Occupational Therapy Commons^™

The Philadelphia School Of Occupational Therapy: A Centennial Lesson, Christine O. Peters, Peggy M. Martin, Wanda J. Mahoney

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy (P.S.O.T.) was one of five founding occupational therapy academic programs in the United States. The program was led by two powerful occupational therapists, Helen S. Willard and Clare S. Spackman, for nearly a half century. After 60 years, P.S.O.T. was closed. This article provides a historical overview of the progression of occupational therapy education in the United States over the last century, using the story of P.S.O.T as a case study. The historical legacy and lesson from P.S.O.T. is that excellence in today’s academy may not mean security. Historically relevant today, the interaction between …

An Innovative Behavioral Interview For Pre-Admission Selection Of Occupational Therapy Students, Kitsum Li, Julia Wilbarger, Shad St. Louis

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The goal for pre-admission interview is to identify students who will be successful both academically and professionally. The traditional structured pre-admission interview has not been shown to be effective in predicting students’ success in academic and fieldwork performance. This article describes an innovative behavioral interview process during which applicants interviewed simulated clients as part of the pre-admission selection process. The goals of the pre-admission behavioral interview were to observe applicants’ behavior as team players, and to assess their interpersonal communication skills, capability to be reflective, and professionalism. During the behavioral interview, faculty interviewers assessed the applicants’ performance in the planning …

Student Perceptions Of Non-Traditional Level I Fieldwork, Sarah Nielsen, Janet S. Jedlicka, Debra Hanson, Lavonne Fox, Cherie Graves

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Academic programs commonly face challenges in developing Level I fieldwork where students have ample opportunity to practice and understand occupation. In response to this challenge, our academic program developed a non-traditional Level I fieldwork. The purpose of this study was to understand the student perceptions of this learning experience. Focus group methodology was employed. Fifty-nine students participated in one of six focus groups. Six themes were identified through the data analysis process. These included challenges and rewards of effective communication, learning to think like an OT, a greater understanding and focus on occupations, developing skills in cultural understanding and advocacy, …

Underperforming Students: Factors And Decision-Making In Occupational Therapy Programs, Beth Cardell, Jeanette Koski, Jessica Wahl, Wendi Rock, Anne Kirby

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to better understand factors related to occupational therapy (OT) educators’ decisions to fail underperforming students and to clarify why educators sometimes fail to fail or pass students despite sub-standard performance. Assessing student competence is an essential part of ensuring the safety of those receiving occupational therapy services and ensuring the integrity of the OT profession. Educators in academic and fieldwork settings are responsible for confirming that students who graduate from their programs are able to demonstrate skills required for entry into the profession. A total of 323 OT academic and fieldwork educators responded to …

The Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Competency Assessment (Pot-Ca): Development And Implementation In A Level I Fieldwork Course, Jenna C. Yeager, Derek Piggott

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

A competency assessment was developed to assess students' skills at the culmination of courses relating to mental health, including a Psychosocial Level I Fieldwork course. The intention of the assessment, titled the Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Competency Assessment (POT-CA), was to engage students in a practical skill demonstration and use of clinical reasoning in relation to brief case studies. Key skills assessed included: administration of the ACLS-5, establishing and maintaining therapeutic rapport, defining OT in client centered language, and use of clinical reasoning to identify additional assessment, intervention, and discharge recommendations. The purpose of this article is to present the tool …

Education For Occupational Therapists To Develop The Role Of Healthcare Leaders In Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment (Sbirt), Amy Mattila, Ingrid Provident

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This mixed methods study explored the development, content, and impact of best practice post-professional clinical doctorate education related to assisting persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) using screening, brief interventions, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). A blended learning curriculum was developed and outcomes were measured through various participant report surveys. Results indicated that participants reported positive change in their understanding of SBIRT content; however, mixed beliefs exist in attitudes and perceptions towards individuals with SUDs. This article will discuss the overall impact of the SBIRT training on the occupational therapy students enrolled in a post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. A …

Patient Experiences Of Recovery After Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: A Qualitative Study, Jenny L. Toonstra, Dana Howell, Robert A. English, Carl G. Mattacola

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Context: The recovery process after autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) can be challenging for patients and clinicians alike due to significant functional limitations and a lengthy healing time. Understanding patients' experiences during the recovery process may assist clinicians in providing more individualized care.

Objective: To explore and describe patients' experiences during the recovery process after ACI.

Design: Qualitative study.

Setting: Orthopaedic clinic.

Patients or Other Participants: Participants from a single orthopaedic practice who had undergone ACI within the previous 12 months were purposefully selected.

