Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Finding My Voice In The City Of Destiny: Music, Identity, And Occupational Justice In Tacoma's Creative Culture, Bella Holtz

OTD 721: Cultural Responsiveness & Occupation

Tacoma's music culture taught me that participation is more than simply doing an activity. Through music, I found identity, belonging, and a deeper understanding of community. As a future occupational therapist, I hope others access meaningful occupations that allow them to discover their own voice.

Looking Out, Looking In: Air Travel, Culture, & Occupational Justice, Ashley Compton

OTD 721: Cultural Responsiveness & Occupation

As I continue becoming an occupational therapist, I've found myself caring more deeply about accessibility, inclusion, and the different ways people experience participation in meaningful occupations. This zine gave me the opportunity to think about travel as a meaningful occupation that can be shaped by culture, identity, privilege, accessibility, and opportunity.

Travel, particularly air travel, has shaped so much of who I am, and creating this zine helped me think more deeply about what it means to participate in the world. My hope is that it encourages others to think about who may be left out and how we can …

Stitched With Purpose, Abigail Gooler

OTD 721: Cultural Responsiveness & Occupation

I chose this topic for this zine because fiber arts have become a meaningful part of my life. What began as a hobby during the COVID pandemic has grown into a way for me to manage stress, find purpose through creating, and build a small business.

This project deepened my understanding of occupational justice and the way that occupations are shaped by culture, gender, access, and social determinants of health. It challenged me to view what is an everyday occupation for me as culturally significant and, at times, political.

This project also reminded me of the privilege I have to …

Girl, Just Shut Up & Take An Advil: A Zine About Periods, Participation, And Why We All Became Experts At The Tampon-To-Sleeve Transfer, Alexa Ford

OTD 721: Cultural Responsiveness & Occupation

Like many people, I learned early on that menstruation was something to manage quietly. I learned how to check for stains without making it obvious. I learned how to strategically tie a sweatshirt around my waist. I learned that asking, "Do you have one?" across a public restroom often resullts in an immediate and enthusiastic, "Yes, girl. What do you need?" Over time, I realized these weren't just funny shared experiences. They reflected something bigger. The silence. The stigma. The expectation that people should function through discomfort without complaint.

As I've learned more through occupational therapy, I've started to understand …

How To Be 2slgbtqia+ And Neurodivergent Affirming As An Occupational Therapist, Ellie Shoop

OTD 721: Cultural Responsiveness & Occupation

When we were asked at the beginning of our class, "What is one thing you have experienced that you wish no one would ever have to experience again?", by author and occupational therapist Elizabeth Ching, OTD, M.Ed., BSOT, OTR/L, my mind began to swirl with ideas. I identify as a gay, white, neurodivergent, non-binary person, and I wish that no one would be misgendered or have their sexuality assumed by health professionals ever again. I also wish that people with neurodivergent brains would be given the support they need to thrive in a world that was not built with us …

Doing Drag: Exploring The Experiences Of Drag As An Occupation For Performers In California, Alicia Montes, Anna Ranario, Lilibeth Rosales, Eileen Spahle, Nathan Gelman, Laura Greiss Hess, Karen Mccarthy

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

Background: Drag is a performative art where individuals explore identity, challenge societal norms, and foster community through exaggerated gendered performance. Drag in the United States is facing potential restrictions and remains underexplored in occupational science and occupational therapy literature.

Methods: This qualitative study explored the experiences of drag performers in California, applying an occupational perspective through the framework of form, function, and meaning. Five drag performers were interviewed. Reflective thematic analysis was used to interpret qualitative data.

Findings: Identity was the central theme, interconnected with form, belonging, non-belonging, meaning and motivation, and resistive occupation. Findings highlight drag …

Mindfulness Matters: Reducing Anxiety In Prelicensure Undergraduate Nursing Students Using Virtual Reality Meditation Prior To High Fidelity Simulation., Lindsey K. Hildreth

Honors Theses and Capstones

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 5-minute virtual reality (VR) meditation intervention in reducing self-reported anxiety among prelicensure nursing students immediately prior to their participation in a high-fidelity clinical simulation. Anxiety levels were measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and compared between students who participated in the VR meditation intervention and those in a control group receiving standard prebrief, and no VR meditation. It was hypothesized that students who engage in VR meditation would demonstrate a reduction in anxiety compared to students in the control group.

