Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Community-Based Ot Program Planning: A Virtual Level Ii Fieldwork Program Developed In Response To The Global Pandemic, Tara Collins, Virginia E. Koenig, Stephanie J. Wong, Michelle Buccinna, Rena B. Purohit, Shifra K. Leiser, Debra Cullinane

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this article is to explain how an occupational therapy (OT) program in a university setting developed a virtual Level II community-based fieldwork program in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This virtual fieldwork program, guided by the PRECEDE-PROCEED Planning Model (PPM), was designed to help keep students on track with their academic goals while providing them with experiential learning that would increase their confidence in OT program planning and promote their professional development. Outcome measures for this study consisted of a pre-and post-fieldwork survey that asked participants to rank their self-perceived confidence in five distinct areas of …

Occupation-Centered Anatomy And Applied Biomechanics Courses: Design And Outcomes, Rose Mcandrew, Vicki K. Kaskutas

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupation-centered course design allows occupational therapy (OT) educators to differentiate ourselves from other professions while communicating the distinct value of occupation to our students. While there have been numerous calls to action for centering occupation in the OT classroom and proposed models to approach course design, there is limited literature on occupation-centered course design in specific courses, notably foundational science courses like anatomy and applied biomechanics. In this study, we outline our course design process in two courses taught concurrently, as well as our prospective study to determine if an occupation-centered course design allowed students to meet objectives and the …

Active Learning And Occupational Therapy Theory: A Mixed Methods Study Of A Course Redesign, Mackenzie L. Feldhacker, Diana R. Feldhacker

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The use of theory to guide practice is what distinguishes an occupational therapist’s professional judgment and reasoning from simply technical skills. However, occupational therapists continue to lack confidence and skills in understanding application of theory to inform practice. Thus, effective course design related to theory is imperative in professional formation. This study assessed the effectiveness of a graduate-level occupational therapy theory course redesigned using andragogical, learner-centered, and active learning principles to address gaps in applying and understanding theory. A mixed methods retrospective cohort design was utilized. This included a pretest/post-test survey along with end-of-semester course and instructor evaluation. Eighty-four students …

Improving Empathy Of Occupational Therapy Students Through Reading Literary Narratives, Cavenaugh Kelly

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study explored the impact of teaching empathy to occupational therapy students through the close reading of literary narratives. The study defined empathy as a dynamic process involving Theory of Mind (ToM), emotional resonance, and empathy as a willful act. Empathy is an espoused value of occupational therapy challenged by the modern demands of the market-driven health care system, and research suggests reading literary narratives, or stories with qualities of literature, facilitates greater empathy. Prior studies have also indicated that practicing with greater empathy improves health outcomes and makes occupational therapy sessions more client centered. In this study, a quasi-experimental …

Exploring Evidence Based Practice Implementation By Occupational Therapists: Implications For Fieldwork, Angela Benfield, Helen Jeffery

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

A fieldwork education model is used in occupational therapy to develop competency of professional skills, including evidence-based practice (EBP) and clinical reasoning. This quantitative study explored factors influencing implementation rates of EBP in New Zealand registered occupational therapists to better understand students’ experience of evidence-based practice while on fieldwork. An online survey exploring beliefs and practices related to clinical competence, professional reasoning and EBP was conducted. The survey included questions about related beliefs, the measure of Evidence Informed Professional Thinking (EIPT; Benfield & Johnston, 2020), and the Implementation Climate Scale (ICS; Ehrhart et al., 2014). The mean scores on the …

A Snapshot Of How Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Programs Collect And Use Doctoral Capstone Outcomes, Andrew D. Rivera, Theresa Delbert, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Anne F. Kiraly-Alvarez, Danielle Friberg, Anna Domina, Autumn Clegg

