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Implementing online evidence based educational program in diabetics.
Full text linkBackground: Educational online videos about diabetes can significantly improve patient outcomes by enhancing understanding and promoting effective self-management practices. These videos provided by the CDC provide a visually engaging and easily accessible content that simplifies complex medical information, making it more relatable for individuals living with diabetes. Online videos cater to various learning styles and can be watched multiple times to reinforce key diabetes management concepts and strategies. This awareness and competency improve adherence to treatment plans, creates a supportive community, and enhances health outcomes and quality of life.
Project Goals: To trial online evidence-based educational videos in patients with prediabetes and diabetes type II over a twelve-week period to determine if it can assist with lowering A1c values.
Methods: The implementation and evaluation of the project were conducted utilizing the PDSA framework. Plan- Initiate online evidence-based educational videos for patients with prediabetes and diabetes type II. The Do-A QR code was created and presented to eighteen patients who presented it to the office with prediabetes and type II diabetes. All eighteen patients agreed to be a part of the trial. Each patient returned for their twelve-week follow-up appointment. Study- Data on pre and post A1c values was collected. Act- Present to stakeholders and plan for next PSDA cycle.
Results: Over a 12-week period, there were eighteen patients who agreed to trial the online educational program who were seen by the project mentor. Out of the eighteen patients, sixteen of them repeated their A1c in 12 weeks. The average A1c pre-implementation was 6.4, with a risk score of 6.0, placing them at increased risk for developing type II diabetes. The average post implementation A1c was 5.8.
Conclusion: Overall, there was a downward trend in A1c post implementation, and it had a positive impact over the 12-week period
Fighting Falls on an Inpatient Cardiovascular Unit: A Quality Improvement Project
Full text linkBackground
Patient falls are amongst the most preventable yet costly accidents that occur in an inpatient setting. Research has shown that falls are the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries and hip fractures, which can be detrimental, especially to the aging population. Furthermore, inpatient falls pose a major financial burden on all hospital institutions worldwide. Interventions that have proved to decrease fall rates involve a combination of patient and staff education, proper footwear and accessibility to walking aids, and ensuring that alarms are active and audible, and the patient beds are in lowest position. Therefore, a combination approach to decreasing falls is perhaps more effective than implementing just 1 intervention.
Project Goals Provide education through an information flyer to staff members over a 1-week period on fall metrics and the importance of fall prevention. Implement a fall prevention checklist and assess adherence to checklist over a 1-month period. Compare rates of falls prior to implementation of the checklist (30 days) to rates of falls 30 days after implementation.
Methods
A volunteer-based fall prevention checklist and a falls educational flyer were created and implemented on a 26-bed, adult inpatient unit on a heart and vascular floor. The project framework utilized the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice and continuous PDSA cycles.
Results
The strongest compliance areas (100%) were patient beds were in the lowest position, pathways to the bathrooms were clear, patients could reach their call bells and verbalized understanding of when and how to use them, and education was provided to all patients assessed. Despite education, the TIPS boards were completed less than half of the time, at 45%. There were 2 patient falls overnight, occurring in the timeframe that volunteers were not utilizing the checklist and rounding.
Conclusion
A fall prevention checklist combined with education for both patients and staff members has the potential to decrease patient falls and increase patient safety
Enhancing Dermatologic Education in a Family Nurse Practitioner Program: A Quality Improvement Project that Promotes Skin Assessment Competency in Diverse Populations
No full textBackground: Dermatologic education in Nurse Practitioner (NP) programs often lacks adequate representation of skin conditions in patients with darker skin tones, contributing to diagnostic disparities and delayed treatment. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to integrate culturally competent dermatologic content into the Primary Care I course at Sacred Heart University to enhance diagnostic accuracy and student confidence.
Purpose: The primary goals were to improve NP students’ knowledge and confidence in diagnosing dermatologic conditions across diverse skin tones and to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention using pre- and post-intervention assessments.
Methods: The project utilized the Six Sigma DMAIC framework. A 30-minute in-person presentation, dermatologic quiz, and confidence survey were delivered to two cohorts of NP students (2024 and 2025). The intervention included high-quality images, case studies, and resources focused on diverse dermatologic presentations. Surveys and quizzes were distributed via SurveyMonkey, and participation was encouraged through repeated communication and reminders.
Results: Out of 34 students, 21 completed both the quiz and survey. The 2025 cohort demonstrated higher confidence and preparedness scores, with quiz averages at 85% compared to 81% in 2024. High-quality images and case studies were reported as most helpful. Students recommended incorporating simulation labs and interactive case reviews to further enhance learning.
Conclusions: The intervention improved student confidence and preparedness in diagnosing dermatologic conditions in diverse populations. Despite minor barriers such as timing and survey response rates, the project highlighted the importance of inclusive educational practices in NP programs. Ongoing feedback, faculty collaboration, and curricular integration are essential for sustainability and future success
Neurotoxicity of 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) during embryonic zebrafish development.
