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Perceptions and Awareness of Operating Room Staff Regarding Surgical Smoke: Implications for Safety and Health
Get PDFIn the ever-evolving landscape of modern medicine, surgical procedures have become increasingly complex and reliant on energy-based devices, leading to the ubiquitous presence of surgical smoke in ORs. This phenomenon, while a byproduct of technological advancement, poses significant concerns regarding the health and safety of OR personnel, including surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, surgical technicians, and ancillary staff. This paper presents a meticulous examination of the multifaceted impacts of surgical smoke, emphasizing the urgency for comprehensive intervention and systemic change
CATALYTIC HYDROPYROLYSIS OF BEETLE KILLED TREES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TRANSPORTATION BIOFUELS
No full textIn this study, we conducted catalytic hydropyrolysis experiments on beetle-killed trees such as Pine, Ash borer and Red bay. The experiments were performed using a micro-pyrolyzer-Py/GC-MS setup. This study focused on the hydropyrolysis of beetle-killed trees in the presence of various heterogeneous catalysts like HZSM5, NiMo-HZSM-5, and NiRe-HZSM-5. We investigated the effects of different process parameters such as temperature, catalyst-to-biomass ratio, and hydrogen partial pressure on product yield and selectivity with HZSM-5. Our findings suggest that across the three feedstocks, temperature, pressure, and catalyst-to-biomass ratio play crucial roles in producing aromatics essential for transportation biofuel. The influence of catalyst acidity on product yields was also reported in this work and we observed that increasing the acidity of the catalyst positively influences hydrocarbon yield, irrespective of the feedstocks. Additionally, we examined the effect of acidity on the aromatic distribution of the product, revealing a more yield of C7 and C8 carbon numbers with increasing acidity. NiMo-HZSM-5, and NiRe-HZSM-5 have the potential to produce hydrocarbons for transportation biofuel as a result of the synergistic effect of metals doped on HZSM-5. Although we hypothesized that Re is a better alternative compared to Mo-containing zeolites because of its higher catalytic performance and stability compared to Molybdenum, however, the results we obtained with NiRe-HZSM-5 showed otherwise as we obtained only a small yield of alkanes compared to NiMo-HZSM-5
Evaluating situational judgment test use and diversity in admissions at a southern US medical school
Get PDFIntroduction Situational judgment tests have been adopted by medical schools to assess decision-making and ethical characteristics of applicants. These tests are hypothesized to positively affect diversity in admissions by serving as a noncognitive metric of evaluation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) scores in relation to admissions interview evaluations. Methods This was a cohort study of applicants interviewing at a public school of medicine in the southeastern United States in 2018 and 2019. Applicants took the CASPer test prior to their interview day. In-person interviews consisted of a traditional interview and multiple-mini-interview (MMI) stations. Between subjects, analyses were used to compare scores from traditional interviews, MMIs, and CASPer across race, ethnicity, and gender. Results 1,237 applicants were interviewed (2018: n = 608; 2019: n = 629). Fifty-seven percent identified as female. Self-identified race/ethnicity included 758 White, 118 Black or African-American, 296 Asian, 20 Native American or Alaskan Native, 1 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 44 No response; 87 applicants identified as Hispanic. Black or African-American, Native American or Alaskan Native, and Hispanic applicants had significantly lower CASPer scores than other applicants. Statistically significant differences in CASPer percentiles were identified for gender and race; however, between subjects, comparisons were not significant. Conclusions The CASPer test showed disparate scores across racial and ethnic groups in this cohort study and may not contribute to minimizing bias in medical school admissions
Adopting Virtual Reality for Education: Exploring Teachers\u27 Perspectives on Readiness, Opportunities, and Challenges
Get PDFVirtual reality (VR) can be adapted to teach many topics and may be particularly effective for complex concepts. However, little is known about teacher readiness on adopting VR in the classroom. Accordingly, 189 higher education teachers were surveyed to explore perceptions on adopting VR. Findings revealed the adoption of VR vectored on teachers perceived readiness confidence in technology skill and belief that VR has potential to benefit student learning. Moreover, understanding students cognitive experience in the immersive VR environment remains underdeveloped and may influence teacher\u27s perception of readiness to adopt VR for teaching. However, there is an opportunity to influence educational models by providing a VR approach to knowledge creation centered around cognitive processes students use to make sense of the real world. But there remain perceived challenges centered around costs, technical issues, content availability, and pedagogical integration. This study concludes any successful adoption of VR for teaching will require careful planning for teacher readiness with primary focus on technology competence and pedagogical matters. Although more research is needed to understand teachers\u27 readiness, VR is likely forthcoming and has potential to be an important resource in the educator\u27s toolkit
#TeacherQuitTok: A content analysis of how current and former teachers navigate attrition on TikTok
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to use thematic content analysis to examine conversations and factors most discussed by teachers centering on attrition using the TikTok social media platform. Social media offers teachers a way to connect with others and share their thoughts while maintaining a perceived level of professional distance from their workplace. This research will explore how teachers use social media to provide a window into their classroom, working conditions, and decisions to leave or stay. The study was guided by the following questions: (1) How are current and former teachers using the TikTok social media platform to discuss or express their views on the teacher resignation trend? And (2) How do perceived and expressed attrition factors differ between teachers who leave and those who stay
