Digital Commons Network^™

The Comfort Of Being At Home: The Benefits Of Outpatient Rehabilitation In The Homes Of Rural Residents, Madison Jo Christian

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: The Comfort of Being at Home: The Benefits of Outpatient Rehabilitation in the Homes of Rural Residents

Background: Rural residents experience more disease, injury, and death than individuals living in metropolitan areas. Harsh weather conditions, distances to healthcare facilities, lack of public transportation options, and restrictions of health insurance coverage make accessing healthcare services difficult for these residents expediting worse health outcomes. One method to address the barriers rural residents face in accessing healthcare services, especially ongoing rehabilitation services, is to establish more accessible healthcare delivery methods in residents’ homes. Many rural residents will benefit from receiving ongoing rehabilitation …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing The Mental Health Of Transitioning Postsecondary Students, Katie Koxlien, Amorelle Upton, Kiley Washnieski

Critically Appraised Topics

There is an increasing concern for mental health in university students transitioning to postsecondary education. For the purposes of this study, we were concerned with the overall mental health of university students, not specific to diagnosed mental illnesses. Mental health is “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community” (World Health Organization, 2022, para. 1). This may impact the individual’s ability to function on a daily basis and interact with others within their educational setting. The role of a student …

Addressing Occupational Deprivation And Alienation In Rural Skilled Nursing Facilities Through An Activities Resource Guide, Stephanie Dullum

Frank Low Research Day Posters

The purpose of this product was to create a resource guide on leisure activities for the activities department in a rural skilled nursing facility (SNF) to address common chronic conditions and support the needs or wants of the SNF residents.  With aging comes more chronic conditions and less physical activity, socialization, and time engaged in meaningful activities, affecting quality of life(QOL) and well-being (Causey-Upton, 2015; Cudjoe et al., 2020; Nedjeljeko et al., 2021; Portillo etal., 2023; Sen et al., 2022; Small field & Molitor, 2018;World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). Providing residents with more meaningful leisure activities will assist the …

The Impact Of Mobile Technology Interventions With Older Adults Diagnosed With A Cognitive Deficit, Emily Funk, Adam Nadeau, Savannah Ullyott

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic (CAT) paper focuses on the impact of technology-based interventions in occupational therapy in daily functioning within older adults with cognitive deficits. When considering the components of this CAT, the theoretical framework was described, then a description of the population paired with a description of cognition and its components, followed by the types and use of technology-based interventions with adults, and the impact cognitive conditions and symptoms have on occupational performance.

Rural First-Time Mothers And Their Emotional Engagement With Newborns: Occupational Therapy, Hannah Ibach, Elise Ramberg, Ashley Schindele

Critically Appraised Topics

This paper focuses on resources affecting occupational therapy (OT) mental health services that are provided to first-time moms within a rural-dwelling population in the U.S. The main factors to consider in this scenario are the population of first-time moms in rural areas, mental health services provided in rural areas, and best OT practices for mental health services. Quality of life is an important factor when considering maternal mental health. Quality of life is defined as a person’s life satisfaction, hope, sense of self, health, function, and socioeconomic status (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). The main focus for this critically appraised …

The Development And Significance Of The International Anchoritic Society, Michelle M. Sauer

English Faculty Publications

The International Anchoritic Society (IAS) celebrated its twentieth year in 2023. Despite its name, the IAS studies all forms of medieval religious reclusion, not just the titular anchorites, and not just within the Christian tradition. Starting in 1998, independently organized sessions at Kalamazoo gradually coalesced into a formal organization, recognized officially in 2003, that has always been inclusive and supportive of forward-thinking scholarship, with many members representing the queer community and medievalists of color.

Infographic: Progress In Oral Health Care And Dental Hygiene Among North Dakota Third Grade Students: 2014-2022, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

More than half of the third-grade students in North Dakota had dental sealants on their back teeth in the most recent school year.

