7000

Students will begin the process of exploring doctoral capstone experience and project options in the areas of research, program development, advanced clinical practice skills, administration, and/or policy and advocacy. Students will explore personal interests and professional goals, and will initiate the needs assessment process for developing a capstone experience and project that can meet personal and professional goals.

Students will engage in multiple practice simulations that address conditions across the lifespan and practice settings in areas of neurological, musculoskeletal, psychiatric, and chronic conditions. Students will apply professional reasoning to reflect on their performance related to safety, communication skills, therapeutic use of self, and implementation of evaluation and intervention approaches in contextually relevant environments. Students will also analyze performance through self- and peer critiques and evaluate effectiveness of personal improvement plans.

Students will solidify a site for the capstone experience and begin collaborating with relevant stakeholders to form a capstone team. In collaboration with the capstone team, the student will develop final capstone objectives, identify needed resources including locating potential grants, and submit a final needs assessment. The student will also update their professional development plan with feedback from their capstone team.

Students will develop in-depth plan for implementing and evaluating the capstone experience and project, to include an evaluation plan, sustainability plan, action plans, and a dissemination plan, resulting in a formal capstone proposal and a signed MOU by the completion of this course.

The purpose of the Capstone Project Dissemination is to demonstrate synthesis of in-depth knowledge in the focused areas of study during the Capstone Experience and to disseminate scholarly work. Students will complete the Capstone Project Dissemination in conjuncture with the Capstone Experience. Students will collaborate with their capstone team about the Capstone Project Dissemination throughout course of the Capstone Experience. This course will culminate with a professional poster presentation to the community and relevant stakeholders.

This course is designed to facilitate the integration of professional reasoning and knowledge translation for occupation-based practice, to promote readiness for FWII A & B and entry-level practice. Through both didactic and simulation-based learning the students will demonstrate preparedness in all aspects of entry-level practice, including documentation, in varied practice settings. Additionally, students will create an evidence-based intervention plan with each simulation activity to include a complete reference list.
Professional communication, health literacy, and evidence-based, ethical practice will be promoted throughout the course. Credentialing and licensure will be discussed.

Students will learn about paper and electronic medical record documentation as well as other aspects of professional writing specific to occupational therapy. Students will evaluate effectiveness of documentation for advocating for therapy services and consider ethical and professional responsibilities associated with documentation. 

Students will evaluate their current capstone proposals and make any necessary adjustments according to their site and capstone team based on thorough review of the evidence. This course will establish a schedule of learning activities and steps to implement each phase of the capstone experience and project effectively, including orientation, screening and evaluation, discontinuation and sustainability, and dissemination

Students will learn about community-focused interventions for infants through transition-aged individuals, grounded in the social model of health and occupational justice concepts. The course is designed to promote health, well-being, social inclusion, empowerment, and the reduction of health disparities within populations and communities. Students will learn to evaluate, provide interventions, and document outcomes for individuals experiencing community-based occupational performance deficits through creation and implementation of a community group activity supported by evidence, with community and stakeholder collaboration.

Students will learn about community focused interventions for adults and older adults designed to promote health, well-being, social inclusion, empowerment, and health disparity reduction for populations and communities. Students will evaluate and provide intervention for those with community-based occupational performance deficits using direct and consultative practice models, demonstrating ability to apply and analyze performance. Students will be assigned to a Cru Work Skills Program client to: Engage in and apply the OT process; perform activity analysis; establish therapeutic relationship; analyze and evaluate evaluation and intervention approaches.

Students will learn clinically-based approaches to occupational therapy practice for the adult population from early through older adulthood, focusing on integrating knowledge of theoretical frameworks, practice settings, research evidence, clinical reasoning and regulatory and reimbursement policies in the provision of interventions for conditions and disorders experienced in this age group. Students will be assigned to an adult in the lab to: Engage in the OT process; activity analysis; establish therapeutic relationship; assessment; intervention planning and implementation; home programming; assistive technology application. Students will advance their critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills through self-reflection and analysis of client response to the therapeutic process through an in-depth case study.

