1. Appreciates the influence of socio-cultural, socio-cultural, socioeconomic, political, diversity factors, and lifestyle choices on engagement in occupation throughout the lifespan.
In acute care, I saw many patients with different backgrounds and cultures. In some of my patient's cultures, women care for the men and complete a lot of their ADLs. Although I look at how the patient is able to complete their ADLs in my evaluation, if the patient preferred for their family member to complete lower body dressing or perineal care, I respected their preference and culture. In some cases like this, the patient would ask for me to step out of the room while their family member helped them with their ADLs. I would respectfully step out until they called me back in the room to complete my evaluation.
2. Communicates effectively with a wide range of clients, peers, and professionals both verbally and non-verbally. My first level II fieldwork was in outpatient pediatrics and my second level II was in acute care. During my pediatric rotation, I saw many patients with autism who were primarily nonverbal. I grew my skills in effective nonverbal communication with my patients. During my rotation in acute care, I grew my skills of effective verbal communication with my patients who were very sick and confused. I was able to communicate the importance of OT and mobility in the hospital and was able to educate them. I frequently worked with nurses and physical therapists in the acute care setting and became confident in my ability to effectively communicate with other professionals the needs of my patients.
3. Collaborates with clients and caregivers in establishing and maintaining a balance of pleasurable, productive, and restful occupations to promote health and prevent disease and disability.
4. Inspires confidence in clients and team members.
During my rotation at Baptist Memorial Hospital, I mainly worked with patients in the ICU. Many of my patients were extremely sick and unable to care for themselves like they used to. Inspiring confidence in these patients was very important for them to have hope to start the rehabilitation process. With patients who are very anxious, I would inspire confidence in them by highlighting their strengths and pointing out their progress. I inspired confidence in other staff by effectively communicating and using professional behavior and a positive attitude while working alongside them. When a staff member was having a difficult day, I would step up and ensure that our evaluations went smoothly and I would maintain a positive attitude to lift their spirits.
5. Considers client motivation when using occupation-based intervention to maximize functional independence. During my LeBonheur rotation, considering client motivation was very important to keep my clients engaged and to make progress towards their goals. I worked with a 4 year old client with an autism diagnosis who was highly motivated by puzzles. Although problem solving and visual scanning were some skills we were working on, our main goals focused on social participation and instruction following. Because I knew that he loved puzzles, I would make obstacle courses in the sensory gym and work on command following as well as social engagement. Adapting the session to work towards his goals in a way that was motivating for him greatly increased his participation and outcomes.
6. Applies theory regarding the therapeutic use of occupation and adaptation to screen and evaluate, plan, and implement intervention, while establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with the client.