No full textPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are added in high volumes to textiles, furniture foams, plastics and electronics as flame retardants. Although these PBDEs are effective in protecting property and human life from fire, their high production volumes have led PBDEs to be pervasive environmental contaminants and pose an ecological risk. Here we investigate the developmental neurotoxicity of 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) using the zebrafish vertebrate model system. We treated zebrafish embryos with control, vehicle, low (5µM) and high concentration (20µM) of BDE-47 at 6 hours post-fertilization before the onset of gastrulation and treated continuously until 6 days. Consistent with others, we find abnormal curvature of the body with flexion of the hindbrain, but studies on neurotoxicity were lacking. Using a transgenic expressing green fluorescent protein in the branchiomotor neurons of the hindbrain, we find a significant decrease in the length of rhombomere 1-8 and loss of the canonical patterning of branchiomotor neurons V-VII in treated embryos. We further investigated oligodendrocytes in the hindbrain using a myelin basic protein transgenic and found a significant decrease in the number of oligodendrocytes in the hindbrain of treated embryos. Given the abnormal curvature of the body, we also investigated muscle myofibrils and primary motor neurons which innervate the trunk musculature. We find that by 6 days, muscle myofibrils are disrupted in a concentration dependent manner, but despite the spinal curvature, the motor neuron pattern along the chevron-shaped somites was not affected. However, BDE-47 treated embryos demonstrated a decrease in motoneuron signal. Here we conclude that BDE-47 is neurotoxic to the developing embryos
Should we be ‘Calling-in’ or ‘Calling-out’? Student Perspectives on Bias Intervention Strategies
No full textWhen people encounter prejudiced comments about marginalized social groups, many feel compelled to confront them. In this study, we aim to better understand two confrontation approaches: “call-ins” and “call-outs. Call-ins are educational conversations aimed at explaining why a comment or behavior is offensive, while call-outs call attention to offensive comments or behaviors, often to provoke guilt or shame. Despite a growing emphasis on “calling people in” over “calling them out,” little research has examined how these approaches are perceived and experienced. In the present study, a sample of college students (N = 600) imagined that a friend made an offensive comment about a marginalized social group. They then generated both a call-in and a call-out response and evaluated the two approaches. Overall, people favored call-ins over call-outs, rating them as more respectful, comfortable, and autonomy-supportive, as well as less damaging to their friendship. Nevertheless, future research should examine whether offenders interpret confrontation methods as intended and whether call-ins are indeed more effective at prompting reflection and reducing offensive language
Bridging the Gap: Reading Toni Morrison’s Beloved and The Bluest Eye with Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
Full text linkAnalyzing the theory of Dr Joy DeGruy Leary’s Post traumatic Slave syndrome through The Bluest Eye and Beloved. This paper will examine the impact that slavery has on a black woman\u27s ability to mother her child. As well as the trauma that it brings onto those children
A mobile application fostering a green mindset on campus - EcoHeart
No full textWith climate change and waste pollution worsening, we aim to foster a greener mindset in communities. EcoHeart is designed for higher education institutions, their staff, faculty, and students, serving as a hub for exploring sustainable options and incentivizing eco-friendly actions. Our application is designed to engage students, faculty, and staff in sustainability, fostering a more sustainable lifestyle, helping guide their consumption decisions, and thus learning how to better take care of the environment around them. The application includes links to articles, an interactive map of the campus, and a QR scanner to identify the user and give rewards where applicable. The application aims to give options around the university for collecting points (HP) for environmentally friendly choices as the map allows users to see where eco-friendly opportunities are located and provides users with a guide for earning points. These points can then be exchanged for food discounts or in the bookstore. Our goal is to create a more environmentally friendly campus and reduce our waste as a community, while simultaneously educating members about climate change and ways to mitigate its impact. Concurrently it provides the university with a means to enhance its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) effort. EcoHeart was developed using React with an AWS backend
Are College Students who Cut or Skip Meals More Prone to Experience Depression?
No full textCollege students will often reduce or limit their food intake for multiple reasons, including food insecurity, which often leads to the development of poor eating habits. These newly developed habits can impact students in different ways, including affecting their mental health. The aim of the observational, cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between skipping meals due to a lack of financial resources and depression severity among college students. This study was conducted to examine this relationship in a private, Catholic university in the northeast of the United States. Our study was comprised of 271 students at Sacred Heart University’s College of Health Professions who participated in the 2021 Pioneer Student Health and Well-Being Survey. Results demonstrated that approximately 63.2% of the students experienced some level of depression, ranging from mild to severe. Additionally, 43% reported reducing the size of their meals or skipping meals due to a lack of funds. Chi-square analyses revealed a strong, statistically significant inverse relationship between reducing meals and the severity of depression among college students (p \u3c 0.001); the more students reduced food intake, the more the severity of depression increased. These results highlight the need to further analyze the prevalence of food insecurity among college students in the wealthiest county in Connecticut. Food insecurity on Sacred Heart University’s campus may be overlooked due to the upper middle-class stereotype of the university and its students. Expanding resources to provide support, such as increasing access to food pantries, could help address food insecurity on campus
Business Education 4.0: A Pedagogical Emphasis on Innovation, Flexibility, and Scalability
Full text linkHigher education institutions (HEIs) face increasing competition, not only from peer institutions but also from technology companies and software developers. The traditional educational model in HEIs is losing its appeal in comparison to more targeted and embellished learning offered by specialized outlets. This study proposes an innovative educational model aiming to help higher education avoid obsolescence. The proposed model, dubbed Business Education 4.0, treats content as building blocks that can be used to build personally tailored courses. The model guides students through creating their modularized custom courses, delivers course materials, analyzes student performance, offers students continuous support, and gathers feedback. Two pilot cases were conducted to evaluate the practicality of the proposed model, and a follow-up survey was used to collect feedback, which was significantly positive
Pioneer Times, Volume 1, Number 19
No full textHighlights include: Imagining the Future at Our Campus in Dingle, Ireland, Faculty and Staff Honored with Mission and Culture Awards, SHU Partnership with Family Centers Helps Community, Commencement photos, Latest Blog