My OT journey

Overall, I feel like the interview went well. I didn't realize I was nervous until I began talking, which surprised me! For some reason, I found it a little bit more difficult to answer questions for an actual OT job interview. I'm not sure if it was the content I struggled with or the reality that I'm so close to my dream and just couldn't believe it. In preparation for the interview, I looked over the resources Dr. Lancaster posted on BB and made sure to look over the instructions for the mock interview that were posted. I specifically looked over the resource about questions to ask the interviewer because I can never think of my questions and I feel like it's a very important part of the interview to ask questions - to show you are interested.  I was not prepared for the question regarding salary, which is always an awkward topic to discuss especially as an entry-level practitioner. In reality, I would look up a range appropriate for the area I'm in and what ...

Above is my most recent glyph on leadership. I compared it to my drawing from the beginning of OT school and the pictures are similar except for a couple of things! This time I added freckles because through the classes and opportunities of school I have learned the importance of self-awareness and how it can enable one to be an effective leader. I also drew straight hair this time compared to curly the first time because I believe organization is a key part to being an effective leader although creativity is also important! I had a hard time choosing between the two. Overall, I believe I have grown and become more confident in my leadership skills the last 1.5 years. I have learned a lot more, which has made me more confident and have been given/volunteered for various leadership opportunities. Before school, I didn't see myself as much of a leader but now I do. Except, I still prefer to be a leader "behind the scenes"!

It's important for us to understand what locus of control is because it can have a major impact on how we interact with our clients and how they respond. The Science PT said we want to encourage our clients to have an internal locus of control from an ethical standpoint. This is because individuals with an internal LoC take ownership of their struggles and are committed to making a change, which is important for therapy. Now, clients with an external LoC are not terrible people and can't be helped; we just have to learn how to communicate and assist them to lead them towards an internal LoC at least for their recovery process. I really enjoyed reading the article because it gave us ideas on how to encourage an internal LoC, which is so important for novices, like us! One way to encourage it is to point them towards the good in life. This can be done through active listening and a positive attitude. Another way is to remind the client that they make the final decision in THEIR...

Overall, I think the SIM encounter went a lot better than it has in the past. I felt more confident and not as nervous this time around. I also felt like I have finally nailed down a solid elevator speech to explain what occupational therapy is, which is always a confident booster. I went into the SIM lab with a script in hand but ended up veering from the script because I noticed how overwhelmed and upset Ms. Farris was. I thought that would throw me off by taking a step back, asking how she felt, and reassuring her but it did not. Like we learned in class it is much more important to be an empathetic listener rather than making sure we "check" off all the boxes of information to give them. I tried to explain what sensory processing disorder is in layman's terms but also realized those terms still may not be everyone's layman's terms so I made sure to ask if she needed more explanation and try to do so if necessary.  If I had the opportunity for a do-ver I t...

The most significant thing I learned about this assignment was how important it is to get to know your client, and what they enjoy doing. When I was assigned the strawberry basket I was unsure of how I would incorporate the media into a functional and meaningful intervention for Jane. But when I learned she enjoyed cooking, gardening, and going to pottery classes I was able to (eventually) come up with something! I think knowing and understanding what GBS is, the symptoms of it, and the different stages of the condition made it a lot easier to come up with the intervention. Also, I appreciated the goal writing template Dr. Lancaster posted for us! It was helpful to read different examples of goals based on the type of intervention approach - preventative, modification, etc. I am no expert at goal writing but I did learn a lot more than I knew before. This assignment definitely challenged me to think outside of the box! It was difficult to come up with an idea at first because of ho...

The movie, 50 First Dates, is about a young woman, Lucy, who was in a car accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. This TBI damaged part of her temporal lobe causing her to lose her short term memory. She didn't lose her long term memory though so she is able to remember all details of her life up to October 13th, the date of the accident.  I chose this movie because I have seen it multiple times but never paid attention to the "medical" part of the movie. It was interesting and pretty cool to watch and understand the parts they talked about her injury and the affects of it. A big part of the movie shows the various ways Lucy's father, brother, and boyfriend (Henry aka Adam Sandler) try to help her live each day to the fullest despite the loss of her short term memory. They came up with the ideas of videos that she would watch every morning before her day started. These videos told her about the accident and how it has changed their lives, but also updating...

The Theory of Everything is about the life of Stephen Hawking, a famous physicist who in the peak of his career was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I chose to watch this movie because I was interested in how the media portrayed ALS as well as the rest of the world back then. Overall, I thought the movie was good and showed how far research and technology has come in helping individuals with this condition. Hawking was diagnosed with this condition in the 1960's. One thing I found interesting was in the movie the doctor and Stephen always referred to ALS as motor neuron disease and once as Lou Gehrig's disease but it was never referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Also, the movie did a good job showing the different signs and symptoms of the condition. For example, it showed him having problems with walking, hand weakness, and being clumsy in his distal extremities. He had a major fall that led to the diagnos...

