Faculty Contacts
- Gina Buban, Fieldwork Coordinator
- Sara Stephenson, Capstone Coordinator
Fieldwork and Capstone
As part of the NAU Occupational Therapy program, all students will participate in both fieldwork and a capstone experience.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is an integral part of the student’s occupational therapy education and is a requirement for graduation and professional certification. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (2018) states, “The fieldwork experience is designed to promote clinical reasoning and reflective practice, transmit the values and beliefs that enable ethical practice, and develop professionalism and competence in career responsibilities.” The fieldwork experience is a dynamic educational process in which occupational therapy students are able to experience the roles, responsibilities, and rewards of facilitating occupational therapy services.
Level I Fieldwork Accordion Closed
Students actively participate in two Level I fieldwork rotations. Level I fieldwork experiences occur in two semesters and are integrated within the academic courses, occurring during the summer semester of the first year, and the fall semester of the second year. These experiences are a minimum of 32 hours per rotation. Each sequence of fieldwork is individualized to connect classroom learning in diverse settings with a variety of clients that have conditions and diagnoses across the lifespan.
Students may complete rotations in traditional settings, such as a hospital, school district, or skilled nursing facility, and in emerging practice areas, such as productive aging and health and wellness centers. The Level I fieldwork experience may not be substituted for any parts of the student’s Level II fieldwork experience (Standard C.1.9.).
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (2018) states, “The goal of Level I fieldwork is to introduce students to the fieldwork experience, to apply knowledge to practice, and to develop understanding of the needs of clients.” Each Level I Fieldwork experience facilitates professional and practice-based skills acquired through coursework and progresses in expectations and rigor to prepare the student for success in Level II Fieldwork.
Level II Fieldwork Accordion Closed
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (2018) states, “The goal of Level II fieldwork is to develop competent, entry-level, generalist occupational therapists. Level II fieldwork must be integral to the program’s curriculum design and must include an in-depth experience in delivering occupational therapy services to clients, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation and research, administration, and management of occupational therapy services.” Students participate in a minimum of two Level II fieldwork rotations.
Level II fieldwork occurs consecutively in two semesters during the student’s second and third year. The first rotation is completed during the spring and the second during the summer semester. These experiences are full-time for a minimum of 24 weeks.
Level II fieldwork provides the student an opportunity to take the knowledge obtained from didactic learning and apply it to clinical practice. Each student develops competencies unique to the setting and ultimately develop the student into a clinician and a practice scholar. Upon successful completion of both fieldwork rotations, the students have vast knowledge and experience with diverse clients who have various psychosocial, cognitive, and physical performance impairments, and the diverse service delivery models that are representative of current occupational therapy trends. The semester following the last Level II fieldwork rotation will be the student’s capstone experience and project.
Fieldwork Locations
The mission of the NAU College of Health and Human Services is to prepare students to become, and remain, excellent health professionals. The college aims to facilitate high quality learning and education, to advance knowledge and practice in the health professions, and to provide service to improve the health and well-being of the communities served, particularly Arizona residents, Native Americans and individuals considered disadvantaged. To abide by the mission of the university and college, Level I and Level II fieldwork placements are primarily located throughout Arizona.
Capstone
During the final semester of the program, students complete a 14-week capstone experience and project. The capstone is an integral part of the program’s curriculum design which includes an in-depth learning experience that is designed to develop students into practice-scholars. Students begin the capstone following successful completion of all coursework and both Level II Fieldwork rotations. Students choose the focus of their capstone.
This student-driven capstone can be completed in a variety of settings and typically contains multiple focus areas such as:
- Clinical skills
- Research skills
- Program development and evaluation
- Policy development
- Education
- Advocacy
- Administration
- Leadership
One year prior to starting the capstone, students contact potential mentors during the capstone planning course. A mentor is an individual who possesses the expertise in the student’s chosen focus area and does not have to be an occupational therapy practitioner. Mentoring a capstone student is a collaborative process where the mentor supports the student in achieving mutually agreed upon learning objectives and shared project goals. Capstone objectives and goals are unique to each student/mentor collaboration and are created during the planning process.