Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

The Pet Principle: An Innovative Teaching Strategy To Provide Real-Time Critical Thinking Skills And Improve Self-Efficacy, Adam M. Story, Melinda Delbridge, Brandi Fulwider, Sue Dahl-Popolizio

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The person, environment, and therapist (PET) Principle is an innovative teaching strategy designed to improve recall of foundational information, facilitate critical thinking, and improve self-efficacy of student and novice therapists. Specifically, the PET Principle is a microlearning strategy that helps students and novice therapists break down segments of a treatment session using an acronym to promote a "just-in-time” thinking process. Therefore, they learn to consider all aspects of the person, environment, and therapist before, during, and after therapy sessions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the PET Principle and self-efficacy after learning the PET Principle, an 11-item survey containing nine forced-choice …

The Capstone Fair For Promoting Initial Generation Of Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Ideas, Laurie D. Stelter, Sandra M. Whisner, Cynthia Tiongco, Laura Alexander

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) programs across the United States navigate the challenge of designing doctoral capstone (DC) processes to provide students with adequate scaffolding to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate their capstone projects. The DC process starts with the daunting tasks of student generation of capstone interests and connecting with mentors for collaborative guidance. The purpose of this program evaluation project was to assess a comprehensive process, known as the Capstone Fair, for effectively and efficiently facilitating students’ initial generation of capstone ideas and the match between student and Faculty Capstone Mentor. A fixed convergent, parallel mixed methods design …

A Survey Of Occupational Therapy Program Leaders: Perceptions Of The Essential Elements For Early Career Faculty, Kathleen Cummer, Angela Maccabe, Kurt Hubbard, Tracy Jirikowic

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The rapid growth of academic occupational therapy programs in the United States, combined with an increase in senior faculty retirement, requires a new, growing, robust and well-prepared faculty workforce. In addition to the growth of programs, faculty shortages necessitate proactive strategies for preparing transitioning clinicians for successful academic careers. Faculty development training should be a part of preparation to ensure success of early career faculty. However, it is unknown what the perceptions of occupational therapy leaders are towards faculty development training, what components should be included in training, and the importance of these components. Through this survey research, key findings …

Survey Of Pain Curriculum Among Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Programs In The United States, John V. Rider, Vicki Khau, Kristin A. Valdes

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy practitioners address pain management across settings, populations, and the lifespan. Occupational therapy practitioners offer unique contributions to pain management through biopsychosocial approaches, targeting supported self-management and occupational engagement. Comprehensive pain education is necessary to prepare entry-level occupational therapy practitioners to address pain in practice, yet no standards exist in entry-level occupational therapy education. This survey describes the status of pain-related education in entry-level occupational therapy programs across the United States. A total of 41 entry-level occupational therapy programs completed the survey. Total instructional time for pain content was reported to be an average of 9.68 hours, ranging from …

The Influence Of Music On The Performance Of Graduate Occupational Therapy Students During Practical Examinations, Chris Mulligan, Marybeth Hoefs, Bonnie Fischer-Camara, Donald F. Graves

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Test anxiety is alarmingly rising and has been shown to correlate with academic performance and affect occupations and well-being. Graduate occupational therapy (OT) students encounter a rigorous workload and pressure to become entry-level practitioners. Higher levels of baseline graduate student anxiety is correlated with increased test anxiety. Practical examinations are essential for assessing graduate OT students' higher learning and entry-level clinical skills. Educators are often challenged with identifying coping strategies to assist graduate OT students in reducing their test anxiety. Substantial research supports the use of music to reduce anxiety in adults. Seventy-five OT graduate students participated in this quasi-experimental …

Enhancing Health Professions Students’ Attitudes And Self-Efficacy To Care For Unhoused Populations, Jacob T. Greenfield, Brad Phillips, Kathryn L. Hoffman, Gina M. Baugh

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Health professions students, including occupational therapy students, often have limited exposure to unhoused populations, which may alter their attitudes and self-efficacy to participate in their care. In turn, this could reduce access and quality of care for these marginalized groups. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a phased multimodal learning approach on interprofessional health sciences students’ attitudes and self-efficacy in providing care to unhoused individuals. A pre-posttest single group design was used to evaluate a didactic presentation, poverty simulation, and street-based experiential learning experience. Findings revealed significant differences in students’ (N=257) attitudes and self-efficacy in …

Occupational Balance And Temporal Satisfaction With Life Among Occupational Therapy Students Amid Transitioning To In-Campus Classes In The Philippines, Paolo Miguel P. Bulan, Nikki Y. Pestaño, John Ray O. Suerte