I chose a TED talk given by Stephanie Buxhoeveden, a 25 year old nursing anesthetist student who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) during her time in school. I chose this ted talk because I thought it was interesting how someone who spent many months learning about conditions and how to become a healthcare provider at a hospital ended up becoming a patient there. She talks about how she doesn't fit the "face" of the condition, how it affected her life, and what life is like now. Stephanie began noticing numbness in her right foot while she was working out and soon after but chalked it up to a pinched nerve. The next time she noticed numbness was right before the first time she was to give anesthesia as a student. The numbness began in her legs, she had no feeling in her waist down, the feeling and movement in her right arm was gone, and her vision became extremely blurry. This was when she knew it was time to tell someone and to seek help. Later, she left th...

I chose to watch the TED talk titled, "What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's" given by Lisa Genova because this is a disease I have personally witnessed but never really understood or knew much about until starting occupational therapy school. My boyfriend's grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I remember they had an "out of order" sign on the microwave because he would try to use it but couldn't quite remember the purpose of a microwave or how to. Lisa Genova talks about the neuroscience behind Alzheimer's and how, without any medication or other treatment, we can possibly prevent the disease in our own bodies. Genova says neuroscientists believe that Alzheimer's begins because of the accumulation of amyloid beta in the synapses, which in turn bind together to become amyloid plaque, and eventually destroying the synapse. This accumulation can occur for 15-20 years before symptoms are present. With this information, Genova...

To restore a client's confidence in mobility it is important to educate the client on the steps it takes to reach that goal. As a therapist it is also important to talk with the client about their values, goals, and needs to adequately help the client. The hierarchy of mobility skills is as follows: bed mobility --> mat transfer --> wheelchair transfer --> bed transfer --> functional ambulation for ADL --> toilet and tub transfer --> car transfer --> functional ambulation for community mobility --> community mobility and driving. This order is what I expected because it begins with the most basic one to accomplish and understand and then it works it's way up. For example, the milestones for an infant isn't to walk right away instead it would be to grasp.  As a therapist it is important to keep in mind that a body is easier to move when: the center of gravity is moving and the base of support is small . You can think of the hierarchy of mobility as...

There are many reasons as to why it's important that a client's assistive device is individually and appropriately fitted for them. One of the reasons is to ensure the safety, stability, and mobility of the client. For example, in order for a client to have a standard walker they must have fair balance and somewhat good upper extremity strength in order to life the walker with each step. In addition, there must also be good cognition to know and understand when to lift the walker. Another important reason is to prevent injury to the client. For example, when appropriately fitting standard crutches to a client it is important to measure 5cm below the axilla region. Failure to do so will result in injury to the brachial plexus.  When choosing the appropriate cane  to a client you must first select which cane is most suitable for them. There are two types of canes - a standard cane (one point of contact) or a quad cane (four points of contact, additional stability). Then the h...

As defined in our notes posture is the relative alignment of body parts. The ideal posture alignment is when the center of gravity is centered over the base of support. It's important that the spine keeps its normal curves because it ensures that the weight is evenly distributed throughout the body. There are two lordotic curves, which are convex and there are two kyphotic curves, which are concave. The order of these curves is lordotic, kyphotic, lordotic, and kyphotic again. These curves provide mobility and stability of the spine and ensures the client to independently participate in ADLs and iADLs. Another reason why it is important to teach a client proper posture and body mechanics is because it minimizes the risk of injury and/or progressive deformity. For example, if a client has poor posture and develops excessive thoracic kyphosis, which in lay terms is, "hunchback" or a "rounded" back. With this, the order of the curves goes kyphotic and then lord...

In this story the wife only has a thumb and a finger on her hand. Luckily, she still has a thumb as that is very important, functionally, because of it's relationship to the other digits. Let's assume that the other finger she has left is her third metacarpal otherwise known as the middle finger. The loss of her second metacarpal also known as the index finger accounts for 20% of hand dysfunction and affects many occupations as stated in our notes. In other words, while she was losing fingers in the bets with her husband we can only imagine how hard it was to adapt and adjust in her daily life. An occupation that would be affected by the losses of her fingers would be getting dressed. This would be difficult for her because many clothes include zippers like the dress that was in the room when they walked in. When you zip up a dress, bottoms, or tops you use your thumb and index finger in a tip pinch (pulp to pulp, 2 jaw chuck, pencil grip, etc). Since she is missing her index...

