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The Impact Of Low-Head Dams On Freshwater Turtle Species Assemblages
No full textTurtles are an important component of many freshwater ecosystems, yet the impact of dams on freshwater turtles is an understudied topic globally. Past studies have focused on large dams and there is no literature addressing the impact of dams on turtle species assemblages. Dams affect turtles and their habitat by altering water flow, ecological communities, nesting and basking sites, and overwintering sites, and restricting turtle movements. Indiana has many low-head dams that no longer serve their original function, are in disrepair, and are hazardous to kayakers. There are ongoing efforts to remove these dams to improve stream ecology and safety. Low-head dams are known to impact sediments, fish, and macroinvertebrate communities, and could impact turtle species assemblages, abundance, and demographics. I trapped turtles above, below, and at a control site for five dams in western Indiana during summer 2023 and captured three hundred and six turtles (two hundred and fifty-one Spiny Softshell Turtles [ Apalone spinifera ], twenty Common Snapping Turtles [ Chelydra serpentina ], twenty-three Red-Eared Sliders [ Trachemys scripta elegans ], six Painted Turtles [ Chrysemys picta ], eight Northern Map Turtles [ Graptemys geographica ], and one Common Musk Turtle [ Sternothernus oderatus ]). Across sites there was a trend of increased species richness, diversity, and evenness upstream. When excluding one site due to the presence of cattle, there was lower Spiny Softshell Turtle abundance at upstream sites, and lower evenness at downstream sites. This indicates that low-head dams can alter turtle species assemblages above and below the dams. Further research is needed to determine how low-head dam removal affects aquatic turtles
How do athletic trainers impact patient health literacy?: A Critically Appraised Topic
No full textIntroduction/Context: Health Literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” An estimated 80 million Americans are estimated to have low levels of health literacy. Low health literacy has been linked to poor patient outcomes and decreased usage of health services. Athletic trainers are multiskilled medical professionals recognized by the American Medical Association, trained in, among other things, wellness promotion and education, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and primary care. Although athletic trainers have traditionally been employed in collegiate/elite sports, many are now employed in a number of different settings, including physical therapy and orthopedic clinics, working as physician extenders. This critically appraised topic aimed to examine the impact of athletic trainers in the physician practice setting on patient health literacy levels. Search Strategy: The databases searched included PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: The results from the search demonstrate three widely accepted interventions to improve the health literacy of patients: plain speak, teach-back, and limited concepts. Clinical Bottom Line: Athletic trainers working in the physician practice setting have a unique opportunity to improve patient understanding to help them achieve improved healthcare outcomes
Using Alums Involvement to Increase Student Investment in an Athletic Training Program
No full textIntroduction: Student investment and retention are not new concerns among athletic training program directors. Graduate programs are expected to meet minimum enrollment standards to demonstrate the need for the program. Programs that are unable to maintain student enrollment will be eliminated by institutions experiencing financial stress. Retention strategies and benefits have previously been investigated among undergraduate students and across disciplines. One common theme in the research is that student retention increases when students feel a sense of belonging from the faculty, staff, and peers in their program. There is less research on the retention of graduate students, but the themes tend to be similar to undergraduate students: students want a sense of belonging and support from faculty. As long-term program success becomes reliant upon enrollment and retention, program directors seek to create strategies to increase student investment in their program. The use of alums as active participants in the program has the potential to improve student pride in the program. Students may seek advice from alums on successfully navigating the academic process from someone who has had the same experience. Professional relationships may be built that can expand as students seek immersive experiences or full-time jobs. As students graduate, they can be helpful in referring new students to the program. Methods: An athletic training program has developed several strategies to increase student investment in the program: use of alums to facilitate telehealth evaluations, use of alums to facilitate administrative and psychosocial case studies, creating an advisory board for program growth that includes alums as stakeholders, and student recruitment. Alumni have been used as patients for telehealth experiences for both orthopedic and general medical conditions. Alums also facilitate discussions that students have with parents, coaches, or other administrators for issues such as return to play, budget, pregnancy, or psychosocial situations such as mental health or disordered eating management. Additionally, the institution created an advisory board that uses alums as a sounding board for any changes that may occur within the program. Expected Outcomes: In this program, alums become active stakeholders and interact directly with current students. Professional relationships develop that benefit alums as mentors and students as they graduate and seek professional opportunities. Students engage with alums in application-based scenarios that improve self-efficacy and efficiency in evaluations and problem-solving strategies. Translation to Practice: A graduate-level curriculum is a relatively new practice that alums of an undergraduate program may not fully understand. Alums in this program have achieved a better understanding of graduate-level curriculum and standards by participating in telehealth, guest lectures, or preceptor opportunities. A reciprocal relationship emerges in which students gain an understanding of the history of the program and engage in one-on-one mentorship with alums that provide career opportunities such as immersive sites, internships, or full-time jobs
Addressing Health and Education Disparities in Low‐Income Families with Young Children: Lessons Learned as a Community Engaged Scholar
No full textHealth and education disparities persist in low-income communities. This project, part of University of Minnesota Extension’s Community-engaged Scholars Program, aimed to identify common root causes of health and education disparities as part of a school readiness intervention for low-income, multiethnic children. In this paper I describe my growth as a communityengaged scholar attempting to understand the role of community voice in documenting the complex, interrelated nature of early childhood and lifelong well-being
Interdisciplinary Service Learning Opportunity: A Nontraditional Approach to Migrant Farmworkers Rehabilitation
No full textInterdisciplinary service learning opportunities are recognized as valuable educational tools for health care students. The Farm Worker Family Health Program, based on a community academic partnership model, enables health care students to treat migrant workers in rural Georgia during the annual farmworker migration. The present article describes how this opportunity has been incorporated into a graduate curriculum, including examining the challenges and successes associated with implementing this type of program. An additional aim is to explore the implications of merging interdisciplinary service learning and community partnerships with physical therapy education, specifically how student volunteers and migrant workers may be impacted by their participation
Fuel Nku: Service Learning In A Dynamic Higher Education Community
No full textTransdisciplinary initiatives offer valuable opportunity for students and faculty members to address community challenges, especially those challenges related to social justice. FUEL NKU is a campus food pantry for students at a metropolitan university, and is uniquely situated to serve the student population while incorporating multifaceted aspects of a macro level project. This paper describes a collaboration among two doctoral students, one faculty member, and one Master of Social Work (MSW) practicum student to address long-term sustainability of a beloved campus program
Advanced Spanish Conversation and the Non-Traditional Student: A Case Study for Implementing Community-Based Learning at the Urban University
No full textThis article discusses the unique situation of teaching an upper-level, undergraduate Spanish conversation course with a service-learning component at a large, public, urban university. With the help of service-learning literature and anonymous pre- and post-surveys, this study aims to offer some qualitative observations and advice on community-based learning for the non-traditional student. Even with the added effort in curriculum development and the imperfections of language instruction for non-traditional students, this article concludes that the implementation of service learning at the urban university can be a successful experience