Just Janet on Occupational Therapy

Nobody says you must laugh, but a sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, and smile through the day~Ann Landers

So yesterday I am sitting in my office.  I caught a flash of something out of the ordinary walking by.  I got up to investigate and realized it was a student walking by wearing a bathing suit.  Now, this is March.  We are in Connecticut. There could be no after class run to the beach planned.  This is a Masters in Occupational Therapy Program.  What is going on was my first thought?  It turned out the entire class had on bathing suits for lab that day because they were practicing transferring patients in and out of the shower.  The students were encouraged to wear bathing suits in anticipation of getting wet!  Some pictures were taken but the students would not allow me to post them on my blog.  In one picture our four males students were lined up like a chorus line.  Considering it is March and no one is tanned and looking good for the beach scene, it is probably just as well they did not want the picture posted.  (trust me on this one.. only kidding guys)  But seriously, I doubt that there is any other program on campus that encounters these kinds of daily activities.   No two days are ever the same in this department

Inspiration never arrived when you were searching for it. ~ Lisa Alther

So on my drive into the office, I was trying to think of something to blog about.  As I walked into the Occupational Therapy office suite, I was greeted by our two Occupational Therapy Graduate Assistants, Kaitlin and Matt, and was immediately inspired to blog about just that: The Graduate Assistants here at Sacred Heart University!!  You will find graduate assistants working in many areas of the university.

Here in the Occupational Therapy program, we offer two graduate assistant positions for first year students which are compensated with a $5,000 stipend.  In return the Graduate Assistants work ten hours per week in the department for the first year (three semesters) they are in the Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy at Sacred Heart University.   Our OT Graduate Assistants are never bored and never have routine tasks.  They can be found researching topics for faculty, assisting me with fieldwork information packets, compiling distribution lists, preparing mailings, setting up monkey surveys, organizing and categorizing equipment – just to name a few.  They also attend open houses, accepted student days, and other University events where they speak with interested students and give their perspectives as students already in the program to inquiring students. 

So anyways, Matt and Kaitlin, you were my inspiration for today’s blog.  We are definitely glad to have your help around the department.  Don't they look happy??

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” -Jimmy Johnson

So this past week was fairly uneventful. But, when I think about Jimmy Johnson’s quote, no week is actually ordinary.  I did my typical thing – answered several inquiries about the program, tracked down some fieldwork contracts, helped a former student with paperwork – particularly program information for a license to practice in England -- and started the ACOTE Biennial report in earnest. (I cannot even remember how many of these ACOTE reports I have helped organize, prepare, and accumulate information for but it has been many in the 10 ½ years I have now been here at Sacred Heart University).  The extraordinary part of any week here at SHU is all the people I come in contact with. 

This week the Occupational Therapy Program, along with Athletic Training/Exercise Science students sponsored a successful blood drive for the Red Cross.  It was a two-day event held on main campus at Sacred Heart.  The Student Nursing Association sponsored one day and our OT students together with Athletic Training and Exercise Science students sponsored the second day.  The Red Cross coordinator was pleased with the results even though we dealt with some weather and scheduling issues.  Anyways kudos to all the students who helped in anyway—you are extraordinary to feel moved to want to help others in this way!

We have another round of interviews of applicants scheduled for next week.  It is always fun to actually put faces to the people I have been talking to on the phone and through email so I am clearly looking forward to that day.  It is also enjoyable to see all the Sacred Heart undergraduates that I have been talking to since they were freshman or sophomores finally reach the point where they are being interviewed to enter the program.  You are also extraordinary.  You set a goal for yourself to enter the Occupational Therapy program and worked hard to get there.  Here you are at the threshold and that is extraordinary. 

Let’s hope for an early spring as this extraordinarily cold and snowy New England weather is starting to get to me.  I will work on some new pictures for my next blog.

Better Late than Never (I think?)

Some time has passed and I figured that it is time for another post to my blog.  I actually had this in my documents and forgot to post it. So, anyways, here it is-even if it is a little older news.

 So the Fall semester ended in mid December.  All our second year Occupational Therapy students successfully completed their first Level 2 fieldwork assignments and our first year OT students successfully survived their first semester of graduate school and PBL (problem based learning).  Good for them.  My Spirituality in Health Care class completed another successful semester with enthusiastic, interested students. 

 

The University closed for almost two weeks for the Christmas break.  I must admit I really enjoyed this break.  It was a nice chance to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family.  We attended some Christmas parties and visited some friends and family. We spent a snowy weekend in Newport, Rhode Island.  I had never seen Newport in the snow and it was actually peaceful and beautiful.  Since we walked to everything, we did not need to worry about moving our car and driving so we were not bothered much by the weather.

