Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Examination Of Student Learning Outcomes During A Musculoskeletal Spine Assessment Course: Hybrid Blended Model Versus Traditional Classroom Delivery In A Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program, David J. Denton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored content delivery comparisons concerning a hybrid blended model versus a traditional lecture model in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. There is a gap in the physical therapy literature describing the intricacies of distance, online, and hybrid models used in doctoral education. Thirty students were randomly selected out of a hat to be placed into one of two groups with an n=15. The course chosen in the study was a clinical decision-making segment based on assessment and examination of level of the spine. Group 1 was instructed only using traditional methods of live in person lecture and …

Teaming For Transition: Interprofessional Collaboration, Megan Sturdivant, Emily Thompson, Sam Skelton, Rebecca Mallory

2020 Honors Symposium

The transition from youth to young adult for individuals with severe disabilities is difficult, provides few opportunities for employment, and offers less of a chance to connect with friends and engage with people. This research presents ways that speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school counselors, and special educators can collaborate to create a successful transition process for individuals with severe disabilities.

An Exploration Of Financial Management Programming For Residents In One Homeless Shelter: A Qualitative Institutional Case Study, Amy M. Heiser

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Introduction: Homelessness affects the economy, societies, and individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Occupational therapy is a holistic profession that works with all populations across the lifespan. Financial management is a life skill that many Americans struggle with. Evidence on financial management skill development within homeless shelters and occupational therapy is sparse. Occupational justice is a theoretical framework that supports the right for residents in a homeless shelter to have direct interventions toward skill development, such as education in financial management. Methods: This institutional case study explored a homeless shelter to gain knowledge of real-life program phenomena, with focus on …

Fieldwork Educator Preparedness: A Study Examining The Effect Of An Online Learning Module On The Perceived Preparedness Levels Of Fieldwork Educators, Breanna Chycinski

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to compare how the implementation of a learning module, titled The Fieldwork Educator Competency Module altered the perceived level of preparedness of occupational therapy (OT) practitioners related to their role as a fieldwork educator (FWEd) for Level II OT students. A quantitative, pre-experimental, one group pretest-posttest research design was used. All components of the research took place in an online, virtual setting. Participants were OT practitioners who were eligible to be a Level II FWEd. Results indicate a positive change for at least one participant for each question of the survey. The largest …

Determining The Effect Of Target Education On Students’ Cultural Responsiveness And Performance During Standard Patient Interactions, Rebecca Mojica

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

There is limited available data about the level of cultural responsiveness skills in occupational therapy students. The purpose of this capstone project was to ascertain the impact of target specific training in cultural diversity on students’ perception of cultural responsiveness, and on their performance during simulated patient interactions. The overreaching framework for this capstone project was the conceptual model for culturally responsive care. This capstone project followed a one group pretest and post-test quasi-experimental design. Participants consisted of second-year students enrolled in an entry level master occupational therapy program at a large urban public university. The pre and post-test self-assessment …

Living With A Chronic Condition: Perspectives Of College Students At A Public Institution Of Higher Education, Kelley Lynn Harlan

Online Theses and Dissertations

Chronic conditions are ongoing, have a pattern of recurrence or deterioration, and produce consequences impacting an individual’s quality of life. An estimated 164 million Americans are expected to be affected by chronic conditions by the year 2025 (Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, 2016). College students with chronic conditions face unique challenges making it difficult to succeed in traditional degree programs due to unpredictable shifts in wellness. The purpose of this qualitative research was to discover the lived experience of college students with chronic conditions. Eight adult, full-time, traditional university students with chronic conditions were recruited and participated in a one-time, …

“It’S Supposed To Be Super Easy And It’S Not”: Black And Latinx Student Experiences In The Doctor Of Physical Therapy Admissions Process, Melissa Yeung

Theses and Dissertations

Data provided by the Physical Therapy Central Application System (PTCAS) suggests that despite the large numbers of applicants to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs on an annual basis, a gap remains between the number of White and Black and Latinx applicants who are offered admission to DPT programs. Efforts made by DPT programs to increase the diversity of their incoming cohorts include the use of holistic review processes and enrichment programs to recruit more diverse classes. However, research suggests that the undergraduate experiences of students of color have an impact on their aspirations to graduate and professional schools, and …

