Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Awareness Of The Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapy In Cancer Rehabilitation, Aaliyah Parson, Zeida Gutierrez

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Many cancer survivors are faced with functional limitations when engaging in meaningful occupations due to side effects such as anxiety, pain, fatigue, weakness, nausea, etc. from receiving cancer treatments which can impact their quality of life. Occupational therapy has a significant role in supportive care for cancer survivors by providing occupation-based interventions that focus on maximizing function and mitigating functional decline. However, occupational therapy is underutilized in cancer care due to patients' lack of awareness of the role of OT and how it can improve quality of life after receiving cancer treatment. Therefore, this capstone project took place in Tallahassee, …

Assistive Technology Abandonment With Veterans And Leisure Activities, Tara Lamson, Lee Ann Hoffman, Mary Greer

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Veterans using assistive technology (AT) often face barriers that limit their participation in meaningful leisure activities, negatively impacting their mental health and quality of life. This project aimed to address these challenges by developing an educational program focused on improving AT management, reducing abandonment, and promoting leisure engagement. A needs assessment of veterans in Abilene, TX, revealed critical issues, including barriers to leisure, limited community involvement, and gaps in AT maintenance education. The program delivered web-based and in-person resources on AT use, adaptive leisure strategies, and equipment recycling. Key outcomes included enhanced social participation, improved independence, and sustainable solutions for …

Life Skills Program For Young Adult Males In A Transitional Living Facility, Victoria Burleson, Lesley Khan-Farooqi Phd, Otd, Otr

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project was created to bring awareness and provide skills to young adult males living within a transitional living facility to increase their independence, well-being and quality of life. The role of OT in transitional living facilities exists however the lack of literature allows for OT services to be expanded in non-traditional setting. This project and others similar benefit the young men to have positive outcomes and address obstacles this population faces,

To-Do List: A Chore Program For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mariah Gad, Mary Jan Greer, Danielle Howerton

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Many children with autism spectrum disorder do not have the exposure to age-appropriate chore tasks because their parents may be unaware of how to actively get their child involved with household tasks. The overarching goal of this project was to develop a chore program for children with autism to gain responsibilities and learn functional living skills through the use of household chores to aid in the transition process to adulthood.

The Role Of Camaraderie In The Moods Of African American U.S. Military Veterans With Ptsd: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Virginia K. Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the essence of the collective lived experiences of United States military veterans of African American ethnicity who were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the role that camaraderie plays in their moods. Veterans are a marginalized group who often feel they are rejected by society, but as Christians, we should be interested in human beings, promoting their well-being, and practicing psychology as an act of love. Guided by social identity theory and social justice theory, this study was aimed to gain understanding of how group memberships and social categorization …

Use Of Adventure To Address Play Deprivation In Children And Teens Raised In Conflict, Kristin Salisbury, Mary Jan Greer

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Youth raised in conflict often experience extrinsic and intrinsic factors that contribute to play deprivation and occupational injustice. These factors are reviewed through interviews with stakeholders and participants and observed while embedded in an adventure program for foster and adopted youth and in a refugee camp for families and children. Current literature reveals underlying factors that contribute to play deprivation for these youth, including conditions resulting from trauma and developmental delays due to the absence of play engagement. The poster reviews the programmatic components necessary for addressing these factors through whole-person play-based programming. It considers using adventure-based programming to introduce …

Tailored Activity Program For Ltc Residents With Dementia, Madison Olds, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Nursing home residents with dementia diagnoses should have the opportunity to participate fully in community activities and receive the proper assistance and accommodations to do so. This project developed a tailored activity program to promote socialization, occupational justice, and quality of life for residents in an assistive living facility with various diagnoses. This program provides both environmental and activity adaptations to support full engagement for all participants regardless of any preexisting deficits.

Return To Driving For Clients With Tbi: A Guide For Caregivers To Navigate Emotional Barriers Experienced By Clients, Brianna Dorsey, Mary Greer

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The project describes the building of an online resource for caregivers to have easily accessible resources regarding information about brain injuries, emotional barriers, and return to driving programs. Each section provides further resources for caregivers and is intended to help improve their care and medical literacy.