Case Report: C6-C7, C7-T1 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Migration To Right Posterior Auricular Area, Allie Brodsky, Chad Taylor, Chloe Esch, John Scott Adams

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Bridging Evidence To Practice: Development Of An Evidence- Based Occupational Therapy Protocol For Early Rehabilitation Of Adults With Disorders Of Consciousness, Jessie D. Brian

OTD Capstones

Patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) following critical illness often experience prolonged hospitalization, delayed functional recovery, and limited access to early rehabilitation services. In acute care settings, occupational therapy (OT) plays a critical role in sensory stimulation, positioning, caregiver education, and the promotion of arousal and participation; however, interventions are often delayed or inconsistently implemented. A retrospective review of patient data at Concord Hospital identified low rates of early OT involvement among mechanically ventilated patients with OT orders, highlighting a gap in standardized rehabilitation practices for this medically complex population. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to develop …

Seeing Success Through Functional Vision: Screening, Education, And Intervention Within Mtss For Kindergarten Students, Falynne Marie Rzezuski

OTD Capstones

Visual skills are essential for participation in early academic tasks including reading, writing, classroom engagement, and learning. However, functional vision difficulties often go unrecognized in kindergarten students, potentially affecting their academic performance and ability to learn within educational settings. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and pilot a functional vision screening tool and program using a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework for kindergarten students. A literature review informed the development of the project, including the creation of the functional visual screening tool, integration within MTSS, Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions, and educational resources for educators …

An Evidence-Based Approach To Standardizing Occupational Therapy Services For Functional Neurological Disorder: Protocol Development And Provider Education, Kimberly Yuen

OTD Capstones

Functional Neurological Disorder is a complex neurological condition that continues to be misinterpreted and stigmatized by healthcare practitioners. Occupational therapists play a vital role in the care team for an individual with FND, as their scope of practice helps to empower individuals with this condition to return to daily, meaningful occupations. However, there remains a lack of evidence-based protocols and resources for occupational therapists to utilize when treating functional neurological disorder (FND), resulting in minimized confidence and understanding of how to treat this population. This capstone project addressed these concerns through the creation of multiple deliverables to help improve clinician …

Preparing For Change: Supporting Dementia Transitions Through Occupational Therapy And Caregiver Education, Kelly Ann Mooney

OTD Capstones

This capstone project focused primarily on supporting caregivers of individuals living with dementia within a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Caregivers of spouses with dementia often experience increased burden, stress, and difficulty navigating the transition from independent living to higher levels of care. Guided by principles of occupational therapy, this project aimed to enhance caregiver knowledge, confidence, and overall well-being through the development and implementation of targeted educational resources and support strategies. 

Interventions included the creation of evidence-based educational handouts addressing common challenges for caregivers such as activities of daily living (ADLs), sleep, mealtime, and behavioral changes. Additionally, a structured …

Integrating Pilates Into Outpatient Occupational Therapy:A Complementary Approach To Traditional Rehabilitation, Ellie Drechsler

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

INTRODUCTION: Reformer Pilates, originally developed by Joseph Pilates as a holistic method to enhance strength, alignment, and mind–body integration, has gained increasing recognition for its therapeutic potential in rehabilitation settings. Despite evidence supporting its benefits for balance, chronic pain, functional mobility, and mental wellbeing, its use in outpatient occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) remains limited. The purpose of this quality‑improvement project aimed to bridge that gap by developing an accessible, reformer‑based educational resource for clinicians with minimal Pilates experience and by evaluating client and clinician perceptions of its therapeutic value.

METHODS: Using mixed-methods surveys, qualitative and quantitative feedback …

Promoting Caregiver And Staff Education For Motor Development And Feeding Skills On A Pediatric Heart Center, Karina Dharia

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Around the world, congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading birth defects in infants and has been known to cause many long-term developmental effects (Scott & Neal, 2021). Given these developmental risks, recent literature suggests that there lack strong and effective resources for parents, caregivers and healthcare professionals about infant development and the application of occupational therapy in the setting of pediatric CHD (Marino et al., 2019). The purpose of this capstone was to promote parent, caregiver, and staff engagement with patients to promote motor development and feeding skills in the in-patient pediatric cardiac setting. Our aims were …

Optimizing The Utilization Of Interpreter Services In A Student Run Clinic, Mallory Vaclav

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

No abstract provided.

