Year 2: Week 49 - The week I finished university...

The week of VIVA and last lecture...

Now the tutors said right as the beginning of the course that it would fly by, and I'm not sure any of us believed them, and at points, it felt like id never get there but I did! and on reflection it did fly by!

This week included the last placement evaluation lecture and the VIVA for Developing OT practice, Thankfully the placement evaluation lecture focused on the information we may find helpful for the third section of our viva which focused on the transition from student to newly qualified OTs, which if I'm honest i was still struggling to get my head around a day before the viva so Im glad of the discussion in the class.


The viva felt as traumatic as always, I don't know if i'll ever learn to believe in myself because it was fine, and although I know it wasn't my best in the moment of the viva it was the best I could do through the nerves and with a mind blank.

For anyone else about to do a viva... less is more on the prompt sheet. A skill I didn't master during the course but in turn meant I probably didn't flow as well as I would have liked when talking abut my service.

The viva was also not in anyway as traumatic as the one I did last time so thats progress which I don't want to forget about.


'So wake me up when it's all over, When I'm wiser and I'm older, All this time I was finding myself, And I didn't know I was lost'


We thankfully didn't have too wait to long on the results and everyone in the class actually passed the viva which is amazing! Still a while to wait on the feedback but it's a pass! and that means one thing:


 I've passed my masters!!! 

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Year 2: Week 47 & 48 - One Assessment to Go!

Week 47 & 48: So very nearly there!!!

When mind mapping goes wrong....

Straight out of placement and straight into manic preparations for my last viva! Who needs sleep anyways! It was easy to establish that I can't study at home, its far to distracting! Everyone talks about having the right study area, a desk good lighting, and all your resources available to you! But for some reason this didn't put it for the last assignment and I needed to explore other options.

I am going to blog about the Occupational Role with Refugee and Asylum Seekers (which was my service area) when I get a moment so won't talk about it in this post!

Study venues considered & trailed over the process:

1. Debenhams Cafe Ocean Terminal - Free wifi, generally pleasant and mostly occupied by elderly couples enjoying lunch. This created a positive space to study as there was limited distractions. I could plug my headphones in and focus.

Taking over a bench in Ocean Terminal

2. Costa Coffee Ocean Terminal - Free wifi, good cake. Alternative to the Debehams cafe, wifi was much more usable however, coffee shop always busy and tables quite small, meaning harder to type and write at same time.

3. Costa Coffee George Street - Free Wifi, comfy seating and larger tables, worked well for a change of scenery.

4. Starbucks Ocean Terminal - Free wifi - lots of plug sockets so I often used this towards end of the day with laptop battery was low, only problem was the smell of coffee was often a distraction.

5. Gym - Primarily used when listening to recordings of information whilst doing a gentle 'wander' on the treadmill.

6. Ocean Terminal general seating - Last resort when everywhere was busy, and laptop battery had died, used seating to read over and highlight journals and notes.

Im thankful that although I did most of my prep in these two weeks, I had already started reading journals and articles on topic area whilst on placement to enable me to really focus on what my service idea was going to look like. It still help chaotic and on reflection I wish I had done more of the prep before finishing placement, but it just wasn't doable whilst on placement as I was so exhausted and focused on working on that.

I must mention the massive support my friends were in these two weeks, listening and asking questions about my service so that I could work out what I was actually 'selling' during the viva.

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Year 2: Weeks 32-34

Dissertation is complete! 

So the last 3 weeks have been rather manic. I have been finishing the write up of my research and completing my research portfolio that make up my masters level dissertation module. In real life terms that means I have basically been glued to my laptop for a huge proportion of everyday for the last few weeks. 

As I was traveling down to submit the hard copy today, I reflected on this particular journey and whether given the chance id change anything about it. Well probally yes to some of my methods, given a longer time frame I may have utilised more than one data collection method, but overall for the scale of our reseach in the scope of a masters, Im not sure I would have been able to do it well or with enough words to do any data justice. I have often wondered over the last few weeks if I could have been more prepared or whether my time management could have been better to reduce the last minuite stress; however I dont think with all the will in the world, I would ever, not have that last few weeks of pressure at the end.  Actually I think a lot of my rounded and deep understanding on my topic developed within that time as I digested what my findings had actually highlighted in the scope of the literature already out there. 

