7670 research outputs found
Sort by
Bird Observations Across Belmont\u27s Campus
Get PDFOver the course of 10 weeks our team collected data about bird sightings on Belmont’s campus. Sessions were recorded using eBird and Merlin Bird ID to correctly identify the birds and record accurate numbers. We conducted sessions at 3 different spots on campus, each with differing types and amounts of vegetation and human presence. These sessions were 20 minutes in duration and were conducted twice a week at each location. The data gathered was used to gain a better understanding of the bird trends and demographics on campus. This data was also used for WellCore events in conjunction with the Belmont Bird Club. The goal of this data collection is to gain a broader understanding of bird life on campus so that the Belmont Bird Club can utilize the information for events, student body education, and as evidence for possible changes to campus (i.e. native plant/bird gardens or bird safe glass) for bird safety and prosperity on campus and in the Nashville area
Sensory Overload: Do We Remember Better with Emotional Sounds or Sights?
Get PDFWorking memory (WM) is a form of memory that allows a person to hold short-term information for immediate mental use. It is a necessary cognitive tool that ensures task execution and encoding. Research has found that not only do audial and visual stimuli impact our performance, but that such distractors affect our ability to recognize and recall human emotion. WM in and of itself is a well-covered field of research. However, where the WM field is limited in its exploration with emotional stimuli and our ability to recognize and recall emotional stimuli while under stress. To find the significance of this ability, we designed a test with four 2-back trials. In each trial, participants are asked to observe faces and/or words played that cued emotion and would have to continuously recall the emotional state of a face or word two units back. We hypothesize that there will be higher memory accuracy with visual n-backs with auditory distractors than auditory n-backs with visual distractors. If our hypothesis is supported by our findings, it could indicate how our cognition organizes stimuli in preference for attention and encoding. In that case, further research would be needed to consider not only the impact of environmental stressors on memory but the significance of each stimulus
GitHub as an Academic Archive: Preserving and Sharing Student Work
No full textThis project aims to develop a centralized GitHub platform to archive and showcase undergraduate student projects within the College of Science and Mathematics, specifically for the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Data Science departments. The platform serves as a resource for students and faculty, providing inspiration for future projects and a reference for incoming students. To facilitate project submissions, a Google Form was created, allowing students to input project details in a systematic manner. An automated workflow was then implemented using Zapier, which transfers submitted information from the form to a committed issue in GitHub. The process will be streamlined further by using methods to convert the issued data into a structured repository, generating a README file and repository based on submission details. These methods will be shared at SPARK. This project enhances accessibility to student work, fosters collaboration, and creates a sustainable knowledge-sharing system for the department
Preventing Nurse Burnout in the Trauma ICU
Get PDFThis change project identifies that nurse burnout is a prevalent problem within the healthcare setting, specifically with nurses working in a critical care environment. Burnout can be described as a negative outcome resulting in exhaustion (emotional, mental, physical) due to stress. The population focused on is the nursing staff on the trauma intensive care unit at VUMC. The proposed recommendation for change is to have a mandatory resource nurse on every shift. Essentially, this nurse is one who has no patients and can be utilized to fill in for breaks and perform anything under the nurse\u27s scope of practice when indicated. This project includes a budget that allows for resource nurse training as well as an additional nurse per hour. The timeline expected is over the course of 6 months and it will be evaluated using a pre and post Maslach Burnout Inventory survey. That same survey will help deem if the intervention is effective and should be permanent or not
Implementing Structured Interprofessional Rounding in an ICU
Get PDFInterprofessional rounding is widely used in ICU settings to ensure collaboration and alignment among healthcare professionals, ultimately providing the best possible care to patients. However, even with scheduled rounding, miscommunication and misinterpretation can occur. These challenges are often due to short staffing, lack of standardized rounding protocols, and time constraints that jeopardize patient safety.
Using a structured interprofessional rounding tool results in improved communication and coherence among team members when discussing patient care (Chapman et al., 2020). The tool selected for this project includes all essential rounding topics to facilitate team collaboration and shared decision-making. The implementation plan includes conducting staff education sessions, integrating the structured tool into daily rounds, assigning rounding leaders for consistency, and collecting feedback from team members for continuous improvement. The project will be carried out in the MS/NSICU from August 1st, 2025 to March 1st, 2026.
