Coping Strategies Used by Occupational Therapy Students During Fieldwork: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory study examined the coping strategies and perceptions of 24 graduate students in occupational therapy who were participating in their second Level II fieldwork experience. The instruments used were the revised Ways of Coping Checklist (WCCL) (Vitaliano, Russo, Carr, Maiuro, & Becker, 1985) and a questionnaire developed by the authors. The results showed that of the five coping scales of the WCCL, the students used the Problem-Focused and Seeks Social Support strategies more than the Blamed Self, Wishful Thinking, and Avoidance strategies. Most of the students perceived the fieldwork experience as important, controllable, and stressful, but not disruptive to their lives.