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Everybody and Nobody’s Job: Creating a Plan for Maintaining a Shared Work Environment with Limited Custodial Resources
No full textDo you have crickets and dust accumulating in the office and no custodial services to clean the mess? Learn how a team of library employees at an off-site university office building addressed these needs by creating a bi-annual cleaning schedule. We will discuss how it is going so far and how we plan to continue
An Introduction to The Portal to Texas History
No full textThe Portal to Texas History is a digital repository for historical and cultural heritage materials. These materials are the product of collaboration between the UNT Libraries and Portal Partners, including genealogical societies, museums, libraries, and more. The presentation will provide users with an overview of the Portal to Texas History, how to navigate it for their research interests, and highlight unique collections and items on the Portal
Exploring Reflex Integration Strategies and Exercises to support Motor and Academic skills in children with Retained Primitive Reflexes
No full textThis capstone project focused on the implementation of reflex integration strategies in a pediatric clinic. The purpose of this project was to deepen clinical knowledge and hands-on practice while enhancing therapy outcomes in children. By integrating reflex testing and intervention into occupational therapy practice, this project aimed to improve children's functional performance and promote continued use of reflex integration strategies among clinic staff.Healthstar Family Rehab Cente
An Intervention Guide: Implementing Pre-Work Skills in the Occupational Therapy Medical Setting for Transition to Adulthood
No full textYouth with disabilities (YWDs) experience a large discrepancy in employment opportunities, which negatively affects their quality of life (van der Noordt et al., 2014). Occupational therapists have the valuable opportunity to work closely with the targeted population to address the barriers to employment and increase their desired participation in life. To increase the quality of care YWDs receive in pre-work training during their transition to adulthood, the student created an intervention guide on pre-work skills to address the primary areas of need. By providing occupational therapists with relevant, client-centered, evidence-based interventions, YWDs can be more prepared, confident, and successful in their future employment outcomes.
To complete the capstone project, the student partnered with Shannon Anderson, OT at Children's Health Specialty Center in Allen, TX, to develop an intervention guide for pre-work skills in occupational therapy for the transition to adulthood. The direct target audience was occupational therapists at Children's Health with a secondary focus on increasing employment outcomes and desired participation for youth with disabilities (YWDs). The literature review conducted by the student focused on barriers to employment for YWDs and employable skills that facilitate employment. The results found general soft skills as a facilitator to employment and a lack of job skills (i.e., punctuality, appropriate dress, communication skills, reliability, self-awareness, attention to error, cooperation, productivity, and on-task behavior) a lack of vocational training by appropriate personnel as a barrier to employment for YWDs.
Additionally, the student conducted interviews with local organizations that serve or employ those with a disability and therapists at Children's Health, including occupational therapists, a physical therapist, and a speech-language pathologist. The interviews provided insight into the valuable skills local employers seek and what pre-work skills therapists identified as the biggest areas of growth. Upon synthesizing the literature review, needs assessment, and interviews, the student created the manual. The manual contains seven chapters: General Recommendations, Personal Responsibility, Self-Determination/Advocacy, Executive Function, Workplace Social/Soft Skills, Emotional Regulation, and Job-Specific Task Training. Each chapter describes the skill and why it is important, provides examples of how to address the skill in therapy, and offers recommendations to caregivers.Children's Healt
Golden Roots: A Horticultural Program for Seniors in Nursing Facilities
No full textGolden Roots: A Horticultural Program for Seniors in Nursing Facilities was developed to explore the efficacy of horticultural therapy as a holistic intervention for reducing anxiety symptoms among older adults residing in long-term care settings. Given the prevalence of mental health challenges such as anxiety, social isolation, and loss of independence among this population, there is a critical need for meaningful, accessible, and holistic therapeutic approaches. This capstone project leveraged gardening as a purposeful, engaging, and sensory-rich occupation, grounded in the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), emphasizing the significance of volition, habituation, and environmental interaction.
Implemented across three structured phases—staff education, participant engagement, and outcome measurement—the program provided twice-weekly gardening activities designed to stimulate cognitive engagement, physical activity, and social interaction over a nine-week period. Pre- and post-intervention anxiety levels were quantitatively measured using the Geriatric Anxiety Scale–10 Item Version (GAS-10), complemented by qualitative feedback from staff observations and participant interviews.
