Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Changes In Study Approaches, Self-Efficacy, And Mental Health In Allied Healthcare Students During The Covid-19 Crisis, Elaina J. Dalomba, Tore Bonsaksen, Mary Jan Greer, Saji Mansur

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

There is growing concern about student mental health, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. Mental health factors impact self-efficacy and study behaviors, thus there is a need to explore changes in these factors during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore changes in allied healthcare students’ approaches to studying, self-efficacy and positive mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, General Self-efficacy scale, Mental Health Continuum – Short Form were given to graduate students (n=26) prior to, and one year into the pandemic. Repeated measures analyses of variance were performed. …

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 …

International Students’ And Alumni Perspectives On Their Transition To Graduate Level Occupational Therapy Education And Daily Life In The United States, Areli D. Benitez, Daniel Park, Sarah Bream

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

International students who enroll in American occupational therapy academic programs must quickly adapt to the academic demands and everyday life rhythms within the United States. This qualitative study contributes to the body of knowledge of lived experiences of international occupational therapy students, specific to their transition to graduate occupational therapy education and daily life in a new country. Thirteen (13) international occupational therapy graduate students and alumni participated in an individual or joint interview. Three key themes emerged from the findings and include the following: 1) Challenges: Inside and Outside of the Classroom, 2) A Support System: A Home Away …

Validation Of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (Osce) Based On The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (Otpf): A Pilot Study, Marzieh Pashmdarfard, Afsoon Hassani Mehraban, Narges Shafaroodi, Kamran Soltani Arabshahi, Soroor Parvizy, Akram Azad, Samaneh Karamali Esmaeili

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is an integral part of the educational process in occupational therapy and assessing student competency at the end of fieldwork is important. The aim of this study was to design and conduct an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) based on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) for occupational therapy students on Level II fieldwork in Iran. A seven-station OSCE was designed and conducted with 13 students. Face and content validity of the exam scenarios and grading checklists was assessed via faculty review. The correlation between scores from each station and total OSCE scores were obtained to assess construct …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Responses To Online Standardized Patient Simulations, Robyn Wu, Chi-Kwan Shea

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Campus closures during the COVID-19 pandemic led to the innovation of online standardized patient (SP) simulations. Extensive preparation with the faculty, simulation specialists, SPs, and 42 occupational therapy students was required to smoothly adapt an occupational therapy learning module from in-person to online simulations. The concepts of functional task alignment and psychological fidelity from the simulation literature guided the process of designing the online simulations. Post-simulation, student perceptions about learner engagement, psychological fidelity, and accomplishment of the simulation’s learning outcomes were collected using anonymous surveys. All 36 survey respondents found the online SP encounters to be engaging. Most experienced realism …

Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Perceptions Of Multi-Site, Single Site, And Simulated Level I Fieldwork, Tammy Divens, Laura Cruz

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork education is the practical application of an occupational therapy education. Level I fieldwork is an important component that introduces students to the clinical setting for basic understanding of client interactions. Quality fieldwork programs in occupational therapy are more difficult to procure than ever before due to critical shortages of placements. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major impact on all medical professions. The need for remodeling Level I fieldwork education possibilities has significantly increased. This study compares occupational therapy clinical education across three modalities recognized by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) standards: a simulated, virtual environment; …

Copilot – Development And Implementation Of International Cooperative Online Intercultural Learning, Liliya Todorova, Elisabeth Fattinger, Elisabeth Url, Siska Vandemaele, Ulla Pott, Helen Strebel, Claudia Merklein De Freitas, Anja Christopher, Sabine Hendriks, Maria Prellwitz

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This article presents the products and evaluation results of COPILOT (Cooperative Online Peer-assisted and Intercultural Learning in Occupational Therapy), an Erasmus+ funded project undertaken by a consortium of six European universities from 2018 to 2021, which addresses the need for internationalization and intercultural learning by developing competences graduates will need in the future. Internationalization has become one of the main avenues to developing global learning in higher education. Online education has a significant role in providing opportunities for internationalization online without the high cost of travel that might deter some students. The interest in online intercultural exchange has been significantly …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceived Preparedness To Work With Transgender Clients, Meredith Rosol, Karissa Rogers, Raigan Borsh, Rachel Pavlinec, Marion Russell, Asa N. Russell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In order to be a successful practitioner, an occupational therapist must have proper knowledge for treating diverse populations, including clients who are transgender. However, many occupational therapy (OT) programs do not teach content that is specific to the transgender population. This study utilized a complementary mixed-methods design to determine how prepared occupational therapy students perceived themselves to be for working with transgender clients. Entry-level masters and doctoral level occupational therapy students from accredited OT programs across the United States that had completed at least their first Level II fieldwork were recruited to participate. Eighty-five occupational therapy students completed the quantitative …