Students will examine complex neurological diagnoses resulting in disruption of occupational performance through the lifespan, including pathophysiology, advanced assessment of associated client factors and performance skills and intervention of associated occupational performance deficits. Students will engage in application of EBP for the assessment and intervention of clients with complex neurological diagnoses with emphasis on evaluating progress and modifying interventions as indicated. Students will also explore and identify appropriate community partners and resources to support a continuum of care. 

Students will engage in advanced, clinically based approaches to occupational therapy practice for children from birth through the transition to adulthood. The course emphasizes the comprehensive integration of knowledge of theoretical frameworks, advanced clinical reasoning, diverse practice settings, research evidence, and professional leadership in the development and implementation of interventions for conditions and disorders encountered in pediatric occupational therapy. Students will participate in a living lab experience, working with community clients to apply their skills in a realistic, supervised environment. Students will complete pediatric evaluations, treatment plans, and discharge summaries which incorporate the evidence for practice. They will engage and participate in a simulated care conference for pediatric patients to enhance their interdisciplinary communication and collaboration skills. Students will demonstrate knowledge of pediatric theories and clinical reasoning through skill competencies and labs.

This course is strategically placed in the fifth semester of the curriculum to introduce students to leadership concepts which will advance the conceptual knowledge acquired in previous coursework about ethics, advocacy, professional development, and intra-professional and supervisory relationships. Students will formulate a business plan to address a community need using evidence to evaluate the program and apply knowledge of federal and state regulations and reimbursements.

Students will learn how to identify cognitive and perceptual impairments through occupational performance, analyze and critique theoretical frameworks, and implement goal setting and treatment planning within the living lab. Students will learn and apply a variety of intervention approaches to allow the client to engage in meaningful occupations with a focus on both improvement and compensation for cognitive impairments across practice settings. Students will explore and administer evidence-based outcome measures. Fieldwork Level IB will be integrated during this course, providing students with the opportunity to integrate the theory, knowledge, and skills learned in the classroom and community into the practice setting.

Students will explore specialty practice topics such as NICU, palliative care, driving, emerging practice areas (primary care, telehealth, etc.), mindfulness-based occupational therapy practice, prosthetics, and complementary approaches to intervention using a problem-based learning approach. Students will appraise current literature and select and apply evidence-based interventions while identifying and adjusting for unique client factors and contexts. Students will identify community partners and resources relevant to each case study to promote continuum of care.
Small-group seminar format.

The purpose of the level II fieldwork experience is to provide students with the opportunity to integrate the theory, knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and community throughout the program into the practice setting. Level II fieldwork requires full synthesis and application of previously learned information related to all aspects of occupational therapy practice for successful completion.  The student will demonstrate the use of evidence-based practice while creating or improving a program at the site that adheres to the organization’s administrative structure, to ensure ethical practice. Upon conclusion of the fieldwork experiences, the student is expected to exhibit the skills of a professional entry-level occupational therapist, dedicated to ethical, client-centered occupational therapy practice with a commitment to lifelong learning. 

The purpose of the level II fieldwork experience is to provide students with the opportunity to integrate the theory, knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and community throughout the program into the practice setting. Level II fieldwork requires full synthesis and application of previously learned information related to all aspects of occupational therapy practice for successful completion.  The student will demonstrate the use of evidence-based practice while creating or improving a program at the site that adheres to the organization’s administrative structure, to ensure ethical practice. Upon conclusion of the fieldwork experiences, the student is expected to exhibit the skills of a professional entry-level occupational therapist, dedicated to ethical, client-centered occupational therapy practice with a commitment to lifelong learning. 

The purpose of the Capstone Experience is to provide in-depth understanding of, implementation, and evaluation of occupational therapy service in the areas of advanced clinical skills, research, program development, policy and advocacy, and/or administration skills. Students will complete the Capstone Experience for a minimum of 14 weeks of full-time engagement, meeting the minimum requirement of 448 hours. Students will collaborate with their capstone team throughout the Capstone Experience and specific hours and schedules will be approved by the team prior to commencement.