Other OT-Related Information volunteering tasks

[yearoftheami]

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Just a quick question and clarification pertaining observation/volunteer hours. I know a lot of you have over 100 hours in different settings, and I wanted some opinions or feedback. This past week was my first time getting to "volunteer " at the OT department at the local mainstream hospital. As I've asked various professionals if they allow individual shadowing/observation opportunities, the answer has been a solid no. I dont want to get in the way or seem like another task or burden to some of the therapists, but what am I supposed to be doing? I feel grateful for even getting my foot in the door, however, is it enough for me to just be making copies or folding laundry for patients? I dont know what I was really expecting, but Id like to hear what you all did during your hours.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[c2902]

My observation experiences were exactly that - following around an OT and observing them while they treated patients. As a career observer, you generally are not allowed to do much of anything. You cannot touch the patients directly, help transfer or anything like that, but things that most facilities will allow are things like holding a door open, following behind with a chair, fetching linens at the OT's request, etc. Observations for school application should generally not mean you are stuck in an office making copies; you should be following the OT and seeing what they are doing, getting a chance to ask them questions, etc. A lot of patients will talk to you, if they are able, which is always a good way to show you can establish rapport with clients.

Many facilities do not see volunteers as the same thing as career observers; so people who are there to volunteer may not get to do much, if any, real interaction or shadowing with the OTs. One of the hospitals I called wanted me to do 100 hours of volunteering before they would allow me to shadow. In the interest of time (and because I already had a solid volunteering commitment), I couldn't do that, but many other places were happy to offer me some observation hours, even if it was only a day or two, due to high demand.

I would continue to call around to different settings to see if you can get someone to let you in to actually observe - check out skilled nursing facilities, pediatric clinics, any long-term rehab facilities in your area, etc. It looks good on your application to diversify your observation experiences anyway. The hospitals can be a bit of a tough nut to crack without being so persistent you bug them. However, I managed to get into one of the major hospitals in my area, which is a Level One trauma center, after calling and emailing until I wore them down - once I got in, they were very nice to me and it was a great experience!

 

[BrOT15]

It was still your first day and it sounds 100% like how my first day went. When you're not doing any task that was given to you (like making copies) just politely ask the OT, "May I observe?" and they will ask the patient for permission. Do not be offended if they say no but I've never heard anyone been denied. The OT might ask you to get some supplies for them, set up and clean up, fill out forms, help record measurements, and they'll explain the treatment to you. There's a law or something that requires 3 staff (including you) in a room while they're giving treatment. Also you may be there to hold a wheelchair so it doesn't drag away since they're not 100% stable, this is the closest thing to a transfer you're allowed to do. I play games with patients like chess or dominoes so the therapist gets a good evaluation or they might even be supporting someone with no balance.

** If you fluently speak a 2nd language, ask the supervisor to get you a form so you can translate for them. That's a huge plus at a hospital.

 

[gottabeOT]

I agree with c2902's advice about getting into contact with more private groups, as getting in to volunteer at a hospital is often very difficult. For two of my volunteer/intern positions, I've been in OUTPATIENT hospital settings, which were a hell of a lot easier to get into than positions in the actual hospital setting. And most hospitals have outpatient rehab clinics, so perhaps try that route.

I will also echo the advice of others in saying that you want to be as willing and helpful as possible while volunteering. Meeting the needs of the therapists, even if it's not for particularly glamorous jobs (like copying or picking up linens), is a great way to build rapport and make yourself useful. Both of these things will contribute to your getting a positive recommendation letter in the future.

Finally, I would suggest that you never stop asking questions! If you are taking pre-req's for OT schools, use your critical thinking skills to make connections between what you're learning in the classroom and what the therapists are doing in the clinic and ask questions about these connections. Ask about their background, training and skill set. Ask about the logic behind a particular treatment. Ask about their professional involvement in OT associations or groups. Ask, ask, ask! People love to demonstrate their knowledge of topics they know well and especially those they are passionate about. Of course, don't badger the people to death with questions, but asking lots of relevant questions shows that you are interested and want to learn.

