OTHA 2267 - Practicum Il (8 Weeks)

State Approval Code
51.0803
Alternate Operations During Campus Closure

In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic, it may be necessary for Panola College to move to altered operations. During this time, Panola College may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management system (CANVAS), online conferencing, email messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Panola College's website (www.panola.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely, CANVAS for each class for course-specific communication, and Panola College email for important general information.

Class Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance of classes and laboratories is required of all students. When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities, he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up for the missed work. If a student has not actively participated by the census date, they will be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. This policy applies to courses that are in-person, online, hybrid, and hyflex.

Attendance in online courses is determined by submission of an assignment or participation in an activity. According to federal guidelines, simply logging into a distance learning course without participating in an academic assignment does not constitute attendance. Distance learning is defined as when a majority (more than 50%) of instruction occurs when the instructor and students are in separate physical locations. Students must engage in an academic activity prior to the course census date. 

When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the Vice President of Instruction that the student be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may seek to withdraw students for non-attendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences: 

Fall or spring semesters: 

3 or more class meeting times per week - 5 absences

2 class meeting times per week - 3 absences

1 class meeting per week -  2 absences

The student is responsible for seeing that he or she has been officially withdrawn from a class. A student who stops attendance in a class without officially withdrawing from that class will be given a failing grade; consequently, the student must follow official withdrawal procedures in the Admissions/Records Office.

Please note: Health Science and Cosmetology courses may require more stringent attendance policies based on their accreditation agencies. Please see the addendum and/or program handbook for further information concerning attendance.  

Pregnant/Parenting Policy

Panola College welcomes pregnant and parenting students as a part of the student body. This institution is committed to providing support and adaptations for a successful educational experience for pregnant and parenting students. Students experiencing a need for accommodations related to pregnancy or parenting will find a Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations Request form in the Student Handbook or may request the form from the course instructor.

Instructional Goals and Purposes

This course is the second of two capstone experiences for the student to demonstrate knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the occupational therapy process while under the guided supervision of an occupational therapy practitioner.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Apply the theory, concepts, and skills involving specialized materials, tools, equipment have procedures, regulations, laws, and interactions within and among political, economic have environmental, social, and legal systems associated with the role of the occupational therapy assistant within the business/industry.
  2. Demonstrate professionalism at all times with a focus on legal and ethical behavior, safety practices, interpersonal and teamwork skills.
  3. Demonstrate professional and appropriate written and verbal communication skills using the terminology of the occupation and the business/industry.
Specific Course Objectives (includes SCANS)

After participating in the Practicum experience as associated online assignment submissions, the student should be able to master all learning objectives below with a minimum competency of 75%.

  1. The student will develop entry-level competencies for the Level II fieldwork by the end of the experience (entry-level competence is defined as achieving the minimum passing score or above on the AOTA Level II Fieldwork Evaluation (91 points).
  2. The student will assume a full client caseload, as defined by the fieldwork site, by the end of the experience.
  3. The student will submit correct and complete documentation in a timely manner, according to the policies and procedures of the fieldwork site.
  4. The student will consistently report to the fieldwork site on time.
  5. The student will attend all meetings as directed by the supervisor.
  6. The student will follow all policies and procedures as directed by the fieldwork site and Panola College OTA Program.
  7. The student will take initiative to explore new learning opportunities to support professional skill development.
  8. The student will actively participate in the supervisory process
  9. The student will utilize available resources when planning and performing assigned duties. These resources include but are not limited to other personnel at the fieldwork site, reference material have and experts outside of those available at the fieldwork site.
  10. The student will plan and implement treatment/intervention plans that are meaningful have person-centered, and address the needs of the whole person, including psychosocial needs.
  11. The student will be familiar with and utilize treatment/intervention approaches that demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the various frames of reference in Occupational Therapy practice.
  12. The student will demonstrate professional behaviors as indicated on the AOTA FWPE the minimum passing score of at least a “3” on items # 1 (Adheres to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Code of Ethics and all federal, state, and facility regulations), # 2 (Adheres to safety regulations and reports/documents incidents appropriately), and # 3 (Ensures the safety of self and others during all fieldwork related activities by anticipating potentially unsafe situations and taking steps to prevent accidents).

