Navigating occupational therapy school and fieldwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adler, Nicole and Gomez, Megan and Nguyen, Kelly (2022) Navigating occupational therapy school and fieldwork during the COVID-19 pandemic. Masters thesis, Stanbridge University.

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Abstract

This thesis project aims to gain insight into occupational therapy (OT) graduate students’ simulated fieldwork experiences during the COVID- pandemic. As student researchers, we wanted to learn about the potential challenges, benefits, and overall experiences students had when discussing virtual fieldwork. The participants of this study include current or previous occupational therapy graduate students at the researchers' university, Stanbridge University, enrolled in an OT program between 2020-2022, with at least one level of fieldwork conducted online. To answer our research question, we collected qualitative data through both an online survey and individual interviews via Zoom, phone calls, or in-person. Eleven participants completed the survey portion of this study, and eight interviews were conducted. Our results established several comparable themes assembled from data collection, as many participants discussed economic, social, and psychological challenges that accompanied virtual fieldwork, as well as levels of preparedness, satisfaction, and support. Of these themes, social and psychological challenges were found to be the most common amongst the participants in our study. Many reported feeling stressed and anxious due to the heavy workload, lack of immediate feedback, and feeling unprepared to apply their learning in a clinical setting. To address these concerns, future research is needed to explore the recommendations of the participants, such as implementing increased interactions with live clients and increased feedback from instructors. In doing so, we believe there is a potential for successful virtual fieldwork experiences amongst future OT graduate students. Keywords: simulated fieldwork, virtual fieldwork, occupational therapy, COVID-19

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Uncontrolled Keywords: MSOTOC011.08
Subjects: R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Depositing User: Kareena Yashko
Date Deposited: 22 May 2024 19:24
Last Modified: 22 May 2024 19:24
URI: http://repository.stanbridge.edu/id/eprint/146

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