Mock Interview

As a whole, I feel the interview went well. I had some technical difficulties at the beginning of the interview, but I kept my composure and finished the interview strong. I prepared for this interview the same way I prepared for my interview for admissions into the occupational therapy program. I did some research on google and discovered some of the most popular interview questions. I also reviewed the websites that were given to us via Blackboard. I believe those websites really helped prepare me for this interview. One thing that I was not expecting to be asked during this interview was 3 reasons why I was interested in this type of facility. This caught me off guard because even though we were to be interviewing for this certain position, I am not super interested in the setting that I was assigned, so it took me longer than I expected to answer that question. Although I did ask Shannon a question during the interview, if I were in a real-life interview, I would make sure I came equipped with multiple questions to show that I was prepared for the interview. One thing that I learned during this interview is to stay calm no matter the situation. As I stated above, I had technical issues at the beginning of my interview, and I got nervous after that, so I did not perform to the best of my abilities. Overall, I feel that this experience was very beneficial for me. I am glad I got this opportunity to work out the kinks before I must interview for a real job.

Self Portrait of a Leader

After completing my Glyph for the second time, I realized my results were very similar to the results from the first time. I believe that the ability to be a leader is not embedded in you when you are born. I believe that anyone can be a leader if they have the right support in their life. I think it is very important for occupational therapists to be leaders. If we are not comfortable with being a leader, our clients will not trust us as much to carry out treatment sessions with them. Not all leaders see themselves as a leader, but that doesn’t mean that others don’t see them as a leader. Although leaders should be organized, I believe that creativity makes for a better leader. I fully believe that introverts can be effective leaders. I am an introvert and I consider myself as a leader. 

Instructions: 

Glyph Key for Drawing A Self-Portrait of a Leader

Face Shape: If you believe that leadership is an inborn trait, draw a triangle-shaped head.  If you think that leadership stems from nurture over nature, draw a square-shaped head.

Eyes: If you think the vast majority of OTs are leaders, make big circles for the eyes.  If you think there is a fairly equal mixture of leaders and non-leaders in the field of OT, draw small circles for the eyes.  Fill in the pupils.  Add glasses if you feel that you have had more experience in leadership roles than most other people your age at this point in life.

Eyelashes: Draw one eyelash on each of the eyes for each of the five themes you can name based on your personal Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment from earlier in the curriculum.

Eyebrows: If you like to take the role of the leader in an out-in-front way, make curved eyebrows.  If your leadership style is more behind the scenes, make pointy eyebrows.

Nose: Draw a triangle nose if you think that seeing yourself as a leader is necessary to being a leader.  Draw a rounded nose if you believe that a person can be a leader without seeing himself or herself as a leader.

Skin:  Add a freckle anywhere on the skin of the face if you believe that self-awareness is vital to effective leadership.  Leave the skin clear if you don’t think it’s an essential trait.

Mouth: Draw a smiling mouth if you can think of at least one leader who has had a positive impact on you.  Draw a frown if you can’t think of a good example of a leader.

Ears: Draw round ears if you think technology is an important part of effective leadership in many situations. Draw pointy ears if don’t think so.

Hair: Draw the hair based on a continuum, based on your personal viewpoint in two areas:

What’s more important in leadership: 
Curly hair  <------------------------->  Straight hair 

creativity or organization?    
Creativity  <-------------------------->  Organization

                             AND

Can an introvert be an effective leader?         
Short hair <-------------------------> Long hair

No way  <------ I’m unsure -----> Definitely yes

Accessories: Add at least one accessory (example: a piece of jewelry) if you see yourself as a leader.  Add a hat if the way you think about or approach leadership has changed as a result of what you have learned since beginning in OT school.

Finishing Touch: Label your paper with your name, writing in cursive if you have a written plan or goal about to serving in leadership roles in the future; write in print if you do not yet have a written plan.

Locus of Control

According to the Locus of Control, there are 2 types: internal and external. They can range from extreme internal to extreme external, or anywhere in between. An individual with a strong internal locus of control believe that things in their life is caused by their own personal actions. These individuals often blame themselves for everything that happens in their life. An individual with a strong external locus of control believe that things in their life are caused by external factors in their life, and not by them. These individuals often blame others and outside factors for things that happen in their life.

For an Occupational Therapist, it is important for us to understand Locus of Control. Without understanding this concept, it would be difficult for us to develop a treatment plan that best fit the personality of the client. Also, we need to understand what our personal Locus of Control is, so that we can be the best practitioner that we can be. If we understand which side of the continuum we fall into, it will be easier for us to help clients that have the same, or even opposite locus of controls as we do.

After I completed the Rotter’s Locus of Control Questionnaire, the results were not what I expected. I was expecting to be more on the side of internal locus of control, but according to the results, I was more toward the external locus of control. Even though the results were not what I was expecting, it is important that I understand my locus of control and how it affects my personality. I believe this will make me a better OT practitioner because I will be able to understand which treatment plans will work best for each type of locus of control.

Sensory Processing DIsorder SIM

Overall, I believe my SIM encounter went well. I was super nervous upon entering the SIM room, but I know I had prepared myself the best I could. Once I walked into the room and started talking to the parent, I felt more comfortable. I know there are things that I could have done better, but I also know that there are many aspects that I did well. When the 2-minute warning came over the speaker, I immediately got nervous again. 


