Date of Award

4-2024

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Audra Preston

Second Advisor

Morgan Hungerford

Third Advisor

Holly Grieves

Abstract

Neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction can lead to serious health complications and negatively impacts one’s mental health and quality of life (Kurze et al., 2022l; Borsh et al., 2019 ). Despite the abundance of research on the topic concerning the spinal cord injury population, there is limited generalization to other neurologic conditions with similar presentation. There is also a need for practical implementation and clinical guidelines in health care systems (Kurze et al., 2022l; Borsh et al., 2019). Toileting is one of the main activities of daily living listed in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework ( AOTA, 2020) yet the professions’ role in managing neurogenic bowel and bladder remained unclear and underutilized at the site this capstone took place. The aim of the doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was to increase the competency of occupational therapy and nursing staff to improve the care of patients with neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction. The actions that were taken to achieve this goal included reviewing evidence - based literature, developing employee trainings and educational modules, creating patient - friendly handouts and resources, and implementing standardized procedures to use in daily operations. The overarching outcome of the DCE was a culture - shift towards improved awareness and care for patients with neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction.

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