The Betty Project: Jump-Starting Clinical Observation Skills in an OTA Curriculum

SUMMARY In the practice environment of many therapy practitioners today, fieldwork educators may have limited time for instructing students in applying basic theoretical concepts. Educators are therefore challenged to develop students who have the tools necessary to be successful in the clinical world. Based on input from fieldwork educators, the "Betty Project" was developed to provide opportunities for occupational therapy assisting students to hone clinical observation and documentation skills while still in a classroom setting. This modified role-play project gives students an opportunity to treat, make clinical observations, and learn to process and prioritize data for effective documentation. After implementation of this project, student performance in these areas on Level II fieldwork was markedly improved, as evidenced by scores on the FWE as well as fieldwork educator comments.