A reflection on my assessment and treatment skills thus far, including new insights and areas needing improvement
Beginning psych block this semester was both overwhelming and interesting. The reason for it being overwhelming, was no doubt the fact that the last time I was on psych block was about a year ago. I don’t know about the general population, but in terms of students, our memory is not known to be very exceptional😂.
Psych block does feel a bit different to me, with regards to physical seeming more concrete and tangible than psych. However, over these past few weeks in which I engaged with many psych clients; I have realized something. I have come to the conclusion that with psych assessment, one has to be extremely observant. The key to efficient assessment in psych is to OBSERVE, OBSERVE, OBSERVE! “Visual observation is a fundamental skill underlying all occupational performance assessments in occupational therapy” (MacKenzie & Westwood, 2012)
Having a client who is not very verbal, also forced me to rely on my observation skills in order to make the necessary deductions. As a student, I feel that I am still refining this skill, and need to make certain that nothing goes unnoticed and that my assessment findings are more comprehensive. However, on this note, it is also advisable to not perceive everything to be an issue or problem for the client as well.
The reason for psych block being interesting to me is the fact that I have noticed an improvement in myself as a developing OT. I can safely say that I do not feel like my “nervous 2nd year OT” self. When I reflect back on 2nd year, I recall always being on edge and completely unsure of myself. My ability to interact comfortably with clients has improved since then and my confidence has definitely grown as an OT. I am proud of myself for growing in this aspect, but I am aware that I need to develop in other areas too.
Treatment is still an aspect that is relatively new and that I am still developing on. Treatment consists of numerous components, such as subprogrammes, treatment AFR’s and approaches. All of these things tend to overwhelm me at times, due to the amount of content, brainpower and time required for task. I definitely do not think that it is impossible to do all these things, but due to us currently being students, it does require a lot more effort and determination.
With regards to actually treating a client on psych prac, I felt that a limited amount of treatment was done. This is due to the length or duration of midterms being extremely short and us attempting to gather our psych assessment skills fast enough.
In conclusion, I certainly feel that I have come a long way since first year OT. From not knowing what assessment entailed, to not having the briefest idea of what a subprogram was and let’s not forget the numerous models and approaches that accompany it; I am now able to perform these tasks. However, the quality of these various aspects may not be exemplary, as I am still in the process of learning as a student. Therefore, even though I feel that I have grown in terms of being an OT, there is still room for additional progress and development.
References
MacKenzie, D. E., & Westwood, D. A. (2013). Occupational Therapists and Observation: What are You Looking At? OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 33(1), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.3928/15394492-20120928-01