 

[ExceptionalSea]

i may have lucked out and gotten a really great OT supervising my volunteer experience, but i was still able to observe a lot of the OT sessions while i was volunteering (i also was lucky enough to volunteer at one of the main city hospitals). other than that i helped stock and clean equipment, made copies, and also helped the techs with whatever they needed, but that still left me a lot of time to observe the actual OT sessions.

i agree with others. if you don't have any tasks to complete ask if you may observe a session. ask a lot of questions regarding the sessions. they know you are there to learn and they want to see you engaged. ask them why they are doing a particular exercise and its purpose. if you see a different therapy being prescribed for a different patient with what seems like a similar issue, ask them why this is so. the more you refer to what you have seen and the more it seems like you are trying to learn as much as you can, the better your experience will be.

looking back i'm not sure if this was completely legal, but by the end of my volunteer experience my supervisor trusted me enough to actually help the patients with their therapy sessions while she was in the room finishing up paperwork or her prior client's session (she was a very busy out-patient therapist with back to back appointments). i got to actually help clients with their exercises and lead them to their next tasks while she supervised (i was not able to touch the patients). from what i've heard this is similar to what you actually do during your level 1 fieldwork. i guarantee she wouldn't have felt comfortable letting me do so had i not already earned her trust by being reliable and showing that i really wanted to learn.

another thing that will help you get to observe - engage with the patients! make small talk with them, ask questions - if you show that you are good at making patients feel comfortable and are good at making connections with them, i guarantee OTs will be more open to letting you observe.

 

[sb0106]

Just a quick question and clarification pertaining observation/volunteer hours. I know a lot of you have over 100 hours in different settings, and I wanted some opinions or feedback. This past week was my first time getting to "volunteer " at the OT department at the local mainstream hospital. As I've asked various professionals if they allow individual shadowing/observation opportunities, the answer has been a solid no. I dont want to get in the way or seem like another task or burden to some of the therapists, but what am I supposed to be doing? I feel grateful for even getting my foot in the door, however, is it enough for me to just be making copies or folding laundry for patients? I dont know what I was really expecting, but Id like to hear what you all did during your hours.

Thanks a bunch.

I often felt awkward and out of place during my observation hours. I observed OT hand specialists. I just felt like I was in the way all the time. It was an open room (but not that big) with many tables and pieces of equipment. There were about 6 OT's working at a time and each would take their patient to a different table. They often switched tables, got up and moved, another patient would come and I'd have to move my seat. Before I started I had to sign a paper after reading the rules. As an observer, I would have to ask permission from the patient to observe them, introduce myself and not talk during sessions (wait until the end). I felt a bit odd at times because the patient would talk to me and, knowing that I shouldn't talk too much during the session, it was difficult gauging how often I should converse. I mainly conversed with patients, talked to them before the OT came over to work with them, got to know them, asked them how they got their injury, etc. Then I'd stay kind of quiet and observe the OT at work. It was an open environment, everyone was nice, joking around, having fun, I felt comfortable talking to everyone but I often felt out of place and in the way. The OT's at this clinic were very busy and got patient after patient after patient, there wasn't really any time to talk to them. Only a few times did they ask me to do a few things for them (put stuff away, grab this, grab that, fill up the water in bowl, etc).

I would love to know how people rack up so many observation hours, particularly at one specific place. I want to shadow at a place long enough to be able to get a reference letter from them, but it seems difficult at this time. ANy tips/pointers? How did you get your OT reference letter? I got one, but it is probably generic as I didn't get to know my OT very well. How can I build that relationship?

 

[mgeagle]

I often felt awkward and out of place during my observation hours. I observed OT hand specialists. I just felt like I was in the way all the time. It was an open room (but not that big) with many tables and pieces of equipment. There were about 6 OT's working at a time and each would take their patient to a different table. They often switched tables, got up and moved, another patient would come and I'd have to move my seat. Before I started I had to sign a paper after reading the rules. As an observer, I would have to ask permission from the patient to observe them, introduce myself and not talk during sessions (wait until the end). I felt a bit odd at times because the patient would talk to me and, knowing that I shouldn't talk too much during the session, it was difficult gauging how often I should converse. I mainly conversed with patients, talked to them before the OT came over to work with them, got to know them, asked them how they got their injury, etc. Then I'd stay kind of quiet and observe the OT at work. It was an open environment, everyone was nice, joking around, having fun, I felt comfortable talking to everyone but I often felt out of place and in the way. The OT's at this clinic were very busy and got patient after patient after patient, there wasn't really any time to talk to them. Only a few times did they ask me to do a few things for them (put stuff away, grab this, grab that, fill up the water in bowl, etc).