An Evaluation Of The Factor Structure And Internal Consistency Of The ‘Conceptions Of Learning’ And ‘Preferences For Teaching’ Measures In American Occupational Therapy Students, Tore Bonsaksen, Adele Breen-Franklin

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

When planning to use measurement scales in new samples and contexts, examining the scales’ psychometric properties is an important initial step. This study examined the factor structure and internal consistency of two measures that are part of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) – the Conceptions of learning and Preferences for teaching and courses – in a sample of American occupational therapy students. The students (n = 115) completed the measures and provided basic sociodemographic information. Scale structure was examined with Principal Components Analysis (PCA), while consistency between scale items was assessed with mean inter-item correlations. …

Student Perceptions Of Research In An Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Kristin A. Valdes, Stephanie Dalton, Deandra Modeste, Jacqueline J. Moskalczyk, Troy Olmo, Jacklynn M. Smith

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Student perceptions of research in graduate programs play a role within the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) curriculum and how future clinicians value Evidence Based Practice and research. The Student Perception of Research Integration Questionnaire (SPRIQ) was utilized to examine students’ perceptions of research in their graduate coursework. Participants included in this study were all students enrolled in an occupational therapy doctorate program. All items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Mean scores were calculated for each item on the respondents’ submissions. The items were further categorized into subscales. The mean score of all items of the SPRIQ was 4.44 …

The Critical Friend: Development Of A Peer Supervision Training For A Student-Run Occupational Therapy Clinic, Anne Murphy-Hagan, Lauren E. Milton

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

An occupational therapy program at a research institution in the Midwest offers a student-run outpatient stroke clinic to prepare learners for the student-to-clinician transition. Notably, the students practice peer supervision in which participants with roughly the same level of training monitor, evaluate, and support one another. This project details the development of The Critical Friend, an evidence-based peer supervision training program implemented in a student-run occupational therapy clinic. The ADDIE Model of Instructional Design, which classifies five phases of instruction implementation (analyze, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) was utilized to translate research knowledge into a learning deliverable. This paper …

Masters To Doctorate: Impact Of The Transition On One Occupational Therapy Program, Rebecca Ozelie, Kia Ashley Burks, Samantha Lee, Kathryn Riggilo, Michelle Sivak

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Within the field of occupational therapy, the issue of transitioning from an entry-level master's degree to an entry-level doctorate degree is under debate. As such, it is important to investigate the impact of the transition in order to help make educated decisions about the potential future of the profession.This study analyzed retrospective data collected from six cohorts at one Midwestern university to analyze the impact of the transition to an entry-level doctorate on diversity, admission and matriculation rates, and fieldwork reservations. No statistical difference in diversity between masters and doctorate level cohorts was found but it is of note that …

Teaching And Learning Occupation In Occupational Therapy Education: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis, Mikaylah Miller, Melanie J. Roberts

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupation is the core focus of the occupational therapy profession and is a complex concept for students to know and understand. The aim of this review was to understand how teaching and learning occupation has been represented by educators and students across qualitative studies in occupational therapy education. A qualitative evidence synthesis was conducted which included searching four databases; CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, and Embase. Research articles were screened using inclusion and exclusion criteria by two reviewers. The search resulted in 328 records being identified, with 13 articles included. The methodological quality of included articles was assessed using the Critical Appraisal …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Experiential And Self-Regulated Learning In A Community Program For Breast Cancer Survivors, Karen Ratcliff, Theresa M. Smith

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy educators utilize varied educational theories to prepare occupational therapy students to develop the knowledge, clinical reasoning, and professionalism necessary for successful Level II fieldwork completion. Students need to be equipped to apply didactic knowledge to patient intervention and care. Students can benefit by engaging in authentic experiences that extend didactic learning to real life challenges. Providing such experiences requires careful thought and consideration of course design by faculty. This manuscript describes the use of experiential learning and self-regulated learning theory to design and implement a student-run, community-based cognitive rehabilitation program for breast cancer survivors. This program afforded the …