Educating Parents To Reduce Negative Screen Time To Promote Children’S Play, Anna Groden, Cassandra Nelson

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This program will consist of educating caregivers and educators on the ever growing topic of screen time and how to handle it in the current digital world. As screen time and device use continues to grow, parents need the help of an occupational therapist to help promote a healthy use of screen time and to incorporate it into play. Providing caregivers and educators with evidence-based information and interventions is imperative to helping parents navigate proper technology use. An occupational therapist will have the unique ability to help promote balanced screen time use and allowing for healthy play.

Breast Cancer Survivorship, Jayde Mosley, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Activities of daily living become difficult for clients during breast cancer survivorship due to the physical and emotional alterations that take place in the body. A program will provide clients with a guide on what to expect during breast cancer survivorship. This guide will also be distributed to clients who undergo mastectomy procedures and other forms of treatment. It will provide them with information regarding dos and don’ts, symptoms, long-term effects, outreach and support groups, adaptive equipment, and more information on ways to improve their quality of life.

Social Participation Approach In Brain Injury Survivors, Lexie Graham, Cassandra Nelson

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This program will consist of educating brain injury survivors and their peers on social participation following a brain injury. With the cognitive and physical deficits that come with brain injuries, a decrease in socialization occurs due to those barriers faced. With the lack of resources aimed towards brain injuries and social participation this program is essential to ensuring everyone has access to an education platform. Providing brain injury survivors and their peers with evidence-based information and tips for socializing is vital to helping families, friends, significant others, and peers keep strong relationships and increase their quality of life.

An Ot Web-Based Stress Management Program For Acute Care Therapists, Jessica N. Alanis, Cassandra Nelson Otd

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Hospital burnout has become one of the many problems among many healthcare professions. Occupational therapists and physical therapists encounter many situations that are out of their control and struggle with how to handle their emotions in a fast-paced setting. The purpose of this capstone was to educate acute care therapists on developing good stress management habits using various grounding, sensory, and mindfulness techniques to help them get through the work day. By helping acute care therapists develop good stress management habits, therapists can experience improvement in the way they carry out their duties, improve their productivity, and improve the way …

Increasing Leisure Activity Participation And The Quality Of Life Of People With Dementia And Their Caregivers, Karla Vela, Rebecca King, Keegan Mckay

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The problems associated with the progression of dementia, such as increased stress, and a decrease in engagement in leisure activities and social participation have a negative impact on the patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life. In addition, there is limited research on the long-term impact of occupational therapy leisure activity programs on patients with dementia and their caregivers’ quality of life. A leisure activity program was created for people with dementia and their caregivers to improve their leisure activity engagement and quality of life. Overall, the participant’s and caregivers benefitted from this program and had positive opinions based on the …

A Program To Support Kangaroo Care Of Preterm Infants In The Nicu For The Caregivers, Katherine Blake Carby Cooksey, Mary Jan Greer, Debbie Johnson

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This presentation is about an educational program developed to help educate the caregivers about kangaroo care while their baby is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This program is to emphasis in the occupations of social interaction and family involvement with kangaroo care. Caregivers/parents are able to learn about the what kangaroo care is, the different type methods of kangaroo care, the benefits of kangaroo care, the importance of kangaroo care while being in the NICU. This program development for the caregivers is able to help with their journaling experience while in the NICU and adjusting kangaroo care into …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Justice-Involved Individuals And Executive Function Consequences On Transition And Reintegration Into The Community, Alaina L. Randerson

Student Capstone Papers

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world (Carson, 2022), with an increasing number of justice-involved individuals (JII) potentially affected by mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Despite the high prevalence of mTBIs in the general population, limited research exists on the prevalence and impact of mTBIs in JII. Preliminary evidence suggests that the prevalence of mTBIs in incarcerated individuals is 50 times higher than in the general public (Siegler et al., 2017). This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of JII with mTBI, focusing on the origin of mTBIs, executive dysfunction, and the occupational barriers …