If I got the opportunity to complete this same SIM lab again, I would definitely make sure to consider the parent’s feelings more. I knew I needed to be empathetic and listen to what she had to say and her concerns, but I also knew I only had 10 minutes to make sure she understood all of the information. Even if I wouldn’t have gotten through all of the information I had planned to, it would have been more professional and empathetic if I would’ve based the encounter around her instead of rushing to get through all of the information. 


There are many ways that someone can show that they care. One of the simplest ways to let someone know that you care is by sitting close to them and comforting them with your touch. Another important way to show the client and their family that you care is allowing them to express their concerns and express their emotions without cutting them off to finish your therapy session. This is one of the main roles of an occupational therapist. It is our job to base our therapy sessions around the main concerns of the family and the client. 


I will use this SIM experience in my future practice in many ways. This experience taught me that all conditions and diagnoses can be emotional and tough not only on the client but also their family. Education is an important part of an occupational therapist’s role. Occupational therapists are also there to listen to the concerns of the client and their family and to meet their needs as best as they can. I will always remember to put the client’s and the family’s needs and concerns at the top of the priority list.

Neuro Note #4

Ted Talk by Terry Chase 
Spinal Cord Injury and Beyond 

This Ted Talk is about a woman named Terry Chase who suffered a T3 incomplete spinal cord injury due to a drunk driver. She was on the way back from a 10 mile bike ride with 2 of her friends, when she was struck by a car being driven by a drunk driver.

While she was in therapy, her therapist mentioned to her about a water ski trip that was happening in a couple of weeks and suggested that she should go. She asked her doctor and he gave her the green light because she had good trunk control. After that trip, she has water skied every year for 30 years.

After she was discharged from therapy, she decided to attend nursing school. Although nursing school was hard, especially for her, she persevered and graduated and became a nurse. She got the opportunity to return to the therapy center where she received therapy and got to create a patient/family education program where she got to talk to individuals who had also suffered spinal cord injuries

She worked with this one individual who inspired her. She learned through him that she needed to give back whole heartedly in whatever she did. She knew she needed to listen to the little whispers in her head telling her what her next first step would be. She wanted to help other individuals figure out what their next first step was and help them achieve it.

As I have stated in all of my previous blog posts for my neuro notes, I love Ted Talks because I love getting to hear stories firsthand of real life experiences that people have been through. I think this will really give me some experience by listening to each individual's story before having my own clients one day.

Before this Neuro class, I never would have thought that I would be so interested in these kinds of diagnoses, but I am. I love watching these Ted Talks and other videos about things we have learned in class. I can't wait to find more videos and resources to boost my knowledge even more.

If you enjoy Ted Talks and are interested in spinal cord injuries, I highly recommend this one. This Ted Talk really puts thing into perspective and helped me to listen to my heart and not be afraid to take my next first step.

Link for Ted Talk follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NA_FLZ4WRk

Source:
Talks, T. E. D. (2018, October 17). Spinal Cord Injury & Beyond | Terry Chase | TEDxGrandJunction. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NA_FLZ4WRk

Sunflower Toss

There were a great deal of things that I learned while doing this assignment. This assignment really challenged me to dig deep and find my creative side, which was incredible. The creativity aspect was the most challenging portion of this assignment. Once I had the perfect idea for a new intervention idea, the project really came together. This assignment required me to think outside of the box to create a new product that tended to a specific person’s needs. Before this assignment, I would have never thought of using materials that were just laying around the house to create an intervention for someone. In all the places I have worked or observed, the therapist just bought all of the games and interventions. I really enjoyed going out of my comfort zone for this assignment, because now I know I have the ability to make something rather than buying it. You can’t always buy something that is exactly what a person needs, but creating your own activities allows you to tailor them to a person’s specific needs and interests.

 

Neuro Note #3

Ted Talk by Danielle Valenti 
Facing Death Full of Life 

This Ted Talk is about a young woman who found out that her mom had Huntington's Disease. Her mom tried to hide that from her, but she eventually found out when she had to be put in a Huntington's Disease nursing home. She talked about how hard the disease was on her mom, and eventually, she just stopped eating because she didn't want to live that way anymore.

After Danielle's mom passed away, she knew she wanted to get the genetic testing done to see if she had the positive gene for Huntington's Disease. People didn't understand why she wanted to know, but she did. Unfortunately, the results came back positive. After the heartbreaking news, she was not sad at first. She said she walked around with a smile on her face as if nothing was wrong. Eventually, she went through this stage where she felt really bad for herself all of the time. Eventually she decided that she wanted to start living again. She knew it was going to be a struggle every single day, but she knew it would be worth it. She knows that some days are going to be harder than others, but if she commits to happiness, she will eventually get there.

Ted Talks are my favorite because you get to hear firsthand about other's experiences, which otherwise you could not do. I love hearing how people overcome their struggles when they are thrown challenges in life.

After we covered Huntington's Disease in class, I knew I wanted to hear about someone's experience with it first hand. This video really inspired me and opened my eyes. You never know what tomorrow brings, so never take a single day for granted.

I definitely recommend this Ted Talk to everyone. Even if you are not super interested in Huntington's Disease, it paints a really good picture of how to never give up and to always strive for happiness and to put your happiness first.

The link for the Ted Talk follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JRwCdmewl0

Source:
Talks, T. (2015, December 04). Facing Death Full of Life | Danielle Valenti | TEDxBerkshires. Retrieved August 18, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JRwCdmewl0