Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Identifying Instructional Methods For Development Of Clinical Reasoning In Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Education: A Mixed Methods Design, Whitney Henderson, Brenda Coppard, Yongyue Qi

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy education must teach using contemporary and evidence-based practices that yield graduates with clinical reasoning skills to successfully practice in dynamic and challenging environments. Researchers used a mixed-methods research design to identify the most frequently used and valued instructional methods for developing clinical reasoning with entry-level occupational therapy students. Researchers recruited full-time educators teaching in entry-level occupational therapy programs throughout the United States. Ninety-two occupational therapy educators completed the survey for the quantitative portion of the study. Subsequently, six occupational therapy educators participated in an interview for the qualitative portion of the study. Participants most frequently used laboratory experiences …

First Year Occupational Therapy Students’ Clinical Reasoning Approach To Addressing Challenging Behaviors Related To Sensory Processing Using A Simulated Case Study, Bryan M. Gee, Kelly E. Thompson, Jane Strickland, Lucy Jane Miller

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy students must be prepared to use clinical reasoning to select appropriate interventions for children with sensory processing disorders (SPDs). Although these interventions are typically taught in entry-level occupational therapy programs, there is little information regarding the method by which occupational therapy students are taught a clinical reasoning process to determine which sensory processing intervention to use with pediatric clients. A problem-solving framework called A SECRET was used to teach students clinical reasoning for children with SPDs, via an online, module-based course. Following the module, the students were tested with an online assessment tool regarding their ability to discriminate …

A Community Based Experience To Enhance Occupational Therapy Student Clinical Skills With Clients With Mental Illness, Monica S. Perlmutter, Quinn Tyminski

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Despite the high number of individuals living with severe mental illness and the evidence to support effective interventions, only a small percentage of occupational therapy practitioners work in community mental health settings. To address the need for more occupational therapists in this area of practice, schools must provide educational experiences that facilitate interactions with individuals experiencing severe mental illness to increase students’ competence with this population. The Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy fosters students’ clinical reasoning skills throughout a two semester case-based learning course. For the community mental health module at the end of the 2^nd semester, the …

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 …

Relationship Between Occupational And Physical Therapist Students’ Belongingness And Perceived Competence In The Clinic Using The Ascent To Competence Scale, Patti J. Berg-Poppe, Joy R. Karges, Ranelle Nissen, Susan Deutsch, Kendra Webster

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Clinical education experiences (CEEs) serve an essential role in physical therapist (PT) and occupational therapist (OT) student development. The Ascent to Competence Scale (ACS) measures valuable attributes of belongingness, competence, and welcoming associated with CEE placement. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between PT and OT students’ belongingness and perceived competence during CEE using the ACS. A survey consisting of 35 questions from the ACS measuring students’ feelings of belongingness and perceived competence in the clinic was administered to PT and OT students from 7 Midwest universities. Respondents rated statements using a 5-point Likert-type scale (“never …

Experiential Learning: Critical Analysis Of Standardized Patient And Disability Simulation, Laura Vanpuymbrouck, Jenna L. Heffron, Alisa Jordan Sheth, Kim J. The, Danbi Lee

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Current revisions to the accreditation standards for occupational therapy (OT) education include proposed changes to experiential learning. The AOTA Fieldwork/Experiential Learning Ad Hoc Committee recommends that fieldwork Level I experiences be replaced with a new model of experiential education that includes the use of standardized patients and simulation (AOTA, 2017). The purpose of this article is to present critical perspectives about standardized patient simulation and disability simulation to support informed decision-making about the integration of experiential learning in OT professional education. In standardized patient simulation, actors play the roles of clients and important others in therapeutic scenarios; in disability simulation, …

Student-Led Special Interest Groups As A Model For Inclusion Of Specialty Hand Content In Otd Curriculum, Nathan Short, Jennifer Bain, Courtney Barker, Zack Bolton, Kristina Dammeyer, Ethan Fahrney, Kalin Hale, Carter Maples

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This article presents a student-led special interest group within a doctorate of occupational therapy (OTD) program as a model to supplement the core curriculum for inclusion of specialty content related to hand therapy. Consisting of advanced educational modules, research article review and discussion, as well as related service projects, the group provides ancillary benefits as well as networking opportunities for student participants. An initial program evaluation demonstrates efficacy as students reported a positive impact on various areas of professional and clinical skills to support specialization in hand therapy upon graduation. The student-driven nature of this experiential learning approach provides more …

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 …

Life History Of Sonia Zimmerman, Ph.D., Otr/L, Faota, Emily Kollodge, Samantha Scheel

Oral History Posters

Occupational therapy (OT) has evolved over its 100 year existence as a profession. There are many individuals who facilitated changes in the profession, however not all of them are written about textbooks. This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy and North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of IT practice through the life history of an individual who has been influential in developing OT. This study …

Life History Of Jan Stube, Phd, Otr/L, Faota, Samantha Albrigtson, Elisabeth Melde

Oral History Posters

The life history of Jan Stube was one of 29 life history interviews conducted apart of a larger project of Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. Purpose of this Life History is to gather information about the history and evolution of OT practice from individuals like Dr. Jan Stube who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. This study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how OT practice has evolved from its inception to …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Kelly Taubert, M.S. Otr/L, Amber Fernandez, Hannah Fiser