Consequently I think that the need to present at the mini conference a few weeks back, did start that deepening of the understanding as I attemped to communicate those findings and as a catalyst for all the converstations that followed.  I know you probally never thought you'd read that coming from me, the 'presentation freak-outer!' 

I have also been reflecting of the positives of the informal research support network, that naturally developed among my peer group. I have at points hit walls in my thinking and struggled to get over or round them, but the support and willingness of friends to make me stop, re-evaluate and at points be brutally honest with me have helped my get past these hurdles (and answer the many formatting questions). The openness to help one another is refeshing and so different from my experiances within my undergraduate study. So too that great bunch of friends I am incredibly thankful.

I am also grateful to have had a supervisor that appeared to understand where I was coming from alot of the time, which helped ease the pressure a bit. You know at those moments when you just think am I even in the right general area never mind using the right concept! Having someone there who has experience of research, to just be blunt and say that's not important, move on! As a novice researcher (if you can even call me that) was crucial in helping me use my time and concentration on what actually mattered. 

I cant however let this blog post pass, without thanking the people from outside my course that took the time to listen, proof read and generally make sure I had some occupational balance over the past month! 

So its handed in... And now we start the task of preparing for our elective placements that start at the end of the month! 

What else have I crammed in between writing and demolishing my weight in cake... 

Well the last few weeks also included the last few classes of our Developing OT practice module, which is still a bit surreal, only placement brief and debrief, a 10 week placement and a viva to go!!! 

For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

BAOTNW Study Day - Shout about Practice

BAOTNW Study Day - Shout about Practice 

Reflections on Attending the BAOTNW Study Day

As a final year OT student, my mind is never far away from the fast approaching task of job searching. Attending today's BAOTNW study day was another chance for me to encounter occupational therapists using their OT skills in a variety of settings. 

The study day was made up of a number of presentations by occupational therapists sharing about their role and experience which was really beneficial as a student beginning to properly think about entering the working world. So here are my take home thoughts:

NB: Views and reflections are my own but will have been impacted by discussions and interactions throughout the day. I have used tweets to help illustrate thoughts and views and where possible I have referenced these at the end of the blog post.

The Evolving Role of the Occupational Therapist in extensive Care

Leanne Moran and Mary Driver shared with the group about their role working with the top 3% of vulnerable adults within their locality within a Care Coordinator role. The service appears to be doing some great work at reducing hospital admissions and pressure on GPs locally by managing these clients within their MDT teams remit. They also shared the differences in their role that wouldn't be seen as 'traditional' such as taking bloods and Obs. I was really interested in their role in speeding up discharge for the individuals they work with when they do end up in hospital and how they additional skills enabled them to increase the productivity of the team and in turn increase the efficiency of client care. 

Take home: This role enabled holistic outlook and by empowering client it had a positive effect on their self management of their conditions. 

Putting the OT in pOsTure

Gail Russell shared her experience of posture management and how posture has a major impact on function. 

She highlighted the importance of assessment in aiding healthy posture of our clients, and figuring out what we can correct and what we need to accommodate for within our seating and posture provision. 

She also highlighted the importance of early assessment and intervention in individuals with posture issues, if we are to prevent further negative impact on occupational engagement due to their postural issues impacting on range of movement and their ability to partake in what they want and need to do.

I have had great learning experiences on both my paediatric placement and my placement with adult social services with regard to assessing both children and adults within posture management and listening to the presentation today, I realised how much I actually have learned about the impact on both individuals occupational performance and their own spinal structure. 

Also on the note of placements, it was great to bump into one of my educators from my PP1 and catch up on whats she's up to now. It's hard to believe how fast the last year has gone. 

Take home: No matter the setting I work in as an OT, I need to be proactive in making sure the early intervention of assessment is spotted and either referred on for or dealt with so that the client is able to have the best possible out come long term. 

Is case management the next step in your occupational therapy career?

Carol Collins, shared on the varied role of occupational therapists working as case managers within acquired brain injury. Firstly she shared an overview of the history of the role and where OTs could fit into the area. She also highlighted how our mixed training within physical and mental health make us ideal for this role. Occupational therapist make up the biggest group of professionals within the role in the region (Social workers, nurses, physics and speech and language therapists being the other professionals working within the role). 

