OT Placement Student Spotlight: Maxine Oco

Maxine Oco was first drawn to occupational therapy when she witnessed an OT help her stepfather regain his independence by supporting his return to activities of daily living such as toileting and cooking after a major event landed him in the hospital. We caught up with her to learn about her recent placement at St. Mary’s Hospital in Camrose.

Tell us about your recent placement.
On the surgical unit, I worked with post-operative hip- and knee-replacement patients where I prepared them for discharge by taking them through the care path as taught by my preceptor: mobilize around the unit with a walker, use the stairs with a cane, and practice a tub/car transfer. On the medicine units, I mostly performed initial assessments, observed patients doing tasks such as dressing and toileting and conducted cognitive assessments. 

I also followed patients through the stroke care path and created rehabilitation plans to support their cognitive and physical recovery. We set up wheelchairs for patients to ensure they were positioned correctly while in hospital, and adjusted and fit a Philadelphia or soft collar for patients' positioning. I also shadowed the OTs working with the dietician to conduct swallowing assessments to determine appropriate and safe diets for patients. 

What did you learn and/or what impacted you the most?
My ability to build relationships with patients in an acute care setting impacted me most. I worked with the same patients almost daily for at least a week and this allowed me to build strong relationships with them and truly hear their lived experiences. I believe it was the rural setting that allowed me to spend more time with patients. Not having to see a “quota” of patients per day allowed me to take my time with planning their rehabilitation goals. Observing the care path of a patient as it flowed through the entire interdisciplinary team opened my eyes to the importance of addressing all aspects of a patient holistically. Whether it be a dietician or cognitive assessment referral, all team members’ treatment with a patient affected each other, so interdisciplinary communication was a foundation for patient care and building rapport with patients.

How will you apply what you learned to your professional and student life?
Now, during classes, I will always try to implement my clinical reasoning as to why we learn what we learn. I understand that what we learn has a purpose that we can apply to every patient we interact with. Most of all, I am reminded to consider all aspects of an individual, to ensure meaningful interactions and treatment.

Where did you experience the most personal growth through this experience?
I tend to have imposter syndrome, especially when training in a new profession. However, my ability to adapt quickly to patients and build rapport with them helped me build my confidence in my ability as an OT, even as a Level 1 placement student. My personal project, which was the creation of an informative brochure about cognitive assessments, was even hung up throughout the hospital! 

How has this experience impacted you as an occupational therapist?
I was exposed to ALL things occupational therapy! From ADL assessments to cognitive screens, wheelchair and positioning setups, splinting, and more — my experience at St. Mary’s Hospital taught me about the variety of roles I can have as an occupational therapist. With this in mind, in my future career, I will ensure that I still maintain my boundaries and understand my scope versus when it is appropriate to refer to different team members (especially after learning how coherent interdisciplinary teams can be). In my future profession, I will bring the confidence I learned and the soft skills that grew daily with patient interactions. For example, my use of simple language when explaining ideas to patients strengthened, and my ability to use clinical reasoning became better throughout my placement.

Would you recommend that students take part in placements?
Yes! They are the best way to take what is learned in class and apply it in an unpredictable, real-life setting. We can practice as much as we can in school, but placements are the only way we will be exposed to a variety of lived experiences and be challenged to adapt our practice in real time.

What advice would you like to share with future students in this program?
Be open-minded! It is okay to not know where you want to work as an occupational therapist. There are so many areas of OT, so don’t let it overwhelm you, and know that you can change your mind during school, or even years into the profession! You are going to bring purpose and meaning to so many people’s lives, so make sure you are in a field that you are passionate about!