 

An online version of Spirituality in Health Care was offered over the Winter Intercession.  It is a condensed, fast paced version of our course but I think we cover the basic content and students successfully complete it. 

Oh-- and I put my daughter who is a SHU Nursing student, on a plane on January 2 to Ireland to Study Abroad at Sacred Heart University’s Dingle campus for a Winter Intercession course.  I have been getting daily reports and viewing some pictures and it sounds like she is having a wonderful time and fun experience there.  There is a group of SHU students there who are taking a class and participating in field trips, hikes, sight seeing, and many other activities.  The pictures seem to indicate they are also exploring the pubs and local hangouts of Dingle.  What a wonderful opportunity for students!

 

Our Occupational Therapy students returned to class on January 5, 2009…oh yes, it is now 2009 (happy new year!) and all I can think is … here we go again as another semester starts.

“Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it.”~Eileen Caddy

I took a few days out of the office last week for our annual fall getaway.  This year we decided to go to Niagara Falls and stay on the Canadian side.  The foliage was beautiful and the falls were breathtaking. The sound of the water almost surrounds you with its powerful thunder yet it is not unpleasant at all.  A rainbow was constantly visible over Horseshoe Falls. The air was misty…and so on and so on – indescribable-- yet, surely, nature at its finest.

In talking with some friends about the experience, it seems to become clearer all the time that while we think we (mankind) are the masters and centers of the universe, we are really insignificant when you consider the magnitude of nature and God.  And so it was with Niagara Falls: the volume is somewhere around 700,000 gallons of water per second going over the falls.  It is powerful and beautiful yet almost surreal in its furiosity

The streets and sites on the Canadian side were empty as it was off season.  We had never been to Niagara Falls so we did all the touristy stuff like Maid of the Mist. We found ourselves surrounded by people from all over the world. We seemed to walk and walk and walk more (well, I got my steps in those days for the SHU walking contest).   We also took a road trip to Niagara on the Lake and explored some of the wineries.  We took a tour and learned the proper way to taste and drink wine (chugging is not acceptable).  We learned all about ice wine which I think may be unique to this area.  As I have always believed, learning is a never ending process!!

I was wearing one of my Sacred Heart fleece jackets as it was a little cool that far north.  As we went into a restaurant, a waitress asked me where Sacred Heart University was located as she had not heard of it.  We had a pleasant discussion about Sacred Heart and I suggested she check out the website as there are many Canadian students at Sacred Heart.  I seem to recall that many of SHU’s hockey team members are Canadian. Anyway, I hope she finds a college that is a good fit for her.

Well, enough of my musings for now……. Back to work and the real world and Occupational Therapy and everyday life.

Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~ Ann Ruth Schabaker

This past week, I had a nice surprise.  One of our former  (now graduated and practicing) Occupational Therapy students came to see me.  She has been working as a traveling occupational therapist and is in the process of applying for licenses to practice in Ireland and England.  She had a stack of forms that needed to be completed verifying the academic program as well as all her fieldwork experiences.  We went through the forms and filled out all the required information for the Ireland license.  It was fun to catch up and find out what has been going on in her life.  Knowing the students is really one of the satisfying parts of the job at Sacred Heart.  Because our program is small, we really do know get to know our students and hear from most of them long after they graduate!  Anyway, I believe this is the first time we have had a student apply for licensing outside of the United States…guess we are going global.  I made her promise (or at least strongly suggested) to take our Level 2 students for their fieldwork affiliations (clinicals) in whatever country she ends up practicing in so more of our students can have that international fieldwork experience. 

Not to change the subject, but a month-long walking contest began October 1 for SHU employees.  We are supposed to wear pedometers and record our steps each day. At the end of the month, we hand in the sheets containing our record of the number of steps taken for October.   While I have no aspirations of first place, I figured it cannot hurt and can only be a healthy thing to do right?  So, at noon today I went to the lobby of Cambridge where I joined others and eight of us walked around the neighborhoods near Cambridge campus.  We walked for about 30 minutes and I must admit that it was a pretty good workout.  What a great idea to get up and move and a lot of fun to chat with everyone while we did it!!!

Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity~from: Tao Te Ching

Four weeks into the fall semester and things have calmed down quite a bit.  The Spirituality class is going well - great students who come prepared and seem interested every week.  Mary Ellen Johnson and I are looking forward to having these students in Sacred Heart's Occupational Therapy Program in the next year or two.

