit, my role was to empower clients to make changes for themselves through recognizing their self-worth/self-esteem, implementing positive coping strategies, etc. Additionally, I was able to empower team members through my advocacy for patients when needed. Empowering clients and team members can lead to a more positive work environment and ideally improved outcomes. Below is a comment from my FWE at the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital - Behavioral Health Unit on the Final Fieldwork Performance Evaluation:
"Morgan has a strong set of ethics, maintains her integrity, and speaks up when needed as a patient advocate which lends to building respect and rapport with patients and team members." - Bobbi R., OTR/L
11. Actively participates in leadership or supportive roles in local, state, and/or national associations.
Active participation at various levels is a way to stay up to date and/or influence changing laws, legislature, and research. Additionally it provides opportunity to network and collaborate with fellow OTs! I had the opportunity and pleasure to serve a few leadership roles during OT school. I was the fundraising chair for the Student Occupational Therapy Association within UTHSC and the community relations chair for the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center (student run pediatric pro-bono clinic at UTHSC). Additionally, I am a member of Pi Theta Epsilon which values and promotes research within the OT field. My role as a leader in each of these associations was different providing me unique opportunities to learn new/different skills.
Each of the groups consisted of different people with a different "goal," resulting in a different group dynamic. Learning to work with others professionals in various group dynamics aided me in assimilating to new teams quickly while on fieldwork. Additionally, I was able to use my time in these leadership roles to continue building on the strengths listed above in objective 3 as both an individual and a member of a team.
Active participation at various levels is a way to stay up to date and/or influence changing laws, legislature, and research. Additionally it provides opportunity to network and collaborate with fellow OTs! I had the opportunity and pleasure to serve a few leadership roles during OT school. I was the fundraising chair for the Student Occupational Therapy Association within UTHSC and the community relations chair for the Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center (student run pediatric pro-bono clinic at UTHSC). Additionally, I am a member of Pi Theta Epsilon which values and promotes research within the OT field. My role as a leader in each of these associations was different providing me unique opportunities to learn new/different skills.
Each of the groups consisted of different people with a different "goal," resulting in a different group dynamic. Learning to work with others professionals in various group dynamics aided me in assimilating to new teams quickly while on fieldwork. Additionally, I was able to use my time in these leadership roles to continue building on the strengths listed above in objective 3 as both an individual and a member of a team.
12. Maintains values over self-promotion or profit.
For this objective, I chose to use a reflection from a Blackboard post because I believe it demonstrates a scenario when I chose to advocate for my patients and had to do so to the Medical Director of the unit. Then the doctor later used the ideas presented by myself and the OTR as her own in a treatment team meeting. Although it was frustrating, my focus was on the well-being of my patients and not for my own personal gain or self-promotion which is a value of mine. I chose this profession for the shear purpose of being able to make a difference in the lives of others which is way more important to me than self-promotion or profit.
For this objective, I chose to use a reflection from a Blackboard post because I believe it demonstrates a scenario when I chose to advocate for my patients and had to do so to the Medical Director of the unit. Then the doctor later used the ideas presented by myself and the OTR as her own in a treatment team meeting. Although it was frustrating, my focus was on the well-being of my patients and not for my own personal gain or self-promotion which is a value of mine. I chose this profession for the shear purpose of being able to make a difference in the lives of others which is way more important to me than self-promotion or profit.