Takes risks to maximize outcomes
In the field of OT, being willing to take risks is necessary in order to help clients make progress towards their goals. I believe it's also another way to ensure that occupational therapy students will not fall into a routine by doing the same interventions over and over simply because they know these interventions work. Even though these interventions work, our clients will become bored of repeatedly doing the same thing. Being willing to take the risk and try something new, whether it's to decrease boredom or an undesired behavior, may lead to positive results for everyone involved. These positive results may ultimately yield maximal client outcomes like making good progress towards goals or meeting goals.
For instance, during my fourth fieldwork rotation, my fieldwork educator and I risked opposition from one of our most outspoken and impulsive clients by implementing the Impulse Control Rating Scale System (ICRSS) in our group sessions. The ICRSS is similar to a visual board used in pediatrics to help the child see the results of his positive behavior. In this case, each group member would be able to see her progress in that day's session. For example, Juanita may have received 4 out of 4 stars because she was able to stay seated, keep an inside voice, not interrupt others, and respect both her peers and the group leader with 2 or fewer verbal cues. The group leader would review these ratings at the beginning and end of each session to keep members motivated. To provide incentive for wanting to do well with the ICRSS, the group will be allowed a cooking session if all group members can receive at least 3 out of 4 stars each session for 5 to 6 sessions.
This client is a part of the lowest functioning group which tends to have difficulty with attention, memory, and controlling impulses, such as staying seated, yelling or shouting, interrupting others, and respecting peers and group leaders. Each client's goal revolves around all three of these categories (i.e. attention, memory, and controlling impulses). Unfortunately they were no longer making progress on their goals. Their behavior had gotten so out of control that my fieldwork educator was willing to try anything to help them make some sort of progress towards their goals.
The first session that we implemented the ICRSS worked very well. All members tried their very best to take control of themselves so they could get as many stars as they could in order to be able to cook in a few weeks. The majority of my clients received 4 out of 4 stars which was a big accomplishment for these women. I encouraged them to continue working on controlling their impulses so they can do a cooking group within the next 3 weeks.
Overall, implementing the ICRSS was a risky decision because it could have gone one of two ways: our client would have been totally opposed to going along with this new rewards system or she would have been compliant if she could ultimately cook her own meal. Fortunately for us, the latter happened for us and we were able to see tremendous adjustments on our clients' parts. This was one of those situations where taking a risk by implementing an intervention (ICRSS) to work on client goals yielded the right amount of challenge that would incentivize our clients to make progress in their sessions to ultimately achieve maximal outcomes like meeting their goals.
For instance, during my fourth fieldwork rotation, my fieldwork educator and I risked opposition from one of our most outspoken and impulsive clients by implementing the Impulse Control Rating Scale System (ICRSS) in our group sessions. The ICRSS is similar to a visual board used in pediatrics to help the child see the results of his positive behavior. In this case, each group member would be able to see her progress in that day's session. For example, Juanita may have received 4 out of 4 stars because she was able to stay seated, keep an inside voice, not interrupt others, and respect both her peers and the group leader with 2 or fewer verbal cues. The group leader would review these ratings at the beginning and end of each session to keep members motivated. To provide incentive for wanting to do well with the ICRSS, the group will be allowed a cooking session if all group members can receive at least 3 out of 4 stars each session for 5 to 6 sessions.
This client is a part of the lowest functioning group which tends to have difficulty with attention, memory, and controlling impulses, such as staying seated, yelling or shouting, interrupting others, and respecting peers and group leaders. Each client's goal revolves around all three of these categories (i.e. attention, memory, and controlling impulses). Unfortunately they were no longer making progress on their goals. Their behavior had gotten so out of control that my fieldwork educator was willing to try anything to help them make some sort of progress towards their goals.
The first session that we implemented the ICRSS worked very well. All members tried their very best to take control of themselves so they could get as many stars as they could in order to be able to cook in a few weeks. The majority of my clients received 4 out of 4 stars which was a big accomplishment for these women. I encouraged them to continue working on controlling their impulses so they can do a cooking group within the next 3 weeks.
Overall, implementing the ICRSS was a risky decision because it could have gone one of two ways: our client would have been totally opposed to going along with this new rewards system or she would have been compliant if she could ultimately cook her own meal. Fortunately for us, the latter happened for us and we were able to see tremendous adjustments on our clients' parts. This was one of those situations where taking a risk by implementing an intervention (ICRSS) to work on client goals yielded the right amount of challenge that would incentivize our clients to make progress in their sessions to ultimately achieve maximal outcomes like meeting their goals.