Occupational Therapy Student Characteristics Influencing Level II Fieldwork: An Exploratory Study of Mental Health, Confidence, and Mindful Self-Care

Jessie L. Bricker, Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisFollow
Kaitlin HillFollow
Steven D. Taff, Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisFollow

Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

Level II fieldwork serves as a critical component of occupational therapy (OT) student education during which students develop and refine skills to become practicing clinicians; however, research on student characteristics that influence the fieldwork experience is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore student mental health, confidence, and mindful self-care practices throughout Level II fieldwork. Ten OT students completing Level II fieldwork participated in this study by completing surveys during the first week, midpoint, and final two weeks of their second Level II fieldwork experience. Each survey contained Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Student Confidence Questionnaire, and the Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS)-SHORT to investigate student stress, confidence, and self-care respectively. Kruskal-Wallis H tests revealed that stress was highest during the first two weeks of fieldwork, confidence increased significantly from the beginning to the end of fieldwork, and self-care practices remained stable over time. Additionally, correlation analyses revealed a positive relationship between confidence and self-care (r_s = 0.78, p < 0.01), a negative relationship between stress and confidence (r_s = -0.78, p < 0.01), and a negative relationship between self-care and stress (r_s = -0.69, p = 0.03). These results have implications for OT students, educators, and fieldwork supervisors as stress reduction techniques and confidence building may be beneficial for student outcomes before and during Level II fieldwork to maximize success through this transitional period from student to clinician.

Biography

Jessie L. Bricker, OTD, OTR/L is Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Medicine and serves as Academic Fieldwork and Capstone Coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Her scholarly interests include experiential learning, professional identity development, and young adult transitions.

Kaitlin Hill, MS, OTR/L is a graduate of the occupational therapy program at Washington University in St. Louis and was a student at the time of this study. She has experience working in nonprofit outpatient pediatrics and is currently practicing inpatient rehab on a spinal cord injury team.

Steven D. Taff, PhD, OTR/L, FNAP, FAOTA is Professor of Occupational Therapy and Medicine and Director of the Teaching Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. His scholarly interests include building and evaluating inclusive learning environments, curriculum design, critical learning theory, and applied educational philosophy.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Recommended Citation

Bricker, J. L., Hill, K., & Taff, S. D. (2024). Occupational Therapy Student Characteristics Influencing Level II Fieldwork: An Exploratory Study of Mental Health, Confidence, and Mindful Self-Care. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 8 (3). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol8/iss3/10