Pilot Evaluation Of The Computer-Based Assessment Of Non-Cognitive Attributes Of Health Professionals (Cana-Hp), Sara Faye Maher

Wayne State University Dissertations

To meet the needs of complex and/or underserved patient populations, health care professionals must possess diverse backgrounds, qualities, and skill sets. Holistic review has been used to diversify student admissions through examination of non-cognitive attributes of health care applicants. The objective of this study was to develop a novel methodology, the computer-based assessment of non-cognitive attributes of health professionals (CANA­ HP), to effectively screen non-cognitive attributes of applicants. Three research questions were delineated; 1.) To determine the CANA-HP instrument reliability (internal consistency & interrater), 2.) To determine if the CANA-HP measured attributes of non­cognitive variables, as demonstrated by low construct …

New Perspectives On Faculty Stress: Its Relationship With Work Engagement, Teaching Effectiveness, And Program Preferences To Manage Stress, Rocio Alvarenga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to analyze faculty stress with three interrelated parts. First, the study examined the relationship between work engagement, stress factors, stress outcomes, and faculty characteristics. Next, the study analyzed the relationship between students' perception of faculty stress, faculty teaching effectiveness, class size, and student classification. Finally, the study investigated faculty preferences for health and wellness programs in the workplace. The study used two anonymous online questionnaires to collect data from 45 faculty participants and 119 student participants from a U.S. public, four-year research university. For faculty, the results demonstrated statistically significant strong relationships between all …

Using Data-Enabled Performance Feedback And Guidance To Assist Employment Consultants In Their Work With Job Seekers: An Experimental Study, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Oliver Lyons, Amy Gunty, Jill Eastman, Paul Foos

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

BACKGROUND:The success of job seekers with disabilities in achieving their employment goals depends in large part on the quality of employment supports that they receive from employment consultants. OBJECTIVE:To test the effectiveness of data-enabled performance feedback to assist employment consultants in implementing standards of effective employment supports. METHODS:A total of 187 employment consultants in 30 states were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group received data-enabled performance feedback and guidance for 12 months, whereas the control group continued with business as usual. Both groups completed baseline and quarterly surveys throughout the intervention. RESULTS:One year after baseline, the …

Associations Between Occupational Therapy Students’ Approaches To Studying And Their Academic Grade Results: A Cross-Sectional And Cross-Cultural Study, Tore Bonsaksen, Ted Brown, Hua B. Lim, Kenneth Fong, Milada C. Småstuen

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Students’ approaches to studying are generally viewed as essential for their learning outcomes and are often described as being either deep, strategic or surface. However, research on associations between study approaches and academic outcomes among occupational therapy students are rare, as are studies that include cross-cultural comparisons. The objective of this study was to assess the degree to which the deep, strategic, and surface approaches to studying were associated with occupational therapy students’ grade point average, in the total sample and when stratified by country, while controlling for age, gender and time spent on independent study. Seven hundred and twelve …

Student Experiences With Engagement In A Nursing And Physical Therapy Interprofessional Education Simulation, Sarah Koplow, Melissa Morris, Shari Rone-Adams, Heather Hettrick, Bini Litwin, Lisa B. Soontupe, Archana Vatwani

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Interprofessional Education (IPE) incorporated into healthcare discipline instruction has been shown to be successful in improving the understanding perceptions of complimentary professions. The purpose of this mixed method study was to measure differences in perceptions of early Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) students and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) with participation in a immersive interprofessional education experience. Method: Students completed a pre and posttest survey consisting of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale and several short answer qualitative questions. Cohorts of BSN and DPT students participated in a computerized mannequin simulation experience or a hybrid simulation. Results: Students …

Qualitative Analysis Of Student Physical Therapist Reflective Writing: Does An Interprofessional Discharge Planning Simulation Increase Their Understanding Of The Role They Play In Discharge Planning?, Leslie M. Smith, Benjamin Sachs, Karen Berg, Megan Keiser, Laura J. Smith, Carman Turkelson, Amy Yorke

