Graduation Day

...1 Course, 2 years, 24 month, 2 countries, 5 placements, Lots of learning and reflections... 

I survived and somehow managed to pass my masters in Occupational Therapy

Today is Graduation Day!

When I decided to consider Occupational Therapy as a career, I don't think I truly understood how vast and dynamic a profession it really was. Even now as a newly qualified practitioner, I am still often surprised at all the huge array possibilities there are for Occupational Therapists to use our unique skills. Really though, I shouldn't be surprised because as my knowledge and understanding of occupation has developed, I know that the inherent role it plays not only in the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities but on the identity and everyday landscape of how we all function.  The surprise has more of an air of excitement of possibilities now rather than simple lack of knowledge and I am particularly grateful for the experiences during my MSc that have accumulated the development of my understanding of this fundamental concept that is so crucial in how I evidence and argue my professional worth in my everyday roles.



One of the great things about I found whilst on this journey  to become an Occupational Therapist is just that 'surprise', the joy of finding those areas that you never considered working in before, and realising they allow you to use the skills and experiences you have had to enable others to engage more fully in their everyday life. 


So 2 years on from the start of this journey (3 years if you include when I decided to bite the bullet and apply for the course), if I could go back, would I change my decision to study? Absolutely not. It has been incredibly tough two years, tougher than I ever thought it would be and it has pushed me more than I thought I was capable of being pushed, yes there were points during the course that I felt like I would never manage to get to this point; but there has also been some great experiences along the way too that have moulded and continue to shape who I am as an Occupational therapist. So here I am 2 years on, on graduation day with a masters degree.

Master of Science in
Occupational Therapy

Reflecting on the experience as a whole, I realise how thankful I am for the support I had from friends and family along the way, and I have no doubt in my mind the importance of that support in helping me successfully complete my degree.  


I chose the University of Cumbria as a place to study, mainly for financial reasons along side the ability to commute from home to study, but looking back now, those became minor pluses during my masters journey. The fact that the MSc was a small cohort and the university population in Carlisle as a whole was smaller became a huge asset. The  ability to build relationships with the tutors and staff as well as other students in my class actually aided my learning and development as a practitioner and I'm incredibly thankful for that. 

Has my masters prepared me well to enter the world of work? I really hope so. It has given me the skills to critique the evidence base for my assessments and interventions, the knowledge and sills to question and explore issues at length with the depth that enables me to see past the initial presentation of an issue, it has enhanced my communication skills, and in turn built my confidence in sharing my professional opinions and knowledge but most of all it has prepared me to be a life long learner, that is willing to embrace opportunities to develop personally as practitioner, the profession as a whole and as a team member within the places I work. 

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 16 - OT on a Rail Replacement Bus

A 4:30am start is dark, cold and wet way to start the week...

The first week back after break away from university is always a challenge; but adding a 2 and a half hour coach journey each way and it is crushing. OK maybe a little mellow dramatic there; but its exhausting to say the least. I am however thankful to Virgin and Transpennine Trains for keeping everyone moving whilst the West Coast Train line is closed. 

New module, New group: 

The main part of the week focused on our newest module 'Occupational Design' which involves us working in groups to research and plan a client an  occupational  therapy intervention for a client group that we need to approach and arrange ourselves. We spent Monday  refreshing our knowledge on team working and then spent the afternoon learning about Palliative Care OT from visiting OTs from practice, which is another part of the module I'm looking forward too. Tuesday included the module launch lecture and we spent the rest of the allocated time to start thinking about our intervention. 

Intense speed: 

This week also included our PP3 Evaluation session which gave us time to reflect on our learning and share our experiences with each other. It's a tad scary to think our next placement session is just before we go out on our final placement in May. But with so much to do before then there really isn't time to worry about that, the dissertation deadline is fast approaching...

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

Week 30: PP2.2

Week 30: PP2.2

Key Term:  Lots to do... 

[PP2 Week 2]

Week 2 on placement always feels more controllable in the respect that you start to work out how the setting you are in works and thankfully start to remember who people are, which is a bonus as I'm rubbish at remembering names.

Starting to get to grips with the assessment and services and equipment the department provide... it felt like a really quick week in the end.

[Research...]

I'm starting to try and refine my idea for my research and scholarships module proposal that is due in August... Thankful for support of a supervisor at uni (Such a good move from UoC to allocate the dissertation supervisor earlier to be with you through the whole process, instead of just after you have submitted your proposal.), too many ideas but have managed to scrap a few ideas that although interested me, didn't really add anything to research base.

