Recently, occupational therapy students Rebecca Anderson, Reagan Bergstresser-Simpson and Kristi Jarrett presented their thesis poster at the 27th International Seating Symposium held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. The title of the presentation was “Examining the Quality of Life of Children with Physical Disabilities Who Participate in a Community-Based Recreation Program: A Mixed Method Design.”
The study examined the relationship between participation in organized, community-based recreation and perceived quality of life for children with physical disabilities. A mixed-method, cross-sectional design was used with thirteen participants recruited from ABLE Youth in Tennessee. All participants used a wheelchair as their primary mode of mobility.
Quantitative data was collected using the Pediatric Quality of Life Instrument (PedsQL™), which measures perceived quality of life, and the qualitative data used a phenomenological approach with individual interviews. The results of the PedsQL™ suggested that the majority of the participants had a moderately high quality of life. The investigators identified six major themes in the qualitative information that described the children’s perspectives on what contributed to their quality of life and how their participation in recreational activities contributed to this life satisfaction. These themes included: health benefits of physical activity, opportunity for socialization, having a choice, identity as a wheelchair user, having a positive attitude and empowerment by abilities & future goals. The researchers believe participation in ABLE Youth contributed to a positive perception of quality of life for the participants.
Category Archives: Inman College of Health Sciences
College of Health Sciences Partners with HealthStream and Laerdal to Develop Content for New Platform in Medical Simulation
Faculty members at Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing are playing a vital role in the development of content that will be made available for use in an innovative new platform to deliver healthcare education through medical simulation.
SimCenter™, announced publicly in January, is a joint product of Nashville’s HealthStream (NASDAQ: HSTM), a leading provider of learning and research solutions for the healthcare industry and Laerdal Medical, a global leader in the provision of educational solutions for healthcare providers and educators. SimCenter is an innovative simulation management platform designed specifically for healthcare institutions to manage their simulation initiatives. It is comprised of a fully integrated system of software designed to work with advanced patient simulators used in medical education and made available through the Internet via software as a service (SaaS).
Belmont educators have been part of the initial content development team of leading medical simulation centers that have been creating scenarios for use within SimCenter. “This is a groundbreaking solution that will revolutionize the way simulation is performed in healthcare training,” said Beth Hallmark, Ph.D. RN, director of simulation at Belmont University.
“The Simulation Center faculty members from Belmont’s College of Health Sciences are representative of a growing group of thought leaders that are pioneering medical simulation,” said Robert A. Frist, Jr., president and chief executive officer, HealthStream. “We are delighted to have Belmont join our global network of leading educators offering best-in-class simulation content to the industry.”
Guatemala from A to Z
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
From Lacey Little
Physical Therapy student Lacey Little shares about her experience in Guatemala on her personal blog. Check it out by clicking here.
Excerpts:
Awesome. Word of the week because it sums up everything.
Faith. I learned so much about faith and joy this week. Everyone from Shalom and all of our interpreters were such an example of living joyfully. This man (Israel) has such faith and joy exuding from him. Tears flowed when we had to say goodbye to all of the wonderful people we had met.
Humbled. Again, and again, and again.
Justin Bieber (oh you better believe the interpreters called me Mrs. Bieber). I tried (to no avail) to convince a 6 year old that the Biebs was better than the Jonas Brothers.
Volcanoes. Had no idea that Guatemala had active volcanos. Cool.
What can I do now? This is the question that I am left with. I am itching to go back to Guatemala, but until then what can I do here in Nashville?
See more at Lacey’s blog, including lots of pictures.
OT students, faculty and alumni help host International Seating Symposium
Students, faculty and alumni of Belmont University School of Occupational Therapy served as presenters and volunteers at the 2011 International Seating Symposium (ISS) at Opryland Hotel in Nashville earlier this month. The annual symposium, coordinated by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, focuses on research, training and exhibits regarding wheeled mobility and seating, and solutions for people with disabilities. The audience is primarily clinicians, medical manufacturers, rehab equipment suppliers and educators.
