Thank You for coming to our meeting on “Observation Etiquette and Tips to Maximize Your Experience”. During the meeting, we did a run through from initiation observation hours to saying your “Hello” and “Good – Bye!”
Here is the summary:
– Tip to Asking Observation
o Face to Face
o Be Polite
o Practice with a Write Up
o E – Mail or Phone
o Resume
o Phone Call
 Name
 Year / School
 Ask for Observation Opportunities are Available
o Express interests in PT / OT
o Provide Facility with Contact Information, Days and Times are Available
 Be as Flexible as Possible as they are Taking the Time to give you experience in the field
– Pre – Observation Follow Up
o Call / E – mail the day before to verify your time
 Lets the facility know you are serious and will be there
o Ask about dress attire if unsure (business casual is most likely) and location of facility, if need
 Boys: dress shirt, pants, black shoes
 Girls: dress shirt or dress, clean clothes, and black shoes
 Iron your clothes
 Be clean
 First impression is important
– Observation
o Arrive early
o Dress appropriate
o Bring with you:
 Water
 Notebook and writing utensil
 Questions (especially on return visits this lets the therapist know you are intrigued and are putting in the time and make the most of your experience)
 Food, if appropriate
o Don’t lock out your knee
o Wash your hand, a lot
 15 sec with hot water
o Help out, but know your limitations
 The more willing you are to participate in this manner the better the perception the clinician will have of you as person, student, and future practitioner
 Know and understand that you are not able to active participate in patient treatment
o Maximums the experience
 Patients interaction
 Help out – clean and put things away
o BE OBSERVANT
 As an observing student, you are strictly observing (no patient care)
 Take in treatment
 Acknowledge the facility lay out, patient flow, culture
 HIPPA
• Put note down
• Don’t say anything
o Respect the Therapist’s time
 extraordinary opportunity appreciate it
 when a therapist is charting, allow them to do so
• if not, leave the room
o interact with patient
o Document hours, yourself, with details of patient care encountered. Have practitioner sign – off each day for your records
 do a LOG
o be friendly to everyone you encounter
o be open-minded (people are different, experience will be diverse
o THANK YOUs at the end of each patient treatment, at the end of the day, at the end of the experience (hand write)
– Thank you
o Always hand – write a thank you to show appreciation for your experience
o You are able to show a little extra gratitude with goodies
– Document for PTCAS
o Document
 Overseeing therapist
 Location setting type
 Specialties observed with hours spent in it
 Setting options
• Out – patient
o Orthopedics
o Sports pediatrics
o Neurology
o Geriatric
o Cardiovascular and pulmonary
o School district
o Home health
o Women’s health
• In – patient
o Hospital
o Rehabilitation
o SNF (skill nurses)
– Question to consider
o How does this clinic differ from others?
o What are each PTs different theories on treatment strategy?
o How did your program compare to other?
o What captivates your job?
o What specialty do you recommend?
o How do I get to this position?
o Reward experience?
o Balance family and work?
– Get some hours During Winter Break
o Try to get 20 to 40 hours
o Practicum – schedule in advance as you have to submit paper
In other news
A reminder for everybody that our club fundraiser on November 29th at Papa’s Pizza on 3rd Street. Print out the following flyer and bring it to Papa’s Pizza on November 29th, Papa’s Pizza will donate 50% of your total purchases to our club. Tell your friends, family, and everybody you know. All the money raised during this fundraiser will donate to our Wheel – A – Thon Event during Spring term. You can print out the flyer at our blog under the fundraiser tap.
There is a new tap available on the blog title Internship and Opportunity, where information about internship and opportunity can be finds. Also we can find jobs and observation there too.
If you are a new member to the club, remember to sign the Membership Contract and pay the $10 club fee. This year, our club is offering a Mentorship Program, which the club will pair, members with other members to help each other. If you are interested in the program, please contact our Vice President, Laura Ann Chong at chongl@onid.orst.edu.
Team Therapy (PTAH Flag Football team) is continually looking for more players. If you are interested, please contact, Jeff Ford, fordjef@onid.orst.edu, with your name, gender, student ID # and he will able to give you more information.
If you are going to be in town for Thanksgiving break and need volunteer hours, please contact Annie Jones at johnsoan@onid.orst.edu for more information.
Also, our last meeting of the term is on the Tuesday of 1oth week. We will be holding a study session at the library. So come and bring your question. And we will try to help.