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) programs are required to gather program evaluation data regarding the doctoral capstone for accreditation purposes. This study aims to describe the processes used by a sample of OTD programs to gather doctoral capstone outcome data and to determine the type of data collected in order to understand the perspectives regarding doctoral capstone outcomes by doctoral capstone coordinators (DCCs) within the United States. The investigators used purposeful sampling to recruit DCCs at accredited entry-level OTD programs in the United States. The most common outcome data collected included information about the doctoral capstone experience from students, student …

A Process Framework For The Education-Focused Capstone: Supporting Expansion And Sustainable Outcomes, Sierra Clair, Sarah Corcoran, Emily Bubel, Debbie Amini

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This article aims to share a process framework created to guide entry-level occupational therapy doctoral programs in operationalizing and expanding the scope of the education-focused capstone described by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE^®).The impetus for this work was the completion of a professional development, education-focused capstone that proved to be novel, sustainable, and transformative for the capstone team, including the student, faculty mentor, site mentor, and doctoral capstone coordinator. This capstone ultimately created a professional development course covering the social determinants of health for occupational therapy practitioners, now offered through the American Occupational Therapy Association. …

Situated Cognition And Self-Directed Learning: Pedagogical Approaches To Developing Skills In Advocacy, Kathleen Eglseder, Sonia Lawson, Reanna Beatty

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Advocacy for clients and the profession are important aspects of occupational therapy practice. Accreditation requirements for educational programs demand students are taught about advocacy. However, effective methods of teaching advocacy to future occupational therapy practitioners have not been widely studied. This article aims to highlight the use of situated cognition and self-directed learning in developing advocacy skills among occupational therapy students. Pre and post-test scores of the Advocacy Competencies Self-Assessment Survey obtained from 39 students were examined for changes in perception of personal advocacy skills and beliefs associated with a required advocacy course. Statistically significant improvement was noted across all …

The Intentional Fieldwork Education Model: Guiding Fieldwork Educators Toward Intentionality And Competency To Enhance Student Learning, E. Joy Crawford, Nadine Hanner

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is an essential component of occupational therapy education. The level of competency and preparedness of fieldwork educators may vary substantially and may significantly impact student learning outcomes. The availability of an evidence-based comprehensive fieldwork model to guide the fieldwork educator, clarify issues related to teaching-learning, and provide insightful solutions to issues the educator may encounter, is warranted but is not currently available. The intentional fieldwork education model, introduced in this article, was developed to provide a framework to enhance fieldwork educator competency, self-efficacy, and student learning outcomes. In addition, the model emphasizes the significance of intentionality in the …

Cohort Analysis Of Four Graduating Classes Of Occupational Therapy Students' Knowledge Of Aging, Lavona Traywick, Brittany N. Saviers, Terry Wayne Griffin, Teressa Brown

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

At the same time that the number of senior adults in the United States is steadily rising, there is also a rising shortage of allied health care professionals, including occupational therapists, to meet the current and expected needs of the senior adult population. There are national standards that all occupational therapy programs must meet; however, there is not a set national curriculum. It is assumed that students will enter their respective occupational therapy programs with a base knowledge of aging due to prerequisite requirements. To test that assumption, with Institutional Review Board approval, over four consecutive years 192 first-year, first-semester …

Intraprofessional Collaboration In Ot/Ota Academia: Immersive Innovations For Skill Building, Terri Reichley Dennehy

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Intraprofessionalism is vital to service delivery. This inquiry sought to develop and examine a college elective combining occupational therapy (OT) with occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students, to foster collaborative relationships, and to provide intraprofessional innovations in academia across an entire semester, immersing learners from multiple colleges/universities. Qualitative participatory action research (PAR) was used to determine ways to integrate OT and OTA students from four disparate programs in intraprofessional learning, and to understand students’ perspectives regarding the immersive, learner-centered educational programming. The research cycled through planning, acting, observing, and reflecting on topics related to OT/OTA integration, supervision, and role delineation. Inquiry …

Exploring The Perspectives Of Community Mentors In Occupational Therapy Education, Julia Jansen-Van Vuuren, Nicole Bobbette, Rosemary Lysaght

