Prepare the next generation of OTAs
In order to prepare our occupational therapy assistant students to be ready for the workforce and become the best practitioners they can be, we require each student to complete two 8-week rotations of fieldwork in an occupational therapy practice, collaborating with each fieldwork educator to set their objectives.
Want to know more about becoming a fieldwork educator for the Union Adventist University occupational therapy assistant program? Contact the program at ota@uau.edu
Supervising a Union Adventist University OTA student in your practice is about a lot more than just training for the future.
Top 10 reasons to host a Union Adventist University occupational therapy assistant student:
Opportunities to stay up on current trends—Our students are exposed to the latest theories and interventions in occupational therapy practice and will bring that knowledge with them to your setting.
Continuing education credits—Supervising an occupational therapy assistant student is one way to earn continuing education credit towards your license.
Give back to the profession—As an occupational therapy student, you gained tremendous educational value for working in a real-life practice. Now is your chance to impact the next generation of practitioners by providing them with the same opportunities to learn and grow.
Discover new perspectives—Let's face it. We're all creatures of habit and it's easy to get settled into comfortable workflows and patterns. But fresh young minds look at things in new ways and students in training can help your team see issues in new ways.
Remain evidence-based—As members of a profession, we all know the importance of evidence-based practice. Union Adventist University OTA students understand and value using research to support the interventions they choose.
Support the local community—This is an opportunity to develop partnerships with Union Adventist University and other colleagues to make a difference for clients and potential clients in our region.
Infuse creative energy into your practice—Students are full of energy and ideas and excited to begin practicing new skills and applying new knowledge, which can be contagious. Supervising a fieldwork student often leads to excitement, energy and new ideas for you!
Improve productivity—Student practitioners are far from a burden. They are able to take on a portion of the workload.
Promote OT in non-traditional settings—This is an opportunity to allow students to develop relationships with the local community both through volunteer and fieldwork assignments in order to bring services to new or underserved populations.
Recruit future employees—As a fieldwork educator, you'll get to see how students perform in your practice and then you'll have the inside track for hiring just who you need!
References:
(Hodgetts, Hollis, Triska, Dennis, Madill, & Taylor, 2007)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17616014
(Ozelie, Janow, Kreutz, Mulry, & Penkala, 2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25553749
https://www.aota.org/Advocacy-Policy/State-Policy/Licensure/StateRegs.aspx