The evaluation plan involves tracking communication-related errors, patient safety events, and staff satisfaction through pre- and post-implementation surveys. Success will be measured by improved communication outcomes, reduced incident reports, and positive staff feedback. Long-term goals include expanding the structured rounding template to additional HCA units and facilities to drive system-wide improvements in patient care and team communication
Psychology: Sniff and Solve; The Role of Aroma in Puzzle Performance
No full textScents have the ability to influence people\u27s way of thinking and doing things. Through the sense of smell, humans can perceive a variety of different objects from the outside world. As individuals go about their day, they are exposed to multiple different odors, all of which can be perceived differently. Previous research has determined that different aromas contribute to individuals\u27 cognition and behavior without the individuals being consciously aware of it (Holland, 2005). Existing literature has also proven that while in the presence of olfaction, individuals\u27 performance on cognitive tasks are significantly enhanced (Ghinhea, 2015). Other research has studied the effects of specific aromas, such as citrus, peppermint and lavender, having different effects on an individual\u27s driving fatigue. Previous research shows that all three odors, peppermint, grapefruit, and lavender, are associated with a significant decrease in all levels of driving fatigue, as well as a significantly lower level of driving fatigue compared to a control group (Jiang, et al., 2024).
While having an aroma present is a significant factor in task completion, the type of aroma is also a factor to consider in productivity of a task. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to assess how different aromas contribute to individuals productivity and task completion. Specifically, how the scent of lavender, citrus and a control group will contribute to individuals\u27 timely completion of a puzzle task. While research is ongoing, we hypothesize that the citrus group will have the fastest average puzzle completion time, followed by the no scent group, and then the lavender scented group will have the slowest puzzle completion time on average. We also hypothesize that the citrus group will say that the scent had a positive effect on their puzzle completion time. The no scent group will say that the scent had a neutral feeling about the scent affecting their puzzle completion time. The lavender scent group will say it had a negative affect on their puzzle completion time. Further details on the results and their implications will be presented upon completion of the study
Utilizing ChatGPT to Address Billing & Coding Gaps Among Rural Nurse Practitioners
Get PDFOver 75% of new healthcare providers report feeling unprepared to manage billing and coding requirements. The challenge is in part a result of limited coverage of these topics in advanced practice curricula and the lack of free, accessible, and up-to-date coding resources. This quality improvement project explored the potential of ChatGPT as an innovative tool to support rural nurse practitioners in Tennessee with billing and coding challenges. Using the IHI Model for Improvement, two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were conducted to assess ChatGPT’s effectiveness as a billing and coding resource. The first cycle evaluated ChatGPT\u27s accuracy in generating Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. The second cycle implemented a pilot study in which rural NPs used ChatGPT as a coding tool. Results indicated that ChatGPT achieved an accuracy rate of 89% in generating Evaluation and Management (E/M) codes and a 90% accuracy in generating procedural codes. Additionally, 55% of participants expressed interest in using ChatGPT for coding again and approximately 60% reported that ChatGPT was not difficult to use. Nurse practitioners with less than three years of experience reported lower perceived proficiency in billing and coding, highlighting the potential of ChatGPT to enhance confidence and skill development. These findings suggest that ChatGPT can help streamline billing and coding processes, reduce administrative burdens, and support rural healthcare providers in developing essential skills. This project demonstrates that ChatGPT is a valuable, accessible, on-demand resource that may improve healthcare efficiency, particularly for providers in underserved areas
Navigating Excellence: A Comprehensive Program Evaluation of an Academic Clinical Nurse Educator Pilot Course
Get PDFProject title: Navigating Excellence: A Comprehensive Program Evaluation of an Academic Clinical Nurse Educator Pilot Course
Background and Rationale: Clinical instructors play a key role in nursing education, yet clinical instructors have varying degrees of formal preparation for the role. These inconsistencies affect student outcomes and instructors’ ability to effectively teach, mentor, and evaluate students. To address this, Belmont University developed the Academic Clinical Nurse Educator Program online course. This project conducted a comprehensive program evaluation to assess its effectiveness.
Aim: This project evaluated the effectiveness, success, and sustainability of an online Clinical Nurse Educator and Preceptor course designed to prepare registered nurses to teach undergraduate students and new nurses in clinical settings.
