Level II Fieldwork - Day 2

So, today was my first REAL day of Level II Fieldwork. Yesterday, I took care of all the 'new person' logistic things, like meeting my CI, getting to know the building, taking a HIPAA course (which was about 2 hours!), getting keys and access to the electronic system, getting a locker, signing papers, going over expectations, meeting the other clinicians and taking a 3-hour course on using the electronic documentation system. By the time I did all of this it was about 4pm and so they sent me home.

Well, today, that was not the case! Haha! I had a FULL day. I did some ICU (Intensive Care Unit) treatments, evaluations and inpatient treatment. I did not actually DO the treatment, that comes in the next 3-4 weeks. Rather, I observed and assisted and asked a gazillion questions. I probably won't be posting much detail, due to privacy and discretion and all that good stuff, but I'll try to post the most interesting things that I see or experience so that all of you can share this wonderful Level II experience with me.

One thing I must say is that this particular fieldwork is INTENSE. At my last fieldwork, I would hear a diagnosis and it would be familiar. At this location, however, there are diagnosis that are so rare or uncommon that many times the only way to know is to ask the doctor, use the online medical database or Google it. I can definitely say I will be trained very well by the end of this fieldwork because I am learning diagnoses that I didn't even know existed. My CI confirmed that they tend to get a lot of special cases...which is good for me.

Another thing I must say is that I have been blessed with some AWESOME CIs, at this location and all my fieldwork locations prior to this one. God is really looking out for me because I have not had some of the horror or boring experiences that others have shared with me. Taking on a student is a HUGE responsibility, and in a way, a big pain in the buttocks. Taking on a student definitely slows the therapist down due to all the questions, having someone follow you EVERYWHERE you go like a shadow, explaining all the steps in the treatment process when you would normally zip right through it and then the biggee--documentation. Showing a new student how to use the system and then how to write in OT language is a huge challenge and not everyone can teach this well. My CI stayed behind an hour today just to show me how to document, to assess my clinical reasoning and to ensure that I understood what we saw, how we treated the patient and how to translate that information in a way that OTs and other medical professionals can use it for further treatment and discharge.

At the site prior to this one, my CIs were the same way. They were soooo patient and were very good and pushing me to jump right in and do it. I learned so much from them and they gave me an excellent baseline for this fieldwork.

I probably won't get to go out with my friends as often because I'm realizing all that I don't know. I'll be one Googling sister. Seriously. There's not much time for me to Google while I'm on site but when I come home I have to make the most of my time, and there's not much time in the day. I'll probably be in the bed by 9 tonight. Right now, it's 8.30 and I'm exhausted--and it's just the first day! Lol. After work, I had to run some errands, eat dinner, prepare everything for tomorrow and update this blog.

I also have all these blog notes I wrote from the last fieldwork, notes on things I observed or participated in and wanted to share with you on this blog. However, I rarely had time to log on, as you can see from my limited activity last month. Additionally, I have notes from things I learned months ago while in class, along with a ton of pictures I took of adaptive aids and devices and other interesting occupational therapy items. As you can see, none of that has been posted yet! I'm so busy. But I promise I will get it posted, slowly but surely. It's really important to me that this blog is a resource for those pursuing occupational therapy or interested in more information about occupational therapy.

I'm so sleepy and there are probably all kinds of typos and grammar errors and words missing in this post. If so, I truly apologize!