Browsing by Author "Sample, Pat L., committee member"

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Advancing clarity: exploring professional thinking skills in occupational therapy
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Burke, Hannah K., author; Lane, Shelly J., advisor; Bundy, Anita C., committee member; Sample, Pat L., committee member; Hepburn, Susan, committee member; Spielmann, Virginia, committee member
Background: Reasoning, reflection and evidence-based practice are three interrelated and essential skills for occupational therapy practice. As threshold concepts in the field, they contribute to development of a sense of professional identity. However, these skills are inconsistently defined and differentiated from one another, leading to difficulties in related communication, education, and research. In this dissertation I sought to advance the profession's understanding of consensus conceptualizations of these essential professional thinking skills and how they are taught. Methods: This dissertation comprises five articles reporting results of two broad studies. In the first study, a scoping review, I explored peer-reviewed occupational therapy literature that included a definition of a term related to reasoning and/or reflection. Along with my research team, I extracted data from each paper on definitions of relevant terms, relationships amongst relevant terms, references used to define relevant terms, and descriptive information about each article. In the second study, I used Delphi methodology to explore nine occupational therapy educators' consensus definitions of, conceptualizations of relationships between, and educational strategies for teaching clinical reasoning, professional reasoning, reflective practice, and evidence-based practice. I then conceptually integrated results of both studies to compare findings between the literature and educators. Findings: Both studies indicate that there is some agreement about main characteristics of each of these skills. They also both suggest that clinical/professional reasoning, reflective practice, and evidence-based practice are related to each other in complex, non-linear ways that warrant further exploration. Findings from the Delphi study additionally indicate that there are key educational strategies that may support development of multiple of these professional thinking skills. Conclusion: This dissertation adds to the body of literature clarifying conceptualizations of necessary professional thinking skills in occupational therapy. Continued explicit consideration of conceptualizations of reasoning, reflection, and evidence-based practice within occupational therapy literature and education will advance communication, measurement, and, ideally, uptake of these skills into practice to support an integrated sense of professional identity.
Open Access
Parental perspectives of occupational therapy in an equine environment for children with autism spectrum disorder: a theoretical qualitative analysis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Kalmbach, Dorothy, author; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Sample, Pat L., committee member; Hepburn, Susan, committee member
Objective: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties in occupational performance, which can limit the abilities of both the child and family to participate in valued activities and roles. Occupational therapists have provided equine-assisted interventions (EAIs) to children with ASD to address these difficulties with promising results. The purpose of this study was to assess parental perspectives on the appropriateness of a novel EAI, occupational therapy in an equine environment (OTee). Appropriateness includes the psychosocial aspects of the consumer's experience and whether the consumer believes the intervention beneficially addressed their healthcare needs (Evans, 2003). Method: This thesis is comprised of three chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the study that provides an extensive review of the literature, develops a conceptual framework of appropriateness, and describes research methods. The second chapter is a manuscript written for submission to the journal Occupational Therapy in Healthcare in which I present a condensed version of the complete thesis. I employed qualitative theoretical analysis to analyze parental perspectives on the appropriateness of OTee. Five parents completed semi-structured interviews in which they discussed their child's experience of the service and the influence of their child's participation on their child's and family's daily lives. The third chapter is a reflection on the thesis process in which I additionally consider the contribution of this thesis to the field of occupational therapy and the influence completing this thesis had on me as a scholar and person. Results: Regarding the results of the second chapter, children experienced the service positively due to qualities of the horse and the occupational therapists' ability to integrate tenants of occupational therapy. Prominent areas of carryover to everyday life included an increase in calmness, an increase in social skills, facilitating the parent role, and promoting positive family experiences, among others. The frequency and length of the service, as well as maintenance of effects, concerned the parents. Conclusion: Findings contribute information on the development of a novel approach to occupational therapy intervention that incorporates horses. Next research steps include examining areas of concern and comparing the appropriateness of the service to the appropriateness of occupational therapy in a traditional service context.
Open Access
Yoga improves functional gait and health-related quality of life for adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a pilot study
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Phillips, Chloe E., author; Schmid, Arlene A., advisor; Sample, Pat L., committee member; Tracy, Brian L., committee member
Objective: To determine whether health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional gait improved after an 8-week yoga intervention among individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and whether HRQOL and functional gait were correlated in populations with DPN. Design: An 8-week yoga intervention non-controlled pretest-posttest pilot study. Setting: Colorado State University’s Integrative Rehabilitation Lab Participants: Sample of individuals with DPN (N=15) over the age of 18 recruited from Fort Collins, CO and neighboring towns. Self report balance impairment? Interventions: Each participant took part in an 8-week yoga intervention that met twice per week for one hour each session. Yoga sessions included physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation. The yoga was modified for persons with DPN and included seated, standing, and exercises laying on the floor. Main outcome measures: The Neuro-QoL was used to assess HRQOL. The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) was conducted to examine walking endurance and the 10-Meter Walk Test was used to evaluate walking speed. Results: HRQOL and functional gait showed fair correlation. HRQOL improved by 8%. Both components of functional gait improved significantly, walking endurance by 15% (p=0.014) and walking speed by 23% (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results demonstrate that yoga is a potential intervention to promote positive improvements in HRQOL and functional gait, including both walking speed and walking endurance, in individuals with DPN. Rehabilitation and medical professionals may consider this as a modality for helping patients manage their DPN.