LEVEL I FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

FIELDWORK CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

 

The LATI OTA program faculty, clinical faculty, and student shall respect the right for confidentiality of clients/patients and fellow professionals.  Information, which promotes effective client/patient care or student education, may be shared with appropriate individuals.  Personal information and/or prejudicial remarks that could diminish the quality of client/patient care or student education are in violation of this confidentiality policy and may violate state and federal privacy law.

 

The LATI OTA Academic Fieldwork Coordinator:

 

May

May Not

Communicate the level of supervision the student needs at the fieldwork facility.

Communicate clinical or academic performance level at other fieldwork sites.

Communicate types of fieldwork settings that the student has previously experience.

Communicate the type of clinical experience that student needs at the facility.

 

The Primary Fieldwork Educator/Clinical Supervisor:

 

May

May Not

Communicate to the LATI Academic Fieldwork Coordinator the student’s strengths, weaknesses and performance level.

Communicate the student’s ability to co-workers, peers, patients, family, friends, or others that are not directly involved in the student’s education process. 

Communicate to their own supervisor/manager the performance abilities of the student, as appropriate.

 

The Students:

 

May

May Not

Have access to the written evaluation of the site through the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

Communicate to others (outside the OTA Program) any confidential information observed at the fieldwork site.  This may include:

ü      Patient information

ü      Facility information

ü      Professional conduct of employees/contractors of facility/business

Communicate to the LATI Academic Fieldwork Coordinator the strengths and weaknesses of their fieldwork experience.

Communicate any prejudicial remarks about previous fieldwork facilities.

 

 

INSURANCE POLICY

Health Insurance:

Each OTA student enrolled in the OTA program is required to have health insurance or sign a waiver indicating that they will be responsible for any cost incurred from an illness or injury during the course of the academic or clinical periods of the program.  The students must be able to show proof of their insurance upon request from the academic or clinical facility.

 

Professional Liability Insurance:

All students attending a fieldwork placement must have professional liability insurance. The student must be able to show proof of this insurance upon request from the academic or clinical facility.

 

 

IMMUNIZATIONS POLICY

 

Students are required to provide documentation of immunizations that are required by LATI or the fieldwork site Immunization documentation includes but is not limited the following:

 

 

TRAVEL POLICY

 

OTA students are responsible for making his/her own travel arrangements.

 

HOUSING POLICY

 

OTA students are responsible for securing their own housing arrangements for living accommodations during fieldwork experience.

 

PERSONAL BUSINESS POLICY

 

OTA students should avoid making appointments for personal business during the time they are scheduled for fieldwork. 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

 

During a Level I Fieldwork experience the student is expected to attend the entire week and be punctual.  The students have been told that they are a guest in the facility and they should be respectful and appreciative of the staff’s time.   An absence due to medical emergency or family emergency must be reported to the LATI OTA Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and the Primary Fieldwork Educator at the earliest opportunity.  The Academic Fieldwork Coordinator will make arrangements to make up for the lost time.

 

Assignments

 

For the Level I Fieldwork experience the student is expected to complete specific assignments. The Academic Fieldwork Coordinator will grade these assignments.  The Primary Fieldwork Educator may also assign facility specific/practice specific homework to the student.

 

GRADING POLICY

 

Upon completion of the Fieldwork I –A or Fieldwork I – B course, the Primary Fieldwork Educator will evaluate the student and the student will hand in assignments.  The Academic Fieldwork Coordinator will then assign a Pass/Fail grade to the student based on the evaluation and the assignments.  The student must achieve at least 30 points on the Fieldwork Level I Evaluation Form, 80% on the assignments and submit the site evaluation signed by their supervisor.

 

Fieldwork Grade AppealS

 

Any student who wishes to appeal a Level I Fieldwork grade must notify the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator within 14 days of notification of the failing grade.  The student, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Primary Fieldwork Educator and OTA Program Director will meet to determine the outcome of the appeal process.  If the student is unsatisfied with the appeal outcome, the student may then appeal the grade to LATI’s Assistant Director of Student Needs.

