Introduction
Occupational therapy (OT) is applied to care for individuals of all ages to help them control or regain independence over problems that affect their cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities. Practicing or becoming a certified occupational therapist entails gaining experience that creates competence in an occupational therapy student. Gibbs’s reflective cycle and Borton’s model of reflection are effective means to give a recap of what I learned throughout my clinical placement. Therefore, the reflection will also include the analysis of the experience with supplementing research literature.
LO1 Standards of Personal and Professional Conduct Consistent with RCOT
To assess the lives of the children visited, the Gibbs model must be used. This cycle differs from other strategies primarily because it allows reflecting on the experience gained and the errors or advantages that have arisen (Lia, 2020). Thus, the integration of the model about the stage of description begins, where we need to find out what happened and how it happened. Finally, as an occupational therapist, I am encouraged to keep myself updated on relevant practices.
In the field, it is recommended that I, as an occupational therapist, take responsibility for my behavior and conduct, this applies in various settings, such as when using digital platforms. At this stage, as a specialist, I found what contributed to or hindered the fulfillment of the goal in terms of my emotions and state (Gray, 2021). The next stage follows an objective assessment of the entire process (Bale, 2020). During my employment, I learned that respecting their decisions and maintaining proper boundaries are essential to working well with my colleagues. Working with my colleague on past projects has been impressive. Everyone contributes, and we learn from each other. When it comes to other visitors and people from other areas, OTs have always conducted their activities with a profession without interfering or crossing borders.
Then sequentially come the stages of analysis and conclusion, which finally form the opinion and assessment of the whole process. This characteristic makes the Gibbs model unique and effective insofar as it allows one to foresee potential problems in the future (Bale, 2020). This stage predetermines the advantages that will be strengthened and transformed with the next experience and new alternatives to weaknesses found. As a therapist, I must always act in the client’s best interests, which is one of the correct ways to maintain professional boundaries (Lochtie et al., 2018). Maintaining professional boundaries means the relationship should be therapeutic, not familial or friendly.
During my last therapeutic practice, before beginning the process, I had to ensure that there were safety means for the pupils. Furthermore, I had to complete my medical kit with the necessary medications (Systermans & Stokes, 2019). After offering therapeutic services to pupils with various needs, I ensured that my services optimized their health, safety, welfare, and well-being.
Practice Learning Document (PLD) steers OTs students to work toward the goal of gaining practical knowledge and in-depth experience on what has theoretically been done in class. PLD is comprehensive and ensures that the most critical skills in the field of occupational therapy are tested in a profitable way possible. My placement was educative, the practice facilitated by supervision added substantial clinical reasoning and skills, and I have an elevated level of competence. After every practice I conducted in the field, I reviewed, recorded, and came up with good means of approaching and handling each scenario among my clients.
Lo2 Effective communication: Borton’s model of reflection
Effective communication played an important role during my placement, especially when communicating with the pupils/clients and when communicating with guardians. In the plan, I was to include information on the families of disabled individuals from the schools, caregivers, and various professionals, which required mutual agreement among the parties involved (Delves-Yates, 2021). The language was a critical tool in this process, and proper utilization would lead to the success of the process (Moutrey, 2020). To the caregivers, families, and disabled pupils, I had to adopt a less technical form of language. Sometimes, I needed translation into a local language that could be understood by any individuals with a low level of education (Budd, 2020). I used various gestures to create a mutual understanding during the assessment. I engaged various individuals of various professions and was able to get proper feedback from them because of communicating effectively with them.
Ultimately, I felt inspired because I had to learn that the specialization requires various skills besides professional knowledge. Communication with patients is crucial for successful treatment and implies conducting research through interactions with family members and individuals (Gray, 2021). With the proper expertise in my field of study and, at the same time, proper knowledge of my study subjects, I could give the required approach (Bottomley, Cartney, and Pryjmachuk, 2019). However, the experience made me exhausted in the end because I had to listen actively and, at the same time, use my emotional intelligence to help me understand the situation. Moreover, with those pupils who have problems speaking, for instance, the autistic individuals and those who stutter, in several instances of sad scenarios, I had to be empathetic to get involved.
For a proper Person Environment-Occupation Performance (PEOP) model and general long-term success, we had to work as a team with other individuals, such as the drivers. Working collaboratively enables proper time utilization, optimizing the health services, and strengthening the health system, our clients were also satisfied with the improved health outcome (Doherty, 2020). Additionally, according to my experience, during the placement period, I felt more satisfied working collaboratively in teams than when alone.
When on the fieldwork, I preferred four types of clear communication means face-to-face communication, emails, letters, and telephone calls. Each usage depended on the agency and the individuals to be addressed. The usage of letters and emails was recommended when making official requests from organizations (Rolfe & Freshwater, 2020). During the placement, before making visits to schools as OTs, we had to make official requests through letters and emails. We used telephone calls amongst team members and when seeking fast or urgent answers or clarification.
In occupational therapy, records have to be legible and follow a set of legal protocols by the local guidelines. Some of the records that applied to the region where I was placed include: health history, the pupil was born having cerebral palsy and is always flipping their head down on a wheelchair. Occupational therapists should seek consent before conducting any therapy on the pupils. Confidentiality is key, no occupational therapist is allowed to publish the personal details of the pupils/clients.
LO6 Application of the underpinning theoretical and the philosophical concepts
During my assessment, some of the theoretical models that played significant functions were the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E), Dunn’s Model of Sensory Processing, The Model of Human Occupations (MOHO), and the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model (PEOP Model). The models were important and contributed to successful field study throughout the practicum. For instance (CMOP-E) was applied across all ages to determine the engagement and functionality of the clients. I could ascertain how the pupil was motivated in various meaningful occupations. In addition, Dunn’s Model of Sensory Processing was significant in determining the client’s awareness and responses to several sensory events.
Science has brought several breakthroughs that have become of great importance to various disabled individuals to the extent that they can carry out various functions as normal people do. A good instance is the invention of various bionics for individuals who have lost their hands or legs in accidents. The bionics have enabled locomotion and functionalities similar to the body parts initially in the places. Another example is the introduction of the white cane that applies to the blind to prevent them from tripping on various hazards such as poles.
Conclusion
Based on the foregoing, it must be emphasized that the Gibbs and Borton models are among the most effective tools in the field of experience assessment. Since I was doing an internship and gaining knowledge in the field of occupational therapy, it was vital for me to fairly and accurately evaluate my experience. Both of the above strategies have been most successful in this task.
Reference List
Bale, R. (2020) Teaching with confidence in higher education. Applying strategies from the performing arts. Taylor & Francis.
Bottomley, J., Cartney, P., & Pryjmachuk, S. (2019) Critical thinking skills for your social work degree. Critical Publishing.
Budd, D. (2020) Reflective practice in child and youth care. Canadian Scholars.
Doherty, R.F. (2020) Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Gray, D. E. (2021) Doing research in the real world. SAGE Publications.
Lia, P. (2020) Simplify your study. Effective strategies for coursework and exams. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Lochtie, D., McIntosh, E., Stork, A., & Walker, B. W. (2018) Effective personal tutoring in higher education. Critical Publishing.
Moutrey, S. (2020) The healthcare students academic companion. McGraw-Hill Education.
Rolfe, G. & Freshwater, D. (2020) Critical reflection in practice. Generating knowledge for care. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Systermans, B., & Stokes, S. (2019) ‘What to expect working as a doctor at a high-altitude aid post’, High Altitude Medicine & Biology, 20(4), pp. 325-330.