Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Occupational Therapy Students’ Time-Use After Transitioning To In-Person Learning, Jhannell Hannah Ocampo, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic had an emotional and physical impact on occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. Students lost access to campus services, social circles, and “safe zones," which may have consequently become traumatic stressors (U.S. Department of Education, 2021; Bridgland et al., 2021). As students transition back to campus, they struggle to navigate and adapt to in-person occupations and how they use their time. Occupational therapists understand the need for meaningful occupations and the symbiotic relationship between their well-being and health (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). OTs have an emerging role in the post-secondary education setting, which …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Transition Planning For Students With Learning Differences And The Significance Of The Kawa Model, Rita Marzeena, Jazminne Orozco-Arteaga, Holly Reed

Fall 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project seeks to define the role of occupational therapy in supporting a high school to college and career transition program by providing occupation-based interventions for the unique needs of students in the classroom. Using the KAWA Model, the students begin on a journey of self-discovery to identify the individual supports, strengths and barriers that help them to understand the factors that influence their life. In this process, the KAWA Model attempts to merge the holistic approach that is common in the western themes of occupational therapy with the expectations and trajectory that is common of a secondary student …

How Does Exposure To Pelvic Health Content In Entry Level Physical Therapy Curricula Impact Students’ Comfort Level Discussing Sexual Health With Future Patients?, Elizabeth Levay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to pelvic health content in physical therapy school curricula and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students’ comfort levels discussing sexual health issues with future patients. As holistic, autonomous health care providers, physical therapists must be confident in addressing all aspects of health with patients, including sexual health. Lack of attention to patients’ sexual issues may result in aspects of health going unaddressed, leading to poor patient care. The research hypothesis was that increased exposure to pelvic health topics within entry level physical therapy education will improve students’ …

Effectiveness Of Simulation-Based Learning Compared To Integrated Clinical Experience In Development Of Dpt Students’ Clinical Decision-Making Skills, Derrick F. Campbell Pt, Dpt, Sc.D, Kristy Demers, Masoor Alameri, Fabian Bizama

Education Collection

Background: Simulation-based learning has a significant footprint on entry-level physical therapy programs. Students’ clinical decision-making (CDM) skills development through simulation-based learning (SBL) format when compared to the Integrated Clinical Experience (ICE) remains unknown. Self-efficacy of Clinical and CDM skills tool measures clinical skills, clinical decision-making, and total self-efficacy of clinical and CDM skills.2 A need to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based learning compared to ICE in development of CDM skills

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of simulation-based learning and the Integrated Clinical Experience (ICE) in the development of DPT student clinical decision-making skills as …

The Clinical Reasoning Assessment Tool For Learning From Standardized Patient Experiences: A Pilot Study, Mary A. Riopel, Sara Benham, Jennifer Landis, Stephanie Falcone, Sarah Harvey

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Clinical reasoning (CR) is the ability to integrate the knowledge of diagnoses with the use of supporting theories to create effective, client-centered interventions. One means of teaching CR to rehabilitation students is using standardized patient (SP) experiences. The relationship between faculty and student CR ratings after SP experiences has not been researched. The purpose of the study was to determine if there would be correlations between physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) student and faculty ratings of CR skills after an SP experience. Method: The Clinical Reasoning Assessment Tool (CRAT) was used by students to self-reflect on their …

Peer Mentoring In An Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Program: Student Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren E. Stone Kelly

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on education. During this time, educators were tasked to develop creative and new ways to engage and teach students. Mentoring has been shown to positively impact academic and psychosocial outcomes and can enhance clinical skills in both in-person and e-learning environments. However, there is need for further research on peer mentoring programs in occupational therapy curriculum.

Method: This retrospective qualitative study investigates the effects of peer mentoring on student perceptions of learning and professional development. Experiences were tracked for three semesters during the pandemic at an accredited entry-level occupational therapy …

Occupational Therapy Newsletter, Summer 2022, Occupational Therapy Department

News, Magazines and Reports

Highlights: Letter from Department Chair and Program Director Dr. Sharon McCloskey -- 20th year program celebration slideshow -- Alumna Anastasiya Akay advocates for orphans in Ukraine -- Faculty focus on Amanda Wheeler (PhD, OTR/L) -- Dr. Sheelagh Schlegel (DrHSc, MPH, OTR/L, CHES, CAPS) facilitates patient simulations -- Dr. Lola Halperin (Ed.D., OTR/L) presents at the ConnOTA and AOTA conferences and participates in the Dean's Speaker Series -- Dr. Sharon McCloskey (Ed.D., MBA, OT/L, DipCOT, CTP) presents "Understanding the Impact of Trauma and ACE's on Learning and Participation in Schools" -- Pilot social simulation training program for occupational therapy students -- …