 

 

Dress Code

Foreword

The OTA programs requires that students dress in a professional manner, however facility policy can override LATI dress policy at the Primary Fieldwork Educators or Clinical Supervisors discretion.  If questions arise that cannot be readily answered, students are advised to follow LATI dress code policy.

 

Any student who disregards the dress code of the facility jeopardizes the future relationship between Lake Area Technical Institute’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program and the facility.  For this reason, dress code is taken very seriously and any violation of the facility’s dress code could result in suspension from the site if correction is not made after an appropriate verbal warning.

 

Guidelines are as follows:

 

1.      Students will wear a nametag denoting OTA students daily.

2.      Professional dress should include conservative and tasteful attire.

3.      Clothes must be clean and in good condition (free of fading, tears, holes, wrinkles, etc).

4.      Footwear should be practical and safe in conjunction with setting and situation.

5.      Avoid sweat suits, workout clothes, denim jeans, ECT.

6       Special care should be taken to ensure good personal hygiene.  Body perfumes and odors should be minimized, including the smell of smoke.

7.      Hair must be neat and pinned back if excessively long.  Beards and mustaches should be neatly trimmed.

8.         Make-up and nail polish should be conservative and not distracting.  Nails should be trimmed

 

 

 

STUDENT GRIEVANCE POLICY & PROCEDURE

 

Purpose           To establish a method for expressing grievances during fieldwork experiences.

 

Policy:             Students participating in Level I and Level II Fieldworks shall follow steps of specific criteria to address any grievances should they occur.

Procedure:

1.   The student shall follow the grievance procedures outlined in the facility policy and procedures manual for specific grievances regarding personnel and/or facility issues.

 

2.   The student shall express the grievance to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program’s Fieldwork Coordinator and/or Program Director from Lake Area Technical Institute at the beginning of the next business day with written documentation to follow.

 

3.   Grievances regarding fieldwork grades shall be handled in accordance with academic grievance procedures as outlined in the “Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Policies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPERVISOR GRIEVANCE POLICY & PROCEDURE

 

Purpose:         To establish a method for Primary Fieldwork Educators/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisors to express grievances against an OTA student.

 

Policy:             Primary Fieldwork Educators/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisors of Level I and Level II Fieldwork experiences shall be given a procedure to address grievances against an OTA student.

 

Procedures: 

 

  1. Primary Fieldwork Educators/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisors are encouraged to follow their facility’s policies and procedures regarding grievances against a student if there is documentation pertaining to the specific grievance.  Additionally, the following steps should be completed.

 

    1. The Primary Fieldwork Educator/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisor should review the complaint with the OTA student,
    2. The Primary Fieldwork Educator/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisor should contact the OTA Program Academic Fieldwork Coordinator the same day to inform LATI of the grievance.
    3. A copy of the grievance should be mailed or faxed to the OTA Program Academic Fieldwork Coordinator by the end of the same day.

 

  1. Primary Fieldwork Educators/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisors are encouraged to follow the steps listed below if their facility does not have a policy regarding grievance of an OTA student.

 

    1. The Primary Fieldwork Educator/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisor should review the complaint with the OTA student.
    2. Primary Fieldwork Educators/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisors are encouraged to complete the “Fieldwork Supervisor’s Grievance “ form.
    3. The student’s Clinical Fieldwork Supervisor should contact the OTA Program Academic Fieldwork Coordinator the same day to inform LATI of the grievance.
    4. A copy of the grievance should be mailed or faxed to the OTA Program Academic Fieldwork Coordinator by the end of the same day.

 

  1. The Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and the OTA Program Director from LATI will discuss the specific grievance with the Primary Fieldwork Educator/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisor and/or student.

 

    1.  Action taken against the student will depend on:

a.       Any existing policies the facility may have regarding the grievance.

b.       Any existing policies LATI may have regarding the grievance.

c.       The severity of the grievance.

d.       The recommendations of the Primary Fieldwork Educator/Clinical Fieldwork Supervisor and the staff of the OTA program at LATI.

 

    1. Every effort will be made to come to a mutual agreement for resolution between LATI and the facility.
    2. LATI shall assume responsibility for discussing the action against the student with the student.