Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Cancer Care: Prioritizing Quality Of Life And Symptom Management, Bridgett N. Tegen

Graduate Projects & Research

Advancements in cancer treatment have led to increased survival rates, emphasizing the importance of quality of life (QoL) for cancer patients. One critical factor impacting QoL is the presence of symptoms and side effects from cancer and cancer treatments. Disjointed care and lack of information about managing symptoms are common issues reported by cancer patients. Rehabilitative services, particularly occupational therapy, can play a vital role in supporting cancer patients in self-management of symptoms and side effects. However, availability and access to these services are lacking, especially in community settings. To address this gap, an educational program was developed at a …

Implementing An Interprofessional Early Childhood Screening Program At The St. Paul City School, Stephen Schuster Ots

Graduate Projects & Research

Early childhood screening (ECS) is required with 30 days of starting kindergarten in the state of Minnesota. However, due to lack of access and barriers to access many current kindergartners have not been screened within the deadline. Low SES and minority students face barriers to access such as transportation and caregiver trust. This project was designed to create an ECS program at the St. Paul City School to address the barriers to screens that the students and families faced. Having the ECS program on-site at the school is more convenient for families and allows them to stay in the environment …

Addressing Academic And Faculty Challenges: Empowering Success And Accessibility With An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Madisyn Anderson

Graduate Projects & Research

Introduction: The increasing presence of students with disabilities in higher education necessitates improved faculty support and awareness of on-campus support services and accommodations. Occupational therapists can play a vital role in promoting inclusion and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles by collaborating with faculty to enhance the academic experience and success of students with disabilities.

Purpose: The primary aim of this project was to evaluate and educate faculty on student support services at the University and share knowledge on Universal Design for Learning to enhance the existing literature on the significance of OT in higher education.

Approach: I completed an …

Advanced Mental And Behavioral Health: Community-Based Practice, Erin Crouch

Graduate Projects & Research

The purpose of this Masters project was to emphasize community psychosocial practice through collaboration with a local mental health organization by conducting a needs assessment, implementing a project at the community site, and evaluating the outcomes. Prior to collaboration with the organization, a literature review was conducted analyzing the role of occupational therapy working with individuals with serious mental illness. From this, it was found that occupational therapists can work with individuals with serious mental illness to engage in meaningful occupations, increase a sense of accomplishment, competence, and satisfaction, and participate in community living. Additionally, it is within occupational therapy's …

Enhancing Student Support In Higher Education: Occupation-Based Programming And The Vital Role Of Occupational Therapy, Emily M. Medcalf

Graduate Projects & Research

Introduction: With the higher education student populations facing greater prevalence of mental health conditions and greater presence of students with disabilities attending higher education, there is a greater demand than many higher education resources can meet. Therefore, there is a need to revise the current student support structure. This project advocated for the role of occupational therapy (OT) program development in higher education student disability services.

Purpose: The primary aim of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a virtual 4-week occupation-based pilot program. The initial pilot participants included students receiving accommodations from the Student Accessibility and Accommodations (SA&A) …

Occupation, Play, And Memory Making; Creating An Ot Guide For Pediatric End Of Life Care, Madalyn O'Reilly

Graduate Projects & Research

Introduction: Pediatric hospice care is often under researched and under-resourced for children and their families. In addition, children with medical complexities often have difficulties with receiving holistic comprehensive care.

Purpose: This project aims to create an end-of-life toolkit support staff at Crescent Cove providing care for children receiving services. This project will educate staff on ADLs, positioning, sensory-based interventions, and energy conservation, in addition to providing education on the role of occupational therapy at the end-of-life.

Approach: The student completed an extensive literature search for pediatric hospice care with an occupational therapy-based lens. The staff at Crescent Cove were then …

Caregiver’S Perspectives Of Community Acceptance Before And After Surgical Treatment For Their Child’S Disability, Kali Johnson

Graduate Projects & Research

Background: In Tanzania, about 600,000 children and adolescents between the ages of five and twenty-four years old have a disability. Individuals with disabilities in Tanzania face numerous obstacles due to the social stigma and exclusion they face. The purpose of this formative evaluation is to assess how caregivers of children with correctable disabilities in Tanzania perceive their community’s acceptance of their child before and after surgical treatment.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted. Interviews from 86 caregivers of children (ages … with disabilities treated at The Plaster House in Arusha, Tanzania were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis to assess for …

Addressing The Opioid Epidemic In Minnesota: Improving Health Outcomes By Expanding Harm Reduction Strategies A Prospective Policy Analysis, Lisa Lau Heller

Graduate Projects & Research

Background: Morbidity and mortality from opioid misuse is worsening in Minnesota, and synthetic opioids have exacerbated the public health problem for vulnerable communities. People who inject drugs (PWID) due to social, health, economic and environmental factors are experiencing increased fatal overdoses. Minnesota has a broad approach to tackling the opioid crisis, but policies are needed, using new harm reduction strategies, to address the existing gaps.

Methods: A prospective policy analysis was conducted using a public health and trauma informed approach using an extensive literature review to understand ways to improve health outcomes in PWID. A Center for Disease Control policy …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Global Public Health Program: An Exploratory Study Of Syllabi Of Master’S Of Public Health Courses At St. Catherine University, Gao Lee

Graduate Projects & Research

Background: Many universities aim to provide content that opens new ways of seeing the world to students. One method for achieving this is by critiquing one’s courses for diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) elements. The course syllabus contains vital details that support students in achieving their academic objectives and personal development.

Methods: The purpose of this exploratory study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The existing DEI syllabi assessment tool was developed by Rutgers University and Boston University. We reviewed and adapted DEI domains.

Results: The outcome of this tool developed a table comparison of Rutgers and Boston DEI syllabi …

Evaluating Literacy Sensitive Client Education Materials For The Smmart Clinic, Mckenzie Brink, Kelsey L. Colvin, Kelsey Holmer, Rachel G. Kullas, Paige M. Loy, Alexander W. Manos, Gretta N. Obeid, Kelly O'Connor, Allison Park

Graduate Projects & Research

This master’s project was completed in collaboration with the St. Mary’s Medical and Rehabilitative Therapies (SMMART) Clinic, located on the campus of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Through the completion of literature reviews, a needs assessment, and project activities, nine graduate occupational therapy students analyzed the needs of this clinic and aimed to improve client care. The SMMART clinic serves primarily Spanish-speaking clients who are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured. This population often faces obstacles in accessing primary health care and rehabilitation, including language and literacy-related barriers. Occupational therapy can play an important role in addressing these barriers and …