Quality Delivered: How A Pandemic Fostered Innovation And Creative Solutions In Clinical Education, Alice M. Davis, Laura Laporta, Nancy F. Mulligan, Stacy Carmel, Shelene Thomas, Denise O'Dell

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Clinical education placements for students enrolled in healthcare programs were abruptly upended in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Programs were faced with decisions of how to mitigate substantive challenges due to an unforeseen pandemic within timeframes that would align with curricular sequences and graduation dates. Schools quickly modified curriculum formats, implemented alternative teaching and learning instruction and developed safety protocols to protect students, clinical faculty, and patients. Purpose: The aim of this study explored the strategies employed by one physical therapy school’s clinical education team, which resulted in successful completion of clinical course requirements and on-time graduation. Method: Data …

Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students’ Clinical Reasoning Readiness And Confidence Treating With Telehealth: A United States Survey, Derrick F. Campbell, Jean-Michel Brismée, Brad Allen, Troy L. Hooper, Manuel A. Domenech, Kathleen Manella

Education Collection

Purpose: Telehealth has an emerging footprint on entry-level physical therapy programs. Students’ readiness for clinical reasoning with virtual versus traditional face-to-face treatment remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students’ preparedness for clinical experiences with and without telehealth.

Methods: A descriptive and exploratory cross-sectional survey was employed, with a voluntary convenience sample of 211 second- and third-year university DPT students during Fall 2020 clinical experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistics evaluated differences in DPT students’ (1) Physical Therapist Self-Efficacy (PTSE) scale scores, (2) confidence with treating initial and subsequent same-patient visits, …

The Use Of Interprofessional Education (Ipe) To Address Collaboration For Individualized Education Plans (Ieps): A Retrospective Study Of Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, And Special Education Students’ Perceptions, Kristina Curro, Lisa Shooman, Sue Foo

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The purpose of this project is to measure the effects of interprofessional education (IPE) on the perceptions of preservice professionals’ development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The preservice professionals (PSPs) participants included master’s students from speech language pathology (SLP), occupational therapy (OT) and special education (SPED) programs (N = 78). The primary project goals were to examine the perceptions of the participants’ roles and knowledge on a multidisciplinary education team, their perceptions of the collaborative process, and their familiarity with the IEP development process. A mixed-methods, retrospective, cross-sectional investigation was used to obtain quantitative and qualitative outcomes. A …

A Qualitative Study On Nurse Facilitators Of Mind-Body Skills Groups, Paula D. Blake-Beckford

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), founded by Dr. James Gordon, provides communities with evidence-based Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) that foster self-care, self-awareness, and self-expression. MBSGs range from 8 to 12-week series on various mind-body practices wherein group members meet, practice, and reflect on the impact of mind-body skills in their lives. Research has demonstrated that participants in MBSGs have positive outcomes. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), especially nurses, gain resiliency from MBSGs. As facilitators of MBSGs, nurses develop essential skills transferable to clinical and educational settings. MBSGs are therapeutic for adult participants with chronic stress. Prior to this thesis, only one …

Supporting Students After Concussion: What College Faculty Need To Know, Susan C. Davies

Thomas C. Hunt Building a Research Community Day

Returning to university life following concussion can be challenging for students. Our Brain Health Collaboratory, in conjunction with the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training, developed set of online resources to inform college faculty members about brain injuries. The module includes information about concussion effects, academic and environmental accommodations, and the role of college faculty in providing support. This session will share our research that led to development of the module, as well as our plan to evaluate its efficacy.

