Toward An Identity For The Field Of Doctoral Education In Health Sciences, Lauretta Cathers, Kieran Fogarty, Lynda T. Goodfellow, Christina B. Gunther, Beverly W. Henry, Douglas A. Kuperman, Laura Santurri, G. Zipp

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

The Association of Doctoral Programs in Health Sciences (ADPHS) was informally established in November 2019, officially incorporated in August 2021, and is currently a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization comprised of the directors of member doctoral programs of health sciences. The ADPHS grew from informal discussions among program directors who agreed that a major problem in the field of doctoral education in health sciences was the lack of a clearly defined and easily articulable identity. The discussions led to the drafting of an informal and nonscientific survey used to help clarify the current health sciences education environment, relevant emerging trends, and the …

Yoga Program For Children At Risk For Trauma: Promoting Self-Regulation And Educational Participation, Sydney Gonzales, Rebecca King

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This presentation describes implementing a yoga-based program within an early childhood education setting. Occupational therapists can utilize yoga-based activities and advocate for their use in classrooms to promote the positive development of self-regulation and educational participation for at-risk populations.

A Guide For Supplemental Education On Seating And Positioning For Parents And Caregivers Of Individuals With Cerebral Palsy, Grace Johnson, Mary Jan Greer, Franchesca Cox

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

An educational program that educates caregivers and families on the importance of proper seating and positioning during play, feeding, bone development and growth, speech, reaching, toy manipulation, handwriting and interacting with peers.

Occupational Therapy After Breast Cancer Treatment: A Guidebook For Hispanic Women, Katarina Tauran, Mary Smith Phd, Ms, Otr/L, Lesley Khan-Farooqi Phd, Otd, Otr/L

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project aims to understand the needs of Hispanic women post-breast cancer treatment and offer a guidebook with educational resources in both English and Spanish.

Occupational Therapy's Role In Supporting Individuals With Down Syndrome Through An Employment Program, Jenny Rossopoulos, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster presents the implementation of an existing employment program, EmployAble to a new group of individuals with Down syndrome. The presentation outlines the methods, program design, and curriculum. Additionally, this capstone project aims to explore the support mechanisms for individuals with disabilities in the workplace and the education of employers regarding inclusive employment practices.

Improving Participation In Physical Education For Children With Disabilities, Randi Major, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Participating in adaptive sports has many benefits for children with disabilities (CWD), however literature demonstrates that many barriers exist within community-setting adaptive sports which impact participation for CWD. There is currently a lack of understanding of the needs of CWD and the barriers that exist within schools that impact their participation in physical activities and sports. In addition, the literature demonstrates that many individuals with disabilities are not meeting the recommended minutes for daily physical activity which can impact the health and well-being of CWD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022).

The purpose of this capstone project was …

Exploring Student Ageism Perceptions Using Life Review: An Educational Intervention, Rene Wren

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Exploring Student Ageism Perceptions Using Life Review: An Educational Intervention

Abstract

Background: Addressing student ageism is essential for promoting desires to work with older adults, but little is known about how life review intervention, used as an educational tool in OT programs, can affect ageism. This study aimed to explore the effect of life review on OT students’ ageism perceptions and desires to work with older adults.

Design: A qualitative focus group research approach was performed.

Method: Thirty entry-level occupational therapy students from a Texas university were used as a convenient sample. After participating in a 4-hour workshop, students conducted …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Creating An Educational Employment Program For Individuals With Disabilities., Jessica Tully, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this poster was to explain the steps taken to create an educational employment program for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Evidence Based Practice Change To Incorporate A Standardized Process Checklist For Fecal Microbiota Therapy (Fmt) To Increase Staff Adherence, Alicia Gomez

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Staff adherence to new procedures is crucial for ensuring patient safety, maintaining quality care, reducing risks and liabilities, and fostering a positive organizational culture that supports continuous improvement. Having a procedure done safely for patients infected with C.diff provides an overall benefit to the healthcare system.

PICOT: In an endoscopy lab staffed with nurses and surgical technicians (P), does the implementation of a new standardized process of administering FDA approved Fecal Microbiota Transplant Therapy (I) compared to the current process (C), increase staff adherence to the process (O) over 12 weeks(T)?