Dr. Teresa Plummer, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, was a presenter and co-presenter at several symposium sessions. In one session, she presented her doctoral dissertation, “Participatory Action Research to Examine the Current State of Practice in Wheelchair Assessment and Procurement”. She also co-presented “A Practice Guide for Wheelchair Assessments” with Mary Shea of Kessler Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ, and “Powered Mobility and the Effects on Visual / Perceptual Deficits” with 2005 Belmont OTD graduate, Casey Emery of Banner Good Samaritan/Touchstone Rehab in Phoenix, AZ.
Twenty-one students from Belmont, representing the Schools of Occupational and Physical Therapy, served as volunteers for the event. The keynote speaker was Lee Woodruff, author and contributing editor for ABC’s Good Morning America, and wife of Bob Woodruff, a television journalist who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Pictured here with Ms. Woodruff are OT students, Ashley Hutchinson and Jessica Rutledge.
Halle honored as Outstanding Alum by US Army Physical Therapy Program at Baylor University
Dr. John Halle, Professor and Chair of the School of Physical Therapy at Belmont University, was recently honored with the Outstanding Alumni Award from the U.S. Army Physical Therapy Alumni Association at Baylor University.
Established in 1989, the Outstanding Alumni Award is presented annually and recognizes the graduates who have made significant contributions to the profession and who are furthering the health and quality of life for members of the military and/or civilian communities. Dr. Halle is the 22nd recipient of the award, which was first presented in 1989.
Final Day in Guatemala
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
From Jamie Adam
Today began with another wonderful breakfast (eggs, hotdogs, pancakes and toast). We headed to Antigua for a day of adventure. After an easy 1 hour drive, we arrived about 9:30AM. Our first stop was a coffee plantation in Antigua. We walked around the plantation grounds and several of us enjoyed coffee, cappuccinos, and a favorite, the mochachino. Most of the staff understood and spoke English, an indication to us that English speaking visitors are common in this area. The look of the city was quite different from what we have seen the last several days. It was a little tourist village tucked into the mountains with cobblestone streets, beautiful landscapes and quaint little shops. We noticed several tourists and what we thought might be study abroad students in the streets and markets.
Please spiders don’t crawl into my suitcase….
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
from Tamara Garvey
6:34 am
Bob the spider is muerte. (Sadness!) Stephen is triste that his ninja reflexes kicked in when Bob jumped out of his shoe….thus ending Bob’s time in Guatemala.
8:03am
Breakfast of eggs, fried bananas, toast and most importantly COFFEE! Israel teaches the team a VBS song in Spanish then we return the favor with a rousing round of “Tootie-ta” ;). Nathan, inspired by the musical start to our morning continued to channel his inner Rock Star on the drive to Palencia.
Wednesday in Guatemala
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
From Dr. Renee Brown
After breakfast with Tony the Tiger the entire team headed for Tecpan, picking up the faculty from The University of Mariano Galvez on the way. The scenery was beautiful – including volcanoes, farm land, and indigenous people. We visited the JT foundation clinic in Tecpan.
The visit started with watching videos of the work that the foundation is doing with the children and families with disabilities. It was incredibly inspiring to see how they went into the communities and mountains to seek out those with disabilities as often these individuals are hidden by their families. We were impressed with the creativity and ingenuity of the staff to do so much with so little.
Guatemala Day 3
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
Gloria Isaacks and JennaLynn Drake
We began our day with omelets filled with yummy peppers, served with delicious mangos, and Guatemalan Tang. The OT/PT teams went to the hospital while the nursing team went to McDonalds!!! (Actually, they got lost and made it to the hospital eventually.) While at the hospital, the OTs collaborated with 2 OT students from the university who are completing their thesis project on using music interventions in occupational therapy sessions to treat several children.
