#observation hours

[pintsizeot]

Applying to OT School: Observation Hours

So I got my first message, it was regarding how to log observation hours. I figured if one person has a question, other people who stumble upon my blog may also like to hear the answer. So thank you for the message, and the idea for a blog post! Feel free to reach out with questions about OT school, OTCAS, anything on your mind. I’m happy to answer.

Some facilities may provide you with a log sheet to fill out during your time there to keep for their own records. I’ve observed at places where they did that and made a copy for you to keep for your own records. These sheets included the following information:

facility name

facility address

facility phone number

facility fax number

column for date the observation hours were completed

column for the number of observation hours completed on that date

column for the signature of the OT you observed under

Alternatively, if the facility you observe at does not have a log sheet (or you are unsure and want to be prepared for your first day of observation) you can make your own log sheet:

I would recommend keeping a log for your personal records for two reasons:

OTCAS requires you to input the number of hours you’ve observed/volunteered/worked/interned in the field and will also require you to indicate what setting these observations hours were completed in. Keeping a personal record of your observations hours can make the application process go a lot smoother and faster. There’s also a description box where you have to describe what you did or about the experience (very briefly). So if possible, I also recommend writing a brief summary of the experience shortly after so that you have something to work from for OTCAS, as well as interviews.

Some programs (in the U.S.) actually require you to submit a log like this with therapist signatures either through OTCAS in the additional documents section or through some other means. Let me repeat: some, not all. However, this does not mean you should lie about hours just because a school may not ask for a log sheet because you still have to talk the talk in an interview (if that school does interviews).

Side note: apologies for any typos, I’m typing quickly and not rereading because I have family to attend to, but I was excited and wanted to get this out. I’ll probably be back on here at some point this weekend to re-read and correct any mistakes.

[emerging-writer]

This chair I am sitting in is so fucking uncomfy. What happened to the desk I was in yesterday?

[ms-maras-class-blog]

Student Teaching Selections

I’ve been thinking a lot over the last week about what two schools I want to do my observation hours at for my education courses. Well because of my work schedule my only choices are middle or high schools. High school is the opposite of what I want to teach and middle school just brings back bad memories, but in Ohio I have to have experience in every grade. So my thought was to do one middle school and one high school, but it appears that the middle schools in my area start too late for it to work with my work schedule. This means I’ll be doing two high schools, so I’ve decided to go to my old high school as well as my husbands. Any thoughts? 

[doseofradiance-blog]

Observation Hours With a Cold

This weekend consisted of ringing ears with head and neck pain which all turned out to be a lovely sinus infection. Oh and I had a fever! The fact that I had observation hours Monday morning motivated me to get to Med Express for a diagnosis and some antibiotics on Sunday.

After sitting at Wal-Mart for a half hour I got my $57 amoxicillin and ibuprofen (wasn’t happy with the price), but I had to get some relief. Popped those pills was knocked out, I woke up to watch about half of the BET awards and then I was back to sleep.

The next morning was not fun getting up as I was grumpier than usual, anyway I got myself together and headed to the hospital. Fought traffic, parked and found the office in time. The SLP I observed was around my age, so we hit it off. After she packed up her bag with thickeners, cups, spoons, charts and anything else she needed for the day we headed to the main hospital across the street.

Our first stop was an elderly woman who needed a Bedside Swallow Evaluation (BSE). I definitely got to see how social skills and patience trump anything you can learn from a textbook. The patient was able to follow the SLP’s instructions, but she kept asking, “How did I get here?” and “Am I going to die?” She even told us that her husband had left her all while the BSE was being administered. The SLP told her that she was transferred from another hospital and that she was going to be ok.

After the evaluation the SLP entered notes into the system, which was pretty involved. There were a lot of medical terms and abbreviations, but she answered all of my questions. After that she told the patient’s nurse that she modified her diet to thickened liquids only.

The next patient was an older gentleman scheduled for a BSE and Speech and Language Evaluation (SLE). Once the SLP spoke to the nurse it turned out that he did not need the BSE, due a procedure he would undergo later that day. He only needed the SLE, which was great for me to see, as I have never observed an expressive aphasia patient. She used a communication board with him and asked to point to body parts and his surroundings, which he didn’t follow very well. She suggested continued use of the board and further speech therapy.

Throughout the day I saw what it would be like to work in a hospital setting from the patient interaction to working with families, talking to nurses, entering the notes, reviewing charts  and running up and down stairs. The work is pretty involved, but I like the pace and how different each patient can be. And luckily my meds kicked in to curb my sinus infection long enough to get me through.

Looking forward to doing some more observation hours. The NICU would be great to observe next! 

[swiftie-kloss]

I’m starting to feel better like my throat barley hurts now, but I’m scared to go back to the elementary school tomorrow bc the kids are all sneezy and I what if they get me sick?!

[tejanonsense]

Damn you got dem flappy bird lips!

Student

[kristinabu27]

Electrical Muscle Stimulation

There have been many interesting tools and information that I have gathered during observations hours, but one of my favorites happened just last week.  I was with another student observing and we were asking if we wanted to feel "estim."  This is something that I have seen other athletes do before but never experienced for myself.  Estim is used for rehab for partially or totally immobilized patients, it is a strength training tool for athletes or even just healthy subjects like the other student and myself.  The common ways that this is used if for training or therapeutic purposes, like in a physical therapy session.  Estim acts similar to the action potential that comes from the CNS, and it causes muscle to contract.  So if someone were experiences pain, you would place one electrode where the muscle starts, and the second where the muscles ends.  

When the AT placed the markers on me I was really nervous because I didn't know what to expect, and he just turns the intensity up until you feel it, so I never knew when it was coming (referring back to my pain post; everyone feels things differently, so everyone is going to feel the sensation at a different level), and when it finally hit me it completely took me by surprise.  I was expecting a very sharp tingling but instead it just felt like my skin was vibrating.  I think that this is such a great new thing that is being used more and more today than it was in the previous years.  There are athletes here that have torn their ACL and when this happens, they undergo rehab, and Estim is one of the tools that our AT's use.  They place the electrodes on muscle on their thighs, and cause a contraction so that even though they may not be able to participate in physical activity, their muscles are not not being used.

[claudiaissocoollike]

Guys I have good news :)

I found two places to do my observation hours in.

I'm going to one on Friday and to the other one on Wednesday and feeling them both out.

Whichever place I feel like I can learn the most from will definitely be the one I stay at :)