Level I Fieldwork

FIELDWORK LEVEL I DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

Relationship to the Curriculum Design

The Fieldwork program emphasizes providing students with diverse practice sites, in a variety of geographic areas, with exposure to clientele representing a variety of ages, cultures and clinical conditions. These facets of diversity contribute to the Occupational Therapy program's overarching goal to produce generalist Occupational Therapists.

Level I Fieldwork is designed to promote growth of professional behavior skills. It is hierarchical and facilitates a progression from directed learning activities to participation in self-directed learning. This progression will assist the student in their transition from being a passive recipient of information in the classroom, to becoming increasingly more involved in their professional growth.

Opportunities for the student to carry out interventions will vary from site to site. Midwestern University encourages as much "hands on" as possible and appropriate within each fieldwork experience. However, regardless of the amount of "hands on" opportunities the student has during the experience, the expectation for professional behaviors should be the same.

Course Description:
Fieldwork experience consisting of guided learning experiences in various health care and/or community settings that provides students with direct opportunities to observe and interact with clients engaged in functional living activities that are appropriate for their respective cognitive, psychosocial, and physical stage of development. Observational and documentation skills are emphasized.

1. Use sound judgment in regard to safety of self and others, and adhere to safety regulations throughout the occupational therapy process (ACOTE Standard B.2.8).
2. Provide therapeutic use of self, including one's personality, insights, perceptions, and judgments as part of the therapeutic process in both individual and group interaction (ACOTE Standard B.5.6).
3. Effectively interact through written, oral, and nonverbal communication with the client, family, significant others, colleagues, other health providers, and the public in a professionally acceptable manner (ACOTE Standard B.5.18).

Required Textbooks/Readings
Fieldwork Manual

EVALUATIONS:

1. The Level I A and I B Fieldwork Student Evaluation is delivered directly to the fieldwork coordinator through the student who is attending the specific site. A copy is also located in the student FW Manual.
2. The Student Evaluation of Level I A and Level I B Fieldwork is given to each student prior to completing their Level I fieldwork experience and is located in the student FW manual.

Both evaluations are to be completed and signed by both the supervising therapist and the fieldwork student. The Fieldwork Educator needs to print their name as well as sign the forms to ensure that their name can be read to issue the CE certificate for supervising a Level I student. The student will turn the evaluations into the fieldwork office on the first day of classes following the fieldwork experience. Both evaluations should be put into a manila envelope with the student name and course (i.e., Level I B) printed clearly on the outside of the envelope. Failure to follow these instructions resulting in evaluations that are not returned with both signatures may result in failure for this course. Level I Assignments are to be submitted to Faculty according to course faculty specified directions.

Example of Level I Assignments