Sophia, a 6-year-old girl is being treated for postural instability of the trunk and neck, and is working on developing functional grasp. Gloria provided stimulating music with a strong pulse to gain Sophia’s attention, facilitate lateral flexion, and provide proprioceptive input. Tamara provided support to help Sophia extend her trunk and flex her neck.
Day 2 in Guatemala
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
from Stephen Dawson Graham
This morning we woke up bright and early to a great breakfast of pancakes, bacon, papaya and pineapple. Then we headed over to a local children’s hospital to help work with the patients there. We split up into teams by discipline: OT, PT and nursing.
Hello Guatemala!
Guatemala 2011 Mission Trip
From Julianne Russell and Amanda Woodall
We’re here!!! We all met bright and early on Sunday morning at the airport. During our short layover in Atlanta, all 13 of us joined in on a dynamic new card game called “AWESOME,” then we departed to our destination of Guatemala. After de-boarding the plane, we were met by our amazing hosts Kevin, Claudia, and Steven. Once we were all packed up into the van, we pursued our first priority – LUNCH. Our hosts directed us to Tacontento, where we enjoyed the most fantastic guacamole and strawberry cream cheese filled chimichangas. We were both delighted and slightly intimidated by the large, colorful pinadas hanging overhead.
Belmont School of Nursing pictured on front page of The Tennessean
Instructor Tamara Baird, right, works with students Anna Mary Schaedle, Jessica Blankenship and Miriam Blizzard on Thursday in a post-partum hemorrhaging scenario during a class in Belmont University’s nursing program. / DIPTI VAIDYA / THE TENNESSEAN
Click the link below to see the full story in the March 5th Tennessean:
TN is short on nurses, and those to teach them
Written by Tom Wilemon
PT Class of 2003 to host The Walker Run, Live for Today
Live for today. Savor life. Since her diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 33, that is Sara Walker’s motto. It is the message she has been bringing to others. It is how she is living her life. You can follow her journey at caringbridge.org/visit/sarawalker.
“The Walker Run, Live for Today” is a fun run/walk produced by Belmont Physical Therapy Class of 2003 that is designed to help support Sara and her family as they walk this road and continue savoring life. Sara (Pigg) Walker attended Lipscomb University for undergraduate studies and graduated from Belmont University’s Physical Therapy program. Sara is married to Brian Walker and is the mother of two boys (ages five and three).
Health Science Students, Faculty and Alums Head to Guatemala for Mission Trip
2011 Mission Trip to Guatemala
For the fifth consecutive year, Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing will be sending a team of health professionals and students to Guatemala for a Christian service project. This year’s trip will occur during the university’s spring break, March 6 – 12.
The mission trip was originated in 2007 by students in the School of Physical Therapy. Since then, students and staff from the other allied health disciplines in the College have joined the annual effort. Last year, a multidisciplinary medical team of 36 travelled to Guatemala City, where they taught at a Christian high school serving one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods and at a local university, served over 400 individuals at a soup kitchen each evening, and helped treat and immunize patients at several area clinics.
Social Work accreditation affirmed at Belmont University for eight more years
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has reaffirmed Belmont University’s social work program accreditation for the next eight years. The action came at the February meeting of the Council’s Commission on Accreditation, and recognizes the university’s social work department with its highest endorsement. “This is great news for our students,” said Dr. Lorraina Scholten, Chair of Belmont’s Social Work Department, “not only to know that their education meets the highest standards of our profession, but also to benefit from the advanced standing they will enjoy in graduate programs around the country.”
Belmont University offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and the program has been accredited since 1999. The Council on Social Work Education represents more than 3,000 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, this partnership of educational and professional institutions, social welfare agencies, and private citizens is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in this country. CSWE administers a multi-step accreditation process that involves program self-studies, site visits, and commission reviews. There are currently 471 fully-accredited baccalaureate social work programs in the United States.