Integration Of Geriatric Content In Entry-Level Physical Therapy Education In The Philippines: A Pilot Study, Charlemaine Deane A. Perez

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

Introduction: Physical therapy (PT) practice is expected to dynamically respond to the growing needs of older adults. Currently, there is paucity in meeting the demands of the aging Filipino population that may be linked to the status of undergraduate PT education. To date, there are no known systematically analyzed data that explores the breadth of geriatric content in the local BSPT programs. This study aimed to describe the integration of geriatric-related content in the pre-clinical and clinical entry-level PT curricula.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional research design using survey instrumentation was conducted among heads and PT educators in higher educational …

Sexuality Based Content In An Entry- Level Occupational Therapy Curriculum: A Content Analysis, Victoria E. Ontiberos, Steven M. Gerardi, Elizabeth Deluca

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Sexuality is multifaceted and is developed across the lifespan. Researchers report little advancement, consistency, and knowledge regarding incorporation of sexuality into occupational therapy (OT) curricula, which supports the need for research. The purpose of this capstone project was two-fold: a) to conduct a content analysis of an entry-level OT curriculum to identify content gaps regarding addressing sexuality in practice; and b) to develop sexuality-based educational materials as a resource for the faculty for potential inclusion in future courses. The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) is an evidenced-based model that was used in this project, in conjunction with notional sexuality educational …

Comparative Kinematic Gait Analysis In Adults With Multiple Disabilities, Lauren Rumbalski

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The purpose of this research is to identify abnormal gait parameters or patterns amongst young adults with multiple disabilities enrolled in a work transition program sponsored by a public-school system. Gait disorders are commonly seen in individuals with neurologic disorders, with significant research in children with autism. Gait disorders have been linked with fall and injury risk, with significant research in elderly populations. Gait analysis technology can be used to identify gait characteristics in populations that are abnormal or contribute to gait disorders. In an observational design, students from the transitional program promoted by Westerville City Schools, housed on Otterbein …

Clinical Reasoning Readiness And Confidence Of Dpt Students With Pt Interventions Using Telehealth, Derrick F. Campbell, Jean-Michel Brismee, Brad Allen, Troy L. Hooper, Tony A. Domenech, Kathleen Manella

Physical Therapy Collection

Telehealth service-delivery content has an emerging footprint on entry-level physical therapy programs. This study evaluated clinical reasoning readiness and confidence in third-year DPT students during clinical experiences with and without telehealth.

Students’ clinical reasoning readiness and confidence were determined using the Physical Therapist Self-Efficacy (PTSE) score, self-confidence rating treating patients, and final APTA Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) clinical reasoning and summative ratings.

DPT students providing PT interventions using telehealth reported lower clinical reasoning self-efficacy (PTSE) when compared to traditional service-delivery. Confidence treating using telehealth was greater at the initial visit compared to subsequent visits, suggesting a lack of student readiness …

Admission Variables Predict Success In A Hybrid-Online Physical Therapist Education Program, Evan M. Pucillo, Rossniel Marinas, Christine Salmon, Vibhor Agrawal

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Screening student applicants can be a valuable measure for hybrid-online Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.Institutions embrace a wide variety of measurements that drive admissions decisions. However, uncertainties exist regarding the most accurate admission predictors of academic outcomes, especially among hybrid-online DPT programs. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive relationships between applicants’ admission variables and program grade point average and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) performance in a cohort of entry-level hybrid-online DPT students. Methods: A retrospective cohort design and convenience sampling method was used across two entry-level hybrid-online DPT programs in the Southeastern US. Hybrid-online …

Admission Variables Predict Success In A Hybrid-Online Physical Therapist Education Program, Evan M. Pucillo, Rossniel Marinas, Christine Salmon, Vibhor Agrawal

Physical Therapy Collection

Purpose: Screening student applicants can be a valuable measure for hybrid-online Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.Institutions embrace a wide variety of measurements that drive admissions decisions. However, uncertainties exist regarding the most accurate admission predictors of academic outcomes, especially among hybrid-online DPT programs. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive relationships between applicants’ admission variables and program grade point average and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) performance in a cohort of entry-level hybrid-online DPT students. Methods: A retrospective cohort design and convenience sampling method was used across two entry-level hybrid-online DPT programs in the Southeastern US. Hybrid-online …

“I Had To Adapt To Continue Being A Student To The Best Of My Ability”: Identifying Occupational Therapy Students’ Processes Of Adapting To Academic Disruption, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Linda M. Olson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In the wake of COVID-19, practitioners, educators, and students had to shift to virtual interactions while experiencing significant unknowns and valid fears. This project describes the lived experiences of 37 occupational therapy students who lived through this international pandemic examining their reflections of how occupational therapy theories and models of practice could inform approaches to adapt to the changing context of their lives. Narratives of students collected as part of routine educational assessments in an introduction to occupational therapy theory course were examined using methods of content analysis to understand the perspectives of students’ needs, supports, and mechanisms of adaption …