I would love to know how people rack up so many observation hours, particularly at one specific place. I want to shadow at a place long enough to be able to get a reference letter from them, but it seems difficult at this time. ANy tips/pointers? How did you get your OT reference letter? I got one, but it is probably generic as I didn't get to know my OT very well. How can I build that relationship?

Build the relationship as more of a friendship than just a professional formality. Get to know them. Ask them about their families, interests, past etc. Who knows, y'all may have things in common that enhances the connection between you and the therapist. I found in my experience a lot of mature middle aged professionals love to talk about their family which can be a wholesome and pleasant conversation that they will appreciate if you open the door for it. Always greet them with a smile and never cease to thank them for the experience they are allowing you. Hope this helps 🙂.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

I had a really hard time finding places to shadow. When I googled occupational therapy along with my city name, I mostly got job ads. The standalone OT/PT facilities and the ones attached to rehab hospitals got lots of calls from people wanting to shadow. I tried a military hospital but had to jump through a few hoops to register as a red cross volunteer to be there.

The rehab facility I did most of my shadowing at didn't even have much of a website. I found out through a weekly neighborhood newspaper's website that they had just opened up a big gym. So looking for facilities that might have OTs and calling them might work

I did the bulk of my observations in a dedicated rehab facility. Patients had typically spent a little time in a hospital after a stroke or surgery. Then they would come to the rehab facility for a few weeks until they were well enough to go home, into a relative's care, or into a SNF if they weren't able to take care of themselves.

This was a fairly large facility with maybe 7-10 OTs and even more PTs plus a couple SLPs. Since the place was large, I was able to help out by running to get equipment from the gym when we were in the patient's room, following the patient with a wheelchair while the OT was having them walk to the gym. Or sometimes when we were just aiming to practice walking and standing for short distances, I was supposed to have the wheelchair ready to catch them if their knees buckled.

I did several things that helped the OT I was working with get more done. First is provide mild supervision to a patient doing exercises or activities so the OT could do notes. Second is take patients back to their rooms once the session was done. Third was set up things like "shopping trips" around the gym where I'd put cans or packaged baking mixes around the room on various surfaces. All of those saved time for the OT, enhanced the effectiveness of the therapy, and meant that the facility didn't have to use the rehab aides as much.

I helped out other OTs and sometimes PTs when they needed it. I really liked chatting with the patients, and being a cheerleader when they were doing activities, so that probably helped.

When I would walk from one patient's room to another is when I would ask the most questions.

As far as helping, I tried to ask a lot about can I put that away for you, do you want me to sanitize that treatment table, do you want me to clean up the pieces of the hand brace you trimmed off... Basically any time it looked like the OT would need to get up and do something that would take away from time with the patient I tried to help. I figured they were doing me a favor by letting me observe, so I helped out any time I thought I could.

So if at any time an OT asks you to do something, remember it. Next time it comes up with that OT or another OT, ask if they want you to help again. Notice where things are stored and what the routine of treating a patient includes. Do they frequently get ice or heat? Where are the sock aids and reachers stored?

The military hospital was mostly outpatient upper extremity and hand, so there wasn't as much I could help out with.

To mgeagle, I really hope that when you meant mature middle-aged professionals, you weren't referring to people in their 30s and 40s. I think most of the OTs at the rehab facility were 30-ish. One male OT and one prn OT who might have been in their 40s. Although since hand specialists typically have a lot of specialized expertise, they might be older. However, I googled definition of middle age and found different surveys said 35, 40, 45, or 53 as start of middle age. By one of those definitions, I count. Yuck.

