OTA Fieldwork for Students: Level 1

“The goal of Level I fieldwork is to introduce students to the fieldwork experience, to apply knowledge to practice, and to develop understanding of the needs of clients.”
—ACOTE Standards 2018

Level 1 fieldwork objectives will be provided prior to the start of the rotation and uploaded into the specific Blackboard course. The objectives are organized into the following categories:

Professional Behaviors

The student will:

  1. demonstrate active participation in the learning process.
  2. demonstrate adherence to HIPAA regulations by maintaining client confidentiality.
  3. demonstrate adherence to safety regulations, using sound judgment in regards to personal, environmental, and patient safety.
  4. demonstrate adherence to the OT Standards of Practice, Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics, and OT Practice Framework while engaging in fieldwork activities.
  5. demonstrate professional behaviors that are consistent with site (and academic institution) expectations.
  6. demonstrate appropriate interactions with clients, families, the fieldwork educator, and members of the interdisciplinary team.
  7. demonstrate an active role in the supervisory process by giving, receiving, and responding to feedback in a professional manner.

Screening and Evaluation

The student will:

  1. participate in gathering relevant information from the medical records as directed.
  2. observe and practice interview techniques of patient and family.
  3. observe client performance during site specific screenings or evaluations, and
    • in collaboration with the fieldwork educator, participate in the identification and prioritization of client strengths and weaknesses which may impact occupational performance.
    • if direct observation is not available, the student can meet the objective by reviewing a completed evaluation
  4. state and prioritize problem areas and skills (using the OT Practice Framework as a guide) based on evaluation results in preparation for short term goal development, in collaboration with the fieldwork educator.

Intervention and Implementation

The student will:

  1. participate in the selection of interventions that address the identified goals, in collaboration with the fieldwork educator.
  2. assist in treatment implementation with the direct supervision of the fieldwork educator.
  3. participate in the identification of activity adaptations or environmental modifications, in collaboration with the fieldwork educator, that reflect the changing needs of the client.
  4. participate in short term goal development and updates, in collaboration with the fieldwork educator, based on observed client performance using the OT Practice Framework.

During treatment implementation, the student can be expected to assist the fieldwork educator with the following activities, under direct supervision: goniometry, manual muscle testing, lifts, transfers, a variety of inhibitory/facilitory techniques such as brushing and vibration, positioning, feeding, simple splinting, use of adaptive equipment, ADLs, teaching a variety of craft activities.

Communication and Documentation

The student will:

  1. utilize OT terminology that is consistent with OT Practice and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework in both written and oral forms of communication.
  2. consistently identify him/herself as an OTA Student from Austin Community College.
  3. verbalize the role of occupational therapy (specific to the area of practice) and compare and contrast the responsibilities of an OTR with an OTA in the setting.
  4. practice writing SOAP notes or other facility specific style of documentation on 2-3 clients each day.

Professional Literature

The student will:

  1. collaborate with the fieldwork educator to identify an area of interest for further research by the end of week two.
  2. conduct a professional literature search to locate information related to a specific condition, intervention, or current trend specific to the setting by midterm.
  3. summarize and present his/her findings to the fieldwork educator for discussion by the end of the experience.

Based on his/her discretion, the fieldwork supervisor may also request that the student prepare additional assignments as needed to enhance his/her learning. This may include case studies, additional readings, a specific project, etc.

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