Equipment helps students envision their future
HARRISVILLE — Slippery Rock University's inaugural class of occupational therapy students has completed its first finals, but the program has milestones to reach before it can be successful.
The group of 31 students took their exams at the Harrisville Building, 220 Prairie St., which they share with the physician assistant program. They are working to earn doctorates.
Amanda Tishko, an assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator, said the first-year graduate students completed three courses in the summer semester, which started in June.
“(These students) are fantastic,” Tishko said. “They're so eager to learn.”
Tishko, who practiced occupational therapy at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh until she began her teaching career about a year ago, said the students have progressed in a short time.
“It's exciting still being a practitioner and an educator and getting to see them so eager to learn and be able to get those hands-on experiences,” she said. “It's starting to make sense to them now what occupational therapy really is.”
Their new classrooms came loaded with state-of-the-art technology, like Sectra tables, a giant touch screen monitor that allows students to perform virtual dissections.
Tishko said to view the body under different lights, circumstances and magnifications helps with the students' studies.
The classroom also has a Bits board, which is used to test the hand-eye coordination of patients who have suffered a stroke or similar health issue.
Tishko said the students will see technology used in similar ways during their careers.
Student Tara Bicko, a Johnstown-native who completed her undergraduate studies at Shippensburg University, said the technology helps bring a new perspective.
“I worked with some technology in my undergraduate studies, but being able to work with all the hands-on things here has been amazing,” she said. “I'm a hands-on learner. It kind of breaks up just sitting in a lecture, and being able to apply what you're learning.”
The Sectra tables have taken the place of the more traditional cadaver use, according to the Jeffrey Loveland, program director.
“We're using the Sectra tables in place of a cadaver lab because the cadaver lab doesn't have any open times for us,” Loveland said. “I was not unhappy when hearing that when this is where I was wanting to go.”
Loveland said the Sectra tables provide a more comfortable atmosphere for the students to work and still bring heightened functionality not available in conventional cadaver studies.
“Traditional occupational therapy programs that have been around for decades are stepping away from cadaver labs because of the cost ethics and environmental concerns,” he said. “Plus students get a little anxious, at least initially, when they start on a cadaver if they don't have that experience.”
Tishko said some of the functions of the Sectra board allow the students to add ailments to compare and contrast the reaction and appearance of their effects on the body.
“They can go from the skin all the way down to the bones,” she said. “You can cut it layer by layer, from skin, to muscle and to bones.”
Tishko said the building also has a lab with a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a living room, which may seem like a dorm room, but actually offers a unique opportunity for the occupational therapy students to learn key communication skills. The room is called the Activities of Daily Living room and it simulates activities like cooking, cleaning and bathing.
The room will help students practice assisting people with their daily routines, like moving from a wheelchair to a bed or how to shower seated, according to Tishko.
She said doing these routine tasks also will give them the knowledge and the ability to explain how to do them safely.“They can practice and be able to relay that information to actual live patients about how we would do this, and this is how we would maintain safety,” she said.Jessica Bonfili, a Pittsburgh-native who completed her undergraduate work at SRU, said having the right technology helps offset any hiccups as the staff tries to develop and shape the program.“It has its pros and cons because everyone is still trying to figure out the flow of things,” Bonfili said. “It's fun being the first class. We get to be known as the ones that started the program and take that with us. It's a great experience.”Kate Erdesky, a Hermitage-native who completed her undergraduate studies at Penn State, said students have made shaping the program easier due to their cooperation.“We've really bonded as a class. I think that's really important. We're all working together well with the faculty and staff,” Erdesky said. “I look forward to what's to come.”Tishko said the students' strong relationships with one another will help as the program looks to reach out to the community.“It's really important to give back to the community,” Tishko said. In the future, Tishko said they could find ways to use their practical skills to assist members of the community.“We're hoping to bring people in and use them as standardized patients,” she said. “Our goal down the road is to have a rural community-based clinic and be able to offer services.”Loveland said the next step is to continue building and molding the program around the first generation of SRU-trained occupational therapists while recruiting new entrants. He said he also hopes to continue working toward getting the program accredited.“We have a lot to do,” Loveland said.He said in 2020, his team will send an accreditation report to the American Occupational Therapy Association, which will be reviewed and examined through direct observation.Loveland said achieving accreditation would allow the graduates to pursue state certifications. He said getting to that point will take time and effort from everyone involved, including the students. He said having a successful first semester is an important step forward in that process.“We've worked hard, all of us, to get to this point,” Loveland said. “We're going to need to take a vacation for a week or so and recharge our batteries. Then, we'll come back and get ready for fall because it'll be upon us.”
