31 Dec 2009

Throw the blog a bone…

I swear I have not forgotten your existence, oh bloggety blog. The real world isn't much fun – I much prefer the student world – but I do still love OT. I just wish I didn't have to go to work 40 hours a week, lol. I want to go back for my PhD in a few years I think.

I'm learning to think on my toes….sometimes I help out in inpatient and I get thrown things were I am like are you KIDDING ME? lol. But it's good pratice and everyne is helpful. I am just a cautious person! I'm still striving daily to be a FUNctional OT and not just a coney, but some days I definitely find it more difficult than others. I can't wait to get certified in modalities. It's not fun to go put an icepack in a pillowcase and wait for someone else to slap it on the pt when I know exactly what to do and just am not allowed to do it!  I also would like to take a few basic neuro and ortho cases. I need to watch the PT do some shoulder stuff as well. I've got a lot to learn, yo. 
I'm getting more comfortable with throwing words around like facilitation, neuromuscular re-education, PNF patterns, isometrics, blah blah blah….my school was really big on mental health and not so big on phys dys, so I feel I am very very weak in that area compared to a lot of peeps, but I learn day by day, and that's all I can ask really, is to keep learning! I bought the book Therapeutic Exercises by ummm….I forget who know, but i've talked about it before. And I am helping two friends study for the PT boards, lol….yes PT not OT. I bought the PT Exam book :X Because I get so tired of PTs talking about all this stuff I don't know about so I want to learn more about it! Distractions and oscillations and their anatomy is wayyyyyyyy better than mine.
I am so tired all the time – I don't have a lot of desire to write when I am home – too bad I can't blog from work and get paid for it, lol. Um….I love OT!
I have been playing on OTConnections slightly more. Good resource.
Okay more some other time, this was enough of a bone for now right? 🙂 
Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: none

16 Dec 2009

Preventing healthcare acquired infections like MRSA…

Barbara
Barbara Dunn has been e-mailing me about preventable infections – I need to check out the website for more information as it looks pretty interesting. One thing I always wonder about is the clipboards that get carried around everywhere! Check it out. 🙂

 I'd like to inform you and the readers of Occupational Therapy Students (B)e(LO)n(G) about how to protect patients and healthcare workers from the huge number of preventable infections people are catching in hospitals and other medical care facilities.

I've created a useful site that you're welcome to check out and take any resources from you like:

http://haiwatchnews.com

That site is a summary of a bigger effort by Kimberly-Clark Healthcare called “Not on My Watch” which is aimed at eliminating completely preventable healthcare acquired infections like MRSA and ventilator-associated pneumonia.  Complete information about the “Not on My Watch” campaign can be found at www.haiwatch.com.

Please let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you.

Barbara Dunn
barbara@haiwatchnews.com
www.haiwatch.com

Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: 1

1 Dec 2009

OT

My classmate Dori….(well one class below me) is doing an internship here….we were representin' at a sushi restaurant or Thai or something I think.

It KILLS ME KILLS KILLS ME KILLS ME I can't share specific stories….today I have some stories I'd really like to share!! ARGH!!! It hurts!! I guess I can say this much….I like to use rest breaks productively….for patients who are into self-expression I encourage them to bring in their stories, poems, pictures, scrapbooks, whatever it is they want to share about their life…. (this is especially interesting when working with victims of trauma) – so that during a rest break they can share…

My other goal is that the patient goes home and makes their family jealous of therapy because it's so awesome, haha. I don't have that hard of a time doing that with younger patients who need global training (like lots of deficits to work on). But when it's a patient with just a hand injury or something I find it harder to make it awesome even though I know, I know, a good OT would have no problems making that work. I wish I had an unlimited budget for craft supplies and stuff. Hmmm.

As a new occupational therapist (um I started Sept 1st so 3 months now!) it's so easy to feel utterly incompetent…but I'm sitting here doing adult outpatient physical dysfunction iin another state, whipping out 700s and learning more about the CRAPPINESS of insurance companies lol, and if I had been a student I would just now be done….so…I guess I need to be patient. I keep being told it takes a year, or five, ahaha, to feel okay…..

Hmmm
Better go prep for tomorrow…
I hope y'all had a nice Thanksgiving
PS I have 152 new mails to look at and over 200 to review/respond to, so um….yah 🙁
PS2 I need art ideas 🙂

Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: 3