Life Skill Needs Of Occupational Therapy Assistant Students: Perceptions Of Instructors, Preceptors, Graduates And Current Students, Candi Raudebaugh, Marcia Finlayson, Kathleen Norman, Sally Stewart

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Life skills are the basic skills required to function in everyday life. Occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students may struggle with life skills, and as a result experience challenges in academics and practicum. The purpose of this phase of a multiphase study was to identify the life skill needs of OTA students from multiple perspectives. This study used a pragmatic qualitative design. Students in the second year of a 2-year therapy assistant diploma program, graduates, instructors, and preceptors participated in interviews or focus groups to discuss OTA students’ life skill needs. Interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcribed. Applied thematic …

Changes In Epistemic And Ontological Cognition Of Occupational Therapy Students During Fieldwork: A Qualitative Study, Anita W. Mitchell, Lauren Woods

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to represent occupational therapy students’ perspectives of their beliefs about knowledge and knowing, or epistemic and ontological cognition (EOC), before and after their first level 2 fieldwork experience. Twenty participants from four classes of entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) students who had successfully completed 18 months of didactic coursework provided written explanations of self-ratings on the modified Four-Quadrant Scale of Ontology and Epistemology and written responses to four open-ended questions. Four major themes emerged: 1) Concrete knowledge may have a specific right or wrong answer, 2) Knowledge can change depending on the client, …

The Use Of Visual Thinking Strategies To Enhance Observation Skills Of Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students, Joanne Gallagher Worthley, Tanya Trudell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Observation is a critical skill that deserves increased attention in occupational therapy education programs as it can directly affect patient care. Art has been used as a pedagogical tool to explicitly teach observational skills in medical and allied health programs. The use of art has a positive effect on the clinical skills needed for patient care. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how students’ observation skills changed using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) with works of art. This quasi-experimental, single-group, pretest-posttest design included 33 occupational therapy students who observed four different works of art using an observation log …

Perceived Value & Usefulness Of The Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone, Erika L. Kemp, Anna Domina, Sara Stephenson, Amanda Start

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The doctoral capstone is the culminating experiential learning component of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate degree, however there is limited literature regarding its usefulness or value as perceived by graduates. This qualitative descriptive study used focus groups with a semi-structured interview guide to ask participants about the value and usefulness of their doctoral capstones. A total of 200 recent occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) graduates from three OTD programs in the Midwest and Southwest were contacted and 21 consented to participate. Researchers identified several themes that were relevant to both occupational therapy practitioners and occupational therapy programs. The four themes that …

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 …

Using A Service Learning - Peer Mentoring Project To Prepare Ot Students For Their Role In Post-Secondary Transition Services, Annmarie T. Kinsella, Nancy R. Hollins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

A service-learning pilot project involving occupational therapy (OT) students and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is described. The purpose of this pilot project, developed using Transformative Learning Theory, was to determine if service-learning could be a viable approach to provide in-depth learning in areas only superficially covered in a typical OT curriculum. The objectives of this experience were focused on developing the knowledge and skills needed to address a noted gap in OT practice, post-secondary transition services for individuals with IDD. Using a peer-mentor approach, OT students were matched with young adults with IDD for a fieldwork Level …

First Year Occupational Therapy Students’ Engagement In Learning Activities: A Qualitative Study, Mona Asbjørnslett, Helen Bull, Gry Mørk, Tore Bonsaksen

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

When students enter a bachelor program in occupational therapy, they engage in a variety of learning activities. To explore students’ perceptions of learning activities, this qualitative study investigated the experiences of six first year students participating in an occupational therapy study program at a Norwegian university. The students took part in two focus group interviews. The interview analysis focused on meaning and ended up with three main themes: 1) Getting to know each other through collaborative learning activities, 2) Engaging in classroom learning activities, and 3) Approaching the syllabus and doing assignments. The study concludes that early engagement in social …

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 …

Using Self-Assessment And Reflection To Develop Self-Efficacy In Occupational Therapy Assistant Fieldwork Students, Kristy Meyer, Julie Hunley

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Many occupational therapy students navigate the transition to the Level II fieldwork experience effortlessly, while others require support due to a lack of perceived self-efficacy. This perception dramatically impacts fieldwork performance and challenges academic fieldwork coordinators to support students struggling to believe in their own capabilities. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental research design with a purposive sample of 16 occupational therapy assistant students to determine if an educational intervention increased perceived self-efficacy and overall confidence. Data collected from the Student Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ) pre, and post-intervention provided insight into the students’ report of perceived self-efficacy and overall confidence during …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Performance On Occupational Therapy Fieldwork, Kimberlea D. Dudzinski, Michele Gregoire Gill

