Preparing for Acute Care as an OT Student

Introduction

• Purpose: Provide guidance for OT students preparing for acute care, with relevance to other settings like acute rehab and skilled nursing.
• Intended Audience: Primarily Level 2 fieldwork students, but also informative for Level 1 students.
• Presenter: Jeff, a board-certified and licensed occupational therapist.

Key Concepts in Occupational Therapy

• Misconception: OTs help find jobs; reality: OTs help people do meaningful activities.
• Goal: Increase awareness about occupational therapy to promote healthier, happier lives.

Hospital Systems and Acute Care

Hospital Levels

• Level 1 Trauma Center: Offers the most comprehensive services for emergencies.
• Level 2 Trauma Center: Offers a slightly lower level of comprehensive services.

Patient Admission and Categories

• Entry Points: Emergency Room (ER), often via EMS, but growing trend of using private transport due to cost.
• Patient Categories:
  • Acute Trauma: Due to accidents or injuries.
  • Medical: Due to acute or chronic medical issues.

Common Hospital Units

• ICU: Most acute medical stability, includes units like neuro, cardiac, etc.
• Med-Surg: General medical and surgical unit for non-specific diagnoses.
• Psychosocial and Oncology Units
• NICU: For pediatric care.
• Orthopedics: Elective (planned) vs non-elective (emergency) surgeries.

Specialized and Miscellaneous Units

• Step-down Units: Intermediate care units between ICU and general care.
• PACU: Post-Anesthesia Care Unit for post-surgery.
• Rehabilitation Units: Separate from acute care.
• Long-term Care Units: For extended stays due to various complications.

Occupational Therapy in Hospital Settings

Miscellaneous Areas

• Kitchen: For specialized diets or meal prep activities.
• Imaging: For MRIs, X-rays, etc.
• Supply Distribution: For large items like braces, uses a tube transport system.

Equipment and Logistics

• Common Equipment: Wheelchairs, walkers, etc., located in various hospital areas.
• Patient Transfer: Patients usually keep the same bed during unit transfers.
• Room Access: Many rooms are access-controlled via keypads.

Administrative and Support Areas

• Rehab Office: For morning huddles and administrative tasks.
• Nursing Units: Each has its own staff and responsibilities.
• Case Management and Social Work: Often scattered and utilize available resources.

Tips for OT Students

• Code Familiarity: Keep track of keypad codes for access.
• Notebook: Recommended for keeping track of codes and important information.
• Orientation: Familiarize with emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and chemical safety equipment.
• Hospital Codes: Learn hospital emergency codes such as code blue, red, white, etc.
• Navigation: Learn the layout of the hospital, including shortcuts and stair locations.

Conclusion

• Upcoming video will cover hospital personnel and their roles.
• Encouragement to subscribe for updates on new videos in the series.