Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Biopsychosocial Occupational Therapy Interventions For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – A Pilot Manuscript, Cinthia Hartman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapists (OTs) have an essential role in the treatment of upper extremity Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in outpatient therapy settings. Occupational therapy (OT) guidelines and research focus treatment on the Budapest Criteria’s biological signs and symptoms. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) now recognizes CRPS as a primary chronic pain condition and not an autonomic disorder, as it was thought to be in the past. This recognition, along with the psychological and social impacts of the condition, highlight the need for updated OT treatment interventions incorporating a biopsychosocial model. Combining evidence-based CRPS OT interventions for …

Pediatric Trauma-Informed Care And Implications For Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Quaneka Hoskin-Chase

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapy practitioners are provided a wealth of knowledge through school and professional fieldwork experiences to understand and skillfully address the needs of children who have been exposed to trauma. Therapists are competently prepared to provide holistic and client-centered care that is dedicated to meaningful and volitional engagement (Lynch et al., 2021). However, many therapists still lack the confidence and awareness of their role related to trauma-informed care in the pediatric environment (Piller, 2022). Trauma compromises each domain of occupation (Lynch et al., 2021). As early intervention specialists, the lack of responsiveness to children’s trauma can have devastating and enduring …

The Impact Of Educating Interprofessional Healthcare Workers On The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Cardiac Acute Care Setting, Jennifer L. Taosuvanna

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The acute care setting has been a vastly growing practice area for the occupational therapy profession. Occupational therapists assist clients in the acute care setting with activities of daily living retraining and functional transfer training to increase independence. Each client demonstrates a different discharge course from the acute care setting and occupational therapists play a key role in assisting the clients the most appropriate rehabilitative setting. All professionals in the acute care setting work cohesively to provide clients with the best outcome.

The doctoral project explored the importance of interprofessional healthcare worker education about occupational therapy practices in the acute …

Promoting The Benefits Of An Occupational Therapy Health And Wellness Coaching Program For Adults Living With Chronic Illnesses And Their Self-Management, Natasha Findley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Improved health-related outcomes for individuals 18 years or older living with a chronic condition or multiple chronic conditions can be positively impacted by health and wellness coaching. The primary purpose of this capstone project was to develop a community-based health and wellness coaching program with an occupational therapy-based approach to empower and motivate individuals in discovering their strategies, make healthier choices, and be accountable for their self-management (medication adherence, physical activity, sleep hygiene, healthy eating, stress management, and pain management). According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (2015), occupational therapy focuses on promoting health and wellness by enabling clients to …

An Immersive Virtual Reality Treatment Learning Module For Unlv Occupational Therapy Students, Paolo Castro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Virtual reality refers to the technology used to create multi-sensory, three-dimensional environments its users can interact with. Occupational therapists may find virtual reality-based therapy appealing as it allows them to access many virtual environments and tasks that would be difficult to recreate in traditional settings. Despite literature suggesting their willingness to use it in practice, there is an evidence-to-practice gap caused by low self-efficacy and knowledge of how to operate and apply it. The author created a learning module for occupational therapy students to see how it affects perceived clinical competency. The results of the learning module showed statistically significant …

Mental Health Education Protocol For Staff Members In An Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, Charles Nicholas Salvatera

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Mental health illnesses have a significant impact on the lives of individuals and society. Despite the availability of effective treatments, many people with psychosocial issues or cognitive impairments do not receive the right care. This highlights the importance of timely care and effective help-seeking opportunities. Increased mental health literacy and supportive behaviors in the social networks of people with mental health disorders can be achieved by providing hospital staff with education on mental health disorders. It is believed that improvements in these areas increase the likelihood that people will seek effective assistance. When healthcare providers are educated about mental health …

The Importance Of An Educational Occupation-Based Work Program For Young Adults With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Jennifer Zielinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Barriers to occupations and transitions to vocational opportunities can be difficult for adolescents and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD)s to feel confident and pursue job opportunities. Some of the problems stem from the stigma related to the individual’s disability, the contexts surrounding them, and the performance of the work tasks expected. Individuals with I/DDs expressed that not having enough support in the community and the workforce creates significant obstacles to retaining a job. Occupational therapists (OT)s can play a unique role in transition and employment for individuals with an I/DD. With a focus on self-determination and successful …

Increasing Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ And Students’ Perceived Self-Confidence And Knowledge In Pelvic Floor Disorders Specifically In Stress Urinary Incontinence, Sarah L. Pond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This quality improvement project used a pre-and post-survey to explore the effectiveness of an online learning module and determine if the approach increased occupation therapy practitioners' and occupational therapy students' perceived self-confidence and knowledge in pelvic floor therapy.The course was a pre-recorded module launched on Teachable. Participants were recruited through an online flyer posted on social media and email. The online module was open for 27 days, with 130 respondents in the pre-assessment and 99 who completed the module and the post-assessment. The use of an open-ended question was used to obtain qualitative data regarding the online course. The online …

