Christina Post

02/21/2014
Reflection of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

On Wednesday, January 29, 2014 our nursing cohort had the privilege of working with
the KCC physical therapy assistant program. During our four-hour orientation with them, we
learned an excessive amount of information. All of the skills that we learned will be beneficial to
us as nursing students. We were taught how to move different types of patients with different
mobility issues safely into numerous positions on the bed, exercises to strengthen muscles, and
transferring. Learning how to navigate the wheelchair up and down ramps and sidewalks and in
and out of bathrooms was a great experience. Another thing that I appreciated learning about are
the different assistive devices used for ambulation, which included the 4-prong cane, regular
cane and walker. Before the orientation, I did not know that there were correct ways to ambulate
with the device, face the different canes or ambulate up and down the stairs with a walker. I am
positive that everything we learned that day will help us during our clinical experience and in
real-life situations.
On Wednesday, February 12, 2014 our cohort met with the occupational therapy (OT)
assistants professor. She brought along with her a variety of assistive devices that people with
disabilities use to accomplish daily tasks. I learned that occupational therapists are needed to
help patients gain back their independence in performing activities that help them live life to the
fullest. The types of patients that benefit from occupational therapy are those with neurological
disorders, developmental disabilities, mental health issues and repetitive strain injuries. Some of
the many tasks that occupational therapists help patients learn or relearn is how to feed
themselves, change and put on clothes, money management, and cooking. In the beginning of the
lecture, we played an activity that demonstrated the difficulties patients with different disabilities
face when trying to accomplish tasks. The activity was a memorable experience that made me
realize just how important assistive devices and support from outside resources is to making life
easier and more fulfilling. Before the meeting, I was not aware of all the different aspects of
occupational therapy.