Volume Vii, Spring 2024, International Anchoritic Society

International Anchoritic Society Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Report: Evaluation Of Seal!Nd: School Year 2022-2023, Shawnda Schroeder, Jordan Jaeger

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

The North Dakota school-based sealant program (SEAL!ND) prioritizes providing preventive oral health care to underserved students by targeting schools with 45% or greater of their students enrolled in the free and reduced fee school lunch program (these are considered qualifying schools). Although schools with a larger proportion of youth who are from lower-income households are prioritized by federal funding, additional schools participate and receive care from local dental providers (these are referred to as non-qualifying). During the 2022-23 school year, 58 schools participated in SEAL!ND; 40 qualifying schools (Q) and 18 non-qualifying (NQ); 55 of the 58 schools had two …

Infographic: How Well Do North Dakota Third-Grade Students Take Care Of Their Teeth?, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

93% of the third-grade students had visited the dentist at least once in their life. Children who report never seeing a dentist have a significantly higher need for urgent dental care.

Between “You” And “Me”: Effects Of Pronouns And Order On Disclosing Sexual Assault, Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Raeann E. Anderson

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

The wording of self-report instruments likely affects its responses; however, there has been very little inquiry into the topic. The purpose of this study was to examine how items in a sexual assault experiences questionnaire varied based on pronouns (first person or second person) and order (sexual-behavior or coercive-tactic first) affected responses. College students (N = 979) were randomly assigned in a 2 by 2 between-subjects experiment to experimental versions of the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES). The findings indicated that the condition with second-person pronouns and coercive-tactic first phrasing had the highest rate of disclosure. Based on reading time …

Infographic: Equity Opportunities: Income: Need For Dental Care Among Third Grade Students In North Dakota, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

We have third grade students in North Dakota whose dental care needs are not being met. Programs, providers, and initiatives need to focus on providing equal access to preventive dental care supplies and educational resources to support good dental hygiene. Children attending schools where more than 50% of the students are eligible for the national school lunch program (NSLP) have a significantly higher need for early or urgent dental care and a higher rate of rampant decay compared to those attending schools with less than 50% of students eligible for the NSLP

Emergency Department And Dental Clinic Perceptions Of Appropriate, And Preventable, Use Of The Ed For Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions In Hot-Spot Counties: A Mixed Methods Study, Shawnda Schroeder, Judy Beck, Nick Medalen, Anastasia Stepanov

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Objectives:Frequency of emergency department (ED) use for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDC) is a well-researched community health concern. However, research predominately relies on ambulatory ED discharge records. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study reviewed NTDC ED use in hot-spot counties and assessed perceptions around preventable and appropriate use among EDs and dental clinics.

Methods:Tooth pain data (2015-2021) were drawn from State Medicaid, and the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE). NTDC data were compiled using International Classification of Disease, Ninth and Tenth Revisions. Employing extreme case sampling, providers in counties with the highest per-capita NTDC ED use were interviewed.

Results:North Dakota …

Infographic: Oral Health Of North Dakota’S Third Grade Students: Comparing To National Trends, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Grand Forks At 150: The First Fifty, Nikki Berg Burin

Digital Press Books

2024 marks the 150th anniversary of white settlers platting the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota which in 1874 opened the townsite of Grand Forks to legal settlement. While the city of Grand Forks wasn’t officially incorporated until 7 years later, 2024 nevertheless begins a period of reflection on the history, the present, and the future of the city.

As part of this effort to think about the legacy of the founding of Grand Forks, the University of North Dakota Department of History and American Indian Studies collaborated with the Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission to produce a series of …

Big Pandemic On The Prairie: Spanish Flu In North Dakota, Christopher Neal Price

Digital Press Books

Big Pandemic on the Prairie: The Spanish Flu in North Dakota is the first book-length account of North Dakota’s experience with one of the deadliest pandemics in history. Set against the backdrop of the waning days of World War I, Big Pandemic on the Prairie tells the story of another conflagration that began along the front lines before spreading to the farthest reaches of the globe. By late September 1918, the Spanish flu began afflicting North Dakotans. Authorities in the state instituted restrictions that affected the daily lives of citizens, including limits on public gatherings and the closing of schools …

The Cost Of Doing Homework: Online Homework Systems With Access Codes From A Social Justice Perspective, Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Alison E. Kelly

