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Incorporating Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) to Improve Handwriting Skills in Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Get PDFWithin the field of occupational therapy, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is becoming more widely recognized and utilized as a supplement to traditional therapeutic interventions. As this area is still an emerging area of practice within occupational therapy, research is necessary to better understand the effect of AAT on children’s progress toward various goals. The purpose of this research study was to analyze the effectiveness of using Animal-Assisted Therapy to improve children\u27s performance with and engagement in handwriting activities in outpatient pediatric occupational therapy. This study utilized a Quasi-experimental design, assigning participants to two groups. One group participated in handwriting activities while using AAT, and the other participated in handwriting activities via traditional occupational therapy. Each participant completed the Evaluation Tool of Children’s Handwriting (ETCH) for a pre-and post-test assessment. For five weeks, each child participated in approximately 15 minutes of handwriting during their occupational therapy sessions. A paired samples t-test found that pre-and post-test assessments indicated significant differences on three subtests on the ETCH for both groups respectively. Additionally, an independent samples t-test determined that both satisfaction scores and time engaged in handwriting activities were significantly different between the AAT group and the therapist-led group. The findings of this research demonstrate that progress toward handwriting-related goals can be made with consistent intervention during occupational therapy sessions regardless of the intervention techniques being used. However, using AAT can greatly increase children’s satisfaction and enjoyment with handwriting and increase the time they are willing to engage in these types of activities
Using an Evidence-Based Practice Nurse Recognition Practice to Improve Job Satisfaction
Get PDFPractice Problem: The project targeted low job satisfaction and high nurse turnover in a Central Florida bone marrow transplant unit, impacting patient care and costs.
PICOT: (P) For registered nurses (RNs) on the bone marrow transplant unit, (I) does implementing an evidence-based practice employee recognition program (C) compared to no employee recognition program, (O) lead to an increase in job satisfaction (T) over 10 weeks?
Evidence: The evidence supported the effectiveness of meaningful recognition programs, such as personalized verbal acknowledgment from leadership, in boosting job satisfaction among nurses.
Intervention: The intervention involved nurse managers using a weekly employee recognition program. Nurse managers provided meaningful recognition to nurses to improve job satisfaction and nurse retention, which showed improved outcomes by week 10 compared to before the intervention.
Outcome: The study revealed a significant increase in overall job satisfaction after meaningful recognition encounters (p = .024). Agreement on recognition for good job performance rose (Q5_postsurvey median = 5.00) compared to before (Q5_presurvey median = 3.00), highlighting the effective enhancement of nurse job satisfaction through verbal recognition interventions.
Conclusion: The project successfully enhanced nurse job satisfaction through a weekly verbal recognition program, supported by significant increases in overall job satisfaction and specific recognition perceptions post-intervention
Exploring the Use of Student-Professional Simulation-Based Interprofessional Education: A Preliminary Qualitative Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Simulation is commonly used to address interprofessional learning within healthcare programs to develop practice-ready clinicians. However, barriers such as scheduling, and discrepancy of learners’ knowledge and attitudes often pose challenges for educators to implement student-student (S-S) simulation-based interprofessional education (IPE). This study explored student perceptions about a novel simulation-based IPE mode in which students were paired with professionals from other disciplines.
Methods: The qualitative study explored 14 Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students’ perceptions about a simulated-learning activity with professionals from other disciplines. One-on-one semi-structured interviews with students from two private universities were analyzed using a constant comparative method to determine essential themes.
Results: Four main themes emerged from the student experiences: (1) guiding students in professional communication, (2) fostering interprofessional collaboration through a trusted experience, (3) realistic simulation to prepare for future clinical application, and (4) students value professional expertise in a simulated learning experience.