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The Core Competencies for Entry-Level Practice in Acute Care Physical Therapy provides an expectation of entry-level practice in acute care for physical therapists including discharge planning (DP). Physical therapists (PT), despite having appropriate clinical reasoning and unique skills for determining the functional abilities of patients, are less often a part of the DP process. The purpose of this study was to determine, by use of qualitative analysis of reflective writing, if an interprofessional discharge planning simulation will increase students’ understanding of the role of physical therapy in DP. Methods: Students from physical therapy (n=57), undergraduate nursing (n=36), graduate …

Make Changes Early! High Stress Levels Predict Lower Academic Performance In First-Year Physical Therapy Students: A Pilot Study, Daniel W. Flowers, Amanda Bernard

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Evidence exists in the literature that allows admissions committees to predict which students will be most successful in entry-level physical therapy educational programs. Evidence linking modifiable predictors of academic performance to currently enrolled students allowing enhancement of their performance during enrollment is lacking. Previous healthcare education literature indicates that stress has a negative predictive relationship with academic performance, and that stress is the highest in the beginning of an academic program. Research studies with medical students report exercise assists in minimizing stress and improving academic performance, while the role of leisure time has also been investigated. No study has …

Evaluation Of A Concussion Management And Discharge Education Training Module For Emergency Department Nurses, Carmen Frede

DNP Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to improve the Emergency Department (ED) nurses’ knowledge on identifying patients at risk for concussions and delivering effective concussion discharge education using an educational training intervention.

Methods: This project used a descriptive, non-randomized pre-post survey design. Participation involved three stages: a pre-education survey to assess baseline concussion education knowledge, an educational intervention consisting of a narrated PowerPoint presentation, and a post-education survey to evaluate knowledge on concussion discharge education. The intervention was delivered online via the UK Canvas educational platform.

Results: The majority of nursing staff participants were female (97%) and had a …

Athletic Training And Physical Therapy Junior Faculty Member Preparation: Perceptions Of Doctoral Programs And Clinical Practice, Jessica L. Barrett, Stephanie M. Singe, Aynsley Diamond

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Institutions of higher education suffer from a shortage of appropriately prepared faculty members in athletic training and physical therapy programs. Both professional programs have recently undergone curricular reform and degree change. We sought gain an understanding of the preparation mechanisms experienced by athletic training and physical therapy practitioners for their junior faculty positions. Method: Twenty-six athletic trainers and physical therapists participated in this phenomenological study. Data from one-on-one phone interviews were analyzed following the inductive process of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Content experts, pilot interviews, multiple analysts and member checking ensured trustworthiness. Results: Findings indicate two primary mechanisms prepared the …

An Exploratory Study Of The Perceptions Of Footwear For Individuals Who Use Lower Limb Orthotics, Margaret E. Gegen, Teresa Plummer, Nancy Darr

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The purpose of this study was to explore individual’s perceptions of orthotics and footwear. A survey was created by the authors with the expert opinions of physical and occupational therapists and was distributed to two therapy clinics in Tennessee that provide both occupational therapy and physical therapy as well as on several online support groups. Seventy-nine (79) caregivers completed surveys. Thematic analysis was performed using Nvivo 10 (QSR International) and descriptive statistics were generated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) IBM International). Ninety percent (90%) of participants report that orthotics affect what type of shoes the user …

Instructor Perspectives On Case-Based Learning And Student Engagement In Occupational Therapy Curriculums, Pamela Lewis-Kipkulei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who are not engaged in the classroom become clinicians who are not successful in clinicals and entry-level work. This prompted occupational therapy (OT) educators to explore active teaching and learning strategies that have proven successful in various professional programs. This study explored OT instructors’ perceptions and experiences of case-based learning (CBL). This single case, qualitative study utilized content and thematic analysis to analyze interviews, brainstorming activities, and reflective journals from eight participants. Participants were OT professors who utilized CBL strategies. First and second cycle coding was used to categorize data then codes were reviewed for emerging themes. Content analysis …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceptions Of Osce: A Qualitative Descriptive Analysis, Nancy E. Krusen, M. Nicole Martino