[#OTalk - Welcome Kelly OTea Party]

This Tuesday was also my first #OTalk in the position of "Student Digital Leader Intern', which was a good experience, I really am looking forward to the opportunities that it will bring.


It's a short update this week as I'm fighting off a headache, so limiting my screen time!

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

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 27 & 28: Prep for placement & Easter Holidays

Key Term: Prep, Prep, Prep! 

It's hard to believe it PP2 starts next week. Its hard to believe how quickly first year is going... 

I feel a lot more prepared for this placement, haven't learnt from the last which feels really positive! The Applied OT module has given me a practical way to look at conditions which may cause people to struggle with their everyday occupations and the OT process in general which is giving me confidence to tackle the prep before starting.

I'm also thankful for time to rest and relax before starting a busy 8 weeks of practical learning on placement. 

Now to pack... 

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

Preparing for #OTalk - The Role of the Occupational Therapy Assistant

 The Role of the Occupational Therapy Assistant

Reflections and Thoughts whilst Preparing to co-host #OTalk

I'm really excited to have the opportunity to co-host #OTalk next Tuesday (7th April 2015 8pm-9pm) with @ForensicDetail. The Pre-chat blog can be found over on #OTalk blog. 

As you will all probably be aware if you have been reading my blog for a while or are a fellow MSc-er at Cumbria that before started the course in September I worked (and still pick up some shifts on the bank) as an Occupational Therapy Assistant in an acute adult setting, which I really enjoyed and cemented my desire to become an occupational therapist; so I do have a vested interest in the role of OTAs in different settings. 

I have been lucky to have an observation placement in another acute setting which gave me an opportunity to see how the role of OTA differed between trusts (and technically a different country); my next placement in community paediatrics highlighted a completely different role of an assistant in that setting. I have also come into contact with OTAs from different settings/wards/specialities through work and also whilst at university; so far so this has helped to expand me knowledge of the role and tasks occupational therapy assistants undertake as part of the day to day working life. 

What I have found as my understanding of the role of OTAs grows; the broader the role appears to become. It varies from setting to setting and is equally affected by the competencies of the individual but can include but not limited to: admin tasks, ADL practise, maintaining/increasing patients abilities whilst waiting for move to home/rehab, simple assessments, planning and leading treatment sessions with individuals under the OTs instruction. It is important to note the last point as OTAs aren't qualified with the theoretical knowledge of occupational therapists (Alaszweski & Meltzer, 1979 cited in Creek 2007); so input of the occupational therapists expertise is essential if occupational therapy wants to become increasingly evidence based in its practice and the client is to be given best possible experience. 

Developing in an OTA role:

I have also been thinking a lot about how an OTA can develop in their role. I was really lucky in my role as an OTA to have a supportive team who carved out time for CPD opportunities each month, to be part of a journal club that allowed me to begin to link to evidence base and also have meetings with other OTAs in the hospital to build on skills and share knowledge and experience with each other. I believe that those opportunities helped me in my decision to progress with my desire to study OT; but also helped my do my job to best of my abilities. The opportunities helped me to not only develop as an assistant but also helped me feel valued in the team as I was given the same time allocation for CPD and opportunities (journal club, and assistant groups) as the qualified OTs in the department. I also benefited from being able to share my knowledge of the department with new starts into the department such as rotational band 5s which enabled my confidence to grow in the part I played in the therapy team. 

The move from OTA to OT Student:

As I have moved to become a OT student the skills I learnt and developed in my role have been a good grounding in the profession; but I have also had to overcome a few hurdles when learning the theory behind the 'ideal' OT scenarios in practice; this has made me question the fundamentals at points and the understanding of how it should be in practice has added a sometimes unwelcome layer to my learning. This has meant that I have to be more aware of how negative aspects of practice i have experienced as an OTA can impact on my learning and also the learning of others in group learning settings so not to affect the moral of learning the theory for others. 

Also on placement it has been both a positive and a negative. Positive in the respect that my understanding of the constraints of service pressures on the role of OT, my underlying assessment, practical and observation skills and general understanding of the OT process. But also negatively in the respect (which I know is echoed by other students with an OTA background I have spoken to), sometimes educators on placement can take for granted that you know something as you have worked as an assistant; and don't always explain the roots of the things they are doing; I have also found that especially in the first couple of placements I almost wasn't sure how much I should be doing at that level but as I begin PP2 next week I think this will be much less of an issue. 