Carol also highlighted the skills we would need to work in the role - knowing your own limits, expertise, use of supervision appropriately, self preservation, back up in our role from other professionals, availability as the role can be time consuming and range in the working hours and to be realistic about what we can do. It was also really interesting to hear about the progression from novice to advances practitioners within the British Association of Brian Injury Case Managers.

Carol highlighted that the role needed the professional to think of initiative ways to create independence which is very OT!! 

Take home: As OTs we inherently think outside the box when we are working with individuals, working in a role that isn't 'traditional NHS health' can allow us to flourish in this. Our duty of care is always to the client! 

Creative Occupations and mental well being

June Wilcock and Rachel Jones shared with the group about their role within Inspiring Minds Salford. The service uses creative group activities such as photography, creative writing, art and woodwork to build self esteem and confidence over a 6 to 18 month period an referred individual is with them.  

It was interesting to hear how they use standardised assessments such as PHQ9, GAD7 and WEMWS which their initial assessment and how OT influenced the rest of the initial assessment. 

Rachel shared about the use of the five ways to well being (give, keep learning, connect, be active and take notice - which I'm looking forward to reading more about when I get a moment. She also shared about her role in community integration for individuals that have gone through the service helping them on a 1 to 1 basis access opportunities, volunteering and education when leaving their service. This is also supported by the reviews post discharge which I thought was a really positive use for n OTs skills in helping individuals do was is meaningful to them. Rachel also shared about a group that works with individuals about to leave the service to increase peer support post service and also helps educate the individuals about the choices of occupations they chose and how this impacts on their well being. 

Take home: This service really interested me and I want to find out more! I also loved the importance of educating individuals on the impact our choices of occupations can have on our well being. 

The EPIC Model for Emergent Health Researchers

Lynne Goodacre's presentation focused on the storytelling of our research. Emphasising on how we can communicate our services impact to others. We need to take responsibility to seek out what is going on in our area/organisation research wise. We need to give our clients the opportunity to get involved in studies. It doesn't mean we are recruiting them, It is informing them of what is happening and giving them the chance to get involved if they want.  

Lynne also highlighted the research culture we want to create and work in as practitioners who are use evidence based practice with our clients. It is a long process to transfer research into practice, so we need to take courage and make the movement as best we can in this environment by seeking out the opportunities. 

Take home: Understand the environment we work in, Promote Research and Use the Evidence base.

Occupational Therapy & the biggest ever DIY SOS Project: Walking with the wounded

I was really looking forward to this session, and if I'm honest was one of the reasons I wanted to come to this study day. After watching the 2 part program, I was fully of question, It was clear an OT must have been involved but there seemed no mention on the actual show. This session answered my many questions....

Sarah Harris shared her experiences on working with the BBC on the program and the differences it had to a typical housing adaption. The cost being a major thing. Normally in housing adaptions there is a need to apply for a disabled facilities grant, to get funding to undertake adaptions to a property for example ramping or stairlifts, but in this process funding was fundraised to support the big build and equipment donated by providers to enable the build to be completed. Sarah shared the ins and outs of the process from start to finish with where her OT Ax took place and the challenges of being an OT on this project. 

I was struck whilst she spoke of the impact OTs have on fighting for the independence of of our clients, even when the matter seems so small to others involved. We advocate for independence! 

Take home: Advocate for independence because we know the importance for individuals, that being able to undertake their daily occupations on their own can have on their health and well being.

All in all, a really great day with loads to think and reflect on as a student OT starting out in practice pretty soon. It also gave me a chance to meet some fab OTs and catch up with 2/6 of the #OTalk team. 

Massive thanks must go to the speakers and the BAOTNW committee for putting on such a brilliant networking/CPD study day. 

References

Collins C. (2016) Is case management the next step in your occupational therapy career? [Presentation at BAOTNW Study Da ], University of Cumbria. 24 February. 

Goodacre L. (2016) The EPIC Model for Emergent Health Research [Presentation at BAOTNW Study Day], University of Cumbria. 24 February. 

Harris S. (2016) Occupational therapy & the biggest ever DIY SOS project: Walking with the wounded [Presentation at BAOTNW Study Day], University of Cumbria. 24 February. 