I am getting to know our new Occupational Therapy class.  The students seem to be a great group, classes are going well, and it is nice to have such enthusiasm around us. They are getting ready to begin their pediatric fieldwork in the next few days so hopefully everyone will have a meaningful and valuable clinical experience. I am proud of myself because I pretty much know everyone's name now (of course, some of these students I have been talking with since they were undergraduate freshman so I had a head start).  I have attached a picture of our new class to this blog. .  (and did you notice -- FOUR male students -- so maybe the female predominance in the OT field is starting to fade...?)

Our second year students are all out on their Level 2 fieldwork in a variety of settings and everyone seems to be doing well which is always good news.

Many undergraduate students are inquiring and seeking some advisement as they begin the application process for a September 2009 start of the program.  I just love speaking with them because they are excited and motivated and just cannot wait to get into the program with so much enthusiasm for Occupational Therapy as a profession.  Life is good.

The Calm Before the Storm....

I just read a paragraph on a NASA web site that stated "The calm before the storm isn't a new concept by any means. It was recognized long ago that before a severe storm, the air is still and the birds stop singing and go to shelter. "Calm continueth not long without a storm." This quote from an unknown source was written in 1576." (http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/scienceques2003/20030926.htm) 

So here we are - in that calm period before the storm, that is before classes begin on Tuesday.  The construction projects are complete, setting up rooms and organizational projects are done.  My Spirituality course is posted and available to students on Blackboard.  Students have responded well to getting all their paperwork and required forms for fieldwork in to me and it is just now the occasional question or last minute form. 

Over the weekend, students move into the dorms. The dining halls, bookstore, lounges, etc. will have come alive again.  On Tuesday, we will have shuttles (SHUttles) again running, students in the halls, life, noise and excitement around us as we settle in for another academic year.  Can't wait.

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining~~ John F. Kennedy

All our ducks must be in a row. It is that time of year. Beginning in September, we will have one class going on a full-time Level 2 fieldwork assignment and our new incoming class will be going on their first Level 1 fieldwork assignments. We must have everything in place in order for them to be placed in their respective fieldwork assignments. It is that time of year when all health forms must be updated with new physicals and PPD tests (TB), data sheets, health insurance and CPR certifications must be updated, clinical contracts must be reviewed, and so on. I shuffle a lot of paperwork these days. I send a lot of emails letting students know they have documents that are expiring and need to be updated as soon as possible – if not sooner!! We talk to many fieldwork sites to assure that our contracts are still in effect and discuss whether they can take students this coming fall semester. We make sure all the behind the scenes logistics are taken care of. It gets crazy but when September rolls around, hopefully all students will smoothly begin fieldwork (and never know what it took to get them there!)

Spirituality for me is recognizing that I am connected to the energy of all creation, that I am a part of it and it is always a part of me ~ Oprah Winfrey

This post is going to be a bit off my usual topic of Occupational Therapy at Sacred Heart.  I also mentioned I co-teach Spirituality in Health Care course.  I just had an epiphany of sorts and feel moved to blog about that.

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend or the unofficial start of summer.  We went to Rhode Island and opened things up, cleaned up, and basically got ready for another season.  South County in Rhode Island is nicest this time of year and in the fall.  The crowds have not yet arrived; the sky is clear without humidity allowing amazingly clear visibility of Block Island; and the beaches are quiet and unassuming.  We try to enjoy things now because it will not be too long until the crowds arrive and one has to search harder for a quiet, peaceful spot to kick back and enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean. 

In my Spirituality class, we often talk about ‘spiritual’ moments.  Have you experienced one?  What are they like?  How did your senses react? How did you feel? What were you doing? 

My spiritual moments seem to happen on a deserted patch of shoreline in Rhode Island.  Just walking along the shore, I become completely unaware of time passing and my surroundings.  The sounds of nature such as waves crashing, birds squawking, or a distant boat engine seem to blur. I do not experience multiplicity with my surroundings but a sense of connectedness and oneness.  It is joyful, sacred, the mind, body and spirit connected, innate and personal. 

Students often share that they lose themselves in music, physical activities such as running or dancing, prayer, or reading and have spiritual moments as well.  They struggle to describe the indescribable.  Spiritual moments don’t just happen in churches but can happen anywhere.  We just need to open ourselves up and recognize them.

Holiday weekends and breaks are great chances to ‘re-create’ and renew ourselves.  I know I appreciated this past weekend.  Well I have rambled on enough for today…