Data Collection and Analysis: Volunteers participated in 1-on-1 semistructured interviews to describe their recovery experiences after ACI. …

Experiences Of Veterans Transitioning To Postsecondary Education, Brian T. Gregg, Dana Howell, Anne Shordike

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

An increasing number of U.S. military veterans are entering postsecondary education with problems attributed to deployed military service. The primary objective of this research was to describe the lived experiences of student veterans transitioning from active military service to postsecondary education. Phenomenological interviews were performed with 13 student veterans who had transitioned from military deployment to postsecondary education. An overall essential meaning of “emerging in college culture” was manifested from three themes, supported by rich textural and structural descriptions of student veterans’ experiences: (1) repurposing military experiences for life as a student veteran, (2) reconstructing civilian identity, and (3) navigating …

Student Perceptions Of Scholarly Writing, Shirley P. O'Brien, Dory Marken, Kelsey B. Petrey

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Learning the process of scholarly writing, including the significance of peer review, is an essential element in the preparation of students for professional practice. This descriptive research study, using Scholarship of Teaching and Learning methodology, explores one approach to teaching scholarly writing in an occupational science/occupational therapy curriculum. The writing assignment was designed to offer multiple points for feedback and revision and instructional features to reinforce learning. A survey of students [n = 169] participating in this scholarly writing project was conducted yearly to gather their perceptions of learning. The results revealed four key elements: instructional strategies are needed …

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Families Who Have Adopted Children And Received Occupational Therapy Services, David Simpson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative descriptive study focused on the experiences of families who have adopted children from different countries and placed them in occupational therapy services.

Method: Three different sets of parents were interviewed to gather data on the adoption process and on their experiences with receiving services from an OT. Each interview was conducted either with one or both parents present. Only one interview was conducted with each family.

Discussion: While families often have quality experiences working with an OT and observe improvements in their children, some families do not receive quality services. This is due to lack of communication …

An Occupation Based Practice Educational Program Model Implementing Online Learning, Kristina K. Elam

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Due to numerous changes in reimbursement, healthcare delivery and the field of occupational therapy in recent years, the health care arena is now driven by efforts to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of interventions. Therapists, specifically, are challenged by multiple factors, particularly cost-containment, that influences their ability to deliver occupational therapy services. However, in an attempt to promote best practice, occupational therapists must incorporate occupation-based interventions into daily treatment in all practice settings. Occupation-based activities are defined as activities that allow clients to engage in valued occupations in their own context (Rogers, 2007).

Purpose: This program development model …

The Secret Ingredient For Improving Infant/Child Mental Health: Teaching Parents To Play, Geraldine Healy Marini

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Disorders in mental health are the highest of all disorders and results in the most common form of disability. Since 2011, mental health disorders have increased at alarming rates. It is estimated that 9.5 to 14.2% of children between the ages of 0 to 5 years have and emotional or behavioral problem. The mental health of parents or caregivers can affect and impact the development of young children (Nelson & Mann, 2011, Zero to Three, 2004).

The over arching goal of this research is to explore issues of mental health within parent-child interactions. Coaching parents during the co-occupation of play …

Implementation Of Modified Constraint-Induced Therapy In Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation In An Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital, Umana W. Udoeyop

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This study will seek to demonstrate the efficacy of mCIT in upper extremity rehabilitation of patients with acute stroke resulting in hemiplegia in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital as a way to demonstrate its feasibility and applicability in this setting for this subset of stroke patients. It is expected that the study will provide a model for the implementation and application of mCIT in stroke rehabilitation in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and serve as a pilot program for an evidence-based approach to rehabilitation of patients with acute stroke in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.

The Experiences Of The Parents Of Children Undergoing Occupational Therapy Intervention For The Occupation Of Feeding, Michael A. Coldiron

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Occupational therapy practitioners practice under the values of client-centered care and cultural sensitivity. This valuates the role of the occupational therapy practitioner in pediatric feeding intervention pertaining to diverse diets. The problem is that there is a lack of research into the experiences of individuals who consume a diverse diet as they undergo occupational therapy intervention for the occupations of feeding and eating. The purpose of this study was to enable individuals with diverse diets to self-report these experiences. Participants were questioned on the challenges they encountered and detailed questions regarding the types of experiences they face. The study was …

Impact Of An Occupation-Based Practice (Obp) Learning Module On Perceptions Of Obp And Selection Of Occupation-Based Interventions By Occupational Therapy Assistant Students, Allen S. Keener

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project was to immerse OTA students in classroom experiences designed to increase their knowledge of key concepts of occupation, OBP, and ability to select occupation-based interventions. The hypothesis of the researcher was that engagement in the module would create an increase in OTA student knowledge in the areas of occupation and OBP, as well as the ability to select occupation-based interventions based on client scenarios.