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Involving people with disabilities in the education of occupational therapy students is important for improving knowledge, skills, and attitudes that promote client-centered practice. At Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, community mentors with disabilities are involved in an occupational therapy course designed to enhance student understanding and empathy for the lived experience of disability. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the course required adjustment to adhere to health and safety precautions. We explored the perspectives of community mentors with disabilities who participated in the course during the pandemic to better understand how pandemic-related restrictions affected the mentoring experience, their relationships …

Occupational Therapists’ Clinical Reasoning In Aat With Dogs In Pediatric Therapy, Catherine C. Goodman

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand the clinical reasoning used by occupational therapists to select animal assisted therapy with a dog to be included in a treatment plan for their pediatric occupational therapy clients

Theoretical Framework. The Ecology of Human Performance model supports the study purpose and emphasizes the effect of a person’s context and environment on their ability to function and perform tasks.

Methods. The descriptive qualitative study used interviews of seven occupational therapy practitioners who have included dogs in therapy sessions with children. Interactive coding and theme development was employed with member checking applied to …

Understanding The Experiences Of Occupational Therapists Assessing And Treating Functional Cognition Following Stroke, Emma R. Gregg

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background. Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability in the United States, with many stroke survivors experiencing cognitive impairment. Despite the prevalence and impact of cognitive impairment amongst the post stroke population, the evidence for functional cognition assessment and intervention in occupational therapy practice is not well described, and there is currently no evidence available exploring the perceptions of occupational therapists regarding functional cognition for stroke survivors.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of occupational therapists assessing and treating functional cognition in individuals following stroke.

Methods. This qualitative descriptive study included occupational …

The Effects Of Education With Healthcare Providers On Low Vision Assistive Devices And Their Ability To Improve Self-Care Skills, Lora L. Jester-Rains

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Results of a study by Casten et al., (2005) confirmed low rates of use of devices and services for low vision by the older adult. Older adults with low vision are receptive to using low vision resources but are often unaware of them (Lighthouse International, 2021). Casten et al. (2005) further suggested that the lack of services or use of devices may be due to a lack of awareness of health care professionals. Low vision assistive devices (LVAD), whether high or low tech, or mainstream, can help maximize a client’s vision so that they can perform everyday tasks …

Maintaining Occupations For Long-Term Care Residents, Lara Albano

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This Capstone project focused on client-chosen occupations and the use of client-centered evaluations and interventions for long-term care residents. Client-chosen occupations keep our clients actively engaged in therapy, gives them a sense of control, and maintains their identity. The purpose was to prepare occupational therapists to address long-term care residents’ unique occupational needs and promote participation in their chosen and meaningful occupations. It aimed to examine how occupational therapists interpret and include client-chosen occupations and occupation-based assessments in evaluations and interventions for long-term care residents in skilled nursing facilities.

Effectiveness Of Electrical Stimulation In Treating Upper Extremity Pain For Older Adult Clients Residing In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Cody L. West

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: It is estimated that 55% of older adults who reside in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have chronic pain that affects their daily function. However, limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation (e-stim) in treating upper extremity (UE) pain for the older adult population specifically.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether electrical stimulation can decrease UE pain in clients age 65+ residing in a SNF. A sub-question in the study was whether e-stim can improve UE functional performance in older adult clients.

Theoretical Framework: There are two guiding theoretical …

Impacting Students: Students With Disabilities Participating In A Theater Occupation-Based Program, Markii D. Landry

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Acting Creates Therapeutic Success (ACTS Jr.) is a program that uses theater and drama activities to address a variety of skills. Theater advantageously offers a variety of activities that suit the individual (costume and prop making, set design, screenplay writing, etc.), many that fall under the scope of occupational therapy, and is executed well as a form of group therapy given its innate camaraderie of actors and production members working together to form a final cohesive product (Phillips, 1996). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how theater can be used as a meaningful activity for students with disabilities …

Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Between Nurses And Occupational Therapists, Kimberly Lamke

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: There is limited research on the interprofessional relationship between occupational therapists and nurses in pediatric outpatient settings, as well as the understanding nurses have of occupational therapy. Interprofessional collaboration is a key component in pediatric client care, regardless of the setting. Interprofessional collaboration is imperative to ensure that health care teams are efficient and able to provide clients with the highest quality of care (Loy et al., 2015).

