Hello everyone!
My name is Liz Butler, and I am a current 2nd year OT student at Northern Arizona University in Phoenix, Arizona, USA . I am in the midst of planning my doctoral Capstone project, which will be completed January-April 2024.

I wondered if anyone has site recommendations and/or recommendations for OT's who work in this area that I could get into contact with for completion of this project that are from Ireland or Scotland specifically.

I have a couple of potential ideas to complete my project based on who I can get into contact with. I would like to complete this capstone either within the area of NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) or pediatrics. I am very open to any ideas, but have a couple of ideas to get started with the planning process. The first idea is the necessity of providing trauma informed training to teachers and creating a curriculum to use (in the US this is not widely done, not sure if other areas across the world do this). Another idea is to address transitioning into kindergarten and what teachers and parents deem necessary to help make this a smooth transition and create a guide for parents to reference. I haven't thought of any specific NICU ideas yet but I am VERY open to everything pertaining to pediatrics OR NICU.

For those of you that do not know what a capstone is:
After the completion of didactic coursework, the capstone allows a student to become practice-scholars and decide what primary focus area they would like to use: Clinical practice skills, Research, Program and policy development, Leadership, Advocacy, Administration, Education, or Theory development.

We chose a topic within one of these focus areas and work with a mentor to develop, implement and disseminate a piece of work (which could be assistive technology, clinical guides, adaptive devices, program development, a book, unique innovation of a space... the list is endless) with our mentor.

Mentoring a capstone student is a collaborative process where the mentor supports the student in achieving mutually agreed upon learning objectives and shared project goals. Capstone objectives and goals are unique to each student/mentor collaboration and are created during the planning process. Mentors do NOT have to be Occupational Therapists, just someone that is interested in creating something to better the world with me!

As stated above, I have some topic ideas, but am open to anything, and would really love to work in Scotland or Ireland with a mentor.

Thank you for reading this long winded message and if you or anyone you know (OT or other professional) would be open to working with me in the areas of Pediatrics or NICU, please reach out to me! I am excited to start this journey with you!
-Liz