Level II Fieldwork

The goal of Level II fieldwork is to develop competent, entry-level, generalist occupational therapists (ACOTE, 2018, p. 41).

Level II fieldwork is designed to enrich academic coursework through in-depth experience in delivering OT services, applying purposeful and meaningful occupation and research, administration, and management of OT services (ACOTE, 2018).  Students will participate in 2, 12-week experiences occurring during Semester 6 and Semester 7 of the OTD curriculum.  Level II fieldwork placements are available within a 14-state region and based on students’ interest and site availability:

• UND Level II Program Objectives 
• Template for Site Specific Learning Objectives
• Template for Weekly Learning Activities

Weekly Meeting Review Form

• One of the hallmarks of the effective fieldwork educator is the ability to provide a supportive learning environment for students. Students value opportunities to regularly exchange information with their fieldwork educator. A regularly scheduled weekly meeting time to review expectations, clarify learning objectives and assignments is helpful to accomplish that exchange, especially in the busy fieldwork site environment.
• Weekly meetings can provide opportunity for regular feedback and reflection on the part of both the student and the fieldwork educator. Keep in mind, however, that the weekly meeting should not become a ‘once a week status report’ but should be coupled with ongoing exchange in an environment where questions are welcomed and structure is adjusted as needed to support individual learning needs (Richard, 2008).
• The format for the weekly supervision log can be simple, but should include the following elements:
  • Date of session
  • Summary of strengths and areas of need over the past week
  • Feedback relating to strengths and needs is supported by notation of specific events in which the behavior was evident.
  • Goals for upcoming week
  • Plan for accomplishing goals
  • Signature of supervisor and student
  • Date
  • It is also key that both student and fieldwork educator receive a copy of the meeting form for their own records.
• Weekly meetings might also include review of reflective journals or other notes kept by students to describe their learning experiences in view of targeted goals for a given week. The notes can serve as a record of student initiative for learning and help the student to focus efforts in preparation for supervisory sessions (Costa, 2007).
• If weekly summaries of strengths and weaknesses include attention to each of the broad categories of the fieldwork evaluation form, (fundamentals of practice, basic tenets, screening and evaluation, intervention, management of OT services, and communication and professional behaviors) the fieldwork educator and the student are both aware, throughout the fieldwork, of the progress made toward accomplishing learning objectives, thereby avoiding surprises at midterm or during the final evaluation. The weekly summaries also serve as a record of student strengths and learning needs and allow the supervisor to discern patterns of behavior in regard to both strengths and weaknesses. Occasionally, students who are experiencing difficulty may discount feedback provided or may not see the seriousness of ongoing need areas. Keeping a running document of feedback allows the student to discern patterns of behavior and thereby take responsibility for his or her own learning. In cases where student learning needs are not able to be resolved, the weekly meeting log serves as a record that due process was followed in regard to the student and the data will serve to limit fieldwork educator liability in the event of a grievance or legal situation.

References

• Costa, D. (2007). Clinical supervision in occupational therapy: A guide for fieldwork and practice. Bethesda, M.D.: American Occupational Therapy Association.
• Richard, L. (2008). Exploring connections between theory and practice: Stories from fieldwork supervisors. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 24, 154 – 175.
• Weekly Meeting Review Form
• Student Evaluation of Fieldwork Experience (SEFWE) 
• AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) for the OT Student 
• AOTA Fieldwork performance Evaluation (FWPE) Rating Scoring Guide