| Show bruner and Chase Receive the 2005 Distinguished Faculty Award Jeren W. W Canning Campus For 2005 selected two members of the faculty to receive the 2005 Distinguished Faculty Award This year the awards went to Associate Professor of Communications and Director of the Student Media Center Dr Randal Chase and Katherine Bruner Professor and Director of Occupational Therapy Assistance Program Bruner is a alum she graduated with an Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy After which she completed a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Findlay in Findlay Ohio After completing her undergraduate education she came AA A J back to nr as an anA anAA r or ot Occupational Therapy and later became a full Professor Bruner is nearing completion of her Masters Degree from the University of Utah in fact she will graduate from Utah the same day that her daughter graduates from On April 5 Bruner spoke to an audience of about guests in room of Redwood Campus's Technology Building Bruner was first presented a medal and a plaque in recognition recognition recognition of her award after which she presented a speech titled Research into Student Perceptions of Working with People with Mental Illness Her speech focused on her research of her current and former Occupational Therapy students Bruner began by explaining explaining explain explain- ing what th the Occupational Therapy Assistance Program actually is The Occupational Therapy Assistance Program is a two- two year program focused on students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents attaining an Associates of Applied Science degree The program teaches students students students stu stu- stu- stu I dents how to deal with patients through fieldwork and class work where they learn about Physical Dysfunctions Pediatrics Geriatrics Mental Health and Technology Ina In Ina a students student's first year of the program they are required to complete 30 hours of Fieldwork Level Levell 1 During the fourth semester or end of their second year they work with Ulith ti J t J n. n patients Level 2 Fieldwork Much of their Fieldwork is completed at one of the many Valley Mental Health clinics Bruner explained that in 2002 the Utah State Hospital which was the programs program's programs program's programs program's pro pro- grams gram's main source of fieldwork fieldwork fieldwork field- field work closed their doors to student fieldwork She called the Class of 2002 Creative pro problem lem solvers When the class was informed of the problem they began developing their own ser ser- ser ser- vice-learning vice project to replace the State Hospital Bruner wanted to research See Award continued on page 5 Award cont from page 3 the change in attitudes toward people with mental illness Each of her students is required to keep a journal of their thoughts feelings and views toward the patients that they encountered encountered encountered during their fieldwork at Valley Mental Health Each of these journals were collected and analyzed by Bruner She noticed that at the beginning of their work the students reported feelings of fear anxiety nervousness hopefulness and undefined bias By the middle of their work the students began to reach phase two Dual Realization Bruner said that the students would commonly commonly commonly com com- use lines such as they are just like me orthey orthey or orthey they or not like me me During this phase they reported feelings of shock or empathy Throughout her sp speech e h. h Bruner continually lly j used J JA IJ I I quotes quotes from her students student's student s journal When explaining the shock aspect of phase two she used a quote from a student that included the line he really believed he heard the devil explains a students student's writing of Why was I so nervous was an example of empathy Finally at the end of the students student's work she noticed that they had gained a n new w perspective of people with mental illness Secondly she noticed that the students student's comfort level rose as well as their self confidence when dealing with patients To help judge her studies Bruner also formulated a questionnaire and sent it to 35 of her students from all of the ye years rs she has taught 2002 through 2005 Bruner joked about sending nine pages of the questionnaire to students and only one replied she then condensed her paper and resent the questionnaire Of the 35 21 returned the questionnaire 19 of which were women 75 percent were under 25 years old and two were over 35 years old From the questionnaires questionnaires questionnaires ques ques- six students representing representing rep rep- representing resenting all four graduation years formed a focus group Bruner removed herself from the group and let one of the members be the leader She used the data gathered from the focus group to compare to the data she had gathered from the student journals When reviewing the data she sH she ii fia had gathered f d she discover Jt er ered that based on ont he the U rn information information tUf M r J j mation she had the view students students stu stu- students dents had of people with mental illness did change for the positive As for the next step of her research I need to finish my Masters degree and graduate said Bruner with a smile Then she plans to compare the data she currently currently currently cur cur- has to the data she plans to collect from the Class of 2006 |