Evidence: Leadership, supervision, and organizational culture are …

Play Is A Way Of Life: Play-Based Program For Parents Of Young Children (Ages Two To Five Years Old), Lauren Purdom, Angela Labrie Blackwell, Amanda Perdue Owen

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This play-based program was created for parents of young children (ages two to five years old) and is accessible through a website called "Play is a Way of Life". Within this program it includes, educational material on the differences between active and passive play and recommendations for each type of play that children in this age group should participate in each day. It also includes a 6-week program with a variety of active play activities that target specific skills that children (ages two to five years old) should participate in for their overall development.

Classroom Reintegration For Children And Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Alli Perkins, Mary Greer, Keith Mcwilliams

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of the poster presentation is to increase the present knowledge regarding the process of school-based reintegration for children and adolescents who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. As children and young adults spend an average of 32 hours per week in the school environment, parents, educators, and rehabilitation professionals are ideally positioned to collaborate with one another to facilitate the reintegration process and enable students to return to their primary occupations of educational participation, social participation, play, and leisure. The presentation includes information from the development and implementation of a program for parents, families, and educators of those …

The Transition To Adulthood For High School Students With Special Needs, Athena Hays, Mary Jan Greer, Jinna Danser

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The reason for many special needs students not engaging in occupations after high school is because many guardians have not had to navigate this type of transition before and are not provided enough education on what these opportunities include before their students graduate. Many students with special needs do not optimize their engagement in the community because guardians are not being provided with education on post-graduate opportunities.

The purpose of my Doctoral Capstone Project is to develop an educational transition service program for special needs students as well as guardians and teachers of these students preparing for high school graduation …

Tattoo Artist Ergonomics: An Educational Video Series, Adeline Wagner, Steven M. Gerardi, Rachel Overberg

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals who are tattoo artists experience hazards in their workplace by sitting and using repetitive movements for extended periods of time in poor postures and positions. The improper use of ergonomics impacts their daily occupational performance, work productivity, well-being, and overall quality of life. The hazards in the workplace can reduce one’s motivation, dictate one’s habits, routines, roles, and ability to complete meaningful activities. The problem is that tattoo artists are not trained in injury prevention which predisposes them to develop injuries. The purpose of this capstone project is to address this problem and develop an educational video series for …

Management Of Sensory Processing Challenges In The Classroom: An Educational Video Series For Teachers., Jasmine Guerrero, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

An educational video series for teachers on sensory processing and how to manage students with sensory processing challenges in the classroom. The video series includes evidence-based supports and strategies that may be utilized in the classroom to improve students' occupational performance.

Ergonomics In Esports: A Video Training Series For Esports Athletes, Duy Do, Steven M. Gerardi, Branden Singleton

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Electronic sports, also known as esports, refers to organized and competitive video gaming against other players or teams. Unlike traditional sports, esports is sedentary, with athletes spending several hours daily seated at their gaming stations. Additionally, esports athletes lack the knowledge of ergonomic hazards and how to mitigate occupational overuse syndromes and mental health challenges. The purpose of this project was to create a video training series from an occupational therapy perspective to educate esports athletes on the ergonomic hazards of esports to improve participation, occupational performance, and quality of life of esports athletes.

Play Over Talk: A Toolkit For Educators On Adverse Childhood Experiences, Brianna Gallegos, Mary Ann Smith, Cat Daniel

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences that can lead to negative, lasting effects on the health and well-being of the child. Students who have ACEs are more likely to struggle in school, have difficulty paying attention, lack self-regulation skills, and struggle to control their emotions and behaviors. Teachers and school staff may not recognize or know how to support students who have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which can impact the child’s occupational role as a student. To date, a resource for school staff with information on ACEs, interventions, and strategies has not been created. The purpose of this project …

Evaluation Of An Online Physical And Mental Wellbeing Program For Ust Crs Students: A Feasibility Study, Catherine Joy Escuadra, Jordan Barbra Nava, Arlene Chiong Maya, Neil Zachary Aningalan, Beatriz Joy Borhillo, Llana Eunice Duya, Marco Celso Francisco Iii, Katrina Angela Jarobel, Darlene Sofia Lim, Jan Mikaela Ramos, Julia Vanesa Villocillo, John Emmanuel Wycoco

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

Introduction: With the recent transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students experience academic difficulties, which affect their wellbeing. There is a need for an online wellbeing intervention program for students to address such concerns. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a six-week online educational wellbeing program for the physical and mental wellbeing of the University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences (UST-CRS) students.