Collaboration In Acute Care: Enhancing Occupational Therapy Outcomes Through Canine Therapy Integration​, Deanna Hamke

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

The utilization of animal-assisted therapy has the potential to increase patient participation, motivation, and help simulate real-life experiences to promote a successful discharge from therapy services. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to: 1) expand collaboration between occupational therapists & canine therapy handlers through use of a communication platform and 2) to create a resource outlining in-session responsibilities to facilitate partnership between occupational therapists and canine therapy handlers. Occupational therapy treatment sessions were completed using canine therapy interventions targeting mobility, engagement, and emotional regulation. The final deliverables included multiple educational resources and a platform for communication. These deliverables …

Bridging Research And Practice In Occupational Therapy: Education On Regulation And Socioemotional Development For Caregivers And Novice Clinicians, Lily Andrews

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Background: New graduates in pediatric occupational therapy are frequently expected to be autonomous but experience poor self-confidence and challenges with clinical decision-making (Moir & Copley, 2025). Concurrently, parents of children receiving occupational therapy to improve regulation and socioemotional development often have limited understanding of these concepts, resulting in frustration and reduced carryover of therapeutic strategies at home. This dual gap highlights a clear need to enhance clinician confidence and caregiver understanding within pediatric occupational therapy practice.

Aim: This capstone project aimed to develop resources synthesizing key principles of pediatric practice and intervention to improve student clinician and new graduate confidence …

Creating An Effective Video Case-Based Teaching Tool To Enhance Undergraduate Clinical Skills, Tyler Kam

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Occupational Therapy Education In Cancer Rehabilitation​, Elizabeth A. Dorn

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

This doctoral capstone project aimed to enhance entry-level occupational therapy (OT) education by developing and evaluating evidence-based instructional materials addressing musculoskeletal and oncology rehabilitation within a doctorate curriculum. Designed as an oncology-focused experience, the project involved a two-phase approach: (1) testing educational techniques by implementation and evaluation of an elbow pathology lecture and lab, and (2) development of an asynchronous oncology rehabilitation unit informed by outcomes from the initial phase. The project was guided by the ASSURE instructional design model and emphasized active, visual, and case-based learning strategies to support clinical reasoning.

Student outcomes were assessed using pre- and post-lecture …

The Relationship Between Phone Usage, Activity Participation, And Hand Strength, Debra Gibbs, Will Best, Raegan Adams, Amanda Finke, Rachel Pierce, Salem Swallows, Alisha Yoo

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Smartphone use among university students in the United States is steadily increasing. Longer duration of smartphone use has been associated with increased risk of smartphone addiction, reduced musculoskeletal strength, and engagement in meaningful activities. While prior research has examined these variables separately, limited evidence exists on the associations between smartphone use, hand grip and pinch strength, and extracurricular and leisure activities among U.S. university students. To address this gap, a correlational study was conducted using the Spearman rank correlation to analyze the relationship between phone use, activity participation, and hand strength. A Qualtrics survey including demographic information, phone usage, and …

The Impact Of An Aquatic Exercise Program On Self-Reported Balance And Confidence On Perceived Fall Risk: A Pilot Study, Antoney Labuschagne, Wesley Hopper, Bailey Watson, Alexis Ignatin, Ashtyn South, Whitney Dupree, Natalie Michaels

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Background: Each year, thousands of people experience one or more episodes of falling, that lead to a lasting impact in function and participation in daily life. Education regarding fall prevention is often focused mainly on the older adult population, but falls can happen at any age. Fear of falling and pain-related fear exists among adults at any age. The focus of this research study was to determine if participation in an aquatic exercise program that focused on balance, core body strength, and cardiopulmonary endurance could be utilized to alleviate the fear of falling and improve performance. Methods: Eight participants completed …

Validity Assessment Of Resting Heart Rate Variability From The Garmin Health Snapshot, Kayla M. Porter, Andrew Flatt

Honors College Theses

Purpose: To assess the agreement between the Garmin Forerunner 265 (a commercially available sports watch) and a single-channel electrocardiographic (ECG) chest strap for determining resting heart rate variability (HRV). Secondary aims were to assess the impact of skin tone and body position on measurement accuracy.

Methods: Young adults (n = 30, 57% women) aged 18–39 years without known cardiovascular conditions and without tattooing or scarring on the dorsal left wrist were recruited. HRV was recorded simultaneously using ECG and the Forerunner 265’s optical sensor during Garmin’s 2-minute “Health Snapshot.” Measurements were obtained in three standardized positions: supine, seated, and standing. …

Novel Socially Assistive Robot For Alzheimer's And Dementia Home Care; Lived Experiences Of Families, Audrey V. Downs