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

The use of online homework systems that require the purchase of an access code has become widespread. The purpose of this study is to examine student experiences with and perceptions of online homework systems with access codes. Postsecondary students (N = 966) completed a survey about the financial costs, perceptions of quality, engagement with, and learning with online homework systems. Most students (79.5%) indicated that they had been required to purchase an access code for an online homework system. Of those who had been required to purchase an access code, 29.4% reported their grade was hurt because they could …

Israel, Palestine, And The Trolley Problem: On The Futility Of The Search For The Moral High Ground, Jack Russell Weinstein

Digital Press Books

Arguments about Israel and Palestine are almost always accusatory and polemical. Rather than learning from one another, opponents jockey for the moral high ground trying to find that one attack they believe proves their side to be completely on the right, without compromise. This means Israel’s advocates dismiss Palestinian land claims without due consideration and Pro-Palestinian voices falsely accuse Israel of the most heinous modern crimes: colonialism, genocide, and apartheid. None of this is productive or healthy.

In Israel, Palestine, and the Trolley Problem: On the Futility of the Search for the Moral High Ground, philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein interweaves …

The Muslims Of Darürrahat, Ismail Gaspirali

Digital Press Books

In Ismail Gaspirali’s 1890s story The Muslims of Darürrahat, (the Peaceful Country) the not entirely intrepid narrator Mullah Abbas Efendi arrives in the imaginary land of Darürrahat. He has been led there by mysteriously appearing guides, who take him from Alhambra palace in Andalusia through an underground tunnel, where he emerges in Darürrahat to find a Muslim utopian country filled with progressive people and dotted with beautiful Islamic architecture and technologically advanced cities. As in most works of utopian imagination which are also aimed squarely at social critique of the author’s present day, there is nothing simple about this …

Increasing Quality Of Life And Well-Being Among Older Adults Living In An Assisted Living Facility Through Engaging In A Wellness Program., Hannah Steckler

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The focus of this scholarly project was to create a group protocol to increase the quality of life and well-being of older adults living in an assisted living facility (ALF). Furthermore, it promotes increased engagement in meaningful activities to combat health disparities and provide education on various areas of wellness. Older adults' quality of life and well-being are impacted when residing in an ALF due to decreased engagement in wellness activities (Bartley et al., 2018; Morgan et al., 2016). Furthermore, risk factors and health disparities increase among the older adult population, which causes a negative impact on everyday routines …

Addressing Burn Scarring And Contractures While Measuring Range Of Motion, Josie F. Sylte

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: In the community of healthcare professionals that work with individuals who have survived a burn injury there has been a shift in the way that range of motion (ROM) is being measured taking into consideration the use of cutaneous functional units (CFUs), multi joint movements, and burn scarring and contractures (Parry et al., 2019). Working with a burn intensive care unit therapy team a need was identified to address therapist education and the integration of revised positioning for measuring ROM following a burn injury and throughout the rehabilitation process.

Method: To determine the needs of the burn facility a …

Navigating The Wheelchair Recommendation Process: A Preventative Approach For Rural Providers, Kelsey M. Rajewsky

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Navigating the Wheelchair Recommendation Process: A Preventative Approach for Rural Providers

Background: Wheelchair procurement is a complex process that begins with patients seeing their physician for a prescription and guidance on where to go for step two. It is this critical second step that can make the difference for someone receiving a basic wheelchair meant for short-term use, or a referral to a practitioner specializing in seating and wheeled mobility. While getting to a physician's office can be challenging for all wheelchair users, a rural wheelchair user experiences additional barriers such as limited resources available locally, culture, and difficulties …

Engage As You Age: An Interprofessional Toolkit To Increase Meaningful Activity In Long-Term Care Facilities, Annah Greenmyer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Engage as You Age: An Interprofessional Toolkit to Increase Meaningful Activity in long-term care Facilities

Background: When making the major life transition of moving into a long-term care facility, older adults have an increased chance of experiencing negative mental health symptoms. During this life transition, older adults may experience loss of self-efficacy, because of the shift from their preferred roles and activities. When older adults do not engage in their preferred activities and/or roles, they may experience loss of motivation or energy which can eventually lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. For residents in rural long-term care facilities, …

Supporting Occupational Performance For Children With Cancer, Rachel Elise Koenig

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this doctoral experience was divided into two categories: a) advanced clinical practice and b) needs assessment and completion of project. The advanced clinical practice objectives were to implement evidence-based evaluations and interventions to children with cancer, collaborate with parents and interprofessional team members, and adhere to safety precautions for children with cancer. The project-based objectives focus was to translate knowledge to practice by aiding in the transition process of children with cancer when leaving the hospital.