Oral History Posters

This life history is one of twenty-nine life history interviews, which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of this project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current …

Kathy Dolan Life History, Mpa, Otr/L, Micaela Monn, Ashleigh Mora, Amanda Steffen

Oral History Posters

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of the life experiences of Kathy Dolan, an influential occupational therapist in the development and advancement of the profession in the state of Wyoming. Purposive sampling was utilized by the project directors to obtain participants for the study. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview and observation. Interview questions were structured to address the person, environment, and occupation components influencing each participant. The Kawa model was also utilized to guide the interview schedule in order to develop a timeline of the participant’s life journey. Data from the interview …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Marsha Waind, Otr/L, Patrick Finnegan, Jared Skoog

Oral History Posters

This project, one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, is titled Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Self-Efficacy, Experience Of Supervision, And Perception Of Meaningfulness Of Level Ii Fieldwork, Lynne Andonian

Faculty Publications

Background: This study explored the relationship of perceived self-efficacy to demographic and fieldwork variables for occupational therapy (OT) students. Self-efficacy is related to student and employee success and competency.Methods: OT students (n = 306) from 42 OT programs in the United States completed the Student Confidence Questionnaire and the Demographic Questionnaire and Survey addressing demographics, practice setting, students’ experience of supervision, and perceptions of the fieldwork’s personal meaning during Level II fieldwork. Correlational and regression methods examined the relationships among the variables. Analysis of variance methods tested differences between higher and lower self-efficacy student groups.Results: The degree of self-efficacy was …

Social Participation In Schools: Developing The Role Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Kelly L. Leigers

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation is to build the repertoire of occupational therapy practitioners so that they are better prepared in the provision of services addressing social participation of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with disabilities in general education classrooms tend to have greater difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships (Wight & Chapparo, 2008), have fewer reciprocated friendships (Kemp & Carter, 2002), and lower stability in relationships than peers without disabilities. Furthermore, studies indicate that students with disabilities are less social accepted (Ekornas, Heimann, Tjus, Heyerdahl, & Lundervold, 2011) and are more isolated (Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). …

Investigating The Practice And Capacity Of Paediatric Occupational Therapists To Promote The Physical Activity Levels Of Children In Western Australia, Sally Coombs

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Reorientation of the Australian health care system to meet the increasing burden of disease requires health workers to develop a focus on disease prevention and health promotion. In Western Australia (WA) a priority area for the promotion of health involves increasing the physical activity levels (PAL) of children in accordance with Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. There is substantial support in the literature for paediatric occupational therapists, who assist children to participate in a range of meaningful occupations, to incorporate the promotion of children’s PAL into their service. However, there is a dearth of research world-wide regarding occupational …

A Grounded Theory Study Of Maternal Engagement Of Low Income, Young Rural Mothers In Home-Based, Early Intervention Services, Elaine K. Fehringer

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Home-based, early intervention programs as a preferred delivery model are widely endorsed, heavily funded and highly utilized as prevention and remediation initiatives for families with young children (Eckenrode, et al., 2010; Karoly, Killion, & Cannon, 2005). Of concern, is that while an estimated 40 billion dollars are spent annually between federally funded programs and private foundations, a significant number of families disengage from services before the end of a child’s eligibility period (Stevens, Ammerman, Putnam, Gannon, & van Ginkel, 2005). Several meta-analyses indicate only modest effectiveness of home-based services (Tandon, et al., 2008). It is estimated that well over 500,000 …

Identified Stressors And Coping Mechanisms Of Occupational Therapy Students, Amy Fitzsimmons, Ashley Zimmer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this research study was to gather data on stressors experienced by occupational therapy students during their program and how they cope with their identified stressors. The rationale for this study was the lack of and inconsistent research regarding occupational therapy students, how they experience perceived psychological stress during their program, and how they cope with their identified stressors.

Methodology: The researchers utilized a quantitative exploratory survey design to discover perceived psychological stress and coping methods in Master’s of Occupational Therapy (MOT) students. Prior to recruitment, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was received. Respondents were recruited through …

Leisure Occupations For Adults With Physical Disabilities: A Guide For Occupational Therapy Practice, Kelsey Glatt, Tracy Perish

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Problem: Limited research is available addressing active leisure participation and how leisure participation affects quality of life (QOL) of individuals following physical disability. Research shows a correlation between adaptive leisure participation and higher rated life satisfaction, community integration, perceived competence, and reduced negative mood states (Chun et. al., 2008; Lundberg et al., 2011a). There are currently no occupational therapy assessments for clients with physical disabilities having a goal of participation in active leisure occupations.

Purpose: To provide information and resources to occupational therapists and clients with paraplegia or lower tetraplegia spinal cord injury (SCI) in order to enhance participation in …

Lived Experience Of Individuals Who Had A Disruption In Ability To Drive, Shelby Hoskinson, Graydon Larsen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Driving is both a highly valued occupation within the United States and an occupation that is frequently addressed by occupational therapists. According to the CDC (2017) there are more than 40 million older drivers ages 65 years or older within the United States. There is extensive research pertaining to the value of the occupation of driving as well as evaluation and treatment approaches for the occupation of driving following an injury or illness. While driving is sometimes the best option after an injury or illness, there are situations when returning to driving is not realistic or safe for the …