Manual for MS Student

University of Pittsburgh School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Department of Occupational Therapy Clinical Placement Agreement

 

I, ________________________________, a student in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, at the University of Pittsburgh (“the Department”) hereby acknowledge and agree to all of the following:

In accordance with the curriculum requirements outlined in the SHRS student
handbook, in order to complete the program in which I am enrolled, I will be required to complete clinical education placements within facilities external to the University (“Clinical Sites”).

 

While the Department will make every effort to place me in a facility to satisfy my educational requirement, it makes no guarantee to do so, and the factors that may determine their inability to do so include, but are not limited to, the results of any background check that I am required to submit to.

 

While I am participating in education at a Clinical Site, I will not be covered by worker’s compensation for any injuries sustained at the Clinical Site. Any expenses incurred related to the aforementioned injuries are my financial responsibility, to be paid directly by me or any applicable insurance policy that I own, according to the plan coverage.

 

In consideration for the clinical experience, I agree to hold the Department and the University harmless for any and all injuries sustained or expenses incurred resulting from my experience at a Clinical Site. I do this on behalf of myself and my heirs and assigns.

 

If I am placed at a Clinical Site that requires the use of a personal vehicle for transportation, I take full responsibility for ensuring that I have an appropriate driver’s license and automobile insurance. In consideration for the clinical experience, I agree to hold the Department and the University harmless for any and all injuries I sustain or financial expenses I incur traveling to or from a Clinical Site.

 

I hereby give my permission to the Department to release any and all information requested by a Clinical Site, as requested, for the purposes of placement. This consent to release does not include my Department application materials, personal references, or transcripts. I understand that under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that I have the right not to consent to the release of my educational records and I have the right to receive a copy of such records upon request.

My signature below indicates my understanding and agreement to the terms set forth above:

 

Student name (print)__________________________________________________

Student signature________________________________________________

Date__________________________

STUDENT WAIVER FOR FACULTY/STAFF REFERENCE

MS IN OT PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR EVALUATION

Department of Occupational Therapy

University of Pittsburgh

 

Student: _______________________ Evaluator: _______________________Date: ____________

1. INTEGRITY/DEPENDABILITY

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Consistent honesty; reliability; being able to be trusted with the property of others; can be trusted with confidential information; complete and accurate documentation of patient/client care and learning activities.

2. EMPATHY

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Showing compassion for others; responding appropriately to the emotional response of patients/clients and family members; demonstrating respect for others; demonstrating a calm, compassionate, and helpful demeanor toward those in need; a good listener; being supportive and reassuring to others.

3. SELF–MOTIVATION/INITIATION

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Taking initiative to complete assignments; taking initiative to improve and/or correct behavior; taking on and following through on tasks without constant supervision; showing enthusiasm for learning and improvement; consistently striving for excellence in all aspects of patient/client care and professional activities; accepting constructive feedback in a positive manner; taking advantage of learning opportunities

4. APPEARANCE AND PERSONAL HYGIENE

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Clothing is appropriate, neat, clean and well maintained; good personal hygiene and grooming, appropriate body language.

5. SELF–CONFIDENCE

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Demonstrating the ability to trust personal judgment; demonstrating an awareness of strengths and limitations; exercises good personal judgment.

6. COMMUNICATIONS

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Speaking clearly; writing legibly; using correct grammar; and punctuation; listening actively; adjusting communication strategies to various situations

7. TIME MANAGEMENT/ORGANIZATION

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Consistent punctuality; completing tasks and assignments on time; demonstrates the ability to plan ahead.

8. SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS/TEAMWORK

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Placing the success of others above self-interest; not undermining the team/peers; helping and supporting other team/peer/faculty members; showing respect for all team/peer/faculty members; remaining flexible and open to change; gives/receives feedback from supervisors appropriately; communicating with others to resolve problems.

9. RESPECT/COOPERATION

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Being polite and considerate to others; not using derogatory or demeaning terms; collaborates with others; behaving in a manner that brings credit to the profession.

