Graduation Date
5-2017
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
Department or Program
Occupational Therapy
Department or Program Chair
Ruth Ramsey, EdD, OTR/L
First Reader
Kitsum Li, OTD, OTR/L, CSRS
Second Reader
Shad St. Louis, MS, OTR/L
Abstract
In recent years, the number of inpatient cardiovascular surgeries has significantly increased in hospitals around America. Occupational therapists in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame, California) lack a standard protocol for addressing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in patients post cardiac surgery. Furthermore, individuals’ experience and clinical reasoning frequently guides interventions rather than current evidence. The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Centennial Vision encourages occupational therapists to pursue science-driven practices and provide evidence-based interventions. In response to this Vision, an evidence-based clinical pathway was developed for the occupational therapists at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. The clinical pathway facilitates patients’ return to their highest level of function during post cardiac surgery rehabilitation. The proposed clinical pathway includes physical recovery, early detection of cognitive impairment, and psychosocial health for patients post cardiac surgery. The final clinical pathway was compiled into a clinical manual, entitled Clinical Pathway for Post Cardiac Surgery – Progression of Occupational Therapy in Intensive Care Unit, and adapted into a pocket guide.