Design: This study used a summative program evaluation guided by the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) framework to systematically assess the program’s relevance, implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability. It focused on program outcomes, participant perceptions, and long-term sustainability.
Methods: Course content was mapped to the AACN Essentials to assess alignment with national nursing accreditation standards. Data collection included surveys from Belmont Online, Qualtrics, and the ACNESAT, a validated tool measuring confidence and self-efficacy. The ACNESAT assessed role characteristics and fulfillment. Survey responses were analyzed for satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, role expectations, and areas for improvement.
Results: The summative evaluation showed an 80% completion rate and increased self-efficacy (+19%), with the greatest gain in assessment/evaluation strategies (+21.84%). Satisfaction & Impact: Participants rated content (7.67/10) and interactivity (7.5/10) highly; 53% plan to take the CNEcl exam. Key themes: communication, professional boundaries, and bias reduction. AACN Essentials Mapping: The course aligned with 9/10 competencies, with the highest representation in Professional Development (92.8%) and Professionalism (87%).
Conclusions: The course effectively improved self-efficacy, confidence, and preparedness for clinical teaching, with the greatest improvement found in assessment/evaluation strategies. High satisfaction and strong alignment with AACN Essentials support its relevance and sustainability.
Implications for Practice: This evaluation underscores the need for ongoing faculty development in clinical assessment. Findings support structured, competency-based programs in enhancing self-efficacy, professional growth, and certification readiness
High School Self-esteem as it Relates to College Autonomy: The Role of the Mother-Daughter Relationship
Get PDFExisting research indicates that feelings of connectedness in the mother-daughter relationship positively predict self-esteem and overall life satisfaction (Onayli & Erdur-Baker, 2013). In addition, mother-daughter communication is significantly correlated with daughters’ perceived self-esteem (Lyle, 1984). Furthermore, parental support of autonomy in adolescents is positively associated with life satisfaction, and this relationship is partially mediated by self-esteem (Ma et al., 2022). Research is clear that autonomy is a strong predictor of self-esteem (Hodgins et al., 2007); however, no research indicates whether or not self-esteem can be a predictor of autonomy. Thus, the purpose of our study is to explore high school self-esteem as it relates to college autonomy and the role the mother-daughter bond plays in this relationship. We gathered data on Belmont undergraduate females through a Qualtrics survey that contained three scales, measuring past self-esteem, current autonomy, and the strength of the mother-daughter relationship. We hypothesize that daughters’ self-esteem in high school will be positively correlated with autonomy in college. Additionally, we hypothesize that the strength of the mother-daughter relationship will moderate the relationship between self-esteem in high school and autonomy in college, such that the relationship between high school self-esteem and college autonomy was significantly higher in mother-daughter relationships with a strong bond. Our findings support our hypotheses showing that self-esteem, specifically in adolescent years, is a predictor of autonomy in emerging adulthood. Further, our results show that this relationship is moderated by a strong, positive mother-daughter bond. Our study provides information on how mothers play a crucial role in their daughters\u27 self-esteem in adolescent years and how this can impact their autonomy as they enter emerging adulthood
Protecting Defendants’ Sixth Amendment Right to Effective Counsel During the Plea Process: Why and How the Strickland Prejudice Requirement Must Change in the New Era of Pleas
Get PDFPlea bargaining has completely transformed the American criminal justice system over the past 50 years, with roughly 98% of criminal convictions nationwide now resulting from plea deals instead of jury trials. Considering plea bargaining’s prominence and relative novelty in America, the United States Supreme Court still has significant decisions to make regarding how pleas intertwine with other facets of criminal and constitutional law—especially criminal defendants’ Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court recently denied certiorari in Davis v. United States, a case that would have resolved a significant division among the Circuit Courts regarding how a defendant can demonstrate his counsel’s actions were prejudicially ineffective during the plea bargaining process under Strickland’s ineffective assistance of counsel standard. This note analyzes the circuits’ differing approaches and ultimately advocates for the position endorsed by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in her written dissent from the denial of certiorari in Davis: that a defendant may, in the absence of a formal plea offer from the government and in the presence of other supporting factors, establish prejudicially ineffective assistance of counsel when his counsel has failed to initiate plea negotiations. Otherwise, criminal defendants that have been significantly harmed by their counsel’s inaction may be afforded no constitutional protection—making the Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel nothing but an empty promise in the new era of pleas