Skip to main content

Post SIM Reflection

Overall, I think the SIM encounter went well. I still have areas to grow in, but I am improving each time we do this. This experience required us to explain many things in a short amount of time, which other SIMs have not required. I felt like I was talking really fast during the encounter. When I went back and watched the video, I was talking at a normal speed and didn't appear as nervous as I felt. This is something I need to be aware of in future practice because I do not want to show that I am nervous to a parent or child. 
If I was given the opportunity for a do-over in this SIM lab, I would have checked for understanding in a different way. Instead of asking multiple times if the parent understood what I was explaining, I would also be sure to ask if there is anything in their life and schedule currently that would meet Libby’s need that we were addressing. This would allow the parent to think about their schedule while keeping the examples I provided in mind. 
An attitude of caring can be communicated to a parent by incorporating their child’s interests when matching their needs. For example, in the sensory schedule, I should have incorporated Libby’s interests in arts and crafts. This would allow the parent to see that I care and Libby is an individual person. Another way to communicate that I care as an OT student is by asking if the examples in the sensory schedule could fit into their current schedule. I did this by asking if the mother would be okay listening to loud music on the way to school instead of telling her to do it. It is a team approach and as future OTs, we need to be aware of how to provide opportunities for the client and parent to be most successful. 
I will be more aware of my language in the future and remember to refer to the child or client by name, instead of by “bystander” in this case. I didn’t call Libby by name as many times as I should have, and I think this could have increased the mother’s trust and confidence in me in a short meeting time.

Comments


Logan and I on our first day of OT school.

Popular posts from this blog

Assistive Devices

When deciding what assistive device is best for each client, there are many factors that need to be considered in order to have the best "fit." It is important to consider the physical condition of the client, including their disability, weight bearing status, strength, and balance. For example, if the client is not allowed to put any weight through one leg, you would not want to suggest they receive a cane.  Additionally, it is important to fit the assistive device to your client to ensure safety and proper body mechanics. If the client's crutches are too short and not adjusted to match their landmarks we use to fit, then they will likely have poor body mechanics.  If these factors are not considered, it can be detrimental to your client and cause an increase in risk for falls or further injury. To properly fit a cane or rolling walker to your client, the hand grip should be at the level of their greater trochanter to allow their elbow to be flexed 20-30 de...

Media Project

The most significant thing I learned from this assignment is the importance of taking the client’s values into consideration when providing therapy services. If the client does not feel like the intervention is meaningful to them, they will not be invested in it. I learned that it can sometimes be difficult to find something that relates to a client’s needs. It may require extra hours, consulting other therapists, thinking outside the box, and adapting an item to best fit each individual client. You may have to try something new with a client, because they have different values and needs than previous clients.  This assignment prepared me to think outside the box. Additionally, it allowed me to look at the whole client and what are their most important needs. For Maurice, he was afraid of becoming bored and lonely. I wanted to create something that was portable and could be kept with him at all times to prevent the feelings he was scared of. The Legen-Dairy Notebook incorp...

Body Mechanics

It is very important to teach proper body mechanics and posture to our clients to prevent injuries. If a person does not have good posture or body mechanics, it can be harmful to their body and cause future injuries. The human spine is designed to be flexible, but also needs to stay in alignment.  For people who perform repetitive motions on a daily basis, we must see how they perform the task and determine if there would be a more efficient and optimal way for their body to move. For a person with exaggerated spinal curves, muscles on one side would be stretched and weakened, while the muscles on the opposite side would be shortened and tightened. For a person who stays in a flexed  position of their  spine will cause the intervertebral  dies material to glide backwards, possibly causing a herniation. Posterior herniations are most common because humans generally flex their spine repetitively. It is good to teach a proper lifting techniques and to keep a ...

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Translate