OT and nursing students participate in fieldwork readiness lab

December 20, 2023 – DENTON – In preparation for fieldwork and clinical experiences, Texas Woman’s nursing and occupational therapy students strengthened their skills at an interprofessional event on November 28. 

Dallas and Denton graduate students in the School of Occupational Therapy collaborated with senior students from the College of Nursing and rotated through a simulation lab in Dallas. 

Linda Barnett, OTD, an assistant clinical professor and fieldwork associate at the Dallas Center,  designed the fieldwork readiness lab for Dallas and Denton students in the entry level OTD program who were preparing to enter their experiential learning through fieldwork placements beginning in January 2024.

Barnett worked with Jennifer Milligan, an associate clinical professor and BSN Coordinator from the College of Nursing, to ensure students had the opportunity to experience interdisciplinary education from their peers. This was the third year Barnett implemented the fieldwork readiness experience, the second year nursing students and Milligan participated and the first year the nursing simulation lab was utilized on the Dallas campus. More than 50 OT students from Dallas and Denton campuses and five senior nursing students from Dallas participated in the event.

In the first part it was the nursing students who were the instructors. They demonstrated proper line management with OT students during patient transfers. OT students were given simulated catheters and IVs, and nursing students instructed OT students on safety when transferring patients. Nursing students discussed vital signs, normal ranges and how a sudden change in status could impact a patient’s ability to participate in therapy. OT students were also instructed how certain medications could impact therapy sessions and to remember to consult the nurse before beginning treatment.

Next, it was the OT students turn to instruct. OT students informed nursing students on the scope and practice of OT and discussed various precautions patients may exhibit with various diagnoses such as hip or fall precautions following surgery.  

Several OT faculty from Dallas and Denton were present to review range of motion, manual muscle testing, transfers, school-based therapy and assessments. 

“OT and nursing students gained additional knowledge from one another contributing to a productive interdisciplinary experience as students prepare for experiential learning as both nursing and occupational therapy students,” Barnett said.