Browsing by Author "McCannell, Jessica"

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    ENHANCING CANCER SURVIVORSHIP EDUCATION: A COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP APPROACH TO ONCOLOGY REHABILITATION
    (2025-04-17) Alley, Mikaela; Boy, Virginia; Cailler, Taylor; Giles, Ben; Marter, Marissa; McCannell, Jessica; Strickler, Julia; Bochynski, Jennifer; Slike, Michelle
    Purpose: As the number of individuals diagnosed with cancer continues to rise, the need for physical therapy intervention to support physical and mental well-being is becoming increasingly important. Seven doctor of physical therapy students and two physical therapy educators created two educational sessions on oncology topics for the community in Bangor, ME. Goals were to improve student knowledge in oncology topics and provide education to the community regarding the benefits of oncology rehabilitation to improve quality of life. Description: Students developed learning objectives and presentations utilizing learning theories, including: connectivism, constructivism, and andragogy to design two workshops. These workshops included presentations with an incorporation of active learning activities. Topics were determined based on community needs and included: an introduction to oncology rehabilitation, cancer related fatigue, exercise, cancer related pain, lymphedema, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and mental health. These evidence-based workshops were available in-person and remotely via Zoom. Assessment of the learning experience included a participant pretest and post-test and a satisfaction survey. Outcomes: 16 participants attended with two participants attending both presentations. 87% of the participants improved their score from pretest to post-test. The remaining 13% had the same score. Overall, participants felt each workshop was highly organized and reported satisfaction with the material and its relevance to their everyday lives. Participants were also satisfied with the hands-on learning activities. Importance and Future Considerations: Participation in these workshops brought awareness to cancer survivors and caregivers on the benefits of PT rehabilitation. DPT students benefited from this project by growing their knowledge of oncology rehabilitation and their ability to provide patient education. Based on the research outcomes, cancer survivors may benefit from additional education regarding their condition management. Through hands-on workshops, cancer survivors may be more satisfied and prepared to manage their conditions.