An Exploration Of The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone: Perspectives From Capstone Coordinators, Graduates, And Site Mentors, Anne F. Kiraly-Alvarez, Autumn Clegg, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Danielle Friberg

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Few studies have investigated entry-level doctoral capstone outcomes regarding how the experience and project relate to employment opportunities. This descriptive study reports various stakeholders’ perspectives regarding the entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) capstone in relation to employment opportunities and awareness of the profession. Authors disseminated a nationwide survey to doctoral capstone coordinators, entry-level OTD graduates, and capstone site mentors. Ten doctoral capstone coordinators, 68 OTD graduates, and 22 capstone site mentors responded to the survey. Collectively, doctoral capstone coordinators reported that 117 OTD graduates obtained employment in a setting related to the focus of their doctoral capstone and gave examples …

Service-Learning And Case-Based Learning’S Impact On Student’S Clinical Reasoning: A Repeated Measures Design Study, Gordon B. Tsubira, Traci Garrison, Sapna Chakraborty, Shana Cerny

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Clinical reasoning is crucial for the occupational therapy profession to thrive in an ever-changing healthcare environment but is seldom isolated for explicit instruction and outcome measurement in educational course curricula. A single-factor repeated measures design study was conducted to compare the impact of didactic case-based learning and experiential service-learning on the development of the clinical reasoning of students at a midwestern public university’s entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy program. The participants were sixteen graduate occupational therapy students who had completed their foundation-level courses. Participants explored modes of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy for eight weeks (the first half of the …

Community-Based Ot Program Planning: A Virtual Level Ii Fieldwork Program Developed In Response To The Global Pandemic, Tara Collins, Virginia E. Koenig, Stephanie J. Wong, Michelle Buccinna, Rena B. Purohit, Shifra K. Leiser, Debra Cullinane

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this article is to explain how an occupational therapy (OT) program in a university setting developed a virtual Level II community-based fieldwork program in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This virtual fieldwork program, guided by the PRECEDE-PROCEED Planning Model (PPM), was designed to help keep students on track with their academic goals while providing them with experiential learning that would increase their confidence in OT program planning and promote their professional development. Outcome measures for this study consisted of a pre-and post-fieldwork survey that asked participants to rank their self-perceived confidence in five distinct areas of …

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 …

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 …

Core Competency-Related Professional Behaviors During Patient Encounters: A Report From The Association For Athletic Training Education Research Network, Cailee E. Welch Bacon, Julie M. Cavallario, Stacy E. Walker, Curtis Bay, Bonnie L. Van Lunen

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: To enhance the quality of patient care, it is important that athletic trainers integrate the components of the core competencies (CCs; evidence-based practice [EBP], patient-centered care [PCC], health information technology [HIT], interprofessional education and collaborative practice [IPECP], quality improvement [QI], professionalism) as a part of routine clinical practice. In what ways, if any, athletic training students (ATSs) are currently integrating CCs into patient encounters (PEs) during clinical experiences is unclear.

Objective: To describe which professional behaviors associated with the CCs were implemented by ATSs during PEs that occurred during clinical experiences.

Design: Multisite panel design.

Setting: A total of …

Impact Of Motivations For Volunteering On Well-Being Among Health Sciences Students, Allison J. Naber, Rebecca Benson, Katie Ericsson, Macey Genzlinger

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Motivations for volunteering as a meaningful occupation can influence well-being. This study explored the relationship between motivations for volunteering and perceived well-being among students enrolled in one of ten departments in a School of Health Sciences. A cross-sectional survey incorporating the RAND 36-Item Short Form Survey and Volunteer Function Inventory was employed. Most of the 95 participants were students enrolled in the health science undergraduate and occupational therapy graduate programs. Approximately 75% had volunteered in the past year. RAND SF-36 findings indicated good perceived well-being among many categories. Primary motivations for volunteering included values (Mdn = 30) and understanding …

“We Weren’T Taught How To Recover From A Pandemic:” Recent Occupational Therapy Graduates’ Reflections On Covid-19, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Carli Friedman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In the spring of 2020, graduates from occupational therapy (OT) programs across the globe were entering a world of clinical unknowns. The students from this graduating cohort likely had little to no education or training on how to deliver OT in the wake of COVID-19. How well prepared did these new graduates perceive themselves to be to enter a healthcare climate in a pandemic and what were their biggest concerns? The objective of this study was to understand new graduates’ perspectives of the impact of COVID-19 on their future as occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs), and their sense of preparedness to …

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. …

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, …