Purpose: The purpose of this Capstone is to determine how nursing students perceive occupational therapy in a pediatric setting and to examine their perceptions of the interprofessional relationship. Further, it will …

Coaching, Capacity, And Change: Youth Sport Providers' Perceptions On Creating A Health-Promoting Environment, Jennifer Papenfuse

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Rising youth public health disparities can be attributed to the social determinants of health that influence health and wellness. Youth sport providers can be influential in creating healthier environments that facilitate positive youth development, positively impacting life-long healthy behaviors.

Purpose: The purpose of this Capstone Project was to explore youth sport provider’s perceptions, after completing an educational module, of their capacity to implement positive youth development and to create a health-promoting environment. Theoretical Framework. The Model of Human Occupation and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change guided this project’s assumption that the multicontextual environment’s influence on the process of …

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Employer-Sponsored Evidence-Based Practice Activities, Kelli Spayd

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Evidence-based practice is an expectation for the practice of occupational therapy, however, practitioners are not engaging regularly in it. Employers have started to offer activities, such as journal clubs and case studies, or access to research articles and continuing education activities, to help increase evidence-based practice use.

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive open-ended survey study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of employer-sponsored evidence-based practice activities by occupational therapy practitioners. It was the goal of the research to answer the question: what are occupational therapists’ perceptions regarding employer-sponsored evidence-based activities?

Theoretical Framework. The Model of Human Occupation provides …

Factors Influencing The Diversity Of Occupational Therapy Students, Donna Colaianni, Grace Tovar, Dominique Wilson, Heidi Zapanta

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The gender, ethnic, and racial diversity of occupational therapy professionals does not represent the diversity found in the population, and thus does not represent the diversity found in our patients and clients. In order to carry out the American Occupational Therapy Association’s vision to create a diverse workforce able to meet the needs of society, this study examined the factors influencing occupational therapy students’ choice of occupational therapy as a career using a survey. 538 participants responded to the survey. Results identify both influential factors and barriers to students pursuing occupational therapy as a career and have implications for diversifying …

Evaluating Impact Of An Online Leadership Course For Newly Graduated Occupational Therapists, Gobika Sithamparanathan, Meera Premnazeer, Andrea Duncan

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Leadership has been established as a key competency for occupational therapists, however the literature on how occupational therapists conceptualize leadership is limited. Additionally, there is a dearth of literature on best practices to develop occupational therapists’ leadership skills and there is yet to be an evaluation of an online educational approach. This study aimed to understand if an online educational platform contributed to the development of leadership skills among occupational therapists. Participants were newly graduated occupational therapists who participated in a four-week Leadership Skills Development massive open online course (MOOC). This study used a mixed methods quasi-experimental design with two …

Occupation And Time-Use: The Narratives Of One Individual With Tetraplegia, Amanda Balser

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Successful health-management habits of individuals with tetraplegia have correlated with better quality of life and occupational engagement. Objectives: Little is known about the experience of time-use during these practices and the influence these routines have on participation in other meaningful occupations. This study aimed to explore the stories an individual with tetraplegia has about time-use in health management practices, influences on time-use, and feelings about quality of life and life satisfaction. Methodology: Narrative inquiry was used to explore the stories of time-use of one individual living with tetraplegia. Findings: Eleven interpretive stories were thematically represented illustrating the complexity of …

Understanding Perceptions Of Social Eating During Lunch For Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: An Instrumental Case Study, Madelyn Duzyk

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Current literature on adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) show that social participation is a key factor of community reintegration and long-term recovery (Mekori et al., 2017; Preyde et al., 2017); however, there is little known about the impact of social eating for adolescents with AN.