Prior to engagement in module class sessions, students engaged in pretesting activities, consisting of demographic information, a short essay, and an intervention selection task. Once completed, students participated in a …

Empower Me! Don’T Abuse Me”: An Occupational Therapy Approach To Violence Prevention, Canique Brown

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Domestic violence is becoming more prevalent among African American female ages 16 to 24 years. Occupational therapists are trained health care professionals that are able to work with these individuals. This is topic has limited research within the field of occupational therapy; hence, this Capstone Project was conducted with nine adolescent female African American women ages from a local church in the West Palm Beach, Florida, area.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an occupational therapy violence prevention program for young African American females ages 16 to 24, the age at …

Container Culture: An Educational Program To Reduce The Overuse, Ashleigh R. Toy

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The increased pace of society, improved safety, mobility and the need for parent efficiency have created a vast market of infant products to meet these demands: car seats that clip in and out of everything from the car to the grocery cart, jumpers, walkers, exersaucers, swings, bouncers and bumbos. These infant equipment products are helpful and can be beneficial if used effectively, however, the problem synthesized from the literature and clinical observation is that these containers designed to support safety and mobility are being overused causing a decrease in tummy time and human interaction which is leading to delays in …

Assesement Of An Occupation-Based Practice Module For An Occupational Therapy Assistant Curriculum, Mary Kim Qualls

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Occupational therapy practitioners who also serve as fieldwork educators are not utilizing the profession's historically distinctive qualities and purpose of occupation-based practice, and that the occupational therapy assistant student needs to be prepared with these skills upon beginning fieldwork.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this capstone is to improve the understanding of occupation-based practice by occupational therapy assistant students through an additional educational module focused on occupation-based principles by their ability to implement an occupation-based practice intervention.

Theoretical Framework: The occupation-based practice module has a knowledge component (look), an activity component (think), and evaluation/simulation component (act) (Skinner, …

A Qualitative Pilot Study Of Aging Women’S Physical Activity Experiences In One University Fitness And Wellness Center, Alexis Hobbs

Online Theses and Dissertations

Physical inactivity is one of the driving risk factors for developing health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (World Health Organization, 2003). The prevalence of these diseases increases with the aging process, which renders participation in physical activity crucial among the aging population. There is strong evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of these health disparities and disabilities (Young & Dinan, 2005), however despite these well-documented benefits, aging women still remain sedentary. This study examined the phenomenon of women 55 years of age or older and their lived experiences of participating in physical activity within a university …

The Deaf Experience In A Hearing Medical World, Sarah Kaylynn Lykins

Online Theses and Dissertations

Background: The purpose of this narrative study was to understand personal experiences of a Deaf individual when communicating with healthcare professionals, to describe personal feelings regarding challenges and successes experienced during healthcare interactions, and express the need for culturally competent healthcare providers with increasingly diverse populations.

Method: The participant interviewed is a member of the Deaf community, uses American Sign Language (ASL), and had multiple decades of major medical treatments. The study was conducted using a semi-structured method with a certified interpreter (CI) present to interpret and was audio and video recorded to account for all aspects of the signed …

Experiences Of Non-Traditional Female College Students With Bipolar Disorder, Taylor Lynn Massie

Online Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although research has been done on many aspects of bipolar disorder, research has not examined the individual living experiences of college students with bipolar disorder. Research looks at the

Methods: In-depth interviews were used to learn the details of the experience of attending college with bipolar disorder. Three volunteers came forward to be interviewed. They had a bipolar disorder diagnosis, and are current students at a southern university. Questions focused on the lived experience of being a student with bipolar disorder, and probing questions were used to learn more about each participant’s particular experience. The first two interviews had …

Lived Experience Of Collegiate Athletes With Season Ending Injuries, Leah Thomas Thomas

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experience of collegiate athletes and their experience with a season ending injury. The individuals will have had an injury that has kept them from participating in their sport for the remainder of the season. Evidence shown gives the factors that impact recovery, supports for recovery, the model for response to sport injury, and coping mechanisms of the athletes impacted. However, there is a lack of research on the actual lived experience of the injury for collegiate athletes. Knowing this information could help change the way that we look at their …

The Lived Experience Of Informal Caregivers Of Chronic Stroke Patients, Ann Snider Wigginton