Methods: This is a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study that recruited UST-CRS students without physical and mental conditions. Physical and mental wellbeing modules developed by experts were deployed using Wix. …

A Pilot Study On Implementing An Interprofessional Education Model For Developing Rehabilitative Science Student Core Competencies, Maureen Ellen Johnson, Norman Cadiz Belleza, Mohan Ganesan

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: Inclusion of interprofessional education (IPE) in academia is required by education accreditation agencies for occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) in the United States. Limited information is available on models of IPE to guide faculty. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of implementing a recently designed IPE model with OT and PT graduate students. This IPE model aligned Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competency domains with novel learning activities, such as an escape room, simulated medical chart, and two simulations.

Methods: Data were retrieved from 52 auto-enrolled students (n=14 OT) and (n=38 PT) …

Visibility Of Entry-Level Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program's Mission, Vision, And Value Statement And Alignment With Professional Values, Matthew Vraa, Coral Crew-Noble, Orquidia Frausto, Rada Kerimova

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction. This study aimed to assess the accessibility and alignment of core statements (mission, vision, and values) in entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs across the United States with the core beliefs of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

Method. Two independent reviewers searched publicly available resources for the core statements of 271 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited DPT programs. The statements were cross-referenced against APTA Standards of Practice and Core Values. Descriptive statistical analysis assessed the public availability of program statements and their alignment with APTA core beliefs.

Results. Among the programs, 95.6% had …

Promoting Patient Mobility To Decrease Hospital Length Of Stay, Saira Kinuthia

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Promoting patient mobility may reduce hospital-acquired complications and length of stay (LOS). Evidence-based studies have established that there is a correlation between immobility and an increased length of stay in the hospital. How can nurse-driven mobility interventions effectively increase patient mobility and reduce the risk of complications and length of hospital stay?

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: For veteran patients in the Progressive Care unit (PCU) of a medical center (P), will using the Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility tool (JH-HLM) (I) compared to not using a mobility tool (C) decrease hospital length …

Improving Blood Pressure In Adults 65 Years And Older Via Weekly Telehealth Coaching, Janet Bathini

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Hypertension is a significant modifiable risk factor for CVD and is on the rise with advancing age. The management at the VA hospital's GEC clinic acknowledged the importance of managing HTN in veterans to lower their CVD risk and were open to implementing EBP to enhance HTN management.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In the primary care setting, in older adults > 65 years with BP > 140/90 (P), does weekly telehealth coaching (I) compared to no telehealth coaching (C), decrease their BP (O) over a 6-week period (T)?

Evidence: The evidence that guided this project …

Expanding Use Of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor (Sglt2i) In Managing Patients With Diabetes And Chronic Kidney Disease In Primary Care, Stephanie Wu

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: In 2022, the addendum of standards of medical care in diabetes management was annotated to recommend the broader use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) to treat patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic nephropathy. Despite the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) efforts to include SLGT2i as a formulary, non-restrictive prescription in the primary care ordering menu, the overall utilization rates of SGLT2i remained relatively low in primary care.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In patients with DM and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (P), how does an evidence-based guideline algorithm bundle (I) …

Bridging The Gap From New Graduate To Practicing Occupational Therapist: An Educational Resource In Orthopedics, Rachel Carlson, Helen Carey, Kaylee Munch, Lisa Choe

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

OT is pivotal in the rehabilitation and recovery of individuals with orthopedic conditions (Nelson, 2010). However, as a new graduate occupational therapist, there is limited support as they make the transition to clinical practice (Turpin et al., 2021). New graduates receive support through professional mentorship and peer support but are often focused on the safe practice of basic skills rather than on best practices (Opoku et al., 2021). New graduates would feel more confident in clinical judgment and decision-making with additional support from mentors and accessible up-to-date resources (Adam et al., 2013). Purpose: Develop an accessible resource for new occupational …

