Edgewood, KY – St. Elizabeth Healthcare will host the seventh annual “Crosstown Splint Off” featuring students from Mt. St. Joseph University’s physical therapy (PT) program, Xavier University’s occupational therapy (OT) program, and the University of Cincinnati’s physical therapy (PT) program. The competition will be held at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center at 3861 Olympic Drive in Erlanger on Monday, March 26.
“Many of these students have no idea how to use splinting materials when they start helping patients,” said Meg Robinson, St. Elizabeth occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. “This friendly competition will give them a chance to feel comfortable with the material before having to put it on a person.”
Occupational therapists use activity and exercise to help patients restore ability to return to work or job duties and improve self-care skills following an injury or illness. Recovery often includes splinting. Physical therapists also may have to splint a patient.
“It’s tricky to use thermoplastic because it hardens quickly. You have to form the splint material to conform to a particular body part during the three to five minutes that the material is flexible. You wait too long and you have to reheat or the splint might not fit,” said Robinson, who noticed students struggling to shape splints during yearly lectures at Xavier University. “We want therapy students to feel more comfortable with splinting, learn the basic qualities of various splint materials and most of all not be so nervous, and have fun!”
The three to five-member teams will compete in the Splint Off to create a sculpture that represents “therapy throughout a lifespan.” Each project must include three different splint materials (Polyform™, Ezeform™ and Aquaplast™) and no more than four non-splint components. Projects must demonstrate the draping, molding, and bonding ability of the materials, including a cylinder or curved structure. The entries will be judged on uniqueness and originality, aesthetic and professional quality (smoothness, neatness, and craftsmanship), materials selection, complexity and intricacy. Judges include representatives from each school, St. Elizabeth Hand Therapy and two guest judges.
Xavier has 41 students and 10 teams. Mount Saint Joseph has 40 students and 9 teams. The University of Cincinnati has 32 students and 8 teams. This year there will be an OT/PT Trivia Competition between teams of 5-6 students (teams will include students from each school).
Xavier’s graduate OT program includes classroom and field-work experience, as does Mt. St. Joseph’s PT program and the University of Cincinnati’s PT program. Most OT and PT graduates are quite likely to land a job after graduation.