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This mixed methods study explored the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and overall student performance during occupational therapy (OT) fieldwork. The purpose of this study was to determine whether EI was predictive of student performance during the clinical portion of the academic program. In the first phase of this two-part study, 42 students enrolled in either a Master of Occupational Therapy program or an Occupational Therapy Assistant Program completed the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (short form). Student scores on this brief measure of EI were correlated with scoring on the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Level II Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) …

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 …

Telehealth Vs Face To Face Pediatric Screenings: A Pilot Study, Katherine S. Ryan-Bloomer, Joan Ziegler Delahunt

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The global pandemic heightened the importance of occupational therapy (OT) education programs to prepare students for telehealth practice. The objective was to examine the following research questions: 1. Does self-assessment of pediatric competency skills improve following participation in pediatric screenings? 2. Is there a difference in self-assessment of pediatric competency skills between those students who perform pediatric screenings via telehealth versus face-to-face? 3. What is the lived experience for students who perform telehealth and face-to-face pediatric screenings? A mixed method- quasi-experimental design and phenomenological tradition were employed. The study utilized online surveys, focus groups, telehealth screenings with an urban preschool, …

Telehealth Assessment Of Frailty In Community Dwelling Older Adults Using The Modified Physical Performance Test (Poster), Sara Duran, Jessica Yeadon, Forest Bingham, Kordell Mcpherson, Elyse Grant, Jaime Ball, Lyndsay Stutzenberger

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Frailty in Older Adults

● Frailty is a health condition that effects increasing numbers of the population past the age of 65

● The modified Physical Performance Test (mPPT) is a test that assesses multiple dimensions of physical function with different levels of difficulty. It has been shown to assess frailty in an older adult population.

● Due to health care barriers, it may be advantageous to assess individuals via telehealth.

● It is critical to determine the concurrent validity of telehealth delivery of mPPT with that of a clinical setting to determine if it can increase access to care

Positive Psychosocial Attributes Associated With Parent-Appraised Quality Of Life In Children With Movement Limitations (Poster), Ryan Jacobson, Rebecca Giglio, Carolyn Grimm, Sarah Kotel, Kylie Ronning

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

In Primary Care, Are Health Outcomes Consistent With Physical Therapists Judgement For Musculoskeletal Care? (Poster), Ross Dixon, Sheila Perkins, Brian Schaudt, Josh Thoreson, Kendra Woodson, Jeff Houck

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Sway-Referenced Haptic Input Improves Static Standing Stability (Poster), Andrew Meszaros, Robin Dorociak, Cameron Hofer, Joshua Todd, Emma Powley

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Biomechanical Foot Factors, Social Participation, And Self-Participation In Sedentary Versus Non-Sedentary Adults (Poster), Sarah Jones, Amanda Mcconaughey, Kelly Milliken, Lindsey Wallace, Beau Yamamura, Marcey Keefer Hutchison, Jeffrey Houck, Rebecca Dobler

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Purpose:

Compare biomechanical foot factors, activity level, satisfaction with participation in social roles, and self-related level of activity between sedentary and non-sedentary adults

Hypotheses:

1. Step count will positively correlate with: Medial longitudinal arch (MLA) recoil, intrinsic and extrinsic muscle strength, muscle CSA, neutral foot posture, satisfaction with participation in social roles, and self-efficacy

2. Step count will negatively correlate with: Plantar fascia thickness. self-reported pain interference, and BMI.

Exploring The Experiences Of Black/African American Students In Entry Level Occupational Therapy And Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs: A Survey Study, Riqiea F. Kitchens, Amber B. Armstead, Karthik Mani, Lima Ghulmi, Diane M. Collins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Black/African American students account for 6.5% of the enrollment in entry-level occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) programs (AOTA, 2019). OT and OTA programs serve as the entry point to increasing diversity in the profession and contribute to a diverse healthcare workforce. Limited research exists that offers insight into the experiences of minority students enrolled in OT and OTA programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the academic experiences of Black/African American students enrolled in entry-level OT and OTA programs to identify supports and barriers in the educational experience. Eligible participants were asked to complete an …

Group Action Planning To Promote Well-Being Of Non-Traditional Students In A Hybrid Program, Elena W. Espiritu

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Non-traditional occupational therapy students experience stress and occupational imbalance during their educational experience due to academic and non-academic factors, which decreases their well-being. Throughout the occupational therapy literature, participation in a variety of occupations is known to positively impact well-being. However, there are limited interventions available to foster occupational therapy students’ overall well-being through occupational engagement. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of interventions specifically designed to meet the unique needs of non-traditional occupational therapy students. Action planning is a structured goal setting format by which a person develops specific strategies to achieve desirable outcomes. This qualitative descriptive study described the …