Helen_OTUK (2016) 24 February. available at:  https://twitter.com/Helen_OTUK (Accessed 24 February 2016).

Moran L, Driver M. (2016) The Evolving role of the occupational therapist in extensive care [Presentation at BAOTNW Study Day], University of Cumbria. 24 February. 

Russell G. (2016) Putting the OT in pOsTure [Presentation at BAOTNW Study Day], University of Cumbria. 24 February. 

Wilcock J, Jones R. (2016) Creative occupations and mental well being [Presentation at BAOTNW Study Day], University of Cumbria. 24 February. 

Year 2: Week 20 - Time to analyse the data

Key Term: Finding the themes

Another week another research focus, and this week has focused on the first of my data analysis, and it is so much more time consuming than I had anticipated... I feel sorry for my poor printer as the 304 pages that needed printed put a lot of strain on it and its ink supply! Even this stage took a whole afternoon! I almost wish I had used the uni printers, but can't see the queue of students being impressed by the wait to print their documents. 

I decided to use excel to record my themes, I had been planning to do it on paper and cut and stick my themes as i went along but this in it's self felt like it could cause too much procrastination so decided the laptop was the way forward. It's an ongoing process, which is taking a lot longer than I had planned but it's interesting to see the themes emerge as I go through. 

What else have I been doing?

If only we could just focus on the research then life would be so much more relaxed, but with two other modules bubbling along as well, time management is key to getting everything done. Im finding dedicating one day to each of the modules a week is working well and then any extra days can focus on any of the items that are higher priority for the week. 

We spent time this week in our Developing OT practice module hearing from a tutor int he business school, about business planning, which reminds my of my undergraduate degree a little to much. I was however pleasantly surprised to see so many transferable skills between both sectors, those skills will at least come in handy for something. 


For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Year 2: Week 17 & 18 - Research Head is on!

I clearly should have stated at the start of this year I'd do fortnightly updates instead of weekly as I am finding it hard to make time every week, with deadlines looming...

The last few weeks have seen everyone start to focus on their dissertation as well as get stuck into our newest module.  I'll give you a brief update on both:

Dissertation:

So I finished collecting my data before Christmas, but it's still sitting waiting to be be analysed - that is the next few weeks plan. I have been spending the last few weeks working out what I can use in my research portfolio (which makes up half the dissertation module, but is just pass or fail). I am reassured that apparently we will have been doing the things we need to add to it, we just need to work out what they are. I have a supervision next week so hopefully I will feel more in control after that.

I also need to look at my lit review which will form part of my article (the other half of the module where are mark is determined). I have spend the last few days looking at my proposal feedback more closely to work out where I can improve it before cutting it down and rewording it (the joys of self plagiarism...)

In hindsight I wish I had focused on this before Christmas but with placement, its hard to find the time and energy to work on a lit review.

Occupational Design:

Its been a busy too weeks preparing for our formative assignment which took the form of a detailed session plan for the intervention we are hoping to undertake in the next month or so. It has been really interesting to look at the evidence behind our intervention and explore a more role emerging OT role within our chosen setting, It has really made me appreciate how varied our role as OTs can be, and just how diverse our skills are and how they can be used in different ways.

I'll share more about this after we have undertaken the intervention as our ideas are still forming and changing in line with the evidence base and risk assessment.


I think life is going to feel even busier when we start our last module next week - Developing OT Practice. It looks to be a really helpful as we start our transition from student to practitioner, so I'm looking forward to get going with it.

Year 2 Week 6 & 7

Trying to remember all the references for my viva

Well it has been a busy few weeks and I'm just managing to grab some time to blog. 

We have had an assessed viva, placement launch and prep, and our dissertation to focus on in the last couple of weeks; so it's been all go before we start our placement on Monday.... 

Placement - So what have I done in the run up to going out on my placement?

We had our placement launch last week; which gave the class opportunities to ask questions and work out ways we can meet our learning outcomes whilst we are there. It feels slightly odd to be going back out on placement, and doesn't seem that long ago we got back into university after the last one... And now we are marked at level 6 (check out English uni levels if you are reading this from Scotland). I'm excited though to be back out in practice for 6 weeks.  This placement is in inpatient mental health which I have no experience of yet so means my preparation is really important to help me feel as confident as I can when I start the placement. There is so much to learn; which will make so much sense when I start as relating the theory to practice does really help make it easier to understand. 