10.  PATIENT/CLIENT ADVOCACY (CONFIDENTIALITY)

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Not allowing personal bias to or feelings to interfere with patient/client care; placing the needs of patients/clients above self-interest; protecting and respecting patient confidentiality and dignity.

11. CLINICAL REASONING/ DELIVERY OF SERVICE

No Problem [ ]

Potential Problem [ ]

Problem [ ]

Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: critical thinking, patient/client-centered problem solving; demonstrating careful and safe procedures; following policies, procedures, and protocols; following instructions.

Adapted from Affective Student Evaluations, Emergency Medicine Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

Use the back of this form to explain all Potential Problem or Problem ratings.

Identify specific behaviors and corrective actions.

Required Documents

All required documents are maintained with the Department of Occupational Therapy. OT students will receive detailed information from the Department regarding completion and submission of required documents.

Document Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Initial Health Appraisal X

Annual Health Appraisal
X X
10 Panel Drug Screen X X X
Health Insurance X X X
First Aid Training/Certification X
X
CPR/AED (Adult/Child) Training/Certification  X
X
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse: Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Pennsylvania X

Module: Bloodborne Pathogen Training X X X
Module: Information Privacy and Security Awareness Training for Physicians, Mid-level Providers, Dentists, Staff and Students Who Are Not Employed by UPMC but Who Encounter Protected Health Information in UPMC Facilities (HIPAA Certification) X

Module (CITI): Biomedical Course X

Module (CITI): Responsible Conduct of Research X

Module (CITI): Conflicts of Interest X

Module (CITI): GCP – Social and Behavioral Research Best Practice for Clinical Research X

Module (CITI): Privacy and Information Security X
 

PA Background Check (Criminal Abuse Clearance)

X X X
PA Child Abuse Clearance X X X

PA DHS Fingerprint-based Background Check

X X X
Academic Integrity Module X

Influenza Vaccination X X X
COVID-19 Vaccination Card (or exemption documentation) X X X
Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Overview X

COVID-19 Introduction Education Module (Wolff Module) X X X
SHRS New Student Survey, Orientation Acknowledgement and Photo Permission Form X
 

Note: Required documents are subject to change. OT students are responsible for any and all costs incurred to complete and maintain required documents.

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

MS IN OT PROGRAM

 

FACULTY AND STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL PRECEPTORSHIPS FOR MS IN OT PROGRAM

 

Course description: The clinical preceptorship provides a structured clinical experience with occupational therapists in clinical education sites.  This course provides experiential learning in a specialized area of occupational therapy practice (e.g., pediatrics, acute care) for the purpose of developing advanced skills related to a specialty practice area and familiarity with the U.S. Health Care System.

 

General Guidelines for clinical preceptorship:

Enrollment

Students can enroll in a clinical preceptorship for no more than 1 credit per term.
Students can enroll in up to two clinical preceptorships (one per term) during their program (Fall, Spring).
Students can enroll in one preceptorship (either research or clinical) in a term.

Clinical Preceptorship Objectives

The student will understand the evaluation, intervention, and documentation used at assigned clinical sites.
The student will find, analyze, and integrate scholarly works from both occupational therapy and other appropriate sources.

