April / May / June • Issue 2 • 2019
Student Reflections on Fieldwork, continued from Page 8
Kathryn Windisch, MOT, OTR/L
Midwestern University MOT Program, Class of 2018
When did you complete your
Level 2 fieldwork at Marklund
and at which campus? August-
November 2018 at Marklund
Hyde Center campus in Geneva,
IL (Adult residential ICF-DD and
adult community day services).
What other fieldwork experiences did you have, and
how was this setting different from your other Level 2
experience? My other level 2 fieldwork was an outpatient
pediatric clinic. The clients’ long-term goals were 10
weeks instead of the annual goals at Marklund. Also, at
the pediatric clinic, children were higher functioning with
fewer rates of comorbidities. I had a unique experience
because both my pediatric rotation and Marklund rotation
offered a lot of freedom in terms of treatment. My other
experiences also offered opportunities in nontraditional
therapy such as aquatic therapy and exposure to animals
within treatment.
What was the most difficult aspect of being a Level 2
student in this setting? The caseload in this setting was
demanding with 115 residents to 1 OT. The OT really
needs to have a good understanding of how to check in on
different aspects of the client’s treatment plan.
What was your favorite client experience? My favorite
experience was engaging 4 residents in a leisure activity.
I observed these residents communicate with each other,
laugh, smile, and work as a team. The activity was an air
hockey game. I created the air hockey table by applying
pool noodles to two cafeteria tables and the group utilized
a giant hoverboard puck that lights up, makes noise, and
moves independently.
What models or theories of practice did you utilize
during this rotation? I utilized PEO and MOHO
depending on each client in addition to a wide array of
frames of references.
What qualities are important for students interested in
this setting? I believe patience is in important quality in
this setting as everything takes time (implementing goals
within a classroom, orthosis implementation, evaluation
and treatment require extra time). Observation skills are
another great quality to have coming into this setting. In
this setting residents communicate their wants and needs
in a variety of ways and as the student you need to pick
up on these subtle cues. For example, one resident might
look up to answer “yes” and look down to answer “no”
while another resident might communicate “yes” in full
body extension. Another example for observation skills, is
watching the resident’s ROM while engaging in an activity
when unable to obtain accurate ROM due to reflexes that
have not integrated or due to spasticity.
How did this FW setting prepare you for future practice?
This fieldwork experience prepared me for having a larger
caseload and being able to manage a lot of different
aspects within my setting. Also, it prepared me for detailed
evaluation reports.
Kathryn during OT treatment sessions at
Marklund, September-October 2018.
(Faces obscured for privacy)
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