First semester completed
So I successfully managed to complete first semester, passing all my exams and passing physical block which was extremely challenging. I was placed at a very acute hospital which means I got a new patient every week. I found it unfair that my assessments and treatment had to begin fresh every week while some of my colleagues had the same patient for the whole prac duration but ‘they’ say that at the end it’s to our advantage that we get this experience now as it’s more realistic. Well that may be true but for now I shall feel the unfairness. My final client was a 67 year old male with an above knee amputation. He was a lovely person to work with and praised me for all the help I gave him. At the end of our treatment he admitted to loving OT and wanting to attend it more often which really inspired me and helped me to get over that feeling of not wanting to continue OT. I really hope he’s okay and safely at home. For my final demo I thought of a great activity that my supervisor loved and the client thoroughly enjoyed and maybe someone reading this could find it useful. My patient used a walking frame to ambulate but needing both hands to steady himself he couldn’t hold anything in his hands. I therefore decided to make a little box that could be attached to the front of his walking frame in which items he required could be placed. I found a wooden box which required the client to knock some nails into. He then had to drill holes into the sides and paint it. He then attached it to the walking frame. He completed all these steps whilst standing which helped improve his balance, physical endurance, pain tolerance, muscle strength, etc. He also had to walk back and forth between 2 tables in order to fetch different items everytime he needed them. This also helped to improve many of his physical performance components. He was very satisfied with the end product which made my supervisor happy, which in turn made me pass :D It’s always a challenge thinking of activities that could benefit the client as well as be enjoyable to him and be flop-proof at the same time. A lot of research and preparation is required which can be frustrating at times. It’s a good idea therefore to exchange ideas with your friends as you can always learn from others. Passing prac is a big relief and now that it’s over im ready to take on a new challenge…hopefully