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

As students transitioned back to on-campus classes, challenges affecting occupational balance (OB) and temporal satisfaction with life (TSWL) influenced their overall health and well-being. This study aimed to assess OB and TSWL among 171 occupational therapy (OT) students in the Philippines and examine the correlation between them. Participants completed the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ11) and the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale (TSWLS). The mean OBQ11 score was 16.71 ± 6.87, with a median score of 17. Based on this median score, nearly half of students 43.90% (n = 75) were classified as having low OB. The TSWLS scores indicated that …

A Conservative Treatment Protocol For Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis, Adam Waggener

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This capstone project sought to construct a written conservative treatment protocol for thumb CMC OA, emphasizing evidence-based practices. As a hopeful hand therapist, clinical observations led me to realize thumb CMC OA was a common condition present in many cases. A written protocol would be beneficial to both client and practitioner to increase knowledge and awareness of best practice while educating clients as they seek treatment. Initial development of the protocol included communication with current hand therapists to better understand needs of both client and practitioner. Following this, a thorough analysis of current literature was completed for best evidence based …

Aging At Home, Breanna Putnam

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This capstone project, "Aging at Home," explores the role of occupational therapy (OT) in facilitating aging-in-place. Motivated by the challenges a 95-year-old family member faces, the project aimed to equip aging adults with OT resources to support their desire to remain in their homes. The project was conducted primarily at the Lexington Senior Center and involved two key phases: Leadership through Inquisition and Program Development and Education. The first phase included meetings, workshops, and experiences with senior living organizations to understand the needs and concerns of aging adults. The second phase focused on developing and delivering the "Aging at Home" …

Prenatal And Postnatal Experience Focusing On Women’S Mental And Physical Health, Ebony Sivils

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

Women’s mental and physical health concerns prenatally and postnatally is a common concern within the United States. According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), postpartum depression commonly occurs six weeks after childbirth, affecting 6.5 percent to 20 percent of women (2022). Pregnancy related physical concerns are also a common concern with prenatal/postnatal mothers with difficulties such as back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, hip/knee pain, cesarean section (c-section) issues, and several other concerns. Physical concerns have been shown to affect mothers ability to walk, work, sleep, and participate within everyday routine potentially leading to depression (O’Connor, et.al, 2013). It is …

Prenatal And Postnatal Experience Focusing On Women’S Mental And Physical Health, Karen Stamper

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This capstone experience was about creating an activity enrichment program for the hospital's swing bed program. This program can easily be transferred to other areas as need be but for this experience it was directed towards an inpatient rehab swing bed program. For the creation of the program data collection was used, a total of three assessments were utilized, the SLUMS a cognitive assessment, the geriatric depression scale to measure depression levels, and an activity interest checklist was used to gather information on meaningful activities that those participating enjoyed. Once data collection was finished, a continued literature search was conducted …

Workplace Analysis And Body Mechanics Education Program For Radiologic Technologists In Acute Care, Katelyn Richards

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

My capstone project focused on Workplace Analysis and Body Mechanics Education for Radiologic Technologists in Acute Care. I collaborated with the radiology department at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital to determine current body mechanic practice and education to identify any needs for improvement to address reported injuries within the radiology department. I began my project by completing observations of current x-ray procedures and determining where there was a need for adjustments. This information allowed me to efficiently develop an educational training module and multiple reference guides for safe patient handling and proper body mechanics that can be used to …

Literacy And Language Barriers In Healthcare, Kaylee Cloud

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

My name is Kaylee Cloud and I am an entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral student at EKU. I completed my Capstone project with a focus on health literacy and language barriers in healthcare. I completed my project at CHI St. Joseph Hospital in Berea, KY. This hospital is a Critical Access Hospital, meaning it is located in a rural area where patients have difficulty accessing healthcare. I began my project by assessing organizational health literacy and personal health literacy of patients, providers, and resources at the hospital to determine the needs of the hospital. I then worked to create resources and …

Enhancing Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Referral Through Accessible Education For Clinicians And Patients, Madelyn Murphy

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

Pelvic floor dysfunction has been identified as a significant public health issue and is estimated to affect around 50% of women. Still, less than 25% seek medical help and only 12% receive subspecialty care (Yohay et al., 2022). Studies show a lack of knowledge among women and their providers and that education programs are necessary to fill this gap (Yohay et al., 2022). After surveying both doctors and patients at Med Center Health, this project aimed to fill this educational gap by developing an educational video program. This program targeted both doctors and patients, aiming to increase awareness about pelvic …

Program Development Of Pediatric Therapy Clinic For Rural Hospital, Mauri Rhodes

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This capstone project focuses on addressing the critical need for pediatric occupational therapy services in rural western Kentucky. The purpose of this project and experience was to assist in program development of a comprehensive resource for Livingston Hospital to guide the establishment of a pediatric therapy gym including clinic design, equipment suggestions, and various marketing and survey components. The main goals that were completed throughout this experience included: design/develop an outpatient pediatric therapy gym, examine current outpatient pediatric clinics’ practices and procedures, inspect current pediatric therapy clients’ parents and current hospital workers feelings/thoughts/ideas on rural outpatient pediatric therapy, and design …

Implementing Nature-Based Occupational Therapy In School-Based Settings, Megan Evans

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

In school-based settings, Occupational Therapists work with students on various areas related to a student's Individualized Learning Plan (IEP). As technology use increases in academic settings for young students and time spent outdoors decreases, the exploration of a potential solution to this relationship was discovered. Nature-Based Occupational Therapy is an emerging practice area focused on incorporating outdoor play and materials from the outdoors into treatment sessions while still addressing areas of concern to increase a child’s independence in daily occupations.