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) are commonly used across health professions educational programs to evaluate student clinical competencies. OSCE are multiple, brief stations representing common practice scenarios. The purpose of the study was to evaluate student perceptions of OSCE. The researchers implemented 17 OSCE stations with 40 second year occupational therapy students to assess clinical competencies prior to fieldwork. Applying a qualitative descriptive methodologic approach, researchers analyzed station rating data, Qualtrics survey Likert-type items, and Qualtrics survey open-ended responses. Number of station rating responses varied widely, due to perceived time press. Station rating responses confirmed the more robust 80% response …

Professional Identity Of Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Students, Harrison Gray, Kay Colthorpe, Hardy Ernst, Louise Ainscough

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Throughout the development of an individual, their identity, or how they see themselves, frequently changes. An important part of identity formation in adolescents is the development of professional identity, which is how they perceive themselves in a professional context. The establishment of a strong professional identity has been linked to life satisfaction, psychological well-being and success in one’s chosen career. The aim of this study was to identify the extent of professional identity development in second year undergraduate occupational therapy students. As part of an assessment task, students were asked to describe why they chose occupational therapy, how they saw …

Designing Interprofessional Education Curriculum To Maximize Collaborative Competency, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Allison Naber

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Interprofessional collaboration improves health outcomes through enhanced efficiency and communication among team members. Professional educational standards call for interprofessional education (IPE) to develop the collaborative competencies necessary for transition from didactic learning to clinical practice. Variability exists regarding methods of IPE implementation, so efficacy of curricula needs to be described in a manner which allows for replication and utilization of these methods with occupational therapy students. A pre/post design with convenience sampling of students from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant programs was completed to determine the effectiveness of an IPE module and to discover if differences in IPE …

Characteristics Of Occupation-Based Education Within Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Programs: Professional Leaders' Perspectives, Georgia Canty, Melanie J. Roberts, Matthew Molineux

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation, and accordingly occupation should permeate all aspects of the profession. Entry-level education is the primary means by which new members of the profession become educated about occupation and its place in occupational therapy practice. Therefore, it is essential that education reflects the core concept of the profession. To date there have been individual opinions about occupation-based education but no studies have documented the characteristics that demonstrate this approach from the perspective of professional leaders. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to explore professional leaders’ views on, and …

Survey Of Occupational Therapy Students' Attitudes, Knowledge And Preparedness For Treating Lgbt Clients, Deborah J. Bolding, Vivian Rodriguez, Helen Nguyen, Laurie A. Drabble

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) populations are sexual and gender minorities and are at risk for significant health disparities compared to heterosexual populations. This study examined occupational therapy students’ and recent graduates’ (n=435) basic knowledge, clinical preparedness and attitudinal awareness for working with LGBT clients using the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Development of Clinical Skills Scale (LGBT-DOCSS; Bidell, 2017). Students in the study generally rated themselves low (between three and four on a seven-point scale) on questions related to clinical preparedness, indicating they felt they did not have adequate training relative to working with LGBT clients. …

Learning Strategies And Academic Difficulty In Occupational And Physical Therapy Online Education, Evan M. Pucillo, Erica Kiernan, Mary P. Shotwell, Jackie Crossen-Sills

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

As occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) programs expand across the United States to address a shortage in the health workforce there is a limited understanding of the relationship between learning strategies and academic success in these professions. The purpose of this study was to explore the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) in relation to hybrid-online clinical neuroscience course outcomes in OT and PT students. Thirty-four students (n=14 OT; n=20 PT) self-administered the LASSI during the spring of 2019. The scales of Information Processing (r = -0.43; p<0.01), Self-Testing (r = -0.36; p<0.05), and Test Strategies (r = 0.32; p<0.05) displayed modest statistically significant relationships to final neuroscience grade and cumulative professional grade point average (r = -0.43; p<0.01), (r = -0.30; p<0.05), (r = 0.29; p<0.05), respectively. Some scales of the LASSI appeared to be modestly related to academic difficulty in this sample, however scales were not significantly related to academic achievement. Students who scored highly on the LASSI scale of Test Strategies tended to have higher course performance compared to their peers. Students who rely on certain learning strategies may be at risk for academic difficulty in hybrid-online coursework. Those who scored highly on the LASSI scales of Information Processing and Self-testing tended to have lower course performance compared to their peers. The LASSI may provide OT and PT students a better understanding of learning and study strategies that are related to academic difficulty in online learning.