Exploration Of Occupational Therapy Program Development Through Nih Grant Writing, Larissa Silcox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is a gap in current literature which describes the effects of yoga-based exercise on the physical health, mental health, and well-being among adults with Down syndrome (Ds). In addition, there is limited research available which describes the impact these effects may have on participation in everyday occupations. Individuals with Ds are living longer lives and will require evidence-based occupational therapy (OT) interventions to ensure healthy growth, development across the lifespan, and ability to participate in meaningful occupations as they age. The current project explores the process of writing a National Institutes of Health R03 grant application that includes a …

A Kinesio Tape ® Protocol To Improve Postural Stability And Mouth Closure For Feeding And Eating In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Ariana Naomi Valdez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Kinesio tape ® (KT) has been used in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy (CP) due to its ability to increase sensory input, normalize muscle tone, improve postural stability, and improve range of motion (ROM). KT can be applied and left on the skin for multiple days, allowing the tape to simulate the effects of manual therapy techniques outside of the outpatient setting. However, its use within occupational therapy (OT) to address the occupations of feeding and eating is limited, despite it being an effective treatment method when used in conjunction with traditional OT. Gaps in research limit occupational …

An Adolescent Concussion Management Toolkit For Occupational Therapists, Coby Yoshimura

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aim of this project was to demonstrate the role occupational therapists may serve during concussion recovery, by integrating current research and findings into an instructional resource from an occupational therapy (OT) lens. An OT-based toolkit was created to prioritize the identification, assessment, and treatment of two realms of concussion management: functional cognition and vision. The development of a pre and post survey using a modified version of the Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale was used to determine occupational therapists’ perceived self-efficacy before and after reviewing the created OT-based toolkit. A related samples Wilcoxon signed rank-test was used to analyze pre …

New-R Intervention For Clients With Severe Mental Illness And Obesity: Grant Writing For Implementation Funds Supporting Occupational Therapy Interventions, Kaitlyn Hoffman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Increasing numbers of people suffer from obesity and severe mental illness co-morbidly. If these conditions remain untreated, they can harm an individual's health and well-being. Unfortunately, there are very few programs currently available that target both management and improvement of these conditions simultaneously. Even so, despite the lack of programming options, it must be noted that the NEW-R program strives to reach those goals, although there hasn't been an abundance of literature supporting the effectiveness of this program. This poses a concern for occupational therapy practitioners who hope to assist their clients in managing these conditions as occupational therapy treatments …

A Pilot Program To Inform High School Students About Allied Healthcare Professions, Nhu Mac

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The literature revealed the lack of diversity in the workforce, limited recruiting and retention methods, and lack of exposure to these professions as the contributions to the shortage and demand for the profession of occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech- language pathology (SLP). As a result, the fourteen-week program to inform high school students about OT, PT, and SLP roles in the community and public health was implemented at Desert Pines High School in Clark County School District (CCSD) to see if it would influence their perceived attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and the likelihood of pursuing these careers. Using …

Driving And Community Mobility: An Online Educational Program For Generalist Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Gerard Blanco

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Driving is an important daily activity that often goes unnoticed, yet it enables individuals to engage in crucial tasks such as grocery shopping, going to work, and participating in social activities. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners must recognize and address the significance of driving in their daily routines to promote clients' independence and fulfillment. However, despite being well-equipped to assist clients with driving-related issues, many practitioners avoid or neglect this area of occupation. A reluctance to addressing driving and community mobility (DCM) can arise from a lack of confidence, available resources, support, or fear of losing a client's trust. These barriers …

Acquired Brain Injury: A Vision Screening Protocol For Occupational Therapists, Sebastian Cheung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapists have a unique set of skills that allow them to assess individuals with an acquired brain injury who have visual impairments. However, it is frequently neglected in practice owing to a lack of confidence, knowledge, or training. There is a need for a vision screening protocol that will help occupational therapists learn more about visual impairments in adults with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and feel more confident in their ability to identify them. This quality improvement capstone project was a feasibility study and consisted of a sample size of N = 6, utilizing a one group pretest-posttest …

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork In An Emerging Justice-Based Setting: Hope For Prisoners, Noah Claypool

