Christine DeFiglio, OTR
OT Student Clinical Coordinator, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
Anthony Castronovo, MS, OTR
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
Catherine Colucci, MA, OTR
UMDNJ- Director Proposed OTA Program
Objectives
Identify roles and responsibilities of the fieldwork
student and educator
2. To understand the key elements for a successful
fieldwork experience
3. Identify strategies for establishment of a
collaborative fieldwork educator and student
relationship
4. To understand the expectations for and
characteristics of a successful fieldwork student
1.
What is Fieldwork?
The purpose of fieldwork education is to propel each
generation of OT practioners from the role of a student
to that of a practioner. Through the fieldwork
experience, future practioners achieve competence in
applying the OT process and using evidence base
interventions to meet the OT needs of a diverse client
population. (AOTA, 2009)
 The transition from classroom to clinic is one of
the most challenging experiences you as a student
will have
 The routine of clinical practice is one of discovery
and learning from clients, and testing out one’s
own clinical judgment's
 This can be accomplished along with fieldwork
educators during your affiliations
There is no substitute for the
experience gained in the
practice settings of
occupational therapists
Fieldwork Educator Role
 Facilitator of the fieldwork process
 Support for the student
 Provide guidelines
 Creates and adapts the learning environment
 Encourages dialogue
 Challenges students thinking
Student Role
 Effective communication
 Keep treatment individualized. (Every client is unique)
 Flexible
 Open to feedback
 Open minded
 Take initiative
 Utilize good time management skills
 Utilize resources effectively
 Safety always a priority!!
Facilitator of the fieldwork Process
 The facilitator is a teacher
 Observe, assess and gives feedback
 Facilitates understanding of evaluations and
interventions from an occupation based perspective
 Creates assignments that incorporate the principles of
occupation based practice
 Facilitates ability to analyze interventions in terms of
preparatory, purposeful and occupation based practice
 Coach
Support
 The fieldwork educator takes a personal interest in the
student and offers leadership, guidance and advice on
issues encountered during fieldwork
 The FWE nurtures and supports the student,
providing information, role modeling, teaching and
counseling, to open doors that provide students with
as many opportunities as possible
Provides Guidelines
 Establishes the role of the student in the site setting
 Provides expectations and responsibilities
 Establishes goals
 Establishes learning objectives
Ex: orientation, weekly responsibilities, weekly
evaluation
Creates a learning environment
 In order to create the best learning environment for a
student, the FWE needs to understand the students
learning style
 Learning style refers to the characteristic ways in
which individuals collect, organize and transform data
into useful information
 Understanding the learning style can shape the course
of the affiliation
Types of Learning styles
Visual/Non verbal learner
Pictures and designs, Videos/charts
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learner
Hands on
Visual/Verbal
Written words, handouts, note taking
Auditory/Verbal Learner
Oral strategies, tape recorder, discussion
WHAT TYPE OF LEARNER
ARE YOU?
Encourages Dialogue
 Communication between the student and FWE is
extremely important
 FWE encourages participation in supervision
 Asks probing or thought provoking questions
 Gives constructive criticism
Key Components to a Successful
Fieldwork Experience
Communication
Professionalism
Self Direction
Clinical Reasoning
Communication
 Effectively communicate both verbally and non
verbally
 Use appropriate language/ spelling based on site
requirements
 Seek/accept feedback
 Feedback is a crucial motivating factor in learning
 Reviews level of performance, strengths, areas to grow,
where to improve performance or change behaviors,
review barriers to achieving goals
Communication
 Utilize logs or journals
 FWE’s cannot read minds
 Utilize weekly and daily supervision sessions
 Communicate with other therapists and disciplines at
your site
DO NOT EXPECT TO KNOW EVERYTHING!!!
Collaboration Between FWE and
FWS
Fieldwork Feedback Tool
Poor
Good
Fair
Great
Week: (#) _________
Goals Met (#) _________ Goals Not Met (#) _________ This week was:
Comments:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Positive Experiences:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Challenging Experiences:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Plan for improving and/or developing:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Adequate
Too Much
Too Little
Supervision provided is:
Comments:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Collaboration Between FWE and
FWS
Goals for next week:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
See additional comments/goals on back
Additional Forms/Pages are attached
Student Signature: _____________________________________
Date: ________________
Fieldwork Educator Signature: ___________________________
Date: ________________
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Signature: ________________
Date: ________________
Note: This form is to be completed collaboratively each week by student and supervisor. Formal, regular scheduled, weekly
supervisory meetings are recommended. Please contact the Academic Coordinator in the event of unsatisfactory fieldwork
performance or experience.
