Student coping strategies and perceptions of fieldwork

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy education
• Clinical fieldwork
• Student coping mechanisms

Background:

• Fieldwork is a critical component of graduate occupational therapy programs.
• Students often encounter stress during clinical fieldwork experiences.
• Understanding student coping strategies is essential for program development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify coping strategies used by entry-level occupational therapy graduate students during fieldwork.
• To explore students' perceptions of their fieldwork experiences.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire, the revised Ways of Coping Checklist, was administered to graduate students.
• Data were collected from 101 students during their second level II fieldwork.
• Students reported on their coping strategies and perceptions of the experience.

Main Results:

• Problem-Focused and Seeks Social Support strategies were most frequently utilized.
• Wishful Thinking, Blamed Self, and Avoidance strategies were used less often.
• Over half of students reported stress; nearly all deemed the experience important and felt they had control.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapy students predominantly employ adaptive coping strategies like problem-solving and seeking support.
• Fieldwork, despite its stressors, is perceived as a valuable and manageable learning experience.
• Interventions supporting adaptive coping may enhance student success in clinical settings.