I have been reading up on mental health legislation, conditions and the recovering ordinary lives documents which are all really interesting in preparation for starting. 

As with all my placements I will do small updates weekly/fortnightly and then round up with a longer reflective piece at the end.

Dissertation - What's been happening

Over the past month or so, I have been working on developing my questionnaire, taking on feedback from proposal and discussing it during supervision with my dissertation supervisor. I have also been filling out the relevant ethic forms to get approval to undertake the research. This week my ethical approval was confirmed; so it allowed me to pilot my questionnaire and then send out the final version, which feels quite scary! I hadn't really planned to be focusing on this, this week but since my approval came through, and piloting didn't take as long as it expected, I decided no time like the present and all that. This is a plus because I was planning to do this whilst on placement; but placement can be tiring so it's good to have that part ticked off so that I can focus my energy on the placement. 

It really has struck me how fast this term is going, its really hard to believe that there is only 6 weeks until the Christmas holidays... 

Year 2 Week 5: Distraction is Key

Key Term: Distraction is key...

... key to not panicking about a formative assignment for at least 30 mins anyways.

Let me explain; Now it is slightly long and descriptive but stay with me; if you can...

Last week when I was meeting my PAT, we discussed the impact of those distraction moments, when you are consumed with worry; you know the ones, that distract you for a wee bit and make you smile and forget for that time the worry and anxieties you might have. This week I had one of those moments; On Tuesday we had our formative assignment for Applied OT; which was a presentation of the specialist area we plan to cover in our viva which is in just over a weeks time. Normally I am consumed by worry before having to speak in front of people for at least the whole day until the point of having to speak (if not days before). But this week I had arranged to meet someone to discuss using twitter for half an hour at lunch time. Now normally I would have said no to such a request so close to an activity that I know increases my anxiety levels because I'm not very productive in those hours before as my worry increases. But since it was the only mutual time available I decided that on this occasion Id work around it and give it a bash. I'm so glad that I did, because although I was extremely worried on the journey down like normal; having this meeting actually did what we had discussed last week and distracted me and made me smile; for half an hour I wasn't panicking about what Id say or that everyone would be looking at me. I was discussing an occupation I enjoy engaging in and sharing knowledge and feeling normal. Don't get me wrong I was still super worried in the 10-15 mins before and had a mild freak out just as I started speaking; but for half an hour I didn't feel that way and that was a huge thing for me. 

It strikes me of the importance engaging in meaningful occupations and how it can impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. We talk a lot about activities and occupations as occupational therapists and we as a profession fight for the occupational rights of our service users and clients because we understand the impact occupations can have on a person; and although this example is quite simplistic I wanted to share that it times of stress; activities that distract can be positive for the individuals involved. I have seen this in many of the people I have worked with as well in physical settings; how engaging in a board game or a game of cards can give that person time away from thinking about their illness and improve their mood. 

Planning and prepping for the aforementioned viva is ongoing and is still feeling like a major challenge, but I guess they never said a masters would be easy. This time last year I was freaking out about submitting a 1000 word essay (how I wish we only had to do that amount now) and a year on; new assignment formats still in still same reaction. But this time I feel it is reasonable since I know my working memory isn't great; the challenge of remembering authors and dates feels like a mountain to climb...

This week also included leading the Welcome to OT #OTalk,  which I am going to blog separately about as it will probably be a longer post, and I have already written quite a lot in this one. But I think It was a successful chat and I'm glad I was able to be part of it. 

Towards the end of the week, we were looking about Political Competence within our class discussions; and I was struck afresh by the varying factors that can impact on a persons occupational engagement.  Hammell (2008) discusses  that it is the occupational right of every individuals to engage in meaningful occupations; No matter their race, sex, stage of life or whether the are ill or have a disability. But as a society does our culture and services make this possible? As an occupational therapy student; It strikes me that it will always be a fight we'll be fighting as graduates continually as we navigate funding cuts and local and national policy; When I cam to university to study OT, I don't think I ever really thought about the bigger picture you know past wanting to qualify as an occupational therapist and that's what being on the course allows. I have been in conversations over the summer about how keen I am to get going and work; but there is still so much to learn... and so little time!

