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INCORPORATING STANDARDIZED PHYSICAL THERAPY TECHNIQUES INTO THE POST-CESAREAN NURSING PLAN OF CARE THROUGH NURSING EDUCATION
No full textA practice discrepancy exists regarding the quality of care provided for non-obstetrical abdominal surgery versus cesarean section. The lack of consistent care practices for similar surgeries has led to inequities in access for obstetrical patients. The advantaged population receives additional education, demonstration, and support through best practices in postoperative care techniques. Incorporating physical therapy techniques into the postoperative plan of care reduces the formation of intrabdominal adhesions, lessens pain, and minimizes postoperative dysfunction (Wong et al., 2015). A quality improvement project was implemented to improve nursing knowledge on post-surgical movement, scar mobilization, skin desensitization, and abdominal binders for patients experiencing cesarean section. Obstetrical nurses participated in a 30-minute educational session that included completing a survey before and after the intervention. The educational sessions effectively increased nurses\u27 knowledge and perceptions of best practices in postoperative care for patients experiencing cesarean section. Consequently, nursing units providing postoperative postpartum care are urged to collaborate with physical therapy to enhance recovery and reduce complications by implementing best practices in abdominal surgery recovery to the obstetrical, surgical population
Positive Postsecondary Education Outcomes: It Is More Than Intervention
Full text linkThe National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS–2) reports that 19% of students with disabilities will enter postsecondary education programs. However, The United States Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2015) reported that 16.8% of individuals with disabilities obtain a bachelor’s degree compared to 34.6% of individuals without a disability (BLS, 2015). Though students with disabilities aspire to continue their education, they are not as successful as their peers without disabilities. They are at risk for health disparities, lower earning potential, and stability in their community (Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2020a). Occupational therapy is beginning to play a role in supporting students to achieve the skills needed for positive postsecondary education outcomes. However, the interventions do not discuss their effectiveness using an evidence-based practice approach. The research found that four overarching themes impact positive postsecondary education outcomes: self-determination, disability identity, relationships, and accessibility.
This doctoral project aims to bring awareness to themes impacting intervention, provide interventions by pairing these themes with the American Occupational Therapy Associations (AOTA) Occupational Practice Framework–4th edition, and advocate for our place in supporting transition planning to postsecondary education. The three knowledge translation (KT) projects served to address this purpose. The first KT project served to educate on this topic using a systematic evidence-based practice approach for practitioners and students on this topic.This project was a continuing education webinar sponsored by the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association (MOTA). The second KT project focused on one of the themes: disability identity and its importance when using a strength-based approach. This project was an article for the Children and Youth Special Interest Section Quarterly Connections. The third KT project served to provide practitioners knowledge and opportunities to identify interventions within the four themes. It also served to provide the foundation for practitioners to successfully advocate for occupational therapy’s role in positive postsecondary education outcomes.
These projects support occupational therapy’s potential to impact positive postsecondary education outcomes. However, students with disabilities who are slated to attend postsecondary education are not the primary focus of transition planning, which puts them at risk for health disparities and lower socioeconomic opportunities. Also, accessibility needs to be broadened in its definition to address occupational therapy’s ability to provide occupational justice to all students. Future research should include the application of these themes outside of an urban school setting and the effectiveness of building a specialized transition team focusing on students with high incidence disabilities
The Effects of Inquiry-Based Activities on Content Vocabulary Retention in 4th-Grade Science Students
Full text linkThis action research project studied the effects of inquiry-based activities on content vocabulary retention in a fourth-grade science classroom in central Minnesota at a rural elementary school. Content vocabulary words specific to the rocks and minerals unit were introduced to students through the use of four different strategies, Time to Talk, Text Cards, Word Bank, and Graphic Organizers. Students completed various hands-on inquiry-based activities during their science lessons one to two times per week throughout thirteen weeks. The research utilized qualitative and quantitative data collection research methods; findings show that all students can strengthen their content vocabulary knowledge and retention when they are able to interact with their peers and complete hands-on activities when learning content-specific vocabulary. Future research could explore the use of visual access to the content vocabulary when they are using the terms; this can be as an individual word bank, word wall, or a classroom word wall. This study shows that inquiry-based strategies promoted content vocabulary instruction, especially time to talk and word banks
The Influence of Role-Play Scenarios and Mindful Reflection on a Small Group of Diverse Daycare Providers’ Responses to Classroom Situations
Full text linkThis action research investigated the effectiveness of roleplay and reflection among four teachers guiding twenty-four students in a Primary Montessori environment. The teachers have limited Montessori training. They differ in age, teaching philosophy, cultural and educational backgrounds. This study asked teachers to roleplay strategies that felt counter to traditional practices. The 7-week intervention consisted of ten 15-minute scripted roleplay sessions, five 15- minute unscripted roleplay, and oral and written reflections. I gathered data using pre- mid- and post-self-assessment surveys, written reflection with prompts, and a reflection survey containing predetermined questions. The surveys showed an increase in the teachers’ awareness of their thinking-feeling-deciding processes. Teachers also expressed having access to the thinking-feeling-deciding processes of the child during challenging situations. Limitations lie in the facilitator’s ability to establish safe spaces for roleplay and reflection. This research can be shared with professional development entities and school administration to produce lasting change in adult learners
The Impact of Explicit Phonemic Awareness Instruction in a Kindergarten Classroom
Full text linkThis action research project involved an investigation of the effects of explicit phonemic awareness instruction on letter-sound fluency. The sample included 16 kindergarten students at a public pre-primary elementary school in the north-central region of the United States. Students participated in daily whole group lessons with explicit phonemic awareness instruction and guided practice. Data tools included pre- and post-assessments in letter-sound fluency, phoneme isolation and manipulation. Standardized assessment data in letter-sound fluency, onset sound fluency compared Fall assessments to Winter assessments and showed the level of risk for later difficulties in reading. Quantitative data showed growth in students’ phonemic awareness abilities over the course of the study. Through the action research, it was determined that explicit instruction in phonemic awareness skills was beneficial for students’ pre-reading abilities. My action plan includes continued explicit instruction through the duration of this school year and in every year to come
Sharing an Early Intervention Progress Report with Providers of Children with Feeding Disorders: An Evidence-based Process
Full text linkIntroduction: This project explored ways to generate knowledge and use best practices when disseminating research findings. Having effective ways to share research-based information with Early Intervention (EI) Providers is important so that they can improve practices.
Methods: To finalize this project, I reviewed the Feeding Matters branding (style and organizational-based) guidelines, the Early Intervention (EI) data from a previous survey that was sent to EI providers in 2018, a report card that graded EI programs based on their past survey responses, identified resources and recommendations for EI provider-based action steps, made evidence-based suggestions for future survey use and created a landing page (website) for Feeding Matters that contained information about 33 states’ progress on pediatric feeding disorders (PFD) service-related inclusion criteria. To understand the degree to which I successfully communicated the desired project outcomes, I used two surveys titled “How the report card met the Feeding Matters criteria” and “How the landing page met the Feeding Matters criteria”.
Results: 40-80% of staff respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the EI Report card met specified criteria and 50% strongly agreed that the landing page met specified criteria. Staff identified the following themes about what could be improved: Putting information in laymen’s terms and including their PFDICD-10 tool kit, and a visual explaining the Advocate, Initiate, and Mobilize (AIM) Scale on the landing page.
Implications: The report card and landing page met enough of the criteria to be presented publicly and will be updated and used in the future to educate EI providers about what is being used across the 33 states to qualify children for PFD services
