4429 research outputs found
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Enhancing Cancer Care: Prioritizing Quality of Life and Symptom Management
Full text linkAdvancements in cancer treatment have led to increased survival rates, emphasizing the importance of quality of life (QoL) for cancer patients. One critical factor impacting QoL is the presence of symptoms and side effects from cancer and cancer treatments. Disjointed care and lack of information about managing symptoms are common issues reported by cancer patients. Rehabilitative services, particularly occupational therapy, can play a vital role in supporting cancer patients in self-management of symptoms and side effects. However, availability and access to these services are lacking, especially in community settings. To address this gap, an educational program was developed at a community-based cancer support facility. The program aimed to improve self-efficacy for self-management for individuals with cancer. The program utilized a comprehensive approach that included a needs assessment to identify prevalent symptoms and side effects, pre/post self-efficacy measures to evaluate participants\u27 confidence in managing their symptoms, and interactive modules covering common challenges such as fatigue, cognitive decline, pain, poor sleep, and emotional distress. Preliminary results from a pilot program indicate positive participant feedback and the potential for meeting unmet needs in cancer care
An eLearning Module to Prepare Clinical Nurse Faculty to Foster Clinical Judgment: A Quality Improvement Project
Full text linkBackground and Problem: Many nursing students graduate with poorly developed clinical judgment skills placing patients at risk for poor outcomes. Nurse faculty can address this problem but are often unprepared. Research shows that faculty development focused on high-level teaching strategies supported by Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model can prepare faculty to foster students’ clinical judgment skills in the clinical setting. Clinical faculty must be better prepared to develop students’ cognitive processes to prepare practice-ready nurses.
Purpose: This quality improvement project seeks to design and implement an eLearning module for clinical nurse faculty to (1) increase faculty’s self-efficacy in fostering clinical judgment in the clinical setting; (2) change faculty behavior to implement clinical judgment teaching strategies into their practice; and (3) understand the module’s effectiveness in meeting faculty learning needs.
Methods: Participants included part-time and full-time faculty teaching clinical at an urban associate degree nursing program. A pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate faculty self-efficacy. A post- survey and 13-week follow-up survey were used to evaluate course effectiveness in meeting faculty needs and self-reported implementation of clinical judgment strategies.
Intervention: A 1.5-hour highly interactive, engaging eLearning faculty development module provided content on high-level teaching strategies supported by Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model.
Results: Overall, mean self-efficacy increased, but not statistically significant. All participants found this course to be beneficial. Five out of seven participants implemented clinical judgment teaching strategies in their courses. Qualitative data indicated that the module provided guidance and tools to foster clinical judgment and helped to develop a robust post-conference.
Conclusion: This project shows that an eLearning module that integrates high-level teaching strategies supported by Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model can change faculty behavior. When faculty are more prepared to promote high-level learning, this has the potential to strengthen students’ clinical judgment skills and, therefore, improve patient safety
Perinatal Experiences of U.S. Black Women with Black Doula Support: A Phenomenological Study
No full textInfant and maternal health disparities are threatening Black families across the United States. The maternal mortality rate for Black women is 2.9 times the rate of White women. Black women are experiencing racism, discrimination, disrespect, and neglect in their perinatal care. Continuous labor support, such as a doula, is associated with improved perinatal care experiences and outcomes. Community-based doula programs seek to address disparities in perinatal outcomes through racially/culturally concordant relationships between birthing women and doulas. Several studies explore Black women’s perinatal care experiences, but few studies describe the experiences of Black women who have had Black doula support. Rooted in the critical paradigm, we used a phenomenological approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight Black women in the United States to describe their experience with Black doula support during their perinatal care. Using thematic data analysis, our participants express that culturally reflective care matters and that they experience empowered birth experiences, advocacy, and support with their Black doula care. Overall, they feel their culturally matched doulas transform healthcare’s anti-Black spaces, providing holistic and person-centered care and support. Policymakers, insurance companies, and healthcare organizations must recognize the benefits of and improve access to doula care; support Black people in becoming doulas; and, make the doula profession sustainable for Black doulas and their families. Further research centering Black women’s voices is essential; Black women’s expertise can guide meaningful policy change and address maternal health disparities
Breaking Bread: Co-Creating Mindful Eating Practices in Lower Elementary
Full text linkThe purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of multicultural culinary arts food preparation activities on food neophobia in the Montessori lower elementary classroom. The research study took place over three weeks in a public charter Montessori school, located in St. Louis, MO. Children ages 6-9 years old from one classroom participated in the study. The intervention strategy, based on Social Cognitive Theory, implemented key experience lessons, cosmic stories, and mindful eating strategies. Each food preparation activity lasted approximately 45 minutes and occurred three times a week during the study. The intervention demonstrated repeated exposure and involvement in food preparation activities helped to minimize food neophobia in lower elementary children. Further considerations include regular food preparation activities and classroom legacy projects, parent nutrition education workshops, and creating classroom cooking and eating traditions in lower elementary
Increasing Access to Occupational Therapy Services in Mental Healthcare: Including Occupational Therapy in Minnesota\u27s Mental Health Act
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Planning for a Study: Understanding Experiences of Sleep Context Across the Globe for Children With Limited Ability to Move
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Increasing Access to Outdoor Play for Families of Children with Disabilities
Full text linkBackground. There are various benefits, supports, and barriers which contribute to participation in outdoor play for children with disabilities. Rainbow Tree Therapies (RTT) and its community face various accessibility challenges that limit outdoor play participation.