CHLORHEXIDINE BATHING CHANGE PROJECT
No full textCentral Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) are laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections that occur where central lines are placed for over two calendar days on the date of the event with Day One being the day the device is placed (Moureau & Flynn, 2015). CLABSIs occur due to the contamination of the central lines’ access port/hub due to the continuous manipulation and handling of the catheter resulting in microbial entry, endoluminal colonization, and bloodstream infection (Kamboj et al., 2015). Therefore, there is a need to establish an effective approach for routine central line disinfection with CHG wipes
The Implementation of a Nurse Residency Program
Get PDFImplementing a nurse residency program in a hospital can be a successful plan to improve nurse retention and the quality of patient care. Nurse residency programs allow new graduate nurses to transition into professional practice and gain skills for safe and effective care. Components of the programs include preceptorship, educational seminars, shadowing days, and support from preceptors, educators, and other leadership members. The program also may provide benefits to hospitals, including improved patient outcomes, nurse job satisfaction, and decreased costs associated with reduced turnover. Successful implementation needs leadership, collaboration, and communication among all stakeholders, including the staff nurses, preceptors, educators, and managers. The evaluation methods with continuous feedback can allow staff to ensure that the program meets the needs of the new graduate nurses and the hospital. Overall, implementing a nurse residency program can be a positive investment for hospitals looking to improve retention rates and provide a supportive environment for new graduate nurses
Implementing Nurse-Specialist-Delivered-Education to Improve Application Compliance of Ordered Intermittent Pneumatic Compression
Get PDFHealthcare-associated (HA) venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the formation of a potentially deadly blood clot that can occur in patients as a result of hospitalization, surgery, procedures, etc. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022a). HA-VTE is the number one most preventable cause of death in hospitals. The organization at which this author is associated experienced 48 VTE events during the first six months of 2020 (Mainer, 2020). Over 50% of these events demonstrate a lack of appropriate physical or mechanical VTE prophylaxis application per provider order, including sequential compression devices (SCD). The use of intermittent pneumatic compression devices (IPCD) (i.e., SCDs) have been proven to reduce the risk of HA-VTE (Fan et al., 2020). However, these devices are underutilized in practice (Kakkos et al., 2016). This evidence-based practice (EBP) research project seeks to determine if nurse-specialist-delivered education about IPC effectiveness to nurses and patients who have SCD orders can improve SCD compliance rates. Two cycles of the Plan-Do-Study-Act model of EBP project implementation are utilized to implement two VTE education tools developed per evidence obtained via review of the literature. These education methods include a VTE nurse education PowerPoint presentation and VTE patient education tool. Post-intervention audits demonstrate a small increase in SCD application compliance compared to baseline
Importance in Decreasing Blood Culture Contaminations
Get PDFBlood culture collection was a skill introduced while in nursing school. We are all human and make mistakes, and sometimes errors are made. Blood culture contamination happens. It happens even more in hectic departments like Emergency Department and Intense Care Unit. The American Society for Microbiology and Clinical Laboratory Standard have recommended that the %3 should be the overall rate for blood contamination rate (Center for Disease Control, 2023). In the current facility that I am in, blood culture contamination is an enormous issue. The facility rate is 9.3%, the Emergency Department was 11.3%, and the Phlebotomy was 5.2%. Multiple interventions were introduced to the staff, and others were brought up. Management barriers cost and employee satisfaction. The Emergency Department is already busy, and adding more tasks could increase staff stress. In a facility that is already concerned with expenses, it was scary to introduce a device that could possibly help decrease the blood contamination rate.
With committees, colleges can work harder, increase engagement, and find better solutions, and was reflected in this facility (Rehill,221). Employees from the lab, quality, management, and even IT came to speak with the Emergency Department to develop solutions. It was refreshing seeing many departments working together. It gave hope that there would be an improvement in the blood culture contamination rates
DNP Final Report: DECREASING STRESS & ANXIETY IN NURSING STUDENTS: A MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAM INTERVENTION
Get PDFNursing students experience increased stress and anxiety due to the rigorous requirements of nursing school. Students often feel pressure to perform in a competitive environment that stretches them mentally and physically to learn extensive didactic material while simultaneously performing competently in clinical settings. Without effective methods to address self-care, students may experience the ramifications of unresolved stress. The practice question guiding the project was: In undergraduate Level II nursing students (P), does implementing a Mindfulness Based Program (MBP) (I), compared to not implementing a MBP (C), affect stress, anxiety, and mindfulness (O) during a semester (T)? Based on systematic review of the literature, it was concluded that mindfulness would promote stress and anxiety reduction in nursing students. In addition, a MBP could secondarily be anticipated to increase resiliency, improve learning and test scores, and decrease attrition in students. An 8-week MBP consisting of interactive mindfulness education and skill practice sessions was implemented. Students who participated in the MBP experienced a 63% reduction in stress and a 68% reduction in anxiety. Mindfulness increased by 102% within the student participant group. These outcomes met or exceeded those expected based on the evidence reviewed. The MBP was therefore an effective method to provide self-care support to the undergraduate nursing student population. Its continuation as part of nursing student education is recommended