This capstone project focused on four objectives:

1. Design a nature-based activity guide for students in the school system setting that …

Effects Of Providing A Moho-Informed Education Session For College Peer-Mentor Self-Efficacy, Sarah Roberts

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

As an occupational therapy student, I recognized the support our profession can offer to assist with various student and faculty needs across campus, specifically peer mentor programs. A thorough literature review illustrated limited representation for peer mentor roles, expectations, and potential impact on retention. Along with these findings, it was revealed that academic outcomes improve with involvement in evidence-based interventions as well as support for the Model of Human Occupations (MoHO) to understand and support human well-being.With this in mind, this study sought to develop and implement an evidence-based education session to identify and improve resources for peer mentors and …

Grow As We Go: Education, Efficacy, And Empowerment For Life Skills Trainers, Shelby Mitchell

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

In this ALE experience, I sought to bridge the existing gaps in research pertaining to most effective approaches and methodologies for rehabilitation in an adult day treatment setting, specifically in those with a traumatic brain injury. Fragmented and variable care compounded by poor communication are barriers to rehabilitation. However, it was also noted that traumatic brain injury survivors' long-term recovery was positively impacted by joining a peer network such as NeuroRestorative. Following this analysis, a needs assessment was conducted on-site at NeuroRestorative in Lexington, KY to enable more smooth daily programming and cohesive planning with life skills trainers. Goals included …

Accessible Shores: Promoting Beach Accessibility In Florida, Sara Swartz

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This research experience sought to improve beach accessibility for members of the community facing barriers to occupational participation. Beach accessibility is essential for creating meaningful experiences and improving well-being through exposure to blue spaces. Despite its benefits, numerous environmental and systemic barriers hinder individuals with disabilities from safely accessing spaces. To further research this issue and challenges to participation, survey responses from community members of Jacksonville, Florida were gathered and analyzed for common themes. Conversations with professionals in the area allowed for greater insight on available resources and assistive device technology that could improve beach accessibility. To showcase this information …

Enhancing Learning Experiences Of Neurodiversity And Implementing Sensory Strategies For Children In A Daycare Setting, Taylor Blackwell

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

The purpose and focus of this capstone project were to identify what tools and strategies were being utilized within Creative Beginnings Child Development Daycare Center that provided support for children with disabilities specifically Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. After completion of observations and evidence-based research the goal of the project was to create, educate and implement sensory tools and strategies into the daycare classrooms to improve inclusivity and increase support and participation throughout the day for the children and staff. Sensory tools and strategies were implemented within several daycare classrooms that provided support for atypical children by resulting …

When Virtual Reality Meets Occupational Therapy, Danielle Miracle

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

Virtual reality (VR) has found to be beneficial to occupational therapy clients in the way it creates a safe and enjoyable way to address daily occupations and its ability to increase upper extremity function. The purpose of this ALE was to incorporate VR into interventions for outpatient brain injury patients. Goals for this intervention included successfully implementing VR into intervention plans, creating a handbook for VR use in the use, and adapting equipment to be more accessible. After reaching these goals, implications for practice suggest that VR, along with other technologies can be beneficial for occupational therapists with the proper …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Work And Industry: Manufacturing, Madeline Spears

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This capstone project focuses on the role of occupational therapy in a work and industry setting. I completed this capstone in collaboration with the manufacturing engineering program at EKU and leaders from Toyota Powertrain with the overarching goal being to increase accessibility and advocate for expansion of the manufacturing workforce to include workers with disabilities. Toyota provided assembly parts for their cam housing process with the objective to adapt the process to be accessible for wheelchair users. I completed a thorough task analysis followed by collaboration with engineering professionals to design and build a new manufacturing workstation that is wheelchair …

Sensory Training For School Based Professionals, Anna Rose

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

The purpose of this ALE presentation was to develop a sensory-based training for school system professionals in Floyd County Schools regarding the purpose of sensory-based interventions and sensory-based equipment to improve student outcomes and academic performance. Professionals were educated regarding the appropriate use of sensory equipment within their school’s sensory room and sensory supports to utilize within the classroom. All professionals were trained to ensure optimal outcomes for students utilizing the new and finalized sensory rooms in Floyd County. After the finalization of 8 sensory rooms, and over 10 sensory-based trainings, Floyd County professionals were assessed utilizing equipment with students, …