Purpose. The purpose of this project was to develop educational materials and resources for families of children with disabilities who have experienced accessibility concerns.
Approach. The approach of this project can be divided into 4 activities: (1) evaluation of RTT, (2) creation of accessible garden planters, (3) development of educational materials, and (4) analysis of survey results.
Outcomes. There were seven survey responses, all of which identified themselves as parents. Respondents noted the desire to increase community accessibility, specifically including playgrounds as an area of need. Parents ranked high confidence levels in understanding accessibility, advocating for their child, and teaching their child self-advocacy skills following educational lesson participation.
Implications. Making community spaces truly accessible and inclusive is a big undertaking that requires collaboration from leaders, professionals, and families. OT practitioners can and should undertake advocacy when considering accessibility, inclusion, and universal design
The Impact of a Technology-Based Intervention on Phonemic Awareness Skills In First Graders
Full text linkThis action research study aimed to determine the impact of the use of a technology-based intervention, specifically with the use of an iPad application, on students\u27 phonemic awareness skills. The intervention took place over six weeks using the Teach Your Monster to Read iPad application to practice skills. Sixteen first-grade students from a rural elementary school were the subjects of this study. Half the participants played the game twice weekly for 15-20 minutes for six weeks. Data was collected before, after, and during the intervention using multiple summative assessments and weekly progress monitoring. The data analysis suggests that there isn’t enough data to conclude whether or not the iPad application was the main reason scores increased. Further research over a more extended amount of time is needed to determine the effectiveness of the Teach Your Monster to Read application on students’ phonemic awareness skills
Occupation, Play, and Memory Making; Creating an OT Guide for Pediatric End of Life Care
Full text linkIntroduction: Pediatric hospice care is often under researched and under-resourced for children and their families. In addition, children with medical complexities often have difficulties with receiving holistic comprehensive care.
Purpose: This project aims to create an end-of-life toolkit support staff at Crescent Cove providing care for children receiving services. This project will educate staff on ADLs, positioning, sensory-based interventions, and energy conservation, in addition to providing education on the role of occupational therapy at the end-of-life.
Approach: The student completed an extensive literature search for pediatric hospice care with an occupational therapy-based lens. The staff at Crescent Cove were then interviewed to complete a needs assessment of the site, were given the created resources, and completed a follow-up survey to assess the usefulness of the project.
Outcomes: Overall staff were satisfied with the resources that were created and felt it would be helpful in practice. Ninety percent of the participants found the overall usefulness of Memory Making for Children and Families to be strongly useful, and 90% of the participants found the staff resource guide as strongly useful or useful.
Recommendations: Crescent Cove should continue to educate all staff on end-of-life care utilizing resources from an interdisciplinary team approach to provide holistic comprehensive care. This project can be used to assist in training new staff and provide continuing education for current staff
Spirituality and Awe Experiences in Second-Generation Minnesota Hmong: A Phenomenological Study
Full text linkDue to the effects of relocation and acculturation, some Hmong may have lost touch with traditional spiritual practices, potentially limiting second-generation’s access to spirituality’s health benefits. Awe is an emotion linked to spirituality, shown to serve as a spiritual catalyst. Acculturation impacts how spirituality and awe are experienced, understood and expressed across the generations. To date, there are more than 81,000 Hmong people who live in Minnesota. Through a constructivist lens, the purpose of this study is to describe spirituality and awe experiences within the second-generation Hmong living in Minnesota. Utilizing a phenomenological approach and a holism framework, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of nine semi-structured interviews shows that participants do in fact experience spirituality and awe. These experiences are intertwined, involve the senses and emotions, and result in a sense of interconnection, spiritual identity, purpose, and open-mindedness. This study emphasizes the importance of intergenerational dialogue surrounding spiritual and awe experiences to increase understanding of their own culture, religious practices, and spiritual identity. Spirituality should be included in health practitioner education and health care models to promote Hmong spiritual, mental, interpersonal and community health and well-being