Benefits of Taking a Fieldwork Student

One of the biggest worries about taking on a fieldwork student is the addition of more responsibilities. Let’s face it: you’ve got documentation that you are still catching up on and you can barely see all students you need to see in the school day. When are you going to find more time to train/teach a student?

Despite this concern, having a fieldwork student can actually help lighten your load. Students can be a helping hand and can help with processes and functions that can improve your productivity!

Here are a few benefits to taking a fieldwork student with respect to your workload:

1. Develop and Update Resources
   • This is a great way for students to learn about policies, procedures, as well as do research in your setting.
2. Receive Professional Development Credits/Hours
   • It can be challenging to find the time to do these on top of your other responsibilities. This is where taking a fieldwork student can be a great help.  You can receive professional development credit while still carrying out your regular responsibilities. A win-win!
3. Help with Productivity
   • Depending on the level of your fieldwork student, students can help with assessing students, treating students, or with completing assessment reports and progress notes. Fieldwork students can help maintain your caseload and help you keep up with your productivity once they get in the swing of things!

Here are some ways that fieldwork students can benefit your growth as a therapist:

1. Stay Up to Date with Theories and Evidence
   • There is nothing like having a fieldwork student to teach you about the latest theories and the newest evidence about assessment, treatment, and the practice of your discipline!
2. Provide Opportunities for You to Reflect on Your Own Practice
   • By having a fieldwork student in your practice, you can be more intentional about thinking about what you are doing and why you are doing it.
3. Develop Your Leadership Skills
   • You learn how to make your clinical reasoning explicit to teach others, you learn how to direct and supervise clinical care, and you develop skills that are important for moving your career forward in terms of leadership roles.
4. Support the Future of Therapy Services
   • Taking on a fieldwork student helps you as a therapy provider with your workload management, your collaboration with your peers and your own clinical skills and learning. But one of the greatest benefits to taking a fieldwork student is your contribution to the profession itself!

**Universities also provide benefits for being a Fieldwork Supervisor.  Below are some perks that may be provided.  Please reach out if you would like more information, specific to your student’s University/College.

• University Online Library access.
• Tuition-free course credits.
• Receive continuing education credits for taking both Level I and Level II students.
• University hosted Continuing Ed events on campus that Supervisors are invited to.  Some at no cost!
• $ credits toward fees paid, for an approved AOTA/APTA course, conference, or dues!
• Certificate for educators at the end of the fieldwork experience that documents their supervision time so they can use it for licensure, depending on the state.