Problem Solving, Ambiguity, & Conflict Management
Novice Level
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It is very important to realize that there is more than one side to an argument. This journal entry shows that I understand that. Many people in the class were complaining that different facilitators have different perspectives. I can understand how this could be confusing, but I could also see the other side of it. I think that it is very beneficial to see the different perspectives from different facilitators. Nothing in life is ever black and white. It is always good to get different perspectives. If you learn different techniques from different facilitators it makes it easier for you to decide the way you want to do something.
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Journal entry (10/2599)
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While working with patients it is very important to know when more facts are needed. In this example, I did a reflective practitioner on one of my patients. I saw this patient in the nursing home. After working with her for awhile, she was complaining of pain in around her knees and had a positive Homan's test. I realized that further diagnostic tests were necessary. The doctors prescribed a Doppler and luckily our patient didn't have any blood clots.
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Reflective Practitioner (12/7/99)
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Apprentice Level
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My grandma was brought to the hospital after a mild heart attack. Unfortunately, her health and function has really declined. After she was released from the hospital, she was transferred to the rehab center. When she was released from the rehab center there was a question of where she was going to go. She couldn't take care of herself at home anymore; she had a woman living with her, but it was even too difficult for one person to take care of her. She was later moved into an assistive living center. I knew that wasn't the right place for her. I really believed she should be in a SNF where she could get skilled help. I really thought I had her best interest in mind, but nobody else thought she should be in a SNF. I realized that nobody would see my point of view, so I gave up my argument. I'm glad I did, because my grandmother's function did improve. She was able to leave the assisted living center and is now back home. She still has someone living with her, but she is doing ok.
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Journal entry (6/19/00)
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I'll admit, I ask a lot of questions. Most questions that I ask are focused and relevant. One example of this is when I e-mailed Ms. Blackinton hoping that she could answer a question for me. I have always trusted her opinion, so I didn't think twice about asking her. My cousin was experiencing some double vision; it was actually the second time that it happened. I knew that double vision was a common first symptom of MS. Since I had another first-cousin that has MS, the genetic component is already there. The geographical component was there as well. I was concerned, so I went to Ms. Blackinton. The e-mail can be seen here.
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E-mail that I sent Ms. B (with her response) in regard to some questions that I had.
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One problem that I have is handling STRESS. I suppose the first step in handling stress is being able to admit that it's there. This journal shows many of the components of stress. When you take each one separately, it shouldn't add any additional stress. However, the combination of them is enough to really "stress someone out."
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Journal entry (9/4/00)
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While serving as fundraising chair, I have felt challenged to understand problems that have been identified. This could be seen from this journal entry. There have been many complaints about fundraising activities and the fact that we have to raise funds for the class. I can't understand this. In my opinion, we need to be able to work together as a whole toward a common goal.
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Journal entry (11/27/00)
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Proficient Level
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It is very important to be able to get information in a variety of different ways. I learned this when I started doing evaluations and treating children. A normal evaluation just doesn't work with a child. You can't do regular strength testing, ROM testing, etc. You have to make it interesting for the child so that they cooperate with you. This could be seen from the example of my last reflective practitioner.
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Reflective Practitioner (12/15/00)
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This journal shows that I have a high tolerance for ambiguity. I have mentioned this before. It is very important to me to get different perspectives from different facilitators. I can't possibly see this as a bad thing. Many people don't like getting different perspectives; they want one and only one answer. I don't believe that anything is black or white. There are many, many shades of gray. This goes for this PT program as well as everything else in life.
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Journal entry 3/13/00
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During our research project we were able to identify and evaluates elements of a logical argument. There were many limitations to our study. These limitations were out of our control. Although the fact that we knew these limitations and how they affected our study helped us to answer questions in our defense.
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Thesis Defense
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There has been a lot of negative talk in regard to the portfolio project. I listened to what everyone has to say, and I thought about it. The only thing that I can agree with is that it is time consuming. However, I don't feel that it is wasted time. After thinking about it, I just can't see the portfolio as a bad experience. Any opportunity for self-reflection is a good thing. I always try not to think judgmentally until all data is gathered. This is just one example of this. I didn't come to an opinion until I thought about the whole process. However, after I thought about the process, my opinion was that the portfolio is a good experience.
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Journal entry (1/29/01)
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As mentioned before there was a lot of conflict that went along with the fundraising position. One problem when I first took over the position was that the same people were helping with fundraising and the rest of the class was just enjoying the benefits. I developed a creative (at least in my opinion) solution to this conflict. I decided that it should be mandatory that everyone complete 7 miscellaneous hours of fundraising service. This could be completed during Pro-Player, bake sales, auctions, etc. To make it even more creative, I put an additional challenge out to the class. I offered a pizza party to the group that works the most hours over and above the required hours. The e-mail that I sent out to the class could be seen here. You'll also see an example of an e-mail that I received questioning the "hours" and my reply to that e-mail. This shows that I could see both sides of an issue/argument. I tried to handle this in the best way possible.
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An e-mail that I sent out to the class regarding fund-raising, a response from a student, and my clarification
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