Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Concepts Of Caring: Uncovering Early Concepts Of Care In Practice For First Year Occupational Therapy Students, James Battaglia

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Caring for others is a central ideal of most health care professions. The ability to facilitate caring behaviors in occupational therapy students is essential to developing students who are well prepared to provide both technically and emotionally competent care. This study explored the early concepts of care of Master of Science Occupational Therapy students at the start of their graduate education through use of a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. The three most frequently identified student concepts of care were: (1) caring as it relates to time, (2) caring as a personal quality, and (3) caring through their communication with clients. …

Student Perspectives Of The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Experience In An Academic Setting, Stacy Smallfield, Shelby Wood

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to gather student perspectives of the 16-week doctoral experiential component (DEC) of the entry-level doctor of occupational therapy educational curriculum from students who completed the DEC in an academic setting. A retrospective qualitative study of a focus group of five students who completed the DEC in an occupational therapy (OT) academic setting was conducted using semi-structured interview questions. Codes were grouped into themes and the findings were summarized. Four major themes emerged: 1) learning experiences; 2) purposeful ambiguity; 3) knowledge and skill development; and 4) newfound appreciation. Learning experiences included …

Comparing Outcomes Of Entry-Level Degrees From One Occupational Therapy Program, Stacy Smallfield, Laura Flanigan, Anna Sherman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to compare the professional outcomes of two entry-level occupational therapy degrees: the Master of Science (MSOT) and occupational therapy doctorate (OTD). This was a quantitative, exploratory study using a survey method. An online survey was sent to graduates from one occupational therapy program with known email addresses (N = 711). The survey included items relating to professional outcomes, such as job title, salary, and engagement with evidence-based practice, leadership, research, and interprofessional practice. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to describe and to compare groups. The survey yielded 208 responses eligible …

Development Of A Training Program To Increase Student Clinician Competency When Communicating With People With Aphasia, Meghan Doherty, Chevie Lay

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Washington University in St. Louis Stroke Clinic is a student-run free clinic (SRSC) designed to enhance student learning and provide the community with no-cost evidence-based occupational therapy services. Aphasia is a common communication impairment after stroke that affects the ability to access services and give and get information, and impacts life participation and satisfaction. Conversation partner training is an evidence-based treatment approach to improve communication with people with aphasia (PWA). The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of student clinician training about communicating with PWA using conversation partner training in the SRSC. This study …

Developing An International Cultural Learning Project: An Effort Towards Introducing Internationalization In The Classroom, Mary Zadnik, Pavlina Psychouli, Kayla Collins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In an increasingly diverse and global society, allied health professionals must be ready to meet the needs of clients with different cultural values, habits, and attitudes. Understanding how culture impacts decision making in healthcare is a fundamental skill. However, education and experiences to help prepare future practitioners to meet this need are often lacking in allied health. This paper highlights a call to develop methods to identify and overcome barriers in providing students with culturally diverse and immersive experiences both feasibly and efficiently. A pilot cross-cultural experience was created utilizing the technique of Internationalization at Home (IaH) and integrating technology …

Examining The Benefits Of Educating Caregivers About Tummy Time In The Acute Care Setting, Alexandra L. Turner

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: This project addressed providing parents with education on tummy time in the acute care setting. This is based on a gap in the literature on occupational therapy (OT) services in the acute care setting.

Purpose: The purpose of this research project was to conduct a pilot study to examine the benefit of educating parents of infants in the acute care setting on providing tummy time as a developmental education measure.

Theoretical Framework: The occupational therapy practice theory, of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) supports the holistic supporting of families, in their role as a parent, to meet the …