Establishing A Transformative Social Emotional Learning Evaluation Plan To Support All Students Within A Targeted School District, Tia Coleman, Angela Blackwell, Tiffany Lee

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process through which individuals acquire social and emotional competencies (Geesa et al., 2022). This capstone project aimed to enhance education by developing a transformative SEL evaluation plan in a school district. The school district presented a commitment to fostering SEL but recognized the need for more targeted and transformative actions. This initiative arises from the acknowledgment that the existing SEL program did not meet the district's specific needs of inclusivity and equity, potentially impacting overall student performance, participation, and well-being. To address this gap, the district incorporated insights from occupational therapy practice …

A Occupational Therapy Guidebook For Teachers On Sensory Processing And Sensory Integration, Kaitlyn Stanley, Keisa Boykin, Heidi Woolley

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Children with sensory processing (SP) challenges find simple classroom tasks overwhelming and can present with deficits in behavior management, emotional regulation, and occupations due to the inability to self-regulate the sensory input from their environment. In addition, deficits in SP may impact a child's ability to maintain engagement and participation in the learning process. If these SP needs are not met through the school, the child lacks the adequate tools to be successful in learning, which is considered occupational injustice (AOTA, 2020). By providing teachers with the adequate educational tools to understand sensory processing and sensory integration (SP-SI), identify and …

Advocating For The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Burn Population, Jordan Faircloth, Keisa Boykin

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

In 2018, around 450,000 individuals in the United States (U.S.) suffered from severe burn injuries (ABA, 2018). The largest burn center in the U.S. is the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital, located in Augusta, Georgia. This location is where the capstone experience was completed. Individuals who suffer from severe burns are at risk for developing contractures. Scar contractures can impact an individual during ADL participation, limiting their independence and causing a disruption in daily routine, habits, and roles (Oosterwijk et al., 2017). Five main components of scar management focus on compression gear, sun protection, appropriate positioning/splinting to …

A Dance Program Focused On Health Promotion, Nadalie Valdez, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to develop a dance program focused on health promotion, with the intent to encourage physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being. In response to the rise in childhood obesity and associated comorbidities, especially among underserved communities, the goal of this project was to provide opportunities for children of all backgrounds to establish healthy habits and routines.

Occupational Therapy's Role In Providing Gender-Affirming Care For Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals, Anna Rhodes, Mary A. Smith, Kristin Willey

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

There is limited information, education, and training available on providing care for the transgender and gender-diverse population, and many healthcare providers lack the specific knowledge needed to provide adequate, culturally competent care. A needs assessment was conducted to better understand what healthcare practitioners wanted to know regarding this topic, as well as what trans and gender-diverse individuals wanted their healthcare practitioners to know about their care. This needs assessment was anonymous and answers were not published. The responses were analyzed by the author to identify themes and develop learning objectives for the creation of educational materials. Five educational modules were …

Supporting Oaxacan Youth Mental Health, Academic Achievement, And Cultural Connection, Itahi Arteaga, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga, Rebecca Heymann

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Oaxacan Indigenous youth in the U.S. experience generational, cultural, and social conflicts that impact their participation, performance, and well-being, yet there are no occupation-based programs that address their mental health, academic achievement, and cultural connection In San Diego.

The purpose of the capstone project was to develop a culturally-informed occupational therapy program for Oaxacan indigenous youth that will motivate and provide the skills needed to navigate different cultures while encouraging belonging.

Neurodiagnostic Program Director Perceptions On Low Enrollments, Daniella Krantz

Student Dissertations

Higher education enrollments have trended downward over the last several years and fallen further due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem addressed in this study was low student enrollment in neurodiagnostic programs in the United States, resulting in an increasing shortage of neurodiagnostic professionals working in the field. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of neurodiagnostic program directors and their views on the low enrollments in neurodiagnostic programs in the United States. A descriptive qualitative design was used to understand the perspectives of these program directors. Human capital theory, the theory …