There were so many great takeaway and points Professor Flick had in her presentation about health promotion and health literacy. One important takeaway I got from it was the importance of making sure your client is always aware of what is going on in the treatment sessions and with them. This is important because much of the general population can only read on a 5th grade level. When you clearly explain their diagnosis and how occupational therapy can help them it's providing them with a very client-centered approach and the most effective kind. To do this you can use layman's terms and double check for understanding. It's also important to not make your client feel bad about not knowing what something means. Many people get scared because they don't know how to ask, or what even to ask. As a future healthcare professional, it's our job to educate those people and provide assurance to the unknown.

According to the notes I took on the introduction to assistive technology prezi, assistive technology or A.T. is any piece of equipment, software program or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a person with a disability. There are three categories of assistive technology and they are: low-tech, medium-tech, and high-tech. Each category is based on the price, quality, and functionality of the specific device. For example, a switch would be considered a high tech device and an adapted spoon would be considered a low-tech advice. There are several different reasons why someone may get one type of AT device versus another kind. Such as the guest speaker at Thursday's lecture. She found the one she has worked best for her and has had the same type since she was very young but just updated versions of it. There is a decision-making process that is used when it is time to decide what is best for your client.  The three step process...

The scapulohumeral rhythm is clinically relevant for many reasons. The first reason being it allows a synchronized movement between the scapula and humerus to permit a good length-tension relationship. This is needed for efficient arm movement and helps to prevent active insufficiency. Another reason why this is clinically important to know and understand is because of how it helps to maintain the subacromial space, if it is not maintained then it will become impinged, and the client will experience quite a bit of pain and it can lead to other problems. For example, the ratio of this relationship is 2:1 (the humerus being 2 and scapula being 1) if the scapula doesn't move how it should then friction will occur in this space. When the relationship between the scapula and humerus is in it's most optimal position it allows for a larger and more efficient range of motion to occur. The primary scapula movements for shoulder elevation is an upward rotation, posterior tilt, and then...

I decided to listen to the podcast on OT and ADHD because I am interested in working in the pediatric field and ADHD is something that you always run into as an OT and with an added bonus it was a podcast starring our very own, Dr. Lancaster! While listening I learned why occupational therapists are always using the broken crayons when it comes to coloring or handwriting. During my time at Pediatrics Plus I noticed children using half the crayon but never really asked why but in the podcast I learned it's because it forces the child to use their fingers rather than their hands, which build and work on the fine motor skills and strength for the child. Another thing I found interesting/clicked with me is that we all have a type of sensory issues but the moment it becomes diagnosable and OT services are needed is when it interferes with everyday life occupations/activities. When it gets to this point, the role of the OT is to give the child resources and the tools to focus on learning...

Bony landmarks are an important part in ROM testing because it tells you where to place the goniometer in order to accurately test the range of motion for that area. By palpating for the bony landmarks and placing the goniometer in the correct position, the therapist is getting an accurate score therefore improving interrater and intrarater reliability. It is important to get this part right because if not the data becomes skewed and as a therapist you are unable to effectively work with the client.  The purpose of "test position" in manual muscle testing is to appropriately and accurately test the muscles and determine how to move forward in the therapy treatment plan. It's important for the muscles to be placed in their "optimal muscle contraction" which is mid position because it will give you the most accurate score. Also, it's important for the therapist to be mindful of where they are applying the resistance to accurately test it. You don't want ...

Every morning I sit and drink a cup of coffee to wake myself up and get ready for the day. My arm is already resting on the table so it is in extension. When I go to raise the cup to my mouth it is now in a flexed position. As I take a sip of the coffee my wrist is internally rotating. The motions of flexion and extension occur in the sagittal plane about a frontal axis. The motion of internal rotation occurs in the transverse plane about a vertical axis. The osteokinematics of this is an open kinematic chain because my trunk is stable but my distal ends (elbow and wrist) are moving. In terms of arthrokinematics, when I raise the cup to my mouth the radius is the convex segment which rolls posteriorly on the concave segment, which is the distal end of the humerus. The prime mover for elbow flexion is the biceps, which performs a concentric contraction.

I learned that therapeutic relationship is an essential part of being an effective occupational therapist. I already knew the certain characteristics that go into a successful therapeutic relationship such as - empathy and active listening but what I didn't realize was all the other factors that also go into it. The things you say and don't say and how you act are all also important factors. During my observations, internship, and work experience I was able to see a lot of good examples of therapeutic relationships. For example, in my internship the occupational therapist that I worked with did a good balance of not sharing too much of her personal life but just enough to make her clients feel comfortable working with her. To me, a therapeutic relationship is one of the most important things in OT because without one, it's hard to be an effective practitioner.