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This capstone occurred through a partnership with HOPE for Prisoners in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an emerging area of practice, the occupational therapy profession needs more resources and programs focused on the justice system. The lack of evidence-based resources to support future level I fieldwork students at HOPE for Prisoners poses a barrier for students to maximize their fieldwork experience and effectively engage with the organization’s population of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men, women, and young adults in southern Nevada.This capstone experience involved a 14-week immersion at HOPE for Prisoners, including participation in training and workshops and engagement with clients, …

Ergonomic Education For Entry-Level Administrative Staff, Mitzi De La Cruz-Garcia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the United States, 2.6 million work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) were reported in 2020, which are costly to employers, individuals, and our healthcare system. The most commonly affected workers are entry-level staff, who often do not receive training or education on office ergonomics during their onboarding process. Evidence exists on the benefits of ergonomics for workers, but there is a gap in disseminating information to these individuals. In addition, what is available on the internet can be of low quality, not based on evidence, and written at a higher-than-average reading level.There is a need for easily accessible ergonomic education and …

An Educational Sleep Hygiene Module For Unlv Students To Promote Occupational Performance, Therese Fernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Does participation in a sleep hygiene educational module improve perceived ability to practice habits supporting increased engagement for leisure occupations in UNLV students? Sleep hygiene refers to a set of rules or practices to promote and allow for better sleep quality. Poor sleep quality is a prevalent problem among college students due to numerous reasons, including poor sleep hygiene. Since there is a strong correlation between poor sleep quality and daily function and given that occupational therapists assist clients to function optimally in activities of daily living despite impairment, it is essential to expand this area of practice to include …

Increasing Self-Perceived Competence In Performing Independent Living Skills Among Unhoused Youth And Young Adults, Stacie M. Gomez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The aim of this project is to determine if the development and implementation of an independent living skills workshop would improve the perceived competence of unhoused youth in performing independent living skills.Methods: The Casey Life Skills Short Assessment was used as a pre-test and post-test. It was found that unhoused young adults generally scored low on finding affordable housing, budgeting, banking skills, education training, and feeling a sense of pride in their lives. A four-week independent living skills program was designed and implemented, which included workshops focused on identified needs. The data was analyzed using a Paired Samples t-Test …

Nonpharmacological Pain Management Of Adult Patients In The Burn Unit: An Interdisciplinary Toolkit Through The Occupational Therapy Lens, Taylor Harrison-Merrill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Interdisciplinary care is the standard for individuals admitted to a burn unit, yet there is a lack of uniform education among different professionals regarding pain management (Kuhlmann & Tallman, 2022). Occupational therapists offer a unique and holistic lens to pain management by using nonpharmacological interventions to reduce patients’ perception of pain (American Burn Association, 2017; Nielson et al., 2022). The purpose of this quality improvement doctoral capstone was to apply this occupational lens in an educational toolkit designed for the interdisciplinary team that addressed nonpharmacological pain management for adults in the burn unit; effectively closing the knowledge gap across disciplines …

Increasing Foster Parent Awareness Of An Occupation-Based Approach To Child Well-Being, Taylar Hirte

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Foster parents are an integral part of the child welfare system. They provide temporary care to children who otherwise cannot stay in their homes. They are required to be state or county licensed and each licensing agency has their own requirements including varying hours of training. The literature indicates foster parents do not receive enough training to feel prepared and confident to care for children with increased mental health, behavioral, school-related, cognitive, and peer relationship challenges that foster children often experience (AOTA, 2017; Lotty et al., 2020; Paul-Ward et al., 2014; Smith, 2022).The purpose of the present capstone project was …

Perceived Usefulness, Ease Of Use, And Satisfaction Of A Swaddle Bathing Educational Guide Among Parents/Guardians Of Nicu Premature Infants, Makenzie Leigh Hogbin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current availability of high-quality and comprehensive educational resources made available to parents and guardians with infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is limited in terms of content and provision. Additionally, there exists a plethora of information regarding the impact of the sensory environment on premature and critically ill infants as well as interventions to mitigate these effects that are not efficiently conveyed to their families. Previous research asserts that consistency with the application of sensory interventions with these infants bodes well for positive outcomes, leading one to believe that caregivers may benefit from learning these strategies so …

Effectiveness Of A Workshop For Improving Awareness And Identification Of Racial Microaggressions Among Occupational Therapy Faculty And Students, Hannah Kalegzabher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As a professor or student in occupational therapy (OT), an important role is advocating for students and clients. Taking action is important to practice and promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within the profession. This quality improvement project aimed to determine the effectiveness of a racial microaggression workshop for OT, OT assistant (OTA) students, and faculty to improve awareness and ability to identify racial microaggressions to support Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). Participants were recruited by convenience sampling through email to members of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) and COTAD-Educators (COTAD-ED). The workshop was …