As I have mentioned before I have had the chance to meet some amazing OTAs (and OTs) whilst on my placement (and i will meet so many more as I go back out on placement), who have helped my understand the role of occupational therapy in the setting they are based in; they have also helped my learn skills in planning and leading treatment sessions and issuing and maintaining equipment which they have had expertise in. As a student I love to learn about OTAs role as well as the other MDT members because it helps me see the larger picture of how not only OT but other professions are helping the client to do what is important to them. 

#OTalk:

I hope that the discussion will allow for a greater picture of the occupational therapy assistant role in different settings, and for me as a student; increase understanding of the role they can play educating students on placement of the practice of OT in their particular setting.

New to #OTalk:

#OTalk is a twitter discussion using the hash tag - #OTalk, every Tuesday between 8pm-9pm (UK Time). It aims to hold discussion based on occupational therapy and occupational science topics. Please check out their website for more information and how you can use these discussions as part of your CPD.

Remember to add #OTalk to your tweets if you are planning to join the chat! 

References

Creek, Jennifer, and Anne Lawson-Porter, eds. Contemporary issues in occupational therapy: reasoning and reflection. John Wiley & Sons, 2007.

COT (2011) ‘Become an OT Support Worker.’ Accessed 27 January 2015. Available at: http://www.cot.co.uk/support-workers/become-ot-support-worker

Reflections on Hoisting and Wheelchair Sessions

As previously discussed in "Week 25: Too many ideas...so little time", over the last few weeks we have been taking part in practical sessions at university to give us the basic knowledge to use when on placement. This week's sessions were based on hoisting and wheelchairs, which gave us as students the chance to experience how it would feel to relinquish control and the power balance when we are hoisting/moving an individual.

http://www.arjohuntleigh.co.uk/products/patient-transfer-solutions/passive-floor-lifters/maxi-move/

Being Hoisted...

How does it feel to be hosted? For me I completely tensed up in the sling; it made me think considering I know how the equipment works, this should have relieved some of the fear but it didn't... so for patients who won't have this advantage of knowledge it must be so much more scary.

The power is with the person doing the hoisting and working the equipment. The patient needs to place their trust in an health care professional that they may have just met when they are feel at there most vulnerable, not to mention most probably in those shapeless hospital gowns.

It is of great importance that as health care professionals we are able to reassure the patient and protect their dignity whilst helping them to transfer.

Learning Points:

• Let the person know what you are doing as you go through the process.
• If you can stand beside them when hoisting - Do so! 
• Give the person dignity when hoisting them! 

Wheelchairs

We also got the chance to experience using a wheelchair around campus, which was a lot harder than I had imaged it to be; heavy doors, high handles and doors that open outwards were among a few of the issues faced just getting around, not including the added obstacle of communicating when you aren't at the same level as others.

Even to push someone in a wheelchair there is so much you need to know to do so safely, such as coming of he curb backwards - you need to be so much more aware of the environment when driving the chair, and it again there is the balance of power that the user gives over to the person pushing them.

Learning Points:

• Remember the person in the chair does not want to face the wall in the lift... they want to be able to join in the conversation!!
• Doors are challenging in a wheelchair.

Week 25: Too many ideas... so little time

Key Term: Development of thinking....


Research and Scholarship & Dissertation

This week saw the launch of our dissertation module to run along side our research and scholarship one. It is actually a really positive thing as it means our supervisor for dissertation module will be there to support us with the proposal for research and scholarship which is due at the end of first year.

As always I seem to have too many ideas and not really sure how to make the best decision about which one to take forward, so I'm thankful that we are allocated a supervisor over the next week and hopefully they might help me reign it in onto a particular topic.

Slightly daunting (and also really exciting) to think i'm going to have to write a 1000 word assignment at masters level... but that is a worry for next year at this stage... 4000 word proposal is my focus for now.


Applied OT

This week helped us review what we had learnt over the last 5 weeks, which surprisingly does feel a lot more than I originally thought. It is a module that we will continue to develop out on placement and when we are back in university in June and July.  We have been focusing on information gathering and assessment as part of the OT process which is helpful to develop before we go out onto placement in a few weeks time.


Practical Sessions (Intro to OT)

This week sessions focused on hoisting and wheelchairs, which are both things I have experience in using in my role as OT assistant, so I had some knowledge which was a bonus. I am writing a separate post on these sessions so please check that out for more on the experiences.

Week 24: A mixed bag of a week...