 

[yearoftheami]

You guys are seriously awesome. Thank you all so much for the feedback. I now know that what Im feeling and doing at the hospital will probably be similar to your experiences. Sometimes I get easily discouraged, however it was only WEEK ONE haha . I live in a small town, and so this opportunity was a gift in itself. The OT im volunteering with has told me she gets email after email asking to come in so Im going to use this experience to definitely try to network with other OTs, as well as, help her as much as possible. Im really glad this forum was created; I thoroughly enjoy reading and following up with yall's journey! 🙂

 

[gottabeOT]

I'm glad the thread could help you see things a little more positively! I just have one more suggestion -- I understand that obviously OT schools want you to have experiences shadowing actual OT's and learning more about the profession in this regard. But if it's very difficult for you to get in to see OT's (and it seems like it might be, from what you're describing), try acting like an OT and thinking outside the box!

One of my favorite, most educational and most challenging experiences was working at a camp for people with disabilities. The time I spent working at the camp actually became the foundation for most of my graduate school essays, and I feel that this experience really helped set me apart in a sea of applications that might just have included typical hospital and outpatient settings. So try to volunteer/observe for a while (a month, at least) at a daycare center for children with special needs, with a community program like Best Buddies or at a skilled nursing facility that has an OT on staff. Seeking out and taking part in these experiences will help you get a better understanding of the many settings in which OT's can work as well as strengthening your application and skill set for later.

I hope this helps, and best of luck with your volunteer experiences!

 

[mgeagle]

I had a really hard time finding places to shadow. When I googled occupational therapy along with my city name, I mostly got job ads. The standalone OT/PT facilities and the ones attached to rehab hospitals got lots of calls from people wanting to shadow. I tried a military hospital but had to jump through a few hoops to register as a red cross volunteer to be there.

The rehab facility I did most of my shadowing at didn't even have much of a website. I found out through a weekly neighborhood newspaper's website that they had just opened up a big gym. So looking for facilities that might have OTs and calling them might work

I did the bulk of my observations in a dedicated rehab facility. Patients had typically spent a little time in a hospital after a stroke or surgery. Then they would come to the rehab facility for a few weeks until they were well enough to go home, into a relative's care, or into a SNF if they weren't able to take care of themselves.

This was a fairly large facility with maybe 7-10 OTs and even more PTs plus a couple SLPs. Since the place was large, I was able to help out by running to get equipment from the gym when we were in the patient's room, following the patient with a wheelchair while the OT was having them walk to the gym. Or sometimes when we were just aiming to practice walking and standing for short distances, I was supposed to have the wheelchair ready to catch them if their knees buckled.

I did several things that helped the OT I was working with get more done. First is provide mild supervision to a patient doing exercises or activities so the OT could do notes. Second is take patients back to their rooms once the session was done. Third was set up things like "shopping trips" around the gym where I'd put cans or packaged baking mixes around the room on various surfaces. All of those saved time for the OT, enhanced the effectiveness of the therapy, and meant that the facility didn't have to use the rehab aides as much.

I helped out other OTs and sometimes PTs when they needed it. I really liked chatting with the patients, and being a cheerleader when they were doing activities, so that probably helped.

When I would walk from one patient's room to another is when I would ask the most questions.

As far as helping, I tried to ask a lot about can I put that away for you, do you want me to sanitize that treatment table, do you want me to clean up the pieces of the hand brace you trimmed off... Basically any time it looked like the OT would need to get up and do something that would take away from time with the patient I tried to help. I figured they were doing me a favor by letting me observe, so I helped out any time I thought I could.

So if at any time an OT asks you to do something, remember it. Next time it comes up with that OT or another OT, ask if they want you to help again. Notice where things are stored and what the routine of treating a patient includes. Do they frequently get ice or heat? Where are the sock aids and reachers stored?

The military hospital was mostly outpatient upper extremity and hand, so there wasn't as much I could help out with.

