Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Arts (DA)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Tammy Bickmore

Second Advisor

Lauren Conigliaro

Keywords

Occupational Therapy, OTD, Doctoral Capstone, Habit Formation, Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Occupational therapists have an opportunity to act as consultants in their healthcare systems to provide education, resources and guidance to interdisciplinary team members. This concept aimed to provide evidence to support an occupational therapy-based program focused on incorporation of healthy habits and routines into one’s daily life as a means to improve nursing altruism, quality of life and perception of one’s successes and value in their occupation. Pre- and post- survey data was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of an occupational therapy-based initiative that provided 1:1 and group coaching to a population of acute care nurses as an evaluation of success in the ability for lifestyle modification programs to improve their overall health and well-being. A measurable increase was noted in 6/7 categories including a 6.99% increase reported in satisfaction with nursing career, 16.75% increase in satisfaction with hobbies and occupations outside of work, 16.75% increase in feeling as though the work “I” do makes a difference, 7.5% increase in feeling equipped with the tools needed to improve occupational balance, 30.4% increase in feelings of living a healthy lifestyle, and 30.4% increase in ability to “let go of work” when going home. While there were limitations, this data supports the value of occupational based initiatives to improve the overall well-being in a population of acute care nurses. Healthcare worker burnout and caregiver fatigue are common topics of discussion amongst healthcare administrators. This initiative provides evidence to support the utilization of occupational therapy services that already exist in healthcare settings to supplement wellness initiatives that often have more of a Human Resource focus. Given the education and skillset of occupational therapists, healthcare administrators could lean in on this resource within their organization in order to promote initiatives which ultimately result in better patient outcomes, team member satisfaction and increase retention across departments.

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