Clinical Preceptorship Expectations

Each term that a student registers for a clinical preceptorship, it is expected that the student will engage in the clinical preceptorship for 6-8 hours/week for six weeks. 
The student must show evidence of all site-specific required documents, bring copies of all completed required documents to the Clinical Supervisor on the first day of the clinical preceptorship. All copies must have the student’s name and University of Pittsburgh written in the upper right-hand corner. All copies should be on 8”x 11” paper. The student will not be able to begin the clinical preceptorship without the completed documents. If the student begins a clinical preceptorship late, time cannot be made up. 
The student will complete the Student Evaluation of Clinical Preceptorship and discuss the content with the Clinical Supervisor. 
The student will be formally evaluated once at each site using the “Evaluation of Student” form on the last day of the preceptorship.
Students will receive a grade based upon the successful completion of the clinical preceptorship criteria (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).
The student will demonstrate professional behavior throughout the clinical preceptorship. Professional behavior expectations include but not limited to; adherence to ethical standards, site’s policies and procedures, and safety regulations, demonstrate effective time management, initiative, engagement, preparedness, problem solving, and ability to follow through with responsibilities, collaborate with supervisor(s) to maximize learning experience and respond to constructive feedback, uses self-reflection, asks questions, and demonstrates ability to analyze, synthesize, and interpret information, communicates verbally and nonverbally with clients, supervisor, and staff; exhibits appropriate level of confidence; and verbal and written language is appropriate to the recipient of the information.
The student will follow dress code of the clinical preceptorship site.
The student will attend ALL assigned preceptorship dates, arrive at their clinical site prior to the scheduled start time, and be prepared to begin their clinical preceptorship on time. Attendance will be taken at each preceptorship session. Attendance and punctuality (unexcused absences, excused absences, lateness) are taken into account in the final course grade. If the student is unable to attend the preceptorship, student must notify the Instructor/AFWC or course liaison of the pending absence and the reason for absence, prior to the start of the preceptorship on the day of your absence. Excused absences may result in a reduction of points unless the reason relates to an extreme circumstance (e.g., illness, funeral, etc.).  Acceptance of the extreme circumstance will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Instructor/AFWC. The student will keep clinical supervisor’s work phone numbers with them in the event that preceptorship must be missed unexpectedly due to illness. The student will follow this procedure:

Follow the call-off procedure for the assigned clinical site.
Once the site has been contacted, contact Instructor/AFWCA via e-mail to update on your status.
Stay home and take care of your health.

The student must adhere to the clinical preceptorship schedule. Any changes or modifications must be discussed and approved by the Instructor/AFWCA prior to discussion with the Clinical Supervisor.

Specific guidelines for clinical preceptorship:

The clinical preceptorships will take place in the fall and spring term.
In any given term a student can only enroll in one clinical preceptorship.
The Instructor/AFWC confirms the preceptorship with the site and subsequently informs the student.
In the event that a clinical site cancels a confirmed Clinical Preceptorship, a new assignment is made by the Instructor. Every attempt is made to secure an alternate placement as soon as possible however, an unexpected cancellation may delay placement.
Student performance is monitored throughout the preceptorship by the Clinical Supervisor and the Instructor/AFWC.
The Clinical Supervisor is in direct contact with the student and assesses performance on a routine basis. Both the Clinical Supervisor and the student are encouraged to communicate with each other regularly regarding the student’s performance and to contact the Instructor/AFWC with updates on progress or concerns.
The Clinical Supervisor formally completes the final evaluation. If the student exhibits unsatisfactory performance, or if the likelihood of the student meeting course objectives is questionable, the Instructor/AFWC is to be notified. At that time, the Instructor/AFWC and Supervisor, in collaboration with the student, will determine a written plan of correction along with measurable goals and timelines will be established by the Clinical Supervisor in collaboration with the Instructor/AFWC. 

Clinical preceptorship student outcome expectations:

For each 1 credit clinical preceptorship, the student will be evaluated using the Clinical Preceptorship Experience – Evaluation of the Student.  See Table 1 outlining the clinical preceptorship experience expectations.

NOTE: The University of Pittsburgh requires that all affiliates on all campuses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students and postdocs. This program also requires students to complete clinical education at facilities external to the university.  Many SHRS clinical partners require employees, trainees and students to be compliant with the federal vaccination requirement. This includes providing proof of vaccination or exemption to the clinical site. Failure to comply with this requirement for clinical partners may preclude the student from completing the clinical requirements of this program.   Some of our clinical partners will not permit students to complete clinical rotations without proof of vaccination and will not accept exemptions.