Exploring The Relationship Between Hand Grip Strength And Handwriting Proficiency, Chloe Fields, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Handwriting remains essential for a child's academic performance despite the rise of technology in classrooms, but overuse of digital tools can hinder the development of essential hand muscles and fine motor skills. This capstone project explores the relationship between handwriting proficiency, hand grip strength, and the impact of excessive technology use on young students.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries In Justice-Involved Individuals And Executive Function Consequences On Transition And Reentry Into The Community ​, Alaina L. Randerson, Michael Sutcliffe, Cassandra Nelson, Ariana Gonzalez

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world (Carson, 2022), with an increasing number of justice-involved individuals (JII) potentially affected by mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Despite the high prevalence of mTBIs in the general population, limited research exists on the prevalence and impact of mTBIs in JII. Preliminary evidence suggests that the prevalence of mTBIs in incarcerated individuals is 50 times higher than in the general public (Siegler et al., 2017). This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of JII with mTBI, focusing on the origin of mTBIs, executive dysfunction, and the occupational barriers …

Agot: Agricultural Guide For Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Kara Smallegan, Meghan Skidmore Otd, Otr, Cns, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

As agriculture is a hazardous occupation, this project discusses agricultural workers with health conditions/disabilities, experiencing disruption to occupational performance and participation, increasing risk of secondary injuries, and impacting overall well-being and how occupational therapy practitioners can improve these factors through the development of a guidebook. The guide covers population insights, risk factors, assessment guide, conditions, and resources to aid occupational practitioners when assisting the agricultural worker population.

Preoperative Education For Total Hip And Knee Replacements, Molly Whitehead, Cassandra Nelson, Gwen Morris

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

An educational program has been developed to implement with total hip or knee replacement patients prior to their procedure to improve function with ADLs, lessen the need for caregiver assistance, and to increase patient satisfaction.

Navigating Life After The Nicu: A Developmental Guide For Preterm And High-Risk Infants And Toddlers, Reagan Lachaussee, Mary Jan Greer Phd, Otr, Theresa Mensi

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Premature and medically fragile infants are at high risk for developmental delays and benefit from ongoing support. Parents often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to support their child’s development at home. This project addressed gaps in caregiver education and support by developing the PEARLS Program (Promoting Early Achievements, Resilience, and Life Skills), a practical resource tailored to the needs of families and healthcare providers.

A needs assessment and provider feedback guided the program’s development, identifying challenges such as information overload, confusion around corrected age, and feeding difficulties. The PEARLS Program empowers families with digestible, actionable resources, including …

Older Adult's Fall Prevention Program, Myles Butler, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The decline in bodily functions with aging increases older adults' vulnerability to falls, which is a leading cause of death within this population. The poster presents an educational based fall prevention program focused on safety awareness and risk management for older adults. In conclusion, implementing a fall prevention program leads to increased awareness regarding risk factors that are detrimental to the safety and well-being of the older adult community

Ergonomics & Environmental Changes Within The Beauty Industry To Decrease Musculoskeletal Conditions, Jessika Eiland, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Ergonomics, adaptation, and environmental changes within the beauty industry to decrease musculoskeletal conditions in the upper extremities. Musculoskeletal disorders and their effects may limit a hairdressers ability to complete their job duties. For individuals within the beauty industry, health management can become an important factor.

Making An Easy Return To School After An Extended Illness Diagnosis, Ashlyn Eads, Mary Jan Greer, Julie Boykin

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster provides information on the capstone program created at a pediatric site. This program addresses how play-based therapy can help children with an extended illness transition back into the school setting. Both the children and their caregivers need support before, during, and after the return to school. The goals of this program were to educate caregivers on how to advocate for their child for positive outcomes, provide caregivers with resources to promote successful transition to school, provide play-based strategies for children addressing handwriting, social Skills, upper body strength, education, fine Motor Skills, and provide the site and caregivers with …

Development Of A Virtual Reality Program To Promote Occupational Participation And Decreased Psychosocial Deficits In Persons With A Brain Injury, Nicole Arneson, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disabilities including problems with balance, muscle weakness, abnormal muscle tone, mental health, as well as deficits in visual function and sensory function The purpose of this capstone is to develop a virtual reality program that will be used with the stroke population to address ADLs, IADLs, and quality of life.