Creating A Web Resource On Sense Of Belonging For Underrepresented Occupational Therapy Students In Graduate Programs, Owen Uyiosa Lawani

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Underrepresented students (URS) in graduate occupational therapy (OT) programs often struggle with a sense of not belonging due to a lack of representation in their cohort and curriculum. This has been evident among students who are from racial/ethnic backgrounds, first-generation college students (FGCS), and have had low-income experiences. Research has shown that a sense of belonging (SB) is important for URS' ability to cope with everyday stressors in higher education.This capstone project focused on developing a web-based resource addressing the perceived SB among URS in graduate OT programs. Data was collected from participants at the University of Nevada Las Vegas …

An Ergonomic Approach For Esport Athletes: The Potential For Less Injury And Increased Occupational Performance, Nicholas Nalic Pierides Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of developing the case study was to determine the satisfaction of implementing an ergonomic protocol tailored to esport athletes in addition to tracking improvements in performance through KovaaK’s tracking trainer while reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries. Occupational therapists are trained to assess individuals with a holistic lens while treating the deficits that prevent them from living a meaningful life. Occupational therapists advise ergonomically correct positioning for their clients to decrease the risk of injury and to optimize the person’s performance. There is a need for an ergonomic protocol tailored to esport athletes because of the increase …

Independent Living Skills Training For Individuals With Serious Mental Illness Through Program Development And Grant Writing, Bianca Rideout

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Serious mental illnesses can affect an individual’s level of independence. Oftentimes, individuals with such mental illnesses require assistance from a family member or paid caregiver to live in the community successfully. Occupational therapists work with people across the lifespan to improve an individual’s independence and overall well-being through meaningful occupations. Activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are both comprised of tasks that are often completed by a person on a regular basis. Occupational therapists habilitate and rehabilitate people to be able to complete ADLs and IADLs as independently as possible. Many ADLs and IADLs …

The Impact Of An Ostomy Training Workshop On Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ And Students’ Confidence In Client Education On Ostomy Management, Amanda Rae Shizue Shimabukuro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The objective of this quality improvement study was to assess if an ostomy training workshop with a hands-on component would impact the confidence of occupational therapy practitioners and students in client education on ostomy management. The hypothesis is that the training workshop would improve the confidence of occupational therapy practitioners and students in client education on ostomy management. Participants were occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, or occupational therapy students in Henderson, Nevada; North Las Vegas, Nevada; or Las Vegas, Nevada. The study utilized a time-series design with a preand post-workshop survey that included a sample size of 30. Occupational therapy …

Implementing The Use Of Lesson Plan Templates Within The Mentorship Program For Dignity Health Hand Therapists, Ronell Matthew Sueno

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapists (OT) have a wide range of specialties following graduation, one of which is hand therapy. This specialty requires a certain level of knowledge and clinical reasoning, especially concerning hand anatomy and physiology. It is hard to transition into hand therapy as a new occupational therapist due to extensive knowledge, additional patient-care hours, specialty certifications require, and lack of opportunity. A smoother transition into the workforce can be achieved through mentorship programs that allow for meetings with mentors to ask questions and get clarification on different treatments and diagnoses. This quality improvement project focused on gaining perspectives of hand …

Exploring The Usefulness Of The Alert Program On Children With Developmental Delays Or Disabilities At Positively Kids, Ashley Cassandra Manabat Tolentino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This quality improvement project explored the implementation of the Alert Program's (AP) first and second phases within the Foundation for Positively Kids social skills program, PK Social ETC. This study focused on three staff members' perception of the Alert Program's usefulness on their clients' self-regulation skills and occupational participation when engaged in their daily social skills group. The Alert Program was delivered through weekly education sessions for the staff, followed by two groups involving the children to provide visual demonstrations for the staff over eight weeks. Data was collected through a pre- and post-survey using a Qualtrics survey to capture …

The Development Of A Pilot Program Related To The Application Of High-Intensity In Occupational Therapy, Philip Lamoreaux

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Among the many diagnoses affecting an individual’s ability to participate in occupation, strokes are among the most common (Tsao et al., 2022). With the decrease in mortality rates by 35.8% due to advancements in medicine (Wolf & Nilsen, 2015), there is a need to remediate, adapt, or modify the life-changing impairments associated with stroke. The most significant evidence for motor learning, which is associated with regaining function, is in relation to high-intensity training in the context of ambulation (Middleton et al., 2015; Moore et al., 2020). By utilizing the neural plastic principles of repetition, salience, task-specificity, and intensity, an individual …