Note: Additional student learning objectives may be developed in collaboration with the fieldwork educator that are specific to the work setting and services provided by the facility/site.

SCANS SCANS
Basic Skill Competencies Workplace Competencies
A. i, ii, iv, v A. i, iii, iv
B. i, ii, iii, iv, v B. i, ii, iii
C. i, ii, iii, iv, v C. i, ii, iii, iv
  D. i
Course Content

A general description of topics included in this course are listed in the Learning Outcomes / Specific Course Objectives sections of this syllabus.

Students in all sections of this course will be required to do the following:

  1. When interacting with peers, agency staff, and fieldwork educators, students are expected to be respectful, positive, sensitive, considerate, polite, and tolerant.
  2. Students are expected to accept constructive feedback and modify behavior as requested
  3. Course instructors and FWEs.
  4. Students are expected to follow the Attendance Policy as listed below:
    1. Attendance Policy:
      1. Given the nature of this course, if students are absent, a specific make up plan must be created at the discretion of the fieldwork educator and course instructor in order to obtain the minimum required 320 hours. Should a student need to schedule an elective absence or tardy, the student MUST submit a written request to the course instructor and obtain prior approval before any elective changes are made to the FW rotation schedule. Any student failing to follow this protocol will lose 10 points off the overall grade, and a Disciplinary Strike will be acquired.
      2. In the event that a student has an unscheduled absence or arrives late or leaves early, the student MUST notify both the fieldwork educator and the OTA office secretary before the designated work shift. Any student failing to adhere to this requirement will lose 5 points from his/her overall COURSE grade per event, and a Disciplinary Strike will be acquired. For example, if you have a 75% average at the end of the semester and fail to report one absence, your average will be adjusted to 70%, resulting in the course's failure. Please follow the attendance policy. It’s very simple and professional to call if you are going to miss any portion of your assigned day. Speak directly to your FWE if at all possible. If necessary, leave a voice message. Texting and email do not fulfill the attendance policy. For additional specific attendance requirements, refer to the current Panola College Pathfinder and the OTA Student Manual.
      3. Unless unforeseen circumstances exist, recurrent tardiness or absences from fieldwork are not permitted. If a student is tardy or absent more than once, an action plan must be created as a performance improvement measure with the fieldwork educator and course instructor. If an additional tardy or absence occurs after the action plan is in place, it will result in a “strike” (see Disciplinary Action section).
Methods of Instruction/Course Format/Delivery

Students will complete an eight (8) week, full-time Level II fieldwork (Practicum) experience with full-time hours based on the fieldwork site’s usual and customary personnel policies. A minimum of 320 documented educational hours under the supervision of a qualified fieldwork educator are required. Educational hours can be obtained through direct patient care service, patient chart reviews, projects have research, and other educational experiences determined by the fieldwork educator.

Course Grade

The Fieldwork Educator will use the new online AOTA grading form for the student's midterm and final score. All items must be scored to receive a “Pass” on the FWPE. A sum score of 91 or higher will be required to receive a Pass on the FWPE. Additionally, the student must receive a score of 3 or higher on items # 1 (Adheres to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Code of Ethics and all federal have state, and facility regulations), # 2 (Adheres to safety regulations and reports/documents incidents appropriately), and # 3 (Ensures the safety of self and others during all fieldwork related activities by anticipating potentially unsafe situations and taking steps to prevent accidents) to receive a Pass on the FWPE. Scores of 1 on any of the items are not allowed to receive a Pass on the FWPE. The Formstack forms software will be used to submit the FWPE and Student Evaluation of FW Experience responses.

