RICHES Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
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Reducing Work-related Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Nursing Staff Within a Skilled Nursing Facility
Get PDFAmong health care workers, nurses have one of the highest rates of work-related musculoskeletal injuries (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2018). Studies have identified patient handling in the form of routine bedside care, lifting, repositioning, bedside procedures, and manual transfers to be high-risk tasks associated with this increased incidence (Facility Guidelines Institute, 2010). Evidence supports occupational therapy\u27s role in promoting health through the implementation of programs that support safe engagement in work occupations including injury prevention, ergonomics, and work rehabilitation (Bade & Eckert, 2008). As the population of the U.S. healthcare workforce ages, occupational therapy\u27s distinct role in helping health care workers to stay healthy, injury free, and employed will become increasingly vital. The purpose of this project was to evaluate participants perceptions regarding the effectiveness of an educational Safe Patient Handling Workshop aimed at improving nursing personnel\u27s knowledge regarding work-related musculoskeletal injuries, risk factors, and understanding of safe patient handling practices within a skilled nursing facility. Participants included nursing personnel (N = 12) employed within a skilled nursing facility located in central Virginia. Using a quantitative pre and post-survey design, a safe patient handling workshop was developed and implemented featuring an educational format. Effectiveness of the workshop was evaluated using an original pre and post-survey. Results suggest that an educational workshop may be an effective method for increasing knowledge regarding safe patient handling practices to reduce risk of musculoskeletal injuries among nursing staff employed within a skilled nursing setting
Change the Environment; Change the Child
No full textChildren that have been exposed in utero to illicit drug use by their mothers is a growing problem in society. These children enter the early childhood education system with biological changes to their brains that affect their ability to learn and engage effectively with others. They present with a wide variety of behaviors that they may or may not be able to control. Often these children are labeled as just not trying. An evidenced-based PowerPoint presentation named Change the Environment; Change the Child was developed to provide early childhood educators a better understanding of this population\u27s needs and of interventions to help address their needs. The focus was to inform developmental educators on the factors that affect children who have been exposed to drugs in utero, the repercussions to the child\u27s ability to self-regulate, and environmental changes that can be made to improve attention and self-regulation. The objectives of this capstone were to first determine the interest and perceived need of early intervention administrators and educators of the proposed subject matter and secondly, to determine the perceived value of the presentation in providing insight for improved understanding and skills for interaction with this vulnerable population. The data was collected via a pre-survey prior to the presentation and a post-survey given following the presentation. The results indicated that there is an overwhelming need for information for early childhood educators to help improve their understanding and interactions with these children. The data also indicated that the presentation, Change the Environment; Change the Child, provided the participants with an increased understanding of this population and felt the sensory strategies provided would be of aid to their engagement with this population
An Educational Workshop Discussing Implementation of Yoga Techniques in Occupational Therapy in an Acute Care Setting
No full textMy project focused on benefits of incorporation of yoga elements to occupational therapy interventions in an acute care setting. My goal was to improve functional outcomes and perceptions of well-being for clients in an acute care. The objectives were to locate and analyze available evidence supporting incorporation of yoga breathing techniques and mindfulness to occupational therapy in acute care; educate occupational therapy practitioners working in an acute care on possibilities of utilizing yoga techniques during therapeutic interventions; to determine if provided information improved knowledge of the participants regarding the subject and if they felt comfortable utilizing suggested techniques with the clients; and to create educational handout in order to provide information for future employees to establish consistency of the services and interventions. A small sample of seven acute care occupational therapists participated in an educational workshop including presentation regarding specific yoga breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques appropriate to utilize with their clients. Based on the results of the pre- and post-test, all of the participants reported improved knowledge and understanding of the applicable yoga strategies in an acute care setting. The results suggest that based on the experience of the occupational therapy practitioners, the evidence provided regarding the subject is sufficient and they feel comfortable incorporating these strategies with their clients
Identifying Indicators of Compassion Fatigue: Bridging the Gap from Professional to Familial Caregivers