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

MS IN OT PROGRAM

 

FACULTY AND STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PRECEPTORSHIPS FOR MS IN OT PROGRAM

 

Course description: The research preceptorship provides a structured research experience with the faculty of the Department of Occupational Therapy.

 

General Guidelines for research preceptorship:

Enrollment

Students can enroll in a research preceptorship for no more than 2 credits per term
Students can enroll in up to two research preceptorships (one per term) in the research plan of study and one research preceptorship in the research with scholarly project plan of study during their program (Fall, Spring).

First research preceptorship experience (fall term)

During the fall term, students will be exposed to the research laboratories in the Department of Occupational Therapy. All students will complete a rotation across all the research laboratories. 
The students will read research articles as well as deliver a short power point presentation at the end of the first research preceptorship experience.

Research Preceptorship Expectations for the fall term

It is expected that the student will engage in the research preceptorship for 48 hours in the fall.
The number of hours is divided into 26 contact hours of “lab experience” and 22 hours of “outside lab experience”.
The “lab experience” includes experiences in the lab (e.g., attending lab meeting and faculty mentor orientation).
“Outside lab experience” includes learning activities (e.g., reading articles, writing reflection paper).
The student will submit hours to the PD each week, which will be tracked and maintained throughout the term by the PD.
Students will receive a grade based upon the HSU criteria (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).

Second research preceptorship experiences (spring term) for research plan of study

After completing the rotation through all the laboratories, students will rank all the department research labs based upon their interest using the research preceptorship preference form.
The Program Director (PD) will review the research preceptorship preference form and meet with the students during the first-second week of November to learn about their research interests. Based upon the students’ research interests, and the ranking the PD will discuss options for research preceptorships with potential faculty mentors. The PD and faculty mentor will collaboratively determine the fit between the student interests and the faculty mentor’s research area.  
After successfully determining the appropriate faculty mentor the PD will inform the student about the research preceptorship and selected faculty mentor.

Establishing Objectives for the second research preceptorship experiences (spring term)

The student, in collaboration with the faculty mentor, will develop clearly defined objectives, learning activities, deliverables and a timeline for completing the learning objectives.
The student will complete a research preceptorship form. The form outlines the plan for the research preceptorship and includes the objectives with timeline, learning activities, and deliverables (See Table 1 - research preceptorship menu with samples). 
The PD will review the research preceptorship form and approve the plan for the research preceptorship. If changes are required, the PD will provide recommendations to the faculty mentor and student.
After the PD approves the research preceptorship plan (form), the student can start working with the faculty mentor. 

Research Preceptorship Expectations for the spring term

During the spring term, it is expected that the student will engage in the research preceptorship for 48 hours over the term.
The number of hours is divided into “lab experience” and “outside lab experience”.
The “lab experience” includes experiences in the lab (e.g., data collection, data analysis, etc.).
“Outside lab experience” includes learning activities (e.g., searching articles, reviewing literature, lab meetings, etc.).
The student will submit hours to the faculty mentor each week, which will be tracked and maintained throughout the term by the faculty mentor.
Students will receive a grade based upon the HSU criteria (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).

Guidelines for determining objectives/learning activities and deliverables for research preceptorships in the Spring term:

For 2 credits of research preceptorship, the faculty mentor will determine two objectives. The first objective is knowledge-based and focuses on developing and increasing the student’s knowledge in the area of interest for the research preceptorship. The second objective is application-based and focuses on the practical application of the knowledge.

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UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

MS IN OT PROGRAM

 

FACULTY AND STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH WITH SCHOLARLY PROJECT FOR MS IN OT PROGRAM

 

The scholarly project provides the student with experience in developing a writing sample for PhD application over 2 terms under the direction of a faculty mentor. Scholarly project is graded based upon the HSU criteria (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).

