Saturday, August 24, 2013

Lesson #12: "Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become"

Today I read this great comic made by "Zen Pencils" inspired  from Canadian astronaut Christ Hadfield's quote (http://zenpencils.com/comic/106-chris-hadfield-an-astronauts-advice/), and it was just what I needed.

These first two weeks of fieldwork have not been any easy. The work is physically and mentally exhausting. Many times I have felt like I have no idea what I'm doing or like the School didn't prepare me for this as I thought it would. I even felt like I gave up trying to do my best, and just started to be mediocre.  So, after seeing this quote, specially the part that said: "Look at who you want to be, and start sculpting yourself into that person.... Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become", I felt really inspired. It made me decide that I can't let the system make me become the kind professional that I have always disliked. I have to start sculpting myself into the kind of Occupational Therapist that I've always wanted to become.

 So today I started looking up more treatment ideas, and made little treatment plans for each of my patients next week (even though things can change depending of their health status). I think this would help me show more confidence in what I'm doing, and have the patients get the most out of the therapy sessions.


Wish me luck!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

First day of Level II Clinical Practice!

Today I started my Level II clinical practice in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. They gave me a lot of binders with policies and regulations to read and a 38 page manual about the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The Rehab Director told me: sit there, read the information about the FIM, and when you finish come to me to give you a test. I was like: What?...haha. Anyway it took me all morning and part of the afternoon to read the manual and then the rest of the afternoon to finish the test (while reading, one of the patients in a room nearby was screaming obscenities in a very funny way, which made it harder for me to concentrate). She told me I needed an 80% to pass, so I was nervous. The test was super difficult, it was a complicated clinical case in which I had to administer scores in every area of the FIM. I thought I wouldn't pass. After the director scored my test, she congratulated me and told me that I was the first student to pass the test with such a high score!!! I took this as a reminder that God is with me in every important step of my life!


Feeling blessed,


Luna