Now back to the pile of books...

I'll leave you with this lovely video for #OTWeek15, that has been stuck in my head since I watched it on Thursday; it's by the BSc 2nd Year students at uni, Pretty awesome if you ask me.





References

Hammell, K. W. (2008). Reflections on... well-being and occupational rights. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(1), 61.

Year 2 Week 4

When mind-mapping goes wrong...

A week filled with visits, meetings, classes and assignment preparation. 

Visit to meet my Placement Educator:

I start PP3 in under a month and it's my first mental health placement, which is a little bit scary since it's only a 6 week placement at level 6 so it doesn't give much time to get familiar with the setting before getting stuck in. It feels like in this one I really need to hit the ground running. 

For that reason I decided to visit and meet my educator before starting the placement (which on previous placements I haven't done either due to location or after speaking to my educator not felt was necessary). I'm so glad I did this as it has reduced my anxiety about starting in a new setting that is outwith my comfort zone, and has actually has increased my desire to get started and get going with less of the unknowns that come when you start the placement. 

Learning about Vocational Rehab:

This weeks classes focused on Vocational Rehab as a specialised area of OT and i found this really interesting. Before starting on the course, one of the OT settings I shadowed was within vocational rehab for a individuals with mental health conditions and it was a really interesting setting with lots of extra skills that helped individuals manage their hunt for a job and also the process of settling into their new role. 

It is such a great opportunity for an occupational therapist to use their core skills mixed with the more specialist skills of jobs, the person and the environment in which people work in. As OTs we understand the importance of doing in helping a persons overall well being, so can see the benefits of a person being in employment or even volunteering. But we can also understand the impact that working environment can have good or bad so it's important that an individual is in a role they enjoy or can at least see the point in.

Unfortunately I missed the second class due to being unwell, which was a shame as the topic was really interesting. 

Assignment Prep:

As i mentioned in last weeks blog, our next assignment is in the form of a VIVA which we haven't done before, so that is has the normal fear of the unknown. Unfortunately I can't seem to find any info on preparing for VIVAs on the university skills site which is a bit of a pain, and a search of youtube hasn't helped either. I am told its a discussion but it makes it really hard to prepare for. I decided as I'm a visual learner that making a mind map might help, but as you can see above that didn't really go to plan and now I can't decide if that is far to much information to be learning for a 30 min discussion. I also think the more I read the more confused I am sometimes getting. However a quick look back at my blog from this time last year has reminded me that confusion is good... as it shows you understand something enough to go deeper, so at least that can give me some confidence I am questioning it more (hopefully).  I'm glad I picked an area of OT I'm interested in and the fact I know it will benefit me when I start my elective placement is a bonus to trying to remember all the details. 

#OTalk - Welcome to OT:

This week has also included some last minute prep for next Tuesday's (20th October) Welcome to OT #OTalk. Please join in if you are around, whether you are a new student, a student with some experience to share or and OT we would love to have you there to share with the new intake of OT students. It is also a great chat to get involved in if you haven't tried #OTalk before as it is a nice informal one to give you a chance to get the hang of it. The blog post for the chat is available by clicking here.


For more insight into my journey to become an occupational therapist; follow me on twitter: @OTontheTracks

Year 2 Week 1: And we are back....

Key Term: This feels like its going to fast...


It really is hard to believe how fast this course is actually going... It's the start of second and (hopefully) my final year of studying to become an OT!  It feels strange not being a newbie, I remember this time last year feeling terrified of what i had signed up for. In fact my key term this time last year was 'Overwhelmed!', so I can totally understand how the first years were feeling when I had a chance to meet them at coffee time yesterday. full of all the same questions I had about the unknown of workload, placements, and PRESENTATIONS! 

It has given me time to reflect on the difference a year makes... If you had told me this time  last year that I would have, not just survived first year but passed it, I'm not sure I would have believed you! 

Last year I didn't know what to expect and that scared me! This year I do know whats coming and I can't decide if that scares me less or more! I know the hard work that's coming with 2  assessed VIVAs (one in less than 6 weeks), a group presentation, a dissertation and 2 placements at level 6 which feels like a mountain in such a short space of time. But I know I can do it, I can pass assessments at masters level! It's not impossible!!  