Method: The primary author completed a literature review of best practices for children with cancer prior to their arrival on-site. …

Infographic: Equity Opportunities: Race And Ethnicity: Need For Dental Care Among Third Grade Students In North Dakota, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Third grade students who are American Indian or Black/African American have a significantly higher need for early or urgent dental care than those who are non-Hispanic white. Those who are American Indian or Hispanic/Latinx have a significantly higher rate of rampant decay than those who are non-Hispanic white.

Sensory Processing And Trauma: A Practical Approach In A Clinical Context, Katya Kivi

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A large majority of people who are receiving mental health services have experienced a form of trauma (Arnaly et al., 2019; Champagne et al., 2010). Individuals who have experienced trauma-related sensory processing issues often have decreased occupational performance because of avoidance of the occupation or dysregulation during the occupation (Cerny, 2019; Gerney & Muffly, 2015). PTSD can affect an individual's overall quality of life and the creation and maintenance of social relationships, resulting in social isolation (Arnaly et al., 2019). The product is a guide to inform care within the adult mental health setting following sensory-based information and trauma-informed care. …

Stroke Rehabilitation Through The Continuum Of Care: Integrating Evidence And Occupation-Based Practice, Emily L. Geissler

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to provide patients with knowledge on the rehabilitation process and practitioners with a resource to assist in implementing occupation and evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation throughout the continuum of care.

Methodology: A literature review was conducted using articles, textbooks, and expert opinions regarding evidence-based and occupation-based interventions within stroke rehabilitation. The author partnered with a midwestern healthcare agency to experience stroke rehabilitation as an occupational therapy practitioner across the continuum of care. Through a needs assessment, it was found patients lack knowledge regarding the rehabilitation process and that practitioners lack knowledge of …

Helping Hands: Self-Managing Chronic Upper Extremity Pain, Kaylee Mae Athmann

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: This scholarly project aims to provide education on self-management techniques for chronic upper extremity (UE) pain. There are currently limited resources that properly educate clients on self-management techniques for chronic (UE) pain. Nevertheless, there is a need for a chronic UE pain self-management program because chronic pain affects individuals’ performance of all their occupations and has the potential to lead to social limitations, a decline in work ability and productivity and a decrease in quality of life. Furthermore, it is currently the leading cause of disability worldwide. Occupational therapy practitioners who focus on the UE are known as hand …

Expecting Better When You’Re Expecting: Empowering Mothers Through Occupational Therapy, Ann K. Landreville

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The maternal health crisis of the United States presents an opportunity to improve the level of care provided to the maternal population. A new standard of care must be established, going beyond decreasing maternal mortality and morbidity rates, but instead working to promote the health and well-being of mothers. While many well-recognized health professionals currently play a role on the interdisciplinary care team for postpartum mothers, occupational therapists are emerging in this field, proving they have a vital role in providing services that addresses the current gap in care. Many professions largely address physical health; occupational therapists have a holistic …

Sensory Home Programming Handouts, Taylor Ann Koopmeiners

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Sensory processing is the way the brain and nervous system receive sensory information (Star Institute, 2023). When there are difficulties with processing sensory information, it is called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Consequently, the inability to process sensory input results in affected motor and behavioral responses (Star Institute, 2023. This creates difficulty in participating in necessary tasks such as activities of daily living (ADLs), social participation, and school (Lane et al., 2019; Star Institute, 2023). Occupational therapists address these challenges by providing sensory activities in therapeutic sessions and as part of home programming (Gabriele, 2020). The goal of this scholarly …