Here are few examples of scholarly project:

1. Critically appraise, summarize and synthesize evidence (5-7 research articles) for a rehabilitation intervention using evidence review checklists used in OT 3010 (Evidence Interpretation for Implementation)
2. Descriptive analyses (e.g., means, standard deviations, frequencies, trends) of a behavior tracked over time in collected data of 3-5 participant (note – existing data collected by PI)
3. Descriptive analyses (e.g., means, standard deviations, frequencies, trends) on the effect of an intervention in collected data of 3-5 participants (note – existing data collected by PI)

Format for writing sample

The writing sample will be maximum 5 pages (single spaced, Times New Roman font 12 or Arial font 12, APA style)
This sample will include the following sections:

For review papers

Problem statement
Provide a context or background for the project including the nature of the problem and its significance to the stakeholders, including the occupational therapy community
Purpose statement
Delineate the purpose or the objective
Review of the literature
Critically appraise (5-7 research articles) for a rehabilitation intervention using   

        evidence review checklists used in OT 3010 (Evidence Interpretation for

        Implementation)

Summarize and synthesize evidence from research articles
Implications for future

Summarize the findings of the review and suggest next steps required to move the science forward

For descriptive analysis papers

Problem statement
Provide a context or background for the project including the nature of the problem and its significance to the stakeholders, including the occupational therapy community
Purpose statement
Delineate the purpose or the objective
Description of collected data (for example 2 above) or intervention (for example 3 above)
Describe data collection procedures (for example 2 above) or
Describe intervention procedures (for example 3 above)
Explain descriptive results
Present the descriptive results in a logical sequence
Conclusion
Summarize the findings of the descriptive analyses

 

Scholarly project: process and timeline (subject to vary): Scholarly project begins in the spring term and ends in the summer term.

Scholarly project timeline: Tables 1.1 and 1.2 provide the timeline of the review and descriptive analysis papers respectively.

SCHOLARLY PROJECT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

The scholarly project mentor should complete this form when the student has successfully finalized the scope of the scholarly project.

 

Student’s Name: ___________________________________    PeopleSoft ID: _____________

Date of Approval of Scholarly Project: ___________________________________________

 

Participation Agreement: As indicated by the signature below the following individual agree to participate as a faculty mentor of the above-named student. The responsibilities of the faculty mentor are initiated with the signing of this agreement and conclude with the completion of the scholarly project. The faculty mentor agrees to work collaboratively and responsively with the student.

 

Scholarly Project

Faculty Mentor:

(Typed/Printed Name)

 

Signature:

School or Affiliation:

_______________________

________________________

_________________________

OT Manual Acknowledgement and Photo/Video and Academic Products Permission Form

I have read the Manual for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Student in its entirety. I understand all the policies and procedures included in this manual and agree to abide by them at all times while enrolled as an MS student in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, at the University of Pittsburgh. If I have questions at any time regarding the content of the Manual, I will make an appointment with my Academic Advisor for clarification.

 

                        □ Yes       □ No

 

I agree that any photos and videos taken during education related activities (curricular and extracurricular) may be used by the Department of Occupational Therapy, with or without my name attached to the photo or video, for recruitment, educational, and promotional materials.

 

                        □ Yes       □ No

 

I give permission to the faculty of the Department of Occupational Therapy to share samples of my academic products for future educational purposes (e.g., accreditation, curriculum review, models for future students).

 

                        □ Yes       □ No

 

I understand that the authorization for photos and videos and samples of my academic products is indefinite; however, I may revoke authorization by sending a signed, written revocation of the authorization to:

 

Department of Occupational Therapy

University of Pittsburgh

Bridgeside Point I

100 Technology Drive, Suite 350

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

 

Revocation of authorization will only be effective upon the date of receipt going forward and will not impact prior disclosures. I further understand that: 1) I am not required to consent to the disclosure, and 2) I am doing so knowingly and voluntarily.

 

_____________________________________

Name of Student – PLEASE PRINT

 

______________________________________         _________________________
Signature of Student                                                       Date