So what is terrifying me the most? It is this time next year It will be over and I'll be job hunting, I'll be an OT (Thanks to the lovely tutor that reminded us of that on day one of second year!). I'll need to be able to utilise the skills I'm learning every day to help people and make a difference to them, to keep them safe and also mange to do so within the constraints of service provision and at times with limited resources. 

BUT:

I'm excited to be back in university, to increase my knowledge, to make the most of opportunities to grow and develop so that this time next year, I might be terrified to be starting out as a qualified OT, but I will know I have the gained as much of the skills I can to be starting in the role! 

To any first years starting out: Make the most of it! It will feel exciting and new but may also feel scary and overwhelming - remember others have been there and survived those moments; support your class mates they will most probably be feeling the same, if not at that very moment at some other point. Speak to the second years, we want to help and support you! And most of all don't be scared to ask questions! 

At the end of welcome week last year I talked about meeting a great bunch of people who I felt would make the next two stressful years a lot of fun and one year in I can share that they have done much more than that! They have made me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry, made the hardest assignments bearable and giving me chances to just be me and share the unique skills I have in the stuff that we have been doing. I'm in a class of enablers and if you are on an OT course, I bet you are in a class full of them too.  

Keep up with my OT journey on twitter:

@OTontheTrack

Week 45 & 46: Research, Research, Research everywhere!

Key Term: One more week of 1st year... One more week until research proposal is due...

This last fortnight has been a mix of research and some OTA shifts at work.

Week 45: In the mix of assignment stress, I remember why I want to be an OT

I'm thankful for the chance to do some shifts at work because even when everything feels so stressful with uni work I am reminded why I want to be an OT. I love to spend time with people and help them be as independent as they can when it comes to the things they want and need to do.

This week also involved me continuing to tackle my lit review as part of my proposal, I feel I'm still covering literature broadly instead of having depth, so it's a learning curve to try and do my best.

Week 46: Research and #OTalk support. 

And another week of research proposal, and OTA shifts... It must nearly be time for summer holidays surely...

On the plus side I have remembered to reference as I go with this assignment... this helps ALOT!

This week also see my support my first #OTalk as part of the #OTalk team, which was a great chance to get involved and help someone lead a chat. I'm going to blog separately about this experience after I have submitted my assignment, so keep your eyes peeled for that post.

Week 29: PP2.1

Key Term: Getting to grips with The Care Act

[PP2 Week 1]

This week saw the start of my current practice placement which is in Adult Social Care within the council; It has been a tiring week trying to get my head around not only the services they provide and the assessments the OTs do but also beginning to get my head around the Care Act which has just come into force this month which is changing how the OTs approach their assessments and interventions. 

I've also had a chance to get to grips with the electronic notes system that is used in this setting, which I'm at least starting to feel more confident about. 

I'm looking forward to getting more hands on in the next few weeks. 

[Being a 'real' student]

Another placement away from home means another experience in 'student halls', this time on my own but thankfully closer to home so I can make it home every weekend! I decided that it would be better to move for placement to reduce the stress from commuting 5 days a week as the commute is over 2 hrs each way. But the first week in halls has actually turned out to be slightly more stressful than I would have liked due to the boilers getting changed meaning no hot water for nearly 3 days. 

I know I'm from Scotland so used to the cold but having a cold wash and trying to wash my hair in cold water in the sink was not fun! Thankfully it is back on now; It did give me time to reflect on how people who due to health conditions or who have mobility issues meaning they can't access their bath must feel having to just have a basin wash! 

[#OTalk]

Day one of placement also coincided with assignment results and my chance to co-host #OTalk which was exciting, as well as a very strange Skype chat regarding #OTalk student digital leader intern position I had applied for. This made Tuesday a very busy day & evening which I'm really glad I managed to stay awake through!! 

Now time to head back to Scotland for the weekend - Fingers crossed it's still sunny when I get there...

[Placement Blog Posts]

As with PP1, I plan to do a small blog post each week whilst on placement and then will do a longer one at the end to sum up... that's the plan at the moment anyways.

Week 26: The week of the Solar Eclipse

Photo by Andrew Dickie
https://instagram.com/mybagispacked

Key Term: De-Escalate before you need to Breakaway...