Collaboration between FWE and
FWS
 Weekly journal review based on current patient
population or treatment techniques or activities (
evidence based research)
Professionalism
 Display consistent work behaviors
 Effective time management
 Positive interpersonal skills
 Demonstrate respect for diversity
 Professional dress and behavior
 Maintain rapport with clients/ families and other staff
 Respect HIPPA and confidentiality
Professionalism
SOCIAL NETWORKING and FIELDWORK
Self Direction
 Awareness of ones own learning process and outcomes
 Responsible for learning abilities
 Self direction in performing learning activities and
solving problems
 Learning with and through others
 Need to learn to identify problems and limitations in
own knowledge
 Evidence based practice
Clinical Reasoning
 Development of analyses and self reflection as well as
practice skills
 Move beyond technical skills
 Thinking and reasoning challenges across practice
setting
 The process used by practioners to plan, direct,
perform and reflect on client care
Clinical Reasoning is a skill
that is ongoing throughout
a lifetime of clinical
practice
 Procedural Reasoning
 Consider and use
interventions identified
to be effective
 Science based
 Influenced by work
setting
 Narrative Reasoning
 Personal approach to a
clients individual
situation
 Finding outs a clients
story, COPM
 Pragmatic Reasoning
 Practicalities of service
delivery
 Reimbursement,
equipment, productivity
standards
 Ethical Reasoning
 Ethical dilemmas
 Interactive Reasoning
 Building positive
interpersonal
relationships with
clients
 Partner with client to
identify problems and
goals
 Therapeutic use of self
 Conditional Reasoning
 Blend of all reasoning
 Respond to challenging
conditions
 Anticipate several
different client
outcomes
Strategies for success
Volunteer in the OT field
Prior to starting fieldwork
-Review textbooks and material related to site
- brush up on goal writing
- Theories, frames of references
- MMT, ROM
- transfer techniques
- medical terminology
- clinical reasoning
- diagnosis specific to site, code of ethics
- Within the first week- review equipment supplies/activities to
brainstorm treatment ideas based on your client’s needs and goals.
Strategies for Success
 Don’t expect to know everything, ask questions
 Use your FWE and resources available for optimal learning
 Take initiative for own learning, be an active learner
 Practice effective time management and stress management
 Allow time during the day for documentation, be prepared to
bring work home
 Be flexible
 Know expectations
 Be open and receptive to learning new things
Strategies for success
 Know your setting!
 Acute
 Sub acute
 Long term care
 Out patient
Red Flags
Attitude
Professionalism
Communication (verbal and non-verbal)
Safety issues (transfers, body mechanics,
vital signs, following precautions)
Competence in basic skills (ADL’s, MMT,
ROM, transfers)
QUESTIONS????
References
 Barnes, M.A. & Thornton, A.L. Supervision. In Sladyk, K. (2002). The
successful occupational therapy fieldwork student. Thorofare, NJ: Slack, Inc.
 Futman, S.A., McCreedy, P., & Heisler, P. (1997). Student level II fieldwork
failure: Strategies
 for intervention. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52(2), 143-149.
 Richard, L.F. (2008). Exploring connections between theory and practice:
Stories from fieldwork supervisors. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health,
24(2), 154-175.
 Whitehouse, D. (2002). Fixing fieldwork problems. In Sladyk, K. (2002). The
successful occupational therapy fieldwork student. Thorofare, NJ: Slack, Inc.
References
 AOTA. (2009), Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education: Value and
Purpose. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 63(Nov/Dec).
 AOTA (2006). The Level II Fieldwork Survival Guide.
 Tryssenaar, J, Perkins, J. ( 2001). From Student to therapist: Exploring the first
year of practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy (55) 1, 19-27.
 Tannenbaum, H. (2009). Creating congruence between identities as a
fieldwork educator and practitioner. [Special section]. The American Journal
of Occupational Therapy, 19(2), 1-4.
 Nolinske, Terrie. (1995). Multiple Mentoring Relationships Facilitate Learning
during Fieldwork. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49 (1), 3943.
Contact Information
 Christine DeFiglio: cdefiglio@kessler-rehab.com
 Anthony Castronovo: acastronovo@selectmedical.com
 Catherine Colucci: Colucccn@umdnj.edu