Senior Lecturer and Associate Chair of Occupational Therapy
Rehabilitation Management, Evaluation and Treatment of physical dysfunctions, Evaluation and Treatment of Orthopedic Dysfunctions in the Athlete, Concussion Management and Education, Adaptive Sports as a Rehabilitation Tool
Adaptive Sports, Concussion Management of the Athlete and Student, Professional development of the Health-Care Manager
Chronic Pain, Virtual Reality, Musculoskeletal Health, Ergonomics
Nancy Baker's research focuses on ways to mitigate musculoskeletal pain, so people with chronic pain can increase their participation in everyday life. She focuses on three pain mitigation pathways: 1) workstation ergonomics to address work environment properties that propagate pain; 2) improving care delivery in CTS; and 3) virtual reality (VR) as a therapeutic medium for pain.
Baker's research is eclectic and uses a variety of tools and techniques to answer her research questions. A new area for her, her current research examines how to implement VR into clinical practice. Here pilot work has looked at what types and dosages of VR are most effective, how different diagnoses, such as chronic back pain or osteoarthritis, respond to VR, and she has partnered with rehabilitation centers to trial different implementation practices. So far, her research consistently demonstrates that VR has a significant effect on pain and that it can be feasibly done by practicing therapists. Some results found a carryover of effect past the immediate VR session. Baker is also working with colleagues to examine new paradigms in carpal tunnel treatment and is completing a trial looking at dosage for standing desk use.
Group Theory & Practice; Functional Group Model; Occupational Therapy Fieldwork, Mentoring
My scholarship has focussed on development of an instrument to measure outcomes of group leader training related to common leader skills and functions and occupational therapy fieldwork. I currently participate in research projects regarding professional development, occupational therapy education, and community based program evaluation.
Current research interests include the use of tele-health technologies and patient participation in healthcare outcomes. Other interests include the use of social media to enhance engagement and communication within the profession as well as with patients.
Board Certification in Pediatrics (BCP) 2012-2022, American Occupational Therapy Association
Occupational therapy evaluation and intervention in pediatrics, particularly contextual and strengths-based services
Pediatrics
Evaluation, including strengths-based evaluation, occupation-based evaluation, context & environment
Intervention, including models of occupation-based service provision, contextual services, collaboration, strengths-based, least restrictive environment
Program development, including systems approaches, strengths-based, mindfulness, social-emotional regulation, physical literacy
Teaching and Learning
Models of professional development, andragogy, self-regulated learning
Project-based learning, technology in teaching and learning, using visual analog scales in course evaluation, concept mapping
Online teaching and learning, course design (F2F, hybrid, online)
Professional communication, fieldwork education, professional development of emerging occupational therapists, interprofessional collaboration, complex medical pediatric occupational therapy, community-based practice
Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation Science; Activity Performance and Participation of Children, Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities; Measurement and Intervention Development and Testing
The ultimate aim of my research is to promote activity performance and participation of children, youth, and young adults with disabilities across the lifespan. I am particularly interested in assessment and intervention approaches that identify and build upon what individuals already know and do to manage their daily life routines and participate in meaningful activities. I have developed a number of measures as primary author such as the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) and as co-author such as the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY). My most recent project (Social participation And Navigation or SPAN) involves the development and testing of an app-based coaching intervention to promote social participation of teenagers and transition-age young adults with acquired brain injuries and other conditions. (See personal website for current and past work and resources).
Occupational therapy, social psychology, culture and health care stigma, health quality of life, social participation, Parkinson's disease and conditions across lifespan that affect nonverbal and verbal communication, evidence-based practice.
I study health quality of life and define it as participation in daily life tasks, activities, and roles in a manner that contributes to individual, familial, societal, and global health and well-being. A bio-psycho-social approach is taken with respect to processes and outcomes of health quality of life. I work with researchers and students from different disciplines and countries to conduct research in a creative and collaborative interdisciplinary environment.
