A Patient Enounter

In our class, we had an opportunity to simulate a patient encounter in which we performed the SLUMS cognitive test on an actor in the SIM Lab. Over all I would rate myself as doing good. There were several aspects that I remember that I did not do, such as asking the client if they knew what OT was and also beginning the test by asking if they had problems with their memory. Other than these few stumbles on getting started, I was able to settle in and accurately conduct the test and I feel like I was able to make the client feel as though it was a personable environment. As far as conducting the main questions on the test, I was able to sufficiently go through the exam with more than enough time left before the 10 minutes was concluded. I am most proud of myself for providing an welcoming environment for the client. I felt as though the client was comfortable and it didn't seem as though it was an awkward experience. The only area in which I struggled during the encounter was at the very beginning. I think that there was a-lot of nervousness initiating the encounter and I was overthinking all of the aspects of starting the test. The only questions I had from the encounter was what is the best way to begin an encounter. I didn't know if it was with a handshake, fist bump, or just a light touch on the arm. I think this is just something that I overthought and just needed to do what came natural. I don't have a-lot of improvements to the encounter, but I would say that doing the test on a peer prior to being in the situation was very helpful. One think that I think was important that I learned during this encounter was to field the responses of the client. It is hard not to give hints or suggestions on the correct answer. There is also a way to accept wrong answers without making the client feel as though they have done something horribly wrong. Another think that I learned (by mistake) was just to come into the room relaxed. The client is able to see how I feel about the test and if I am comfortable and confident in starting the test, then they will feel comfortable throughout the process.

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