Occupational Therapy Role In Aiding Health Management For Caregivers Of Children With Neurological Conditions, Peyton Mcgee, Mary Jan Greer, Caitlin Boyd

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Neurological disorders are identified as a dysfunction on any part of the nervous system that cause disability (Kumar et al., 2022). In order to enhance the outcome of children with neurological conditions, there should be an emphasis on the role and well-being of their caregivers. Common symptoms of neurological disorders among children include delayed developmental milestones, seizures and epilepsy, regression of skills, abnormal movements and behaviors, headaches, sensory processing issues, and communication difficulties. Adjusting to a new normal can be overwhelming for caregivers, especially when children transition out of rehab. The aim of the proposed capstone project is to aid …

Improving Adls, Iadls, And Qol In Breast Cancer Survivors, Tincy Samuel, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Breast cancer and its treatment can significantly impact breast cancer survivor’s ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), and Quality of Life (QoL). Physical activity programs have been found to positively impact various aspects of quality of life in breast cancer patients, including physical condition, state of mind, and selfesteem. However, there is a gap in the OT practice and the literature regarding how to improve independence in ADLs, IADLs, and overall quality of life in breast cancer survivors. A program was created to improve Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Instrumental Activities of …

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Health Management Within The Adult Population: A Road Toward Occupational Engagement, Valeria Martinez, Cassandra Nelson, Otd, Otr/L, Mba, Cns, Ceas I

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Approximately 37 million Americans have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) (CDC, 2023). As a result, DM is ranked as the eighth leading cause of mortality in the United States, yet the management of symptoms and overall condition is frequently neglected by a significant portion of the American population (CDC, 2023). A contributing factor to this issue is the insufficient access to resources for underserved communities, particularly among the Hispanic population with low health literacy. This capstone project focuses on health management and educating the adult population with a goal of enhancing activities of daily living (ADL) and …

Multimodal Assessment Battery And Heart Rate Variability Enhance Clinical Utility Of Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test, Daniel Miner, Michael Shiraishi, Pamela Gibbons, Rahul Soangra, Brent Harper

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Context: The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT) for exercise intolerance following concussion may highlight underlying autonomic dysfunction. Autonomic function at rest and with exertion may be predictive of neurocognitive performance for individuals with sports-related concussion. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility and utility of combining multimodal assessments with heart rate variability (HRV) measures during the BCTT for individuals with a remote history of concussion. Design: Prospective cohort study design, pretest/posttest. Methods: Participants included 5 males and 5 females (N = 10, age: 25.2 [3.3] y old, height: 173.2 [11.2] cm, mass: 73.4 [13.7] …

Comparing Multivalent Cross-Linked Sodium Alginate/ Montmorillonite Beads Containing Curcumin Or Cayenne Pepper As Drug Carriers And Their Antimicrobial Resistance, Shionainn Traynor, Shubham Sharma

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

The aim of the following work was to investigate and compare curcumin and cayenne pepper in microbeads composed of sodium alginate (SA) crosslinked with montmorillonite (MMT) to act as drug carriers and their antimicrobial resistance. The microbeads were prepared through ion-exchange in multivalent solutions of CaCl₂, MgCl₂ and AlCl₃. The microbeads were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and the time required for intercalation of curcumin and cayenne pepper with MMT. Simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.3) and gastric fluid (pH 1.2) at 37°C were used for comparison in swelling studies. …

Editorial - Sure Journal Vol 6, Anne M. Friel, Eva Campion, Sinead Loughran

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

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