I spent the first part of the week trying to shake the odd feeling that I have missed some prep somewhere.... This week's classes didn't have any prep which felt really strange after months of trying to squeeze all the reading in before getting to class. 

Placement Launch: 

We had our placement module launch on Thursday which was exciting, if not a little unnerving to think in a couple of weeks we are back out for 8 weeks. The placement profile has jumped up a few more places on the grid, which seems a BIG jump but in hindsight a lot of us where doing those things on PP1 anyways so I'm hoping that will lead us in good stead to get stuck in on PP2. 

I'm looking forward to another community placement in adult social care; I think it will lead on nicely from my community paediatrics placement but will also be quite different as it is council based rather than NHS. I imagine i will be seeing a lot of equipment and adaptions (Hopefully all the equipment I used as an assistant will give me a good starting knowledge). 

De-escalation and Breakaway Techniques:

Friday gave us the opportunity to discuss deescalation and practice breakaway techniques; It made me reflect on the challenges we may have when dealing with other humans in our day to day roles. We are privileged to work in such a diverse profession where we can work with people in such a range of settings but this could also lead us to work in challenging situations where we need to use deescalation and breakaway techniques; It strikes me that our abilities to read situations is crucial when working with clients and families. 

The Solar Eclipse:

This week also included the solar eclipse... Thankful to our tutor for letting us stand outside and watch it before starting Fridays session; Carlisle was quite cloudy but we still got the chance to see experience it, which was fab. I was quite young when the last solar eclipse happened, so remember the excitement but at age 11 don't remember much of the actual event! 

It's strange to think how much has changed in my life since the last eclipse - high school, college, university, work and now back in education! Life is full of surprises and experiences that change us and mould our future opportunities.

PP1 - Reflections on Pediatrics

The treatment room used for clinics and therapy sessions

It's hard to believe how fast the last 5 weeks have gone. I have experienced so much in that time and have had the chance to assist in assessments, plan lead and evaluate treatments sessions, review seating and posture systems and meet a great bunch of professionals that were a brilliant representation of the occupational therapy profession. 

At the start of this placement, I was apprehensive of how much I would have to learn and felt that I might never 'get it" when it came to complexity of posture and seating (anatomical terms are incredibly difficult for me to remember as a person with dyslexia), but over the latter half of my placement I was able to see how far I had come in such a short time, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. 

I had wanted a pediatric placement, having done a range of voluntary children and youth work roles in my spare time, but maybe not as my PP1 as I felt slightly out of my depth having no previous experience with working with children and families in a healthcare setting. This in itself wouldn’t have caused me immediate concern but as we were still getting to grips with the foundations of occupational therapy theory it felt slightly overwhelming.  Thankfully the team I was placed with were brilliant with me and my educators gave me ample opportunities to explore and learn what is involved in being an OT in community pediatrics. 

It was refreshing to see a focus on function and learning and developing fine motor skills, which I haven't really experienced in my adult acute physical background where sometimes it can feel like its all about plastering over cracks to get the patient home to free up a bed. This focus also allowed for me to understand how occupational frames of reference and research impact on the way occupational therapy staff plan and undertake their interventions with the children.  I am also reminded of how complex we are as human beings, and wonderful it is to get to know each person for who they are and what they have to offer. Children are amazing to work with and have such an incredible determination and drive to join in with activities and seek out things that are meaningful to them.

One thing I did not expect to learn that kept being highlighted as I went through my time on placement was the link between the skills I need to develop to critically write at masters level and how those are also used in daily occupational therapy practice whilst articulating your findings from assessments and interventions. I have spent the first term separating them in my mind... But actually I should have been gelling the two together. Now don't get me wrong I don’t mean the things I’ve learnt, because of course the theory needs to be linked. I mean the concept of academic writing and analysing information - to synthesize the information!     

As I get back to the realities of university life; assignments, endless reading lists and presentations round every corner… I’m reminded that you have got to start somewhere; The great thing about being an occupational therapy student is just that; you are a student, you are not expected to know everything (otherwise there would be no reason to be on a course); but you are expected to try and explore what practicing as an occupational therapist looks like in an ever-changing landscape of health and social care, with the support of experienced educators to do so in a safe manner.