Honors Theses and Capstones

Informal caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) typically experience high levels of subjective caregiver burden due to strenuous role demands, notably the need to provide frequent reminders and 24/7 monitoring to address care recipient cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of informal caregivers using a novel Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) to care for individuals with ADRD in a home setting and evaluate SAR impact on caregiver subjective burden. SARs are autonomous, interactive devices that can provide timed reminders and monitor home environments, potentially alleviating some caregiver role demands and …

Optimizing Healthy Aging: A Preventative Approach To Support Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Jada Welke

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: Healthy aging is a complex and multidimensional process influenced by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, environmental, and lifestyle factors across the lifespan. Increasing evidence from researchers suggests that many health care systems continue to rely on reactive models that address decline only after functional limitations emerge. Preventive interventions initiated in midlife have the potential to significantly influence long-term health outcomes, independence, well-being, and quality of life. As a result, there is growing recognition that multidimensional, proactive screening and intervention should begin earlier, before age-related conditions become clinically significant.

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to address this need through …

From Play To Pressure: Understanding Early Sports Specialization Through An Occupational Lens, Kiley Jade Washnieski

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Youth sport participation plays a significant role in the daily lives of children ages 6-12 (Lee et al., 2018). Participation in organized sports can offer numerous benefits; however, the expectations surrounding youth sports have evolved over time. Increased emphasis on early specialization has intensified training demands and performance pressures placed on youth athletes during critical developmental years (Brenner et al., 2019). Although occupational therapy is well positioned to address both the physical and psychosocial demands of youth sport participation, the profession’s role within this context remains underexplored (Bulan et al., 2025).

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was …

Enhancing Wheelchair Education Throough Technology, Anna Elizabeth Voegel

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The World Health Organization states there are more than 65 million wheelchair users worldwide, with the number expected to grow (Gilani, 2023). Many wheelchair users face challenges with not knowing how to properly maintain their equipment or develop the skills needed to navigate their environments (Boccardi et al., 2022; Morgan et al., 2015; Smith et al., 2016; Toro et al., 2017). This product aims to provide practitioners with accessible educational materials that address commonly encountered barriers, usable in the clinic setting or for patients and caregivers to access from a distance.

Methods: A needs assessment was conducted, which included …

The Role Of Ot In Enhancing Mental Health Outcomes For Primary Care Patients, Amorelle Upton

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose. Primary care settings often serve as the first point of contact for individuals experiencing mental health concerns. However, occupation-based and function-focused interventions remain underutilized in these settings. The purpose of this Doctoral Experiential Capstone (DEC) was to implement an Occupational Therapy Mental Health Toolkit designed to support holistic and integrative mental health care in primary care settings.

Methods. This project was guided by the ecology of human performance (EHP) model. Methods included a literature synthesis, development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and structured learning objectives, contextual needs assessment through stakeholder collaboration and site observation, and a product design, …

Supporting Reentry: An Occupation-Based Approach, Savannah B. Ullyott

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: Individuals transitioning back into the community following incarceration need holistic care to support a successful reintegration process (National Institute of Justice [NIJ], 2023). There are a variety of supports and barriers to successful reintegration that should be considered when guiding programming for this population, as these individuals often face many challenges when transitioning back into the community (Galletta et al., 2021). Specific supports facilitating successful transitions back into the community includes those of basic or daily needs, often related to housing, employment, transportation, social supports, food security, and access to mental and physical health services (Galletta et al., 2021; …

Expanding Access To Hand Therapy In Rural Wyoming Through Telehealth, Cheyenne Rose Thompson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Individuals living in rural Wyoming experience significant barriers to accessing specialized hand therapy services, including geographic isolation, limited availability of certified hand therapists, and inconsistent healthcare infrastructure, resulting in delayed rehabilitation and reduced functional outcomes (Hirth et al., 2022; Rural Health Information Hub, 2025). Although telehealth has emerged as a potential solution to improve access, challenges related to clinician training, safety, and adaptation of interventions to virtual environments persist (Feldhacker et al., 2022; Morris, 2024). The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop an evidence-based telehealth hand therapy program to improve access to upper extremity rehabilitation services in rural …

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Care In Functional Cognition, Madison Anne Thomas

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Functional cognition plays a critical role in determining a patient’s ability to safely perform daily activities, manage medications, and discharge from acute care settings. Functional cognition refers to the integration of cognitive processes and performance skills necessary for completing real-world tasks safely and independently (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2023). Occupational therapy practitioners are uniquely positioned to assess functional cognition using performance-based measures and support safe discharge planning. Limited awareness and understanding of functional cognition impairments among hospitalists and interdisciplinary team members may lead to inconsistent occupational therapy referrals and potential safety concerns during discharge planning (D’Cruz et al., …