Document Type (Journals)
Theory
Abstract
High levels of stress among occupational therapy graduate students have led to the adoption of unhealthy coping habits such as poor nutrition, little exercise, and disrupted sleep. In response, many institutions have explored programming and even curricular changes to support student well-being. However, very few are built upon a strong theoretical foundation to address holistic well-being. Therefore, this paper describes how logic modeling was used to develop a student well-being program based on Facilitating Learning and Occupational Well-Being Using Research-Based Initiatives for Student Health (FLOURISH), a theoretical approach rooted in the Person-Environment-Occupation Performance Model. A well-being program delivered via a virtual community of practice for entry-level students at a Midwestern occupational therapy program was created to decrease stress and enhance overall well-being for the performance of learning. The program consisted of eight 50-minute sessions that met once per week and included topics of physical, mental, sociocultural, environmental, and occupational well-being. The student well-being program is one viable option that shows promise to empower students with a theoretical approach to address personal and professional well-being, which has the potential to translate into professional practice. In this article, we describe the well-being program and the theoretical approach in detail and illustrate how it can be used to improve occupational therapy student well-being.
Biography
Stacy Smallfield, DrOT, MSOT, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA is Associate Program Director, Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, and Associate Professor in the Division of Occupational Therapy Education, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She was affiliated with the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, at the time of this project.
Emma Burry is pursuing her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.
Kelsey Lawrence is pursuing her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.
Kathy Yang, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist at BJC Christian Hospital St. Louis, MO.
Katherine Chin is pursuing her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.
HannahMarie Klute is pursuing her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Smallfield, S., Burry, E., Lawrence, K. M., Yang, K. M., Chin, K. M., & Klute, H. (2022). The Development of a Well-Being Program for Occupational Therapy Graduate Students. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6 (2). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060204
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