Key Term: Step Forward

This week has included research module, applied OT and moving and handling so it has been a really mixed week. 

We refreshed our knowledge on ethics for research, and also began to think of posiblw ideas for our research proposals which fingers crossed next year we will follow through with our masters dissertation. Im actually quite excited about research which is an odd concept for me as during my undergrad I really hated doing my dissertstion on a topic I didnt really have an interest in. We are having our dissertation module launched next week along with our research module so we can understand the link between them more... So that should be really interesting. 

Applied OT gave us an oppurtunity to look at different standardised assesments which was good, and helped me understand diffrent ways of focusing assesments with patients.

Moving and Handling was practical as you can imagine; I also noticed how unnatural stepping forward can be with another person... I must have an odd wsy of walking I think. It was good to refresh my skills though which is always a plus.  

Now for a weekend of brainstorming research proposal ideas! 

Week 23: The Positives of University

Key Term: learning from others...

It's been another busy week at university, with assignment deadlines and getting back into the swing of prep for classes. 

We have been learning more about research this week as we begin to think of our research proposals... It still feels quite scary to think we have to think up our own ideas for research when we are just begining to get our head around the  complexities of occupational therapy. Thankful to have a knowelegable lecturer who is head of research at the university to share with us on different forms of research.  

This week has given some of us time to reflect on the course so far and it's been good for me to think about the positives of studying the MSc at UoC. 

If you are a reader of my blog, you will know I havent found the transition to masters level plain sailing... But thinking back now, if i had the choice between the BSc and MSc. I think I would still choose to do the master course. 

Considering interviews have started for September 2015, I thought it would be worth listing the plus' of studying here:

Supportive Tutors

The campus in Carlisle is small, and so is the course. This means you get to see the tutors around the building most days and they are really helpful. I've found that my personal tutor (PAT), is fab for advice and support. Im sure the other tutors are too.

Self-directed Study Skills

The course teaches you to be independent and search for information to aid your and others in the class' learning. 

This is a skill we are still getting our heads around 5 months in, but I know these skills will be crucial as we become qualifed OTs in the work place.

Research Skills

The tutors also place a big focus on research skills which as OTs working with evidence based practice. It is important we can recognise where to look and how to critique what we are reading to guide our practice. 

It is also very apparent that they have a passion for researching and increasing the evidence base when they are sharingtheir  experiences with us. I'm hopefully this enthusiasm will rub of on me as I start my research proposal for my dissertation in the coming weeks...

Incredibly Knowlegeable Staff

The majority of the OT staff are involved in research of their own or are studying towards qualifications such as PHDs; they also have a great depth of knowledge about practice - just need to seek it out of them! 

Links with Practice

The course benefits from having guest OTs from practice, come in to teach the students. As a first year we have only had a few as first term is quite theory heavy, but i'm told you get a lot more in second year.

Support Services for Students

The university benefits from fab student support services - the library staff are so knowledgeably, and always willing to lend a hand when you are feeling lost with referencing, finding resources as well as most other things you might need support with.

Placements in a wide range of locations and settings

Currently i've only had 2 placements - an observation week and a 5 week one; but looking at the range of settings and locations we have had as a class; there seems to be a good range. 

Small Cohort of Students

I think the normal intake is around 27 a year which means you really get to know your class mates and have a chance to learn from each others experiences.  

Im sure there are many more positives I haven't thought about. But at least there is a few to get you thinking about why studying a MSc at Cumbria is worth it.

This post is very purposly one sided, as I feel that as student OTs it is important to focus on what people can do and not what they can't. With all courses there are things we might want to change and as human beings we can't all like everything... But I think the positives do out weigh the things that arent ideal for me and I wanted to share those!! 

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

Week 21: Back to uni...

Key Term: Synthesise,  Synthesise, Synthesise 

First week back in classes after placement; and everyones minds are focused on one thing - the next assignment.  

I have felt exhausted all week; if I could recommend anything to the course leaders to change; it would be the need for a wee off before coming back into uni, as I'm not at all convinced it is healthy for students to start new modules and focus on assignments when they are so tired. Maybe I'm just being a lightweight and need to suck it up and get on with it though... It is an accelerated course after all!

I'm excited to be starting our new module in Applied OT, (well apart from the dreaded presentation that I am trying to not think about at the moment) hopefully its going to teach us things we will use as OTs once graduated. 

We have also continued to learn about evidence based practise and the need for OT as a profession, to continue to develop the evidence base to aid its position  amongst other health and social care professions. 

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.