Master of Occupational

 Therapy Program

Description of Fieldwork

       Two levels of formal fieldwork experiences are required of the occupational therapy students enrolled at St. Ambrose University.  Level I Fieldwork occurs while the students are enrolled in coursework and follows our developmental program sequence (meaning the initial experiences are with children and then progress through the lifespan to adults and older adults).  Level II Fieldwork occurs once students have completed all academic coursework.  Placements for both Level I and Level II are sites local and throughout the U.S. in traditional and nontraditional role-emerging settings.  There is a myriad of other fieldwork experiences within many of the classes as highlighted on the curriculum table.   The following describes the “formal” fieldwork program that is set up by the fieldwork coordinators.

Level I Fieldwork:

     There are three Level I Fieldwork courses – pediatric, adult, and older adult.  These courses integrate information learned in other MOT courses through both field experiences and classroom activities.  Students are placed in a variety of settings to obtain hands-on experiences with individuals and groups.  The MOT program believes in learning by doing and as a result active participation is encouraged with the level of involvement determined by the site, the clients served and the student’s skill level.  During these experiences, students work to improve skills such as observation, communication – both written and oral, assessment, treatment planning, and intervention.  Students also grow to understand the OT process and how it impacts the clients and the facility.  In the classroom, students have the opportunity to discuss and synthesize their experiences.  Through the clinical and classroom experiences, students should learn to appreciate the role of occupation as it promotes health and wellness, develop professional work skills and behaviors, and exhibit ethical integrity.  OTR supervision is not required for Level I Fieldwork. 

     Level IA – Pediatric – MOT 465 – occurs in the spring semester of the first year.  Students can choose to complete this fieldwork either during the semester ˝ day a week at two sites or one full-time week during interim/summer.  Placements utilized include pediatric OT clinics, schools, special education classrooms, mental health facilities, and adaptive equipment clinics.  The knowledge gained during OT with Pediatrics and Occupational Studies I assist the student in comprehending the dimensions of a child’s occupations and the contexts observed during fieldwork help to solidify this knowledge.

    Level IB – Adult – MOT 535 – occurs in the fall semester of the second year.  Fieldwork is completed in 2 one-week blocks – in two different practice settings.  Students complete these experiences during two of the following months: August, October, and December/January.  Placements utilized include community mental health facilities, hospitals, and various outpatient clinics.  Again, fieldwork, in concert with OT with Adults and Occupational Studies II, assists the student in applying their knowledge skills when dealing with the occupations of adults. 

 Level IC – Older Adult – MOT 566 – occurs following the second year.  Students complete this 3 consecutive week experience during the summer months.  This placement is a culmination of skills learned in OT with Older Adults and OS III as well as all the MOT courses to this point.  The concentrated period allows students to synthesize information, put it into practice, and evaluate the results when dealing with older adults and their occupational interests.

Level II Fieldwork:

     Level II Fieldwork is intended to emphasize the application of an academically acquired body of knowledge by providing the student with an in-depth experience in delivery of occupational therapy service to patients/clients.  This experience occurs after successful completion of all coursework and is a minimum of 24 weeks full-time.  If an OTR is not supervising Level II fieldwork, a documented plan of supervision must be in place.  By the end of the Level II experiences, students are expected to be functioning at the level of an entry-level practitioner.  This is an exciting phase of the professional program as the students move from “novice” in the OT profession towards “advanced beginner” and readies them to spring into the world of OT practice and be a lifelong learner with the goal of achieving the level of an expert practitioner.

     Students typically complete 2 three-month rotations but can complete Level II fieldwork in up to 4 facilities for a total of 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork.  Students select at least 2 different sites that provide them with experiences across the lifespan with a variety of diagnoses.  Students also have the option of doing a third rotation in a special interest area.  Optional third rotations can be any length of time from 2 to 12 weeks though typically run 4 – 8 weeks.

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This chart is a visual representation of all field experiences offered during the MOT curriculum.  Intensity is depicted by degree of shading.  (Lighter shading indicates a lighter amount and intensity of field experiences; darkest shading depicts intensive, formal field experiences.)

*The above represents the curriculum for the MOT Class of 2006.

     For further information, please contact Laura Anderson, OTR/L, Fieldwork Coordinator in the Occupational Therapy Department at 563-333-6278/AndersonLauraL@ambrose.sau.edu or Shelli Engelbrecht, MBAH, OTR/L, Assistant Fieldwork Coordinator/Instructor at 563-333-6353/EngelbrechtShelli@sau.edu.

Revised 8/03

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  Click here for Typical Timing of Student Placements

Timing of Student Placements for 2004 

Click here for Fieldwork Policies for MOT Students

Fall Clinical Council 2001

Fieldwork Pictures

Laura Anderson speaks with the incoming class of 2005 on the in's and out's of fieldwork.

For supervisors and students:

Missing your copy of the Level I Student Performance Evaluation? Click here

Missing your copy of the Level I Evaluation of the Fieldwork Experience?  Click here

Return to SAU OT webpage Occupational Therapy  

The OT Fieldwork Crew! From Left to Right:  Meggan Boutott,         Laura Anderson,          Renee Hanson

Web Page created by Meggan Boutott

Syllabus for MOT 465 Level I Peds

Syllabus for MOT 535 Level I Adult

Syllabus for MOT 566 Level I Older Adult

e-groups for mot students 

e-groups for level I and Level II fieldwork supervisors 

Job postings for OTRs 

AOTA Fieldwork Information for Clinical Educators

AOTA Fieldwork FAQ's for students