Discussion: Students expressed positive perceptions about student-professional (S-Pr) simulation-based IPE. Student-professional simulation-based IPE may provide new opportunities that advance learning outcomes and increase engagement while minimizing barriers of other modes of IPE. Comparison between S-S and S-Pr modes is needed to determine efficacy and best practices
Posture and Injury Prevention Program for High School Musicians
Get PDFMusicians face many musculoskeletal-related injuries due to overuse and repetitive motions (Gembris et al., 2020). These injuries can be mitigated by addressing posture as well as methods to prevent injuries and promote healthier playing. The proposed capstone program is occupationally based and developed to address posture and prevent musculoskeletal injuries among musicians. Occupational therapy can help musicians prevent and treat the development of postural asymmetries and musculoskeletal injuries that inhibit occupational participation and performance in playing their instruments (Ting et al., 2019).https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1009/thumbnail.jp
Impacts of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction on the Occupations of Postpartum Women
Get PDFThis study investigates the impact of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) on the daily activities of postpartum women. Eleven women participated in an online survey, with four engaging in follow-up interviews via Microsoft Teams. The survey indicated that 91% of respondents experienced at least one symptom of PFD, including urine leakage, difficulty reaching the toilet in time, unexpected passing of wind, decreased vaginal sensation, a bulge at the vaginal opening, pelvic heaviness, and vulvar pain during sex. Despite these prevalent symptoms, 82% had not been offered pelvic floor therapy.
Participants rated their awareness of pelvic floor health topics predominantly as Less than Somewhat Aware or Somewhat Aware. The areas most affected by PFD were toileting, sexual activity, and physical activity. Interviews revealed that PFD leads to significant changes and adaptations in daily activities and occupational performance, influenced by both facilitating and hindering factors. Environmental factors also played a crucial role in the women\u27s awareness of pelvic floor health and their ability to self-advocate.
The findings suggest that occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to address PFD-related symptoms and challenges, given their impact on daily occupations and adaptations. Beyond treatment, there is a critical need for advocacy and education to empower women to articulate their needs and advocate for themselves with healthcare professionals. This empowerment is essential for enhancing pelvic health care for women, highlighting the broader role of occupational therapists in pelvic health.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1004/thumbnail.jp
Adaptive Sports in Schools for Students with Disabilities from an Occupational Therapy Perspective
Get PDFChildren with disabilities do not have as many opportunities to participate in sports and leisure activities as their peers do, which may cause them to miss out on the benefits that participating in these activities offer. There are many barriers that children with disabilities and their parents face when seeking out adaptive sports activities especially in schools. This capstone project addressed some of these barriers. A needs assessment was conducted at an elementary school, which helped guide the development and implementation of the adaptive sports program, which is discussed in detail.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1022/thumbnail.jp
The Role of Occupational Therapy on Sexuality and Intimacy in Women with Disabilities
Get PDFThis project was developed to provide an educational program to spread advocacy and education about the stigmatization of women with disabilities, who are unable to interact in sexual relationships and intimacy. The occupational therapy perspective would be identified as solving the problem by providing education, resources, and adaptive devices to individuals who have a disability and experience deficits in sexual intimacy through the implementation of a program.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1020/thumbnail.jp
Enhancing Co-Occupation of Play For Families Experiencing Homelessness
Get PDFThe presentation covers program development for families residing in transitional housing with the opportunity to engage in healthy play activities to promote health and wellness.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1017/thumbnail.jp
Addressing the Potential Impacts of Mental Illness Symptoms on Daily Occupations for Adolescents
Get PDFThis presentation discusses a program developed for adolescents to address mental illness symptoms and its impact on personal hygiene, academic performance, leisure, and social participation. The modules were developed under the title Healthy Living to take a more holistic approach to addressing mental health and the issues teenagers face daily. This presentation will provide an overview of the program\u27s purpose, methods, and conclusion.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1018/thumbnail.jp
Development of a Sensory-Based Intervention Manual for Educators
Get PDFThis project focused on the development of an educational manual on sensory processing disorder (SPD) for educators. The manual was created as a resource to enhance teachers\u27 understanding of SPD and confidence in implementing sensory-based interventions and accommodations in the classroom for students who have sensory processing difficulties.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1033/thumbnail.jp