To mgeagle, I really hope that when you meant mature middle-aged professionals, you weren't referring to people in their 30s and 40s. I think most of the OTs at the rehab facility were 30-ish. One male OT and one prn OT who might have been in their 40s. Although since hand specialists typically have a lot of specialized expertise, they might be older. However, I googled definition of middle age and found different surveys said 35, 40, 45, or 53 as start of middle age. By one of those definitions, I count. Yuck.

I took a development and aging class that gave an official definition for middle aged. Middle aged is those that are between the ages of 45 and 65. This is the official definition of middle aged used by the American Psychiatric Association. This standard was a recent change however, as middle aged was previously known as ages 40-60. That was who I was referring to because in all work/volunteer settings I have been in I have found someone from the official middle aged crowd that loved talking to me about their family and if not for them I would not of gotten into OT school. In hindsight I should of said mature adults in the professional world in general love to talk about their families because pretty much all of the adults (with the exception of some immature ones who liked talking about some things that are not appropriate for the workplace) in their 30s and 40s that I have run into in a professional setting love talking about their families extensively which is awesome cause learning about people's home life can teach you a lot. I apologize for confusing people. I have a bad habit of doing that. Please forgive me 🙂.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

I was trying to discourage stereotyping based on age or size or family/martial status. Out of the friends I went to college/hung out with, averaging say 40 with a few older, about 1/3 are single, 1/3 are married without children, and 1/3 are married with children.

Don't look at people as a demographic, but as individuals. "Mature" can be a pejorative term. Joking around does not mean immature. One of the most important parts of being an adult is knowing when to act like a kid. Experienced might be a better term.

One of my neighbors has a car plastered with humorous bumper stickers. One of which says "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."

Our society has a bias towards the young and thin. When I was shadowing, I saw young OTs and PTs be dismissive towards older people who are overweight. I've heard that from a few nurses. And when I was 25 and exercising a lot, I was that way too. Easy to lose weight when you can go running.

I know someone who has a son with Asperger's. She says most people treat him as a problem that needs to be dealt with. But that I was treating him as a person to interact with.

 

[mgeagle]

I was trying to discourage stereotyping based on age or size or family/martial status. Out of the friends I went to college/hung out with, averaging say 40 with a few older, about 1/3 are single, 1/3 are married without children, and 1/3 are married with children.

Don't look at people as a demographic, but as individuals. "Mature" can be a pejorative term. Joking around does not mean immature. One of the most important parts of being an adult is knowing when to act like a kid. Experienced might be a better term.

One of my neighbors has a car plastered with humorous bumper stickers. One of which says "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."

Our society has a bias towards the young and thin. When I was shadowing, I saw young OTs and PTs be dismissive towards older people who are overweight. I've heard that from a few nurses. And when I was 25 and exercising a lot, I was that way too. Easy to lose weight when you can go running.

I know someone who has a son with Asperger's. She says most people treat him as a problem that needs to be dealt with. But that I was treating him as a person to interact with.

You're right to an extent, but there is a difference between joking around and talking about stuff that I won't mention on this forum in a workplace which is what I meant earlier. When we leave the workplace shoot, there is A LOT of things I will joke around with you about (especially knowing my strange and blunt sense of humor), I joke around with my college coach about a lot of things all the time and he listens to all the quote on quote "young people" music and I appreciate it because it helps me connect with him a lot better, yet he still knows how to keep a professional front. If we never looked or studied people in a general demographical sense than some anthropologists and sociologist would be out of a job because some of their acclaimed statistics do just that. We do it all the time and I'm not going to lie it has helped me because I at least had a hint of how a person might be given the past and present societal circumstances and engaging in minor small talk with them which leads to me being able to connect well with people. The young and thin thing is too true and I think it's ridiculous (especially seeing as I don't like my women thin, they look too fragile to me lol). Of course you continue to get to know individuals and enjoy their uniqueness and never completely assume anything until you get to know them. Experienced seems broad to me, you could have "experienced" a lot in life and still not of grown or learned from it, but to keep things fair non-hostile I will "individualize" my statements from earlier posts and just say the adults that "I" ran into and "I" considered mature based on how much wisdom and knowledge they afforded me, liked to talk about their families and were down for joking around but kept it at an appropriate professional level.