When Worlds Collide: The Intersection Of Horses & Rehabilitation, Rachel Carden

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

One niche practice area in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech Language Pathology practice is hippotherapy. This practice area involves equine movement as part of the therapeutic process. My capstone experience was completed at Transitions Physical Therapy, with Lisa Harris as my mentor. I completed 14 weeks of hands-on, patient directed learning with direct, supervised patient handling, equine handling, and observing how the therapeutic process can involve equine movement to benefit patient goals. In this experience, I created a 46-page resource guide to include five parent handouts, describing the nature of hippotherapy and OT/PT. This resource guide also included twelve …

Occupational Therapy Education: Teaching, Scholarship, And Service, Tyler Bush

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

The past 14 weeks of this Capstone experience, I have had the pleasure of learning what it is like working in academia in a University setting. During this time, I quickly learned that teaching is just one piece of academia, where service and research are also included in three different components that make up academia. While teaching was the main area of focus I wanted to gain experience in, I was also able to learn more about research and service. At the end of my Capstone experience, I led a service community project by developing an educational learning module to …

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Student Perceptions Of Occupational Balance In Graduate School: A Qualitative Study, Stephanie Bachman, Penelope Cleveland, Lucinda Dale, Laura Santurri

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The objective of this study was to explore occupational therapy (OT) students’ occupational balance and to examine how OT students' experiences in a graduate program promoted or inhibited occupational balance. Grounded theory methodology was used to develop a theory of the occupational balance of entry-level OT students. Twenty-six students were recruited using convenience and maximum variation sampling. Data analysis through constant comparison of transcripts, field notes, and memos consisted of open, axial, process, and selective coding. A storyline narrative with diagrams displayed relationships among concepts and supporting evidence for inductively derived theoretical propositional statements. Students in OT programs progressed through …

Current Education Offerings On Occupational Therapy: Addressing Feeding, Eating, And Swallowing Across The Lifespan, Thilini Abeywickrema, Kate G. Barlow, Janelle Hatlevig, Cuyler Romeo, Tatiana Barcelos Pontes

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapists play a vital role in the care of individuals with feeding, eating, and swallowing (FES) disorders across the lifespan. Although there are certain standards created by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy (ACOTE) for understanding of assessment and management practices specific to FES, there are inconsistencies in how occupational therapy programs in the United States address FES disorders within their curriculum. This cross-sectional exploratory survey study received responses from 54 Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) programs and 63 entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) programs. Survey questions included quantitative and qualitative information on general information regarding FES content taught …

Evaluating Change In Skill Performance Over Time And Practice Context In Introductory Fieldwork Simulation, Kaitlin R. Sibbald, Diane E. Mackenzie

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Simulation has been recognized for its ability to develop competency-level skills and as a replacement for some introductory fieldwork (FW) hours. This study explored how occupational therapy competency-related skills developed over sequential in-person simulations across health practice contexts during Level 1 FW. Entry-to-practice occupational therapy students (N = 66) participated in six sequential, formative, Level 1 FW simulations. The first three sequential simulations (the same patient case evolves in each successive interaction) included a trained simulated patient in a community mental health context and the following three engaged a trained simulated inpatient in a physical health context. Evaluation rubric variables …

Occupational Therapy Educators’ Self-Efficacy To Teach In A Blended Curriculum, Inti A. Marazita, Amy Adcock, Mary Shotwell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Educational trends have influenced occupational therapy education as evidenced by the adoption of new teaching methods such as blended learning. Blended learning is a combination of both synchronous and asynchronous learning that occurs online as well as portions of the learning occurring in a brick-and-mortar. As more occupational therapy programs design their curriculum to include blended learning, it is essential to understand occupational therapy educators' self-efficacy related to their skills and capabilities to teach in such an innovative format. Little is known regarding occupational therapy educators' self-efficacy to teach in a blended curriculum. This qualitative study aimed to examine the …

Occupational Therapy Student Characteristics Influencing Level Ii Fieldwork: An Exploratory Study Of Mental Health, Confidence, And Mindful Self-Care, Jessie L. Bricker, Kaitlin Hill, Steven D. Taff

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Level II fieldwork serves as a critical component of occupational therapy (OT) student education during which students develop and refine skills to become practicing clinicians; however, research on student characteristics that influence the fieldwork experience is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore student mental health, confidence, and mindful self-care practices throughout Level II fieldwork. Ten OT students completing Level II fieldwork participated in this study by completing surveys during the first week, midpoint, and final two weeks of their second Level II fieldwork experience. Each survey contained Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Student Confidence Questionnaire, and …