The Social Work Department is part of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University. This alignment affords social work majors the opportunity to interface with allied health pre-professionals in nursing, occupational and physical therapy, and pharmacy, enhancing their preparation for a wide array of career options. Social work students at Belmont also benefit from individual attention from faculty members who are experienced practitioners, excellent field placement options, and unique course offerings. The Social Work Department is housed in the Gordon E. Inman Center on the campus’ northeast corner.
Belmont University School of Physical Therapy helps the Nashville Predators improve their shot
Belmont University’s School of Physical Therapy has been consulting with the Nashville Predators hockey team this season to help players perfect their slap shots. The work of PT faculty members Dr. Kevin Robinson and Dr. Pat Sells, using the school’s Motion Analysis Lab, was featured during an in-game report on Fox Sports South when the Preds hosted the Detroit Red Wings on February 5. The video can be viewed below.
Belmont’s consultation with the Predators is ongoing and will continue with additional research later this year in the Motion Analysis Lab. In November, Dr. Robinson’s work with the Predators Shea Weber was featured in a story in Canada’s National Post. The story is available online at National Post’s website, and is reprinted below.
College of Health Sciences selected for Health Information Technology Scholars Program
The Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University has been selected to be part of the 2011 Health Information Technology Scholars Program (HITS), which is supported by a five-year $1.5 million grant provided by The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) in partnership with the Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT). This is the fourth year of the grant and Belmont is one of 29 universities to join the program in 2011.
Dr. Beth Hallmark from the School of Nursing and Dr. Kelley Kiningham from the School of Pharmacy submitted the project proposal to integrate electronic health records in medical simulation via inter-professional collaboration. Both will attend a planning conference in March and complete the project during the next year.
The HITS program is designed to merge informatics, tele-health, simulation and e-learning to create powerful learning environments, to integrate IT in curricula to educate future practitioners, to expand infrastructure for clinical learning processes, and to optimize patient safety and drive improvements in healthcare quality.
Hachtel Selected for AOTF/Patterson Foundation Award
Dr Yvette Hachtel, professor of occupational therapy, has been selected as a recipient of an AOTF/Patterson Foundation award for Community Volunteerism. This award, a joint project of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and the Patterson Foundation of St. Paul, Minnesota, is being given for the first time this year and recognizes outstanding community volunteerism that meets the needs of disadvantaged individuals who would otherwise not be able to benefit from occupational therapy services. This award was given for the work on the Odyssey program of the Campus for Human Development in Nashville and was viewed by the selection committee as one of the applications best reflecting the overall purpose of the award. Her accomplishment will be recognized during the Award Ceremony at the Annual AOTA Conference and Exposition to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 16, 2011. In addition to this award, Dr Hachtel will receive a check for $1,000.
Graduate nursing class submits manuscript for publication
The Graduate Nursing Research Applications class from Fall, 2010 semester has submitted a manuscript to the Journal of Pediatric Nursing entitled Empower U: Effectiveness of an Adolescent Outreach and Prevention Program with Sixth Grade Boys and Girls: A Pilot Study. This group is led by Dr. Sharon Dowdy.
Health Sciences faculty receive promotions
Congratulations to faculty members in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing who were granted promotions by the Belmont Board of Trust this week.
Renee Brown in the School of Physical Therapy was granted tenure and a promotion to Professor. Nancy Darr in the School of Physical Therapy was promoted to Professor. Kelley Kinningham in the School of Pharmacy was granted tenure. Teresa Plummer in the School of Occupational Therapy was granted tenure and a promotion to Assistant Professor. Linda Wofford in the School of Nursing was granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor.
Dr. Jack Williams, Dean of the College, commented on the actions. “Please join me in congratulating these folks for a job well done and for their positive leadership in their programs, the college, the university, and the community!”
School of Occupational Therapy receives grant from Baptist Healing Trust
The School of Occupational Therapy was recently awarded a $16,600 grant from the Baptist Healing Trust to support OTD residency projects and development of compassionate care in the curriculum. Each OTD student will receive a monetary stipend for resource materials specific to their residency and budget. Dr. Ruth Ford secured the grant and serves as the principle investigator. Dr. Christine Manville is the associate investigator.
