Document Type (Journals)
Educational Innovations
Abstract
The current study evaluated the effect of an eight-day elective course on preparedness for the acute care setting. The course was offered to Master of Science in occupational therapy students before their second Level II fieldwork experience and focused on developing necessary skills for success in acute care. Course content was based on feedback from previous students, fieldwork educators in acute care, and faculty experiences in that setting. Specifically, the course combined case-based and skills-based simulations to help students develop skills and to build confidence. Small group activities involving role-playing communication scenarios were also included, where students played the role of other members of the healthcare team, patients, or families and caregivers. This intensive eight-day elective was offered in summer 2023, and 12 students participated. Students rated their confidence with six skills in a classroom/lab setting and in a supervised clinical setting before and after the course using an anonymous electronic survey. Each survey also included qualitative questions to evaluate student perceptions of the course. Rated scores of the six skills improved significantly for 11 of the 12 questions after the course (p < .05). Qualitative responses supported those results. Overall, results of the current study suggested students had increased confidence in a range of skills after the eight-day acute care elective course. Students also indicated that the skills assessed during the course were perceived to be necessary for success in acute care fieldwork.
Biography
Abbey Glenn, OTD, OTR/L, BCG, ECHM is an assistant professor & doctoral capstone coordinator in the OT department at A.T. Still University in AZ as well as a board member of ArizOTA. She’s practiced OT for 19 years focusing on neurological disorders in acute care & inpatient rehabilitation and recently obtained her board certification in gerontology. She teaches courses related to capstone, maximizing aging in older adults, & activity analysis.
Brandi Fulwider, PhD, OTR/L is an assistant professor at A.T. Still University. She has a PhD in occupational therapy and over 17 years of practice experience in the acute care and inpatient rehabilitation settings across multiple states. Her primary research interests relate to the occupation of sleep and interprofessional education experiences.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Glenn, A., & Fulwider, B. (2025). Effect of an Elective on Preparation for Fieldwork in an Acute Care Setting. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 9 (2). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol9/iss2/13
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