Results demonstrated a significant reduction in anxiety scores, reinforcing existing evidence that horticultural activities can effectively enhance emotional health. Additionally, participants exhibited increased social interaction, improved mood, and a heightened sense of pride and satisfaction derived from their gardening achievements. These outcomes suggest that horticultural therapy is not only effective in improving mental health among elderly populations but also sustainable as a long-term community-based therapeutic practice. This project highlights the broader potential of occupational therapy to innovate and support geriatric health through holistic, meaningful interventions.Windsor Garden
Caregiver Coaching: An Integral Aspect of the SmartStart Preschool Readiness Program
No full textSmartStart is a preschool readiness program for children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy that aims to increase participation and performance in school related activities. SmartStart is an intensive 64-hour program in which children engage in goal-oriented activities to develop skills across eight domains including approaches to learning, gross motor, fine motor, visual perceptual, math, language and literacy, emotional well-being and social competence, and social skills. Caregiver Coaching is a family-centered practice with a goal-oriented approach that allows the child to achieve their specific goals through caregiver lead interventions in their home environment by integrating task specific training with everyday activities. Caregiver Coaching is a vital component to the SmartStart program as it empowers families to learn and apply practices in their natural environment, increases caregiver's self-efficacy to independently manage their child’s health and development, and increases carryover of child’s gained skills to improve their outcomes.Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Cente
Increasing Satisfaction and Functionality Surrounding Adaptive Clothing for Adult Wheelchair Users
No full textClothing can be an essential part of one’s identity and how they portray themselves to others in various settings. Correct clothing can serve as a means for participation in meaningful activities and an increase in quality of life. Individuals with physical disabilities, such as wheelchair users, may experience a different story when accessing clothing that functions properly and proves satisfactory for their desired tasks. This scholarly capstone paper will encompass methodology, projects outcomes essential to the field of occupational therapy, and a reflection on experience and work produced.The Ozark Adaptive Sports Associatio
Improving the Mental Health of Refugee Adolescent Students During the School Year
No full textIn collaboration with the capstone agency, Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) Houston, an 8 week program comprised of occupation-based activities was implemented within a school-setting. Weekly activities involved games, sports, or crafts to address areas of need such as social participation, bullying prevention, testing anxiety, self care, and general mental health practices. Deliverables, such as PowerPoints and handouts of community mental health resources were developed, and positive feedback of the program was received from participants and faculty. Implications of the program include increasing awareness of the field of occupational therapy, the value of occupational therapy within the school system, and improving resource accessibility for the mental health of refugee adolescent students.PAIR Housto
GO Move: Helping Families with Home Programs
No full textConstraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is recognized as an intense therapy program that requires the cooperation of the patient and their caregivers. From a literary search, it was concluded that there are many difficulties experienced by caregivers when enforcing a home program even when they believe in the effectiveness of the intervention (Chen et al., 2019; Mancini et al., 2013; Palomo-Carrión et al., 2020; Pang, 2024; Wentzel & Barna, 2022; Zylstra & Sidhu, 2021). This study investigates the emotional experiences and perspectives of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who are completing a home program after CIMT to inform resources to address their potential needs. Qualitative interviews at Scottish Rite for Children in Frisco, TX, and through Microsoft Teams were performed with participants after a six-week home program at the post-study data collection stage, with check-ins performed during the program. The two participants included mothers of a four-year-old male and a seventeen-year-old female with CP undergoing the ‘GoMove’ home program. In total, five different common themes were identified during the post-intervention interviews. In conclusion, creating a home program that fits the needs of families can be difficult, but important to create a sense of confidence and competence to carry out interventions for this population. This research highlights the effectiveness of pediatric home programs and the mental health needs experienced by families, contributing to the profession of occupational therapy and health care in general by focusing on the betterment of home programs for pediatric patients with CP and their families, which are the key to their completion of a home program.Scottish Rite for Children in Frisc
The experiences of hematology-oncology nurses with grief following the death of their patients
No full textBackground: Hematology-oncology nurses frequently experience significant emotional distress due to patient deaths, yet their grief process is often overlooked. This emotional toll can contribute to burnout and compassion fatigue, impacting both their personal well-being and professional performance.
Purpose: This phenomenological study aims to explore the lived experiences of hematology-oncology nurses dealing with grief following patient deaths, focusing on the personal and professional challenges they face.
Methods: A descriptive phenomenological approach was employed, with 13 registered nurses working in hematology-oncology units. Participants were selected using convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured Zoom interviews (30–40 minutes), transcribed, and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method to identify recurring themes related to emotional strain, ethical dilemmas, and coping mechanisms.
Findings: Four major themes emerged from the data. First, the Emotional Effects of Caring for Patients revealed that nurses developed deep emotional bonds with their patients, leading to profound grief that extended beyond the moments of death. Second, Grief Extends Beyond the Moments of Death highlighted that nurses' grief was a continuous process, affecting them long after the patient's passing and contributing to cumulative emotional strain. Third, Dealing with Grief and Finding Support showed that while nurses sought emotional support from peers and family, many expressed a need for more formal institutional grief support, such as counseling and debriefing programs. Fourth, Spirituality and Personal Beliefs revealed that many nurses found comfort in spirituality, prayer, or personal beliefs, which helped them process their grief and find strength in difficult moments. Finally, Rituals and Personal Healing iv Practices emphasized the importance of personal rituals, such as journaling, prayer, and self-care, which played a crucial role in emotional healing, offering nurses a sense of closure and a way to manage the ongoing emotional impact of patient loss.
Conclusion: The study highlights the emotional challenges faced by oncology nurses and underscores the urgent need for formal institutional support, such as grief counseling and debriefing programs. Addressing these needs can enhance nurse well-being, improve professional resilience, and ultimately benefit patient care