The goal of the Baptist Healing Trust’s grantmaking is to increase the access of vulnerable populations to compassionate and affordable healthcare and to support and enhance the success of the non-profit organizations it funds by offering funding and consulting to organizations to support cultures centered on compassionate care.
Since its inception in 2002, the Trust has awarded over $50 million dollars of grants in Middle Tennessee.
See more at Baptist Healing Trust’s website.
PT and OT – Two of 10 Booming Jobs in America
What 10 careers on Money and PayScale.com’s list of America’s best jobs will see big opportunities, and what do hiring managers look for?
6. Physical Therapist
Best Jobs rank: 4
10-year growth: 30%
Median pay: $75,000
A greater focus on strength, wellness and preventative care has moved physical therapy into the mainstream. Now these specialists work with patients of all ages and ailments to improve their standard of health.
East Hartford, Conn.-based Preferred Therapy Solutions has 170 openings for those interested in working with patients who are suffering from disease or injury. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required — though a doctorate is recommended — along with all of the appropriate licenses. Just as important: A love for the job.
“I’m a non clinician, when I talk with someone to screen them, I’m looking for someone who can convey how much they enjoy being a physical therapist,” says employment and human resources director Linda Black.
“Someone that I hired gave me an example of the last patient she had treated and how thrilled she was that that patient was able to stand up on her own and walk down the hall and it brought tears to her eyes. It was catching, it was like maybe I should go back to school and become a PT.”
9. Occupational
Therapist
Best Jobs rank: 19
10-year growth: 26%
Median pay: $72,000
Yes degrees, experience and certification are vital to landing a job as an occupational therapist, but when it comes to helping those that suffer from a disabling condition, compassion is paramount.
As such, Erin Wright, senior recruiter for Lakeland HealthCare, pays just as much attention to a job candidate’s social cues as she does their resume. “A lot of it is their tone,” she says. “The way they answer the telephone, you can hear it in their voice.”
To help screen candidates, she brings them into the office to see how they interact. “We do on-site interviews where they get to meet the team and throughout those interviews we are able to see if they were engaged,” says Wright. “Did they smile? Did they make eye contact?”
School of Nursing hosts dinner for scholarship recipients
The School of Nursing at Belmont University recently honored recipients of the New Careers in Nursing (NCIN) Scholarship with a dinner to promote leadership and professionalism. The scholarships are funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation to support underrepresented students in Belmont’s accelerated second degree nursing program. The event was organized by Dr. Anita Chesney and Dr. Carrie Harvey, who coordinate the scholarship program at Belmont. To date, the School of Nursing has received $200,000 in scholarship funds.
The event was attended by the NCIN grantees, as well as several community nurse leaders from the Nashville area. The distinguished guests shared their experiences and offered advice and opportunities to the scholarship recipients. Community nursing leaders from Tennessee Nurses Association (District 3), Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, and Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority challenged the students to succeed and become involved in professional nursing organizations. Featured speakers included Richard Phidd, RN, BSN, and Laura Kelley, RN, MSN (pictured above), who serve as nurse managers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Occupational Therapy Student Publishes Article in OT Practice
Amanda L. Cobb, an occupational therapy doctoral student, had an article published in the Nov. 29 issue of OT Practice. The article, titled “Plotting Next Steps: Transitions for Adults with Developmental Disabilities,” provides two case studies of how occupational therapy helps individuals with developmental disabilities find meaningful occupation and greater independence. Amanda co-wrote the article with Melissa Y. Winkle, President of Dogwood Therapy Services.
Voight speaks to Swiss Sports Physiotherapitsts
PT Professor Mike Voight was in Switzerland recently, serving as an invited keynote speaker for the Swiss Sports Physiotherapy annual meeting. His lecture was entitled “Current Concepts in Ankle Rehabilitation.” The meeting, held in Bern, saw over 400 sports therapists attend.