Fieldwork Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Level I Fieldwork- Level I Fieldwork is an introductory experience designed to provide students with exposure to the occupational therapy process. The focus is on developing a basic understanding of client needs and occupational therapy practices in various settings. This rotation is not intended to develop independent practice skills but rather to integrate academic learning with practical experiences.

• Level II Fieldwork- The goal of Level II fieldwork is to develop competent, entry-level, generalist occupational therapy practitioners. Level II fieldwork must be integral to the program’s curriculum design and must include an in-depth experience in delivering occupational therapy services to clients, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation and research, administration, and management of occupational therapy services.

  • OT- OTM or OTD students complete their Level II fieldwork for a minimum of 24 weeks full-time…reflective of more than one practice area, or in a maximum of four different settings.

  • OTA- OTA students complete their Level II fieldwork for a minimum of 16 weeks full-time…reflective of more than one practice area, or in a maximum of three different settings.

• Georgia Occupational Therapy Rules and Regulations does not allow for CEUs obtained from Level I FW

• NBCOT- Certificants can earn 1 unit per student for level I fieldwork supervision, with a maximum of 6 units per 3 year renewal cycle.  Level I fieldwork direct supervision must not be one’s primary role.  A letter of verification or certificate from school that includes dates of fieldwork and name of fieldwork student serves as verification

• Georgia Occupational Therapy Rules and Regulations- a maximum of ten (10) of the required twenty-four (24) CEUs can be in "General" continuing education hours and may be obtained by Level II fieldwork supervision

• NBCOT- Certificants can earn 1 unit per student per week for level II fieldwork supervision, with a maximum of 12 units per 3 year renewal cycle.  Level II fieldwork direct supervision must not be one’s primary role.  A letter of verification or certificate from school that includes dates of fieldwork and name of fieldwork student serves as verification.

• How many hours do I get if I share a student with another supervisor?

  • NBCOT- Co-supervision is acceptable; record dates and times when providing direct student supervision. Supervision of more than one student at a time is acceptable; record dates and times of supervision provided to each student. Apply appropriate PDU value based on time spent providing direct supervision.

• Nontraditional Fieldwork refers to fieldwork placements in settings that are not typically associated with traditional occupational therapy practice, such as community-based programs, homeless shelters, prisons, or other emerging practice areas. These placements offer unique opportunities for students to apply OT principles in innovative ways.

• Formstack is a software tool used to create and manage online forms and documents. In occupational therapy fieldwork, Formstack is used to collect and manage student fieldwork evaluations, track hours, and gather feedback on fieldwork experiences.

• You are generally ready to supervise a Level II student when you have at least one year of practice experience after your initial certification as an OT or OTA. Additionally, you should feel confident in your clinical skills, have a solid understanding of the occupational therapy process, and be willing to mentor and guide a student through their fieldwork experience. Your workplace or academic institution may also offer specific training or resources to prepare you for this role.

• The FTE (full-time equivalent) depends on the fieldwork placement’s usual and customary personnel policies. The setting and the academic program determine the total hours required to comprise a full-time equivalent.

• Students are expected to mirror the work schedule of their supervising therapist, which may include varying hours based on the setting's needs.

• If you have PTO (Paid Time Off) scheduled during a Level II student’s rotation, it’s important to communicate this in advance to the academic fieldwork coordinator and arrange for alternative supervision during your absence. Another qualified therapist may take over supervision, or the student’s schedule might be adjusted accordingly.

• Typically, hosting an OT student does not result in additional pay. However, there may be other incentives, such as receiving CEUs or recognition from your employer or professional organization. 

• ACOTE does not indicate how many students a fieldwork educator can supervise. 2018 ACOTE Standard C.1.4 states that sites must ensure that the ratio of fieldwork educators to students enables proper supervision, and provides protection of consumers, opportunities for appropriate role modeling of occupational therapy practice, and the ability to provide frequent assessment of student progress in achieving stated fieldwork objectives. The fieldwork sites must determine the ratio based on the requirements of the Standard, organizational policy and procedures, state practice act guidelines, and the competency, skill set, and expertise of the supervisor.

FW: Fieldwork

AFWC: Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

FWE: Fieldwork Educator

FWPE: Fieldwork Performance Evaluation

SEFWE: Student Evaluation of Fieldwork Experience

Fieldwork education is an important professional responsibility of each professional. There is an informative website offered by AOTA for fieldwork educators. The college and university academic fieldwork coordinators will be more than happy to assist you in preparing for hosting fieldwork students. Contact your area occupational therapy programs. You can also attend the AOTA Fieldwork Educators Certificate Program (FWECP) which will prepare you for being a field work educator.

A certified occupational therapy assistant can supervise an occupational therapy student during Level I Fieldwork. An occupational therapist (OTR) must supervise an occupational therapy student during Level II Fieldwork.

Professional Development Units (PDU’s) are earned by occupational therapy fieldwork educators based upon the number of weeks they provide full time supervision. For example, a FW educator may earn one PDU for each week of supervision for an occupational therapy student. The NBCOT website has more information about PDU opportunities.

For those settings that serve Medicare patients, it is important to be aware of both new and existing Medicare payment policies. CMS has published specific criteria relating to how and when the program will pay for services when the student participates in service delivery. When developing fieldwork plans for sites that serve Medicare patients, you should consider two issues: 1. Whether Medicare payment rules specifically allow students to participate in the delivery of services to Medicare beneficiaries, and 2. Which type and level of supervision the Medicare program requires. Additional information can be found at the AOTA site for student supervision.

If your facility does not already have a student fieldwork manual it would be helpful to include the following: orientation to the facility, orientation to the department, orientation to the patient/client, guidelines for documentation, fieldwork program information, and expectations of performance.

• Level I FW- Examples of FWEs include, but are not limited to, currently licensed or otherwise regulated occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, psychologists, physician assistants, teachers, social workers, physicians, speech-language pathologists, nurses, and physical therapists. Fieldwork educators who supervise Level I fieldwork must be informed of the curriculum and fieldwork program design and affirm their ability to support the fieldwork experience. This must occur prior to the onset of the Level I fieldwork. 

• Level II FW

  • OT- The student must be supervised by a currently licensed or otherwise regulated occupational therapist with at least 1 year full-time or its equivalent of professional experience prior to the Level II fieldwork placement. 

  • OTA- The student must be supervised by a currently licensed or otherwise regulated occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant with at least 1 year full-time or its equivalent of professional experience prior to the Level II fieldwork placement.