5- FOXcast OT: Kelsey Swope

Jimmy: This is FOXcast OT, a podcast for clinicians made by clinicians. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Find out more at foxrehab.org

Welcome to FOXcast OT. I’m your host, Jimmy McKay. And joining me today one of my colleagues from FOX Rehabilitation: Introduce yourself.

Kelsey: Hi, I’m Kelsey Swope, I’m one of our mentor services occupational therapy coordinators, I’m really excited to be here.

Jimmy: Alright. So we’re talking about shadowing, which is a topic that all of us in many therapy disciplines have done. Whether it be from the shadowing end or after we’ve graduated become a clinician and treating, you’ve had a student or a new grad or maybe someone who’s looking to switch settings come in and shadow with you.

The episode today is going to focus on how to get the most out of your shadowing experience and how to make sure the person shadowing with you gets the most out of their experience. So what you want to start?

Kelsey: Let’s start with the person shadowing.

Jimmy: Alright. So, when you have to, you know, “get hours” and do shadowing stuff with an OT. When you’re looking to apply to OT school, you finally find someone to shadow with and now you’re like, “Great, now what do I do?” What should someone look forward to when they’ve actually got some shadowing hours coming up?

Kelsey: One of the things I would say first is making sure that you shadow as much as you possibly can. You do not know what’s out there unless you really are exploring every single option and that’s how you’re going to know what you can see yourself doing, day after day. And you want to be passionate about it.

So, the more you see, the more you’re really able to learn and know what you can truly see yourself doing. As far as the things that I think are most important out of that is you really want to be prepared. Do your research before you go in shadow someone.

Jimmy: For what? What are you researching? What can you look up?

Kelsey: So you want to look at what the population is who they treat and where they do it. Some people go to facilities. Some people are going to be in a hospital. Some people are going to be more in a home setting. And it’s so important to know that before you go in and kind of have an idea of what to expect.

Jimmy: So what are a couple of ways you can actually do this research. Ask online? Google? what?

Kelsey: The great thing is we have these phones now that are in our pockets and they have basically everything on them. Go online. Go Google that company and see where you can find and find out as much as you can about it before you go in there.

Jimmy: What’s next?

Kelsey: The next one is asking questions so goes off of that: Do your research. The more research you have, the more you’re going to be able to ask questions based on the setting. So you want to be able to ask questions pertinent to a day to day in the life. The more you know, again the better it’s going to be for you.

Jimmy: What’s next?

Kelsey: The last one is get involved. Make sure you are interacting when you are shadowing. If you do not introduce yourself to the clients, if you do not try and really get in there, you’re not going to be able to learn as much as you could out of that situation.

Jimmy: Well, I will interject here. I’m pretty outgoing. How much is too much? Do you wait for the person you’re shadowing with to take the lead? Where’s the line? Because honestly, as an outgoing person, I would probably default on doing less because I want to step on toes.

Kelsey: And I think it is challenging to find where that line is and when you’re crossing that line. I think that in any situation, you should be able to go and introduce yourself. And if you’re not willing to give someone your hand and do a handshake and introduce yourself, then you’re really not putting yourself out there. I think anything past that, obviously if you’re trying to get involved in the treatment that might be a little much, but if the clinician lets you assist then that’s great but definitely just the more of the personality aspect of it and going and introducing yourself and getting to know them that’s important.

Jimmy: Well now that I’m on the on the other side of the student’s situation I would say probably ask before you set that up. What’s the expectation? Would it be OK if I did this?

Kelsey: That’s one of your questions you can ask. Look at that!

Jimmy: Alright, so that’s three things you can do as you prepare to be a shadow. If you’re going to have a student, a new clinician, someone looking to change gears and they’re going to shadow with you, what can you do to prepare to make sure that person shadowing with you gets the most out of their shadowing experience?

Kelsey: The first thing is I would definitely try and show a variety of the clients that you’re treating and the treatments that you’re completing. Obviously, depending on your setting you might be limited to what you’re able to do, but show them a variety of what you’re doing. Don’t just focus on therapeutic exercise or therapeutic activity. Try and show them the function that goes into that and how you’re really able to make a difference in that client.

Jimmy: Now while the treatment session is going on, it’s about the client. One hundred percent should be about the client. How do you bring up maybe explaining what you’re doing or the why?

Because I’m sure the person shadowing, I know I was wondering. I was wondering why are you doing that? Why did you bring that up? Why do we change gears? How do you handle that in a shadowing situation?

Kelsey: So the first thing is that I always do tell my clients before I go into that treatment session that I’m going to have somebody with me. But you as a clinician want to involve them in your session. So it is great and a lot of times when I’m documenting or when I’m explaining something to my clients, I’ll talk about why I’m doing what I’m doing or I’ll have them reflect on the situation because it allows us to have a better understanding about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. That is the number one thing that somebody should get out of your treatment session if you’re having them shadow you. It’s the why.

Jimmy: The almighty why.

Kelsey: It’s there. Get heard. So, it’s so great because you’re able to use that and you’re really able to have that conversation with your client, but also be educating that person shadowing at the same time.

Jimmy: Alright, so what’s coming up next?

Kelsey: Challenge them. The biggest thing I think is that if you are involving yourself in this situation or kind of putting yourself as a shadow in that clinician’s shoes. You want to be thinking about what they’re doing. What would you be doing in that situation? Maybe, how you upgraded it, how you downgrade it, and it’s great because, as a clinician, if I have a shadow, I’ll usually give them that question.

“Okay, look I’m doing an X standing exercises and they’re having a little difficulty with it. I’m needing to give a little bit more assistance. How do you think I can downgrade this task? What could I do here?”

Jimmy: So we have a tradition here on FOXcast we started and it’s your FOXtale. So why did you choose to work with older adults and why do you still work with older adults?

Kelsey: So I started working with FOX as a new grad back in 2013. And the reason why is because during my second rotation, my supervisor actually told me she owned her own company and she said if I did not own my company, I should work for a company called FOX Rehabilitation.

Kelsey: At that point, I had never heard of FOX before and I thought if it’s good enough for her might be good for me.

Jimmy: You did your research and what drew you in?

Kelsey: I loved the culture and philosophy that really presented itself with FOX. Every single person that I talked to who worked for FOX you could really tell had a passion. And, they were energetic and they loved what they were doing. And, I wanted to love what I was doing.

So I went I interviewed, and honestly funny enough the biggest thing that made me choose FOX was my shadow session. I went into three people’s homes that first day and I really was like, “Wow they are truly making a difference here.”

And, I wanted to do that. I wanted to make a difference in my clients’ lives. I wanted to be able to build a rapport with them and know that they cared just as much as I did.

Jimmy: a pretty good reason

Kelsey: Yeah. Here I am almost five years later. I’m still with FOX because I still have that passion. And I think as long as you’re able to challenge yourself and you’re able to continue to grow to make sure that you are doing the best job that you can every single day, you’re in the right spot.

Jimmy: Alright, if someone to reach out and talk to you and ask you a question. Spell your e-mail address for them.

Kelsey: Kelsey.Swope@foxrehab.org

Jimmy: Kelsey, I appreciate you stopping by and talking about the almighty shadow session very important from both perspectives here on FOXcast OT.

Kelsey: Thank you.

Jimmy: Thanks for listening to FOXcast OT. A clinically excellent podcast It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Listen to other episodes or read articles and position papers at foxrehab.org.