Abstract
The profession of occupational therapy is facing, and will continue to face, shortages among level II fieldwork sites. Traditionally, a level II fieldwork placement is a 12-week, full-time experience, with a 1:1 student: supervisor ratio in a typical healthcare or school setting (1). The shortage of placements is occurring because there is of a shortage of fieldwork educators, an increased demand for occupational therapy (OT) services, and an increasing number of students entering OT programs. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has shared ways for fieldwork coordinators to combat placements shortages. Suggestions included one supervisor for multiple students, developing a fieldwork program in a role emerging practice (REP) area, having a part time supervisor, and implementing flexible scheduling with adapted timeframes (2). Fieldwork coordinators are establishing fieldwork programs in REP areas. Benefits of a non-traditional setting or REP include fieldwork educators are only required to be onsite 8 hours per week compared to a traditional full time setting. Additionally, students have an opportunity to work with an underserved population and in return, that population will receive OT services (3).
Purpose:
To develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a level II occupational therapy fieldwork program in a role-emerging practice area.
Graduation Date
2022
Document Type
Poster
Recommended Citation
Schaper, Leila C. OTS; Swanberg, Jennifer Ph.D., MMHS, OTR/L; and Swift, Sharon OTR/L, ATP, E.D., "Development of Site-Specific Programming and Policies to Support Level II Fieldwork in a Role-Emerging Practice Area" (2022). Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones. 6.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/otd_capstone/6