Other
SCANS Criteria
  1. Foundation skills are defined in three areas: basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities.
    1. Basic Skills: A worker must read, write, perform arithmetic and mathematical operations, listen, and speak effectively. These skills include:
      1. Reading: locate, understand, and interpret written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules.
      2. Writing: communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing, and create documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, and flow charts. 
      3. Arithmetic and Mathematical Operations: perform basic computations and approach practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques.
      4. Listening: receive, attend to, interpret, and respond to verbal messages and other cues.
      5. Speaking: Organize ideas and communicate orally.
    2. Thinking Skills: A worker must think creatively, make decisions, solve problems, visualize, know how to learn, and reason effectively. These skills include:
      1. Creative Thinking: generate new ideas.
      2. Decision Making: specify goals and constraints, generate alternatives, consider risks, and evaluate and choose the best alternative.
      3. Problem Solving: recognize problems and devise and implement plan of action.
      4. Visualize ("Seeing Things in the Mind's Eye"): organize and process symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information.
      5. Knowing How to Learn: use efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills.
      6. Reasoning: discover a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and apply it when solving a problem.
    3. Personal Qualities: A worker must display responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self management, integrity, and honesty.
      1. Responsibility: exert a high level of effort and persevere toward goal attainment.
      2. Self-Esteem: believe in one's own self-worth and maintain a positive view of oneself.
      3. Sociability: demonstrate understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings.
      4. Self-Management: assess oneself accurately, set personal goals, monitor progress, and exhibit self-control.
      5. Integrity and Honesty: choose ethical courses of action.
  2. Workplace competencies are defined in five areas: resources, interpersonal skills, information, systems, and technology.
    1. Resources: A worker must identify, organize, plan, and allocate resources effectively.
      1. Time: select goal-relevant activities, rank them, allocate time, and prepare and follow schedules.
      2. Money: Use or prepare budgets, make forecasts, keep records, and make adjustments to meet objectives.
      3. Material and Facilities: Acquire, store, allocate, and use materials or space efficiently. Examples: construct a decision timeline chart; use computer software to plan a project; prepare a budget; conduct a cost/benefits analysis; design an RFP process; write a job description; develop a staffing plan.
    2. Interpersonal Skills: A worker must work with others effectively.
      1. Participate as a Member of a Team: contribute to group effort.
      2. Teach Others New Skills.
      3. Serve Clients/Customers: work to satisfy customer's expectations.
      4. Exercise Leadership: communicate ideas to justify position, persuade and convince others, responsibly challenge existing procedures and policies.
      5. Negotiate: work toward agreements involving exchange of resources, resolve divergent interests.
      6. Work with Diversity: work well with men and women from diverse backgrounds. Examples: collaborate with a group member to solve a problem; work through a group conflict situation, train a colleague; deal with a dissatisfied customer in person; select and use appropriate leadership styles; use effective delegation techniques; conduct an individual or team negotiation; demonstrate an understanding of how people from different cultural backgrounds might behave in various situations.
    3. Information: A worker must be able to acquire and use information.
      1. Acquire and Evaluate Information.
      2. Organize and Maintain Information.
      3. Interpret and Communicate Information.
      4. Use Computers to Process Information. Examples: research and collect data from various sources; develop a form to collect data; develop an inventory record-keeping system; produce a report using graphics; make an oral presentation using various media; use on-line computer databases to research a report; use a computer spreadsheet to develop a budget.
    4. Systems: A worker must understand complex interrelationships.
      1. Understand Systems: know how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operate effectively with them.
      2. Monitor and Correct Performance: distinguish trends, predict impacts on system operations, diagnose deviations in systems' performance and correct malfunctions.
      3. Improve or Design Systems: suggest modifications to existing systems and develop new or alternative systems to improve performance. Examples: draw and interpret an organizational chart; develop a monitoring process; choose a situation needing improvement, break it down, examine it, propose an improvement, and implement it.
    5. Technology: A worker must be able to work with a variety of technologies.
      1. Select Technology: choose procedures, tools or equipment including computers and related technologies.
      2. Apply Technologies to Task: understand overall intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment.
      3. Maintain and Troubleshoot Equipment: Prevent, identify, or solve problems with equipment, including computers and other technologies. Examples: read equipment descriptions and technical specifications to select equipment to meet needs; set up and assemble appropriate equipment from instructions; read and follow directions for troubleshooting and repairing equipment.