1st SIM Experience

1. I feel that I performed average during my first SIM experience. As I watched the video and we debriefed after the experience, I realized that I forgot to do a few things. I did not explain OT. I was so caught up in trying to determine if I should call myself a student OT or an OT that when asked what an OT was I thought the client meant the word "student" and I was confused. I know I gave her a strange look. I did not validate the client’s identity in the best way. I should have tried to check the arm band instead of just asking if her name was Frances. I cannot tell if I needed to give clearer instructions and slow my speech or if the actor was acting well. Because she asked me to repeat a question at one point. Lastly, I need to understand the assessment better regarding what can and can't be repeated and how that affects the results. I know I repeated a part of the assessment that I did not need to, but the client did not catch all the numbers.

2. I thought I did a respectable job of establishing a therapeutic relationship with the client. Some may call it her distracting me by asking about my ring and husband, but I learned more about the client through questions that I asked her and the ones that she asked me. 

3. I am trying to decide if I tried too hard to build a therapeutic relationship at first by asking random questions off the assessment. An example is asking if the client ever had a tricycle. But I think that may have opened doors to encourage the client to talk.

4. I wonder if the clients had access to the test before we went in? I had to repeat a portion on the assessment with lots of numbers. The client answered the second question on the assessment and not the first question which was the original question I asked. I just found that puzzling.

5. I would not be concerned with check marks on a list of what I need to do and just relax. I would also practice the assessment on more people to be sure I understand how to make it flow better.

6. Clients will always distract you and practice the assessment multiple times on different people before using it.