Developing an Ignatian Pedagogy for Occupational Therapy Education in China: The Lived Experience of the First Two Entry Level OTD, Jesuit Trained Clinicians

This paper explores the lived experience of the initial two Chinese professionals, competitively selected by a Traditional Chinese Medicine University, to attend and graduate from the Creighton University entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. The process and challenges facing implementation of an international collaborative relationship between a Jesuit university and a public higher education institution in China is considered along with the challenges facing international students immersed in Jesuit health care education. Highlights of differences between Eastern and Western higher education are suggested in the discussion. A review of Jesuit education in China provides the historical background and context for collaborative engagement between Chinese and Jesuit universities to meet the health care needs for rehabilitation services in China. The Chinese professionals’ perspectives as students is iterated based on interviews focused on learning styles, learning environment, spirituality and academic support. The graduates’ perceptions of the value of their Jesuit education and experience in occupational therapy, a developing profession in China, and their reflection, integration and impact of incorporating the Ignatian values into their current professional employment as occupational therapists is discussed

An Exploration into Effective Pedagogies in Occupational Therapy Education for the Safe and Effective Use of Physical Agents

Occupational therapy educational standards, established by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), require students to demonstrate knowledge and use of the safe and effective application of physical agents. A recent change requires educators to reflect on pedagogical approaches for electrotherapeutic and deep thermal agents. With a lack of research on pedagogical approaches to teaching physical agents, research on this important topic is essential. The purpose of this study was to identify education and training methods that facilitate the development of competence with complex physical agents. This study used a mixed-methods survey design with follow-up interviews. The survey sample included 98 occupational therapists/Certified Hand Therapists with six follow-up semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVAs were used to analyze quantitative data. Inductive coding and deductive coding guided by Miller’s Pyramid and Bloom’s Taxonomy were used to analyze qualitative data. One-way ANOVAs indicated continuing education and fieldwork resulted in higher levels of independence when compared with manufacturer’s sales representative training (p

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study of Two Military Veterans

This case study investigated the effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) on the prevalence and intensity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and self- perceived improvement of performance and satisfaction in daily activities in war veterans. Two male Caucasian veterans (ages 54 and 38) diagnosed with PTSD participated in these case studies with a pretest–posttest design. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the PTSD Symptom Scale–Interview (PSS-I) were administered before and after the 4-week CES treatment. The participants self-administered the 4-week CES treatment protocol using Alpha-Stim SCS CES device in their home for 20 to 60 min a day, 3 to 5 days a week with a comfortable, self-selected, current level between 100 and 500 microamperes. They were asked to document the settings and responses in a daily treatment log. Through visual trend analysis and change scores, the results revealed daily PTSD symptoms decreased in frequency and severity for both participants from PSSI-I and daily treatment log. Self-perceived efficacy of performance and satisfaction as measured by the COPM also improved in the 54-year-old participant as his change scores (performance: +5.4; satisfaction: +7.9) were over the clinical significance of 2 points of COPM. Both participants reported a decrease in PTSD symptoms and an overall improvement in self-perceived occupational performance after a trial of CES. Findings from this study suggest that future research could contribute to the role of occupational therapists using CES in the treatment of veterans with PTSD. This preliminary study, if confirmed, indicates that CES could provide occupational therapists with a safe and effective way to reduce the symptom burden of PTSD while facilitating occupational performance for a rapidly increasing population of war veterans