Occupational Therapy doctoral students present capstone projects

May graduates of the WVU School of Medicine’s Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program presented their capstone projects, each in a specialized area of occupational therapy of their choice.

The OTD capstone project is a mentored experiential learning opportunity that enables students to explore a specific area of occupational therapy that interests them. Students are assigned to community sites where they gain hands-on experience in a specialized skill area and make a direct impact.

The capstone experience allows students to develop advanced skills in project development and evaluation, clinical practice, research, leadership, and advocacy.

Specialized occupational therapy areas chosen by students included:

• Building administrative resources for service dog programming, as well as training modules for veterans to prepare themselves and their environments for working with a service dog.
• Developing a Division I student-athlete mentorship program pairing athletes with leading community partners to build professional skills and life skills for post-collegiate sport transition.
• Conducting research within an integrated surgical/hand therapy clinic by transforming a gold-standard upper extremity rehabilitation instrument (QuickDASH) to capture a more holistic assessment of clients with upper extremity dysfunction through the inclusion of psychosocial factors and technology use.
• Advocating for the role of occupational therapy practitioners in preschools by supporting teachers and developing an occupation-based curriculum that engages children in interactive learning activities to improve their emotional regulation and social skills.

“The collaboration with members of our community is at the heart of the OTD capstone process,” Kayleigh Nolan, PhD, MOT, OTR/L, SCLV, PMH-C, CPRP, assistant professor and doctoral capstone coordinator, said. “Our goal is to foster a mutually beneficial and lasting impact between students and their capstone sites. Now, after our second round of capstone student projects, we have partnered with 28 community sites and hundreds of clients, mentors and support staff across five states. The feedback from our partners has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Our most recent capstone sites expressed their gratitude for OT capstones bringing a new perspective to their agencies and the meaningful impact that was felt immediately with the work completed by our students. A capstone site mentor recently shared with me that even as a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience, the student’s project helped them change their way of thinking and taught them new, effective strategies in working with their clients. Another site mentor shared that the student offered skills and experiences that were not otherwise available at their site and added a whole new layer of support. That, to me, is what it’s all about.”

Meet the students

Megan Bruce completed her doctoral capstone project at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Her project aimed to increase hospital discharge readiness among caregivers of children with complex medical needs. Bruce wanted to help caregivers feel more prepared when transitioning from hospital to home-based care. During her experience, she developed resources for caregivers to reference at home after occupational therapy sessions. For example, she provided caregivers of infants with a gastrostomy tube placement instruction on alternative methods for facilitating tummy time without placing pressure on the surgical site.

“This experience has provided me with valuable insight into the importance of caregiver education interventions for children with complex needs,” Bruce said. “I also developed advanced clinical skills in working with children who have complex medical needs in the PICU and NICU. The WVU OTD program has prepared me for my future career by providing endless opportunities for me to grow personally and professionally.”

Melissa Learish completed her capstone project at the WVU Medicine Children’s Birthing Center in Morgantown, evaluating the impact of individualized and group-based occupational therapy interventions for pregnant women who are hospitalized long-term. Her goal was to improve maternal confidence, mental health, and postpartum preparedness through proactive, therapeutic education and support before childbirth.

“I learned how valuable proactive, occupation-based support can be for mothers, especially for those hospitalized before birth,” Learish said. “I saw firsthand how social connection, therapeutic activities, and anticipatory guidance can reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety and improve maternal mood and confidence. I also gained critical insights into program development, interdisciplinary collaboration and the real-world challenges of integrating OT into maternal health care settings.

“Many patients shared that they didn’t realize such support was even available or that it was something they needed until they experienced it. It reaffirmed for me how underutilized OT is in maternal health and how much potential there is to expand these services.”

Shayna Rexrode completed her capstone project at Academy Programs, a residential treatment facility for adolescents with substance use and behavioral diagnoses in Fairmont, West Virginia. Rexrode took the facility’s didactic life skills curriculum and developed group-based, hands-on lessons and activities to supplement life skills learning for youth.

“The project gave me the opportunity to learn from experts and to hone my clinical OT skills in a unique setting with a unique client population,” Rexrode said. “At the same time, the clients and staff at the site benefited from the work that I completed, and my work has the potential to continue to make a positive impact there in the future.

“My favorite part of the OTD program has been the emphasis on learning through experience. From my very first anatomy class all the way through my capstone project, the program has pushed me to learn by doing. The faculty and staff do a great job of offering the opportunity to learn independently, while also providing feedback and support as needed.”

The OTD program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), making it the only fully accredited doctoral program of its kind in West Virginia.

Learn more about the Occupational Therapy programs at https://medicine.wvu.edu/ot/.