Entering the OT Field in the Time of COVID-19

Starting fieldwork or entering the workforce as a new occupational therapy graduate can be challenging for anyone, at any time. New buildings, new faces, managing a caseload, doing paperwork, maintaining productivity, and trying to provide the highest quality services possible with little experience is sure to be a little intimidating for anyone. But if you throw a pandemic, social distancing, sanitizing procedures, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in the mix, it will really throw new graduates off their feet! I completed my Level II fieldworks prior to the pandemic, but graduated and began job searching in May 2020 after the pandemic began. Post-pandemic world was truly a different world compared to my fieldwork experiences. Despite the challenges I have faced since beginning professional work about 6 months ago, I feel stronger and better equipped to be an OT practitioner than I would have otherwise. Here are some tips I learned along the way.

1. Flexibility is key! In any OT setting right now, things are constantly changing. Where I live, we have come in and out of various phases of COVID-19 related restrictions numerous times. Each time those change, the regulations at my facility change as well. In school-based settings practitioners have transitioned from remote learning and services to in-person, and back multiple times. The starting and stopping of elective surgeries also can drastically change a caseload in some settings. Being aware of those changes and being prepared to adapt on the fly is so important. OT students and practitioners are great at adaptations, so now is the time to put that to use! I write down any new changes, rules, restrictions, and guidelines all in one spot as they come up. Keeping organized with this method has helped me keep track of what is current and has avoided a lot of confusion with coworkers and supervisors.
2. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Mental health concerns began rising throughout the pandemic across many ages and populations (Czeisler et al., 2020). Seeing clients in hospital, rehabilitation, or long-term care settings isolated from loved ones due to visitation restrictions can be hard. Also, it is common for children to have increased behavioral challenges due to heightened anxiety during the pandemic. On top of that, practitioner and student mental health concerns, including burn out, are on the rise making it increasingly important to find work-life balance. Be sure to find time for self-care, whatever that looks like for you, so when you are with clients you are the best version of yourself. Remember, for some clients, you might be one of the only people they are seeing in person right now, which increases the importance of you taking care of yourself, so that you can give them your best.
3. Have patience and resilience. I am sure I am not alone in having my plans flipped upside down in this past year. Cancelled fieldworks and changing job markets have been so common. Know that your time will come. Your school will find a fieldwork placement for you. You will find a job. It may not follow the timeline you originally planned but remember that as a student or a new graduate you have a fresh perspective. It is most likely much easier for you to adapt and fit things like additional sanitization and PPE into your routine than someone who has been practicing for many years. Make that clear in interviews or be on the lookout for ways you can simplify those processes at your fieldwork site and share them with your fieldwork educators. Also, be open to things you did not expect. Maybe the fieldwork placement you had your heart set on wouldn’t have taught you as much as a new opportunity being offered to you.

Being flexible, keeping self-care a priority, and having patience are keys to navigating professional and academic life during the pandemic. Be open to the opportunities that come your way and be open to new opportunities while finding the career path meant for you. When setbacks become a part of your journey, remember these strategies and you may come back from this stronger, and more resilient than ever.

Reference

Czeisler, M. É., Lane, R. I., Petrosky, E., Wiley, J. F., Christensen, A., Njai, R., … Rajaratnam, S. M. W. (2020). Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic—United States, June 24–30, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69, 1049–1057. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1  

Jessica Gaffney, MS, OTR/L, graduated last year from Gannon University and is now a practicing OT in both pediatric and skilled nursing settings. She is also currently serving as the Chief Editor of the OTSP and has enjoyed growing and getting to work with so many intelligent people! In her free time, she loves crafting and spending time with family and friends. 

October 2021