Reflections

Post Placement reflection

I did not know much about Occupational Therapy before I enrolled into the program, however after my two years of learning and going on placements, I have fallen in love with occupational therapy. I have seen how occupational therapy can change people’s lives by providing resources, such as an 18’’ shower sponge or a handy bar (low risk low-cost assistive technology (AT) to a powered wheelchair (high risk, high cost), that enable individuals to engage in activities of daily living. I have seen Occupational Therapy provide new meaning to people’s lives. It is very satisfying.

From my last placement, I learned a lot about Occupational Therapy process, from referrals to case closures (conclude/exit). The importance of drawing on a client’s background information and a standardised assessment to inform my judgements especially around what support the client would be needing or what assistive technology would be appropriate for them. I found it very interesting to conduct the standardised assessments myself, score and interpret them. Completing a complex functional assessment that will be sent to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was challenging for me as I had to provide a rationale for every recommendation that was made. For example, if I am recommending two-support staff and increased hours of support, I will have to back it up using the Care and Needs Assessment (a standardised tool that determines hours of support for a client).

This is a placement that I would recommend as it changed my perspective about occupational therapy with regards to risks around making recommendations. All recommendations must be assessed properly to make sure the recommended assistive equipment or therapy does not put the client in danger. For example, a client’s cognitive capacity to drive a powered wheelchair needs to be assessed and the equipment trialled multiple times to make sure that it is safe for the client to use. The prescribed wheelchair needs to be compared and trialled with two other wheelchairs to ensure that the client gets the best service. Evidence collected during the trials must then be used in the assistive technology report.

I would say that my clinical judgement improved greatly upto my last placement, however, I still feel I need to keep working on improving myself in this aspect.

The placement was fast-paced, therefore I struggled to manage my caseload at the start of my placement. However, I feel that this skill improved greatly by the end of my placement.

I learned: good communication skills, negotiation skills, documentation skills and most importantly time management skills through the use of the Gmail calendar. These are the skills that I will take with me to my next job.

Pre-placement reflection

I was excited when I got admitted into the University of Canberra to study Occupational Therapy (OT) as it was my dream to help people engage in meaningful occupations and also to perform at a satisfactory level.

So far, the lecturers have provided me with the theoretical background to succeed at becoming an OT and the university have provided me with the opportunity to gain  practical experience through different placements. I have completed a practical placement at Getaboutable where I helped different clients find places or venues that are wheelchair accessible and also made recommendations to restaurants/hotels on how they can make their venues accessible. This placement provided me with the opportunity to learn about the impact the environment will have on the occupational engagement and performance of individuals with a disability and how Occupational Therapists can help modify the environment to improve occupational participation and performance.

The second placement was at the University of Canberra Paediatric clinic where I was provided with the opportunity to learn standardised assessments, and interventions to support the clients in developing important skills needed to perform everyday tasks.