Get PDFCompassion fatigue has been defined as feelings of anger, inefficacy, apathy, and depression, resulting from a caregiver\u27s inability to cope with devastating stress (Day, 2015). Historically this topic has been explored in the realm of professions such as nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, and doctors but little research has been performed on the prevalence and effects of compassion fatigue within familial caregivers. As aging in place and deinstitutionalizing elderly adults becomes more common, the risk for compassion fatigue within familial caregivers increases. Unfortunately, the lack of research is indicative of a lack of action to address this potential health risk. Occupational therapists are uniquely equipped to identify and address compassion fatigue within familial caregivers, ultimately improving the overall care our clients receive. This project aims to identify common emotions and situations experienced by both professional caregivers and familial caregivers, identify the level of knowledge and understanding of familial caregiver compassion fatigue within the occupational therapy profession, and develop a screening tool that can be used by occupational therapists across multiple settings to identify familial caregivers who are at risk or who have developed compassion fatigue. This project consisted of a 3-step process including a comprehensive literature review, developing a screening tool through analysis of the data compiled, and an in-service with a pretest/posttest survey to assess therapist confidence in their prior knowledge and openness to new material. The study ultimately finds evidence of compassion fatigue within familial caregivers which effects both the client and the caregiver. It also finds that occupational therapists are open to addressing compassion fatigue within familial caregivers of their clients, but they are not interested in utilizing a new screening tool to identify the presence of compassion fatigue
Caregiver Participation in Leisure and Social Activities While Caring for Individuals with Alzheimer\u27s Disease
Get PDFThis project focused on caregiver\u27s participation in leisure and social activities while caring for individuals with Alzheimer\u27s Disease or a related dementia. This project had caregivers describe how they view leisure and social activities. reporting the amount of time that they engage in leisure and social activities. The caregivers then participated in an educational training module. With the goal of having the caregivers identify a change in their overall views of leisure and social participation and thus reporting an increase in the amount of time that they engage in leisure and social activities in order to promote improved quality of life and to decrease caregiver burnout. The investigator identified a local Alzheimer\u27s support. A pre-survey was conducted by seven caregiver participants. The investigator conducted an educational lecture via PowerPoint that assisted the caregivers with identifying the meaning and symptoms of caregiver burnout. an explanation of leisure and social activities. and the health-related benefits of participating in these activities. A one-week post-survey was conducted via phone with six out of seven participants responding. The data shows that all participants benefitted from the educational lecture as the results indicated a reported improved understanding of caregiver burnout and ability to identify signs and symptoms and show interest in further education on how to improve theirs and their recipient\u27s quality of life. However. it is indicated that this group would benefit from additional support to develop structured activities that promote leisure and social participation
Benefits of the Incorporation of Occupational Therapy Services into the ClemsonLIFE Program
Get PDFThis capstone project is based on increasing advocacy for the introduction of occupational therapy services within the ClemsonLIFE program The ClemsonLIFE program, located on the campus of Clemson University, is focused on providing both educational and life skills opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The program lasts between two and three years with graduates earning a certificate of achievement. Currently the program does not incorporate occupational therapy services into their curriculum. The goal of this capstone project is to increase awareness and demonstrate the efficacy of occupational therapy services when incorporated into the program. In order to demonstrate the potential efficacy of this program, a brief pre-survey using Likert scale questions, was administered to occupational therapy practitioners from various backgrounds to determine their views on the addition of occupational therapy services to this program An informative PowerPoint presentation was then administered to the individuals taking the survey to demonstrate specific examples of the relevancy of occupational therapy services for the ClemsonLIFE program, including assistive technology options, sensory processing interventions, and standardized assessments. A postsurvey was then administered to determine the changes in practitioners\u27 opinions. The results indicated a 36.4% increase in practitioners\u27 opinions surrounding the effectiveness of occupational therapy services in collaboration with the ClemsonLIFE program. These results indicate the optimistic outcomes that occupational therapy can provide in serving young adults with intellectual disabilities within the ClernsonLIFE program
The Use of Music as a Therapeutic Tool to Increase Positive Outcomes in Individuals with Neurological Disorders
Get PDFThe overall concept of this study is to explore and gather evidence to support the positive impact that music can have on individuals with neurological impairments or disorders in areas including communication, cognition/memory, psychosocial skills, and motor skills. The goal is to examine how music can be a powerful tool in increasing patient outcomes and how occupational therapy (OT) practitioners can utilize music as a tool in their own practice setting. As OT practitioners, our overarching goal is to facilitate functional and effective participation in occupation while promoting emotional well-being and high quality of life. We have the unique privilege to be able to use our creativity and think outside of the box in planning and implementing effective treatment strategies with our patients, yet we often forget the simple, low-cost strategies we can utilize to engage patients who may seem less responsive or interested in therapy. For example, individuals with diagnoses such as autism or Alzheimer\u27s Disease may be more challenging for the therapy practitioner to engage with, as communication, behavior, and cognitive deficits are common factors associated with these diagnoses. In researching music and its impact on wellbeing, I have found numerous articles that indicate positive results in utilizing music to increase motor and verbal skills, memory, communication, mood, social skills, increased independence with activities of daily living, and others. If utilized correctly, music can have a powerful effect on quality of life and patient outcomes and supports our profession\u27s vision to provide client-centered and evidenced-based care to our clients