Purpose: The purpose of this instrumental case study is to more fully understand the meaning of social eating during lunch for adolescents with AN and begin to illustrate social eating’s impact on treatment, community re-integration, and long-term remission.

Methods: A qualitative case-study methodology was developed to gain perceptions of social eating from adolescents with …

School-Based Practitioners' Perceptions Of Working With Students With Challenging Behaviors, Candace Thrash

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: School-based occupational therapy practitioners must develop a skill set that allows effective service delivery to individuals, groups, and populations in the school setting in order to support students with varying disabilities achieving their occupation-based goals. There is limited research and literature regarding occupational therapy practitioners’ perceptions regarding working with students with challenging behaviors and what they feel has prepared them to work with these students. It is important to determine if additional training, professional development, fieldwork experiences or mentorships are necessary to prepare school-based therapists to manage students effectively and confidently on their caseload who have challenging behaviors.

Purpose: …

Use Of Concept Mapping Within A Functional Neuroanatomy Course To Promote Critical Thinking Skills In Occupational Therapy Students, Alissa R. Baker

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Critical thinking involves examining and reflecting on one’s own biases, assumptions, and thinking processes. Within occupational therapy (OT), critical thinking skills are foundational skills to support effective clinical reasoning and decision making; however, there is limited evidence on how these skills can be developed and applied within OT education to support positive student outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this research project was to explore the use of explicit instruction on critical thinking paired with concept mapping as teaching methods to support entry-level OT student mastery of content knowledge related to functional neuroanatomy. This study aimed to answer the following …

Anti-Racism And Occupational Therapy Education: Beyond Diversity And Inclusion, Julia Sterman, Janet Njelesani, Shanteria Carr

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

There is a pressing need to address racism within healthcare education; however, occupational therapy educators lack a compilation of discipline-specific knowledge of anti-racist actions. The objective of this study was to examine anti-racist instructional practices for educators to employ in occupational therapy education. We conducted a scoping review and systematically searched six electronic databases to identify and synthesize anti-racist educational practices within the occupational therapy literature. The 20 included articles identified that educators should: use collaborative, anti-racist teaching strategies throughout the curriculum; engage in reflexivity including how intersecting identities impact occupational engagement; decolonize curricula through including Indigenous content and non-Western …

Impact Of Motivations For Volunteering On Well-Being Among Health Sciences Students, Allison J. Naber, Rebecca Benson, Katie Ericsson, Macey Genzlinger

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Motivations for volunteering as a meaningful occupation can influence well-being. This study explored the relationship between motivations for volunteering and perceived well-being among students enrolled in one of ten departments in a School of Health Sciences. A cross-sectional survey incorporating the RAND 36-Item Short Form Survey and Volunteer Function Inventory was employed. Most of the 95 participants were students enrolled in the health science undergraduate and occupational therapy graduate programs. Approximately 75% had volunteered in the past year. RAND SF-36 findings indicated good perceived well-being among many categories. Primary motivations for volunteering included values (Mdn = 30) and understanding …

Professional Behavior Attributes: A Survey Of Occupational Therapy Faculty Perspectives, Taylor A. Gurley, Kate E. Decleene Huber, Angella Chen, Kristen Dyson, Hannah Hackman, Paige Mcintire, Erika Wilson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Professionalism in occupational therapy has been challenging to define due to differing values and behaviors across contexts and professions. There is a difference between how occupational therapy students and faculty view and comprehend professionalism suggesting that occupational therapists may not have an established sense of professionalism when entering the health care field for the first time. The study's purpose was to examine occupational therapy faculty’s perceptions of essential professional behavior attributes that students should possess to succeed in occupational therapy practice. This study utilized a survey methodology to anonymously collect opinions from 150 occupational therapy faculty members across the United …