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to contribute to the literature surrounding stroke-survivor caregivers and to understand the caregivers’ perspective on leisure participation and quality of life. Four caregivers of clients with chronic stroke were recruited for the study via convenience sampling. Participants were audio-recorded during a semi-structured interview lasting 60-80 minutes. The interview guide was consistent across participants and included open-ended questions about the caregiver’s leisure participation and quality of life. Recorded data was transcribed and in-vivo coding was completed. Eight categories were developed from the identified codes and narrowed into primary meaning units: role shift, loss of …

The Experience Of Adults With Chronic Stroke Who Have Participated In Occupation-Based Or Modified Constraint Induced Interventions As A Part Of A Research Study, Ariel Wilson

Online Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of qualitative research about the client perspective of specific chronic stroke interventions for motor recovery. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of adults with chronic stroke who have participated in occupation-based (OBP) or modified constraint-induced (MCIT) interventions as a part of a research study. Four participants were recruited through convenience sampling and interviewed about their participation in research. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed until themes emerged. Results showed participants engaged in the research interventions because of a desire to achieve a lost sense of ‘normalcy’ and perceptions of their …

Role Of Community Participation In Improving Quality Of Life In Clients With Dementia And Their Caregivers, Mridula Dhamija

Online Theses and Dissertations

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on quality of life for clients with dementia and their caregivers by participating in a community program, the Memory Café.

Method: In this qualitative, cross case study, the Marwit Meser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI) was given to caregiver. Data collection was done by interviewing the participants; there was a main question with follow- up questions as needed. All the interviews were audiotaped and transcribed followed by primary and secondary coding. Shortlisting of categories resulted in emergence of themes which were common across cases and unique to each case.

Results: …

Dog Visitation In Long-Term Care And Its Effects On Depression, Leah Shea Simpkins

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The capstone project examined the effect of certified therapy dog interaction with residents of a long-term care facility. The primary researcher utilized the assistance of a certified therapy dog and certified therapy handler for five visits to the long-term care facility for a timeframe of once a week for five consecutive weeks. The visits were for a fifteen minute dog visitation in the participant’s room, which comprised the experimental group. The primary researcher monitored the participant’s interaction with the dog, verbalizations, and smile counts during this time. Control group was observed in the courtyard for five consecutive weeks for no …

Sleep Occupation Quality And Occupation-Based Hand Function In Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Angela M. Goorman Ms, Otr/L

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Sleep disturbance is considered a health crisis by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). It is not uncommon for clients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) to also have poor sleep (Patel et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sleep quality on hand function, while controlling for pain level and CTS diagnostic electromyography severity in CTS clients at a Southern Arizona orthopedic practice. This study tested the following hypothesis: Sleep quality is positively associated with hand function above and beyond the association of pain and CTS severity to occupation-based hand function in CTS …

Breastfeeding Initiatives In Rural Kentucky: An Action Research Approach To Improving Public Health, Mallory D. Ratliff

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Breastfeeding offers numerous benefits for mother and baby and should be considered a priority for the health of communities as opposed to a parenting choice (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). Occupational therapists have a place in breastfeeding support, public health promotion, and guiding performance patterns (Pitonyak, 2014).

This study sought to identify what occupational therapists within the medical and community systems could offer stakeholders involved in breastfeeding support and neonatal care. Action research methods were utilized to allow stakeholders in a rural community in Kentucky to decide what objectives could benefit their area. A series of three focus groups were …

Community Based Programming Promoting Physical Activity, Jennifer Hight M.S. Otr/L

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing health concern, negatively impacting a child’s quality of life, and ability to engage in daily occupations; while contributing to rising healthcare costs. This Capstone Project is a community based program encouraging the development of gross motor skills in the four year old population of a local childcare center to promote engagement in physical activity for less engagement in sedentary daily activities.

Purpose: Although many causal factors have been linked to childhood obesity, current review of the literature demonstrating effective interventions to decrease obesity in the pediatric population is limited, and there is a scarcity …

A Descriptive Study Of Menopausal Woman's Life Experiences, Stressors And Their Occupational Meanings, Melanie Ford Dr.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This study describes some of the major physical and emotional occupational needs of menopausal women, and the direct impact this has on their relationships and overall well-being. The primary objective of this research project was to describe the life experiences of menopausal women and how various stressors affected their emotional, physical, and relational occupations. A descriptive grounded theory method was used to explore the stressors, their meanings, and the women’s unique perspectives of their menopausal experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then coded and analyzed into key categories. From this information, specific themes were formulated, resulting in an …