Sensory Integration in Classrooms: Improving Attention in School-Aged Children
Get PDFThe overall concept of this capstone project is to gather evidence supporting the positive effects of sensory integration in relation to attention in school-aged children, including children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and those with no forn1al diagnosis. The goal of this project is to provide teachers and support staff, including occupational therapists, in a school system with training to implement sensory activities throughout the school day to improve students\u27 attention. Occupational therapy can play a unique role in school systems by providing teachers and other staff with the tools and education to understand the importance of sensory integration and the role it can play in improving attention. One of the primary occupations of a child is school participation; however, decreased attention spans limit children\u27s performance in this occupation. There is sufficient evidence that supports sensory integration in the classroom setting. Environmental modifications as well as sensory diet activities implemented throughout the school day can have positive impacts on a child\u27s learning ability, ultimately improving their occupational performance as a student. Five individuals, including four teachers and one occupational therapist, participated in a pre-survey and post-survey before and after being presented with an in-service training about classroom sensory strategies for improving attention among students. Pre-survey results revealed that the majority of participants were both unfamiliar with and unlikely to implement sensory strategies with their students; however, all participants reported observing attention deficit behaviors. Post-survey results showed a significant difference among participants, revealing that the in-service presented was both informative and beneficial
Occupational Therapy-Based Education of Sensory-Enriched Activities for Interdisciplinary Services
Get PDFThis capstone is a project implementation of sensory-based activities for an interdisciplinary team of therapy practitioners at a pediatric outpatient facility. The objectives of this project include increasing self-efficacy in pediatric-based practitioners addressing sensory seeking behaviors, educate practitioners on the importance of addressing sensory seeking behaviors to promote participation via sensory-enriched activities, and educating practitioners on four simple sensory-based activities to decrease sensory seeking behaviors during sessions. Educational handouts, as well as a PowerPoint presentation, and visual demonstration were created and viewed by all members of the interdisciplinary team at the pediatric outpatient clinic. The education session and all data collection occurred during two separate staff meetings, in which all participants were present. Data was collected via a six-question pre-questionnaire and a three-question post-questionnaire that was implemented both before and after the education session. Results indicated a significant increase in self-efficacy via practitioner implementation of sensory-based activities, as well as belief that sensory input is necessary for improved participation in therapy sessions. In conclusion, this project was found to be beneficial to the therapy staff at the pediatric outpatient clinic through interdisciplinary collaboration
Occupational Therapisrs Perceptions on Benefits of Yoga for Depression in Chronic Illness
Get PDFThis project was established to explore the complementary practices of yoga and occupational therapy (OT) and its effectiveness in addressing depression in adult populations with chronic illnesses. Project objectives aimed to provide OTs with an increase in perceived knowledge regarding the use of yoga as a therapeutic tool, to identify the beneficial therapeutic relationship between yoga and OT, to increase the likelihood of implementing yoga during OT intervention. to enable OTs to educate others regarding the benefits of yoga and OT. and to promote an understand ing of the similar yogic and OT philosophies in relation to client-centered practice. A literature review was conducted to evaluate current research in the areas of yoga. depression, and OT to bridge the gap and investigate correlations in research. Ten currently practicing occupational therapists (OTs) completed the initial pretest survey. and eight of those participants completed a posttest survey after reviewing an educational PowerPoint and an adaptive yoga manual. The PowerPoint provided education on depression, the correlation between depression and chronic illness, the affiliation between yoga and OT, and current research supporting the use of yoga for populations with depression. The adaptive yoga manual was designed for OT implementation with populations of all abilities living with chronic illness and suffering from depression and/or depressive symptoms. The manual consists of physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama). and meditation for a mind-body approach. Pretest and posttest surveys were compared using the results from the eight participants who completed both surveys, Posttest results revealed the PowerPoint and adaptive yoga manual contributed to OTs remarking an increased comfort. likelihood, and frequency of implementation of yoga techniques within the target population. Additionally, participants revealed changes in their understanding and recognition of depression, depression-related symptoms, and depression\u27s influence on occupational performance and therapeutic outcomes. All participants reported an increase in familiarity with current evidence-based research evaluating the benefits of yoga for relieving symptoms of depression. In conclusion, the project appears to be effective in both educating OTs on the correlation between depression and chronic illness and increasing the likelihood of implementation of yoga techniques during OT intervention