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Focused Engagement: Lessons Learned from a Study Assessing Campus Climates for Political Learning and Engagement in Democracy
No full textWith the anticipated implementation of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) ruling, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) initiated a civic- university partnership between themselves; the University of California, Davis Center for Regional Change; and the University of Kentucky Community Innovation Lab, to design a training program that would provide organizational leadership with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement the AFFH ruling. This case study examines the dynamic civicuniversity collaboration and provides lessons learned from the experience
Cultivating a Civic Mindset: Assessing Public Relations Student Perceptions of Service Learning and Community Involvement Beyond the Course
No full textLiterature in service learning offers examples of professional, social, and civic value to students, faculty, and community. The literature has not fully examined the impact of student participation on their levels of civic involvement among graduates several years removed from the coursework. This study is a case analysis of seven years of graduates with public relations course experience to examine graduates’ perceptions of the value of service-learning projects, and how this translates to community engagement
Focusing on Faculty Reflection: How University Students Are Positioned in Service-Learning Courses
No full textService-learning is often identified as a pedagogy to prepare undergraduates for life beyond college. However, research suggests service-learning courses rarely challenge learners to explore structural causes of inequity or engage in transformative action. This study explores how one college professor positioned students as they engaged in service-learning. Through document analysis of nine semesters of one course, researchers sought to understand how positioning of university students shapes the effectiveness of service-learning coursework with a justice orientation
Exploring the Impact of Community-Engaged Programs on Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability
No full textPositive outcomes for students have motivated educators to identify effective strategies for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in people with intellectual disability (ID), a minoritized population often excluded from DEI efforts. The current study investigated undergraduate student attitudes toward ID and compared changes in attitudes following participation in one of two community-engaged programs alongside adults with ID. Findings indicate both programs were effective in changing all three components of students’ attitudes: affect, cognition, and behaviors
Nursing Burnout: Decreasing Burnout and Increasing Job Satisfaction
No full textThe field of nursing is facing a crisis of suffering from a major shortage due to the rising incidences of burnout among nurses. Nurses are important to the world of healthcare, and patients cannot receive the care that they need without nurses. Burnout has been an issue within nursing for a long time now, and it is getting worse with a decrease in new graduates going into nursing and current nurses leaving after years of working in the field. After a deeper dive into the issue, there are a lot of factors that contribute to burnout, and it seems to only be getting worse for nurses who are currently still in the field. After COVID-19, this shortage became exponentially worse increasing all of these factors by a large amount. Not much has been done to intervene with this issue when there are plenty of interventions that could potentially help the nurses and influence more to pursue the path of nursing. If this continues to happen, not only nurses will suffer, but patient care will be affected as a result
Consistency In Patient-Reported Outcomes Survey Response
No full textContext: Patients returning from ACL or other knee injuries must be physically ready to return to activity and mentally. Patient-reported outcome measures are important means to evaluate the level of patient readiness. Many healthcare providers utilize multiple surveys as part of their intake process to determine current status. The distribution of multiple surveys related to one joint may be problematic. A question of completeness and consistency among participants is a limitation of most measures. The purpose of this study was 1) to determine the level at which people will persist in multiple surveys and 2) to determine the consistency in participant response across questions repeated across surveys, similar questions, or movement patterns. Methods: The study design for this research was a qualitative survey of a convenient sample. Participants were recruited via their university, asking for participation in the study. The survey was distributed through the host’s school email system, and Qualtrics hosted the survey. To be included in the study, participants had to be either a student, faculty, or staff member of the university. The study included general demographic information (age, gender, ethnicity, and history of injury or pain in the knee) and four knee-related quality-of-life surveys, which included the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport After Injury (ACL-RSI) scale, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Scores (KOOS), and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale. Ran interclass correlation coefficient to determine Cronbach’s Alpha. Significance was set at the 0.05 level. Results: The number of participants who consented to participate in this survey was 663. Of these 663 participants, only 292 (45.34%) completed all 4 surveys. A total of 152 (22.93%) participants stopped after the demographics, 85 (12.82%) completed at least 1 survey, 84 (12.67%) completed at least 2 surveys, and 15 (2.26%) completed at least 3 surveys. Seventy percent of participants complained of knee injury or pain and 27% occurred more than 5 years ago. Response consistency was seen with question looking at confidence in knee (ICC .869, 95% CI 845 to .891), confidence to perform (ICC .94, , 95% CI .927 to .951), locking and catching in the knee (ICC .479, , 95% CI .374 to .570), stairs (ICC .93, 95% CI .917 to .942), kneeling (ICC .885, 95% CI .856 to .909), squatting (ICC .895, 95% CI .873, .915), and sitting (ICC .731, 95% CI .676, .788). Conclusion: These results support response consistency across the four surveys. Survey compliance overall was low, but because it did not impact the consistency of responses, using one survey encompassing questions from all four surveys might increase survey compliance while still gathering sufficient information
Effects of Concussion History on Risk Taking Behaviors in Collegiate Athletes
No full textVirginiaContext: According to the literature, in the United States there are an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sport-related concussions annually with over 10,000 concussions among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes1. The annual incidence of medically diagnosed pediatric concussions increased from 34 per 10,000 persons in 2003 to 150 per 10,000 persons in 20132. There has been an increase in research studied on the physiological mechanisms and causes of concussions among people of all ages with sports participation being the etiology of about half of all pediatric concussions2. Concussions occur from excessive forces being applied to the skull resulting in a temporary or permanent injury to the brain leading to impairments of the neurological system3. This can result in decreased cognitive functioning, impaired decision-making abilities, poor judgement, and impulsive thoughts which influences risk-taking behaviors3. Student athletes with increased sensation-seeking behaviors could be at risk for failing to disclose a concussion, impact their safety, and result in decreased care post-injury4. Risk-taking behaviors can be categorized as financial, social, legal, physical, and psychological5. However, the engagement in risky behaviors is subjective and based on individual circumstances and concussion history. Purpose: To compare risk-taking behaviors in men’s and women’s Division I basketball players using a previously validated risk-taking questionnaire (RT-18)5. Methods: As part of annual baseline concussion testing, participants completed a basic medical history questionnaire and RT-18 questionnaire. The RT-18 is a brief 18-item survey using “yes/no” questions to evaluate individuals’ risk-taking behaviors and perceptions of risk. Once completed, all data was exported to IBM SPSS Statistics v.28.0 for analysis. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to characterize the data and compare risk taking behaviors and perceptions of risk between two groups – those with a history of concussion and those without. Results: A total of 29 NCAA Division I basketball players (male=15, female=14) completed the RT-18 questionnaire and medical history form. Of the 29 players, 31% (n=9) reported a previous history of at least one concussion. There was no significant difference in risk -taking between those with concussion history (M=18.67) and those without (M=13.35) as indicated by performance on the RT-18, U=57.00, z=-1.57, p=.117. Conclusions: Concussions are severe life-threatening injuries, and the research supports increased prevalence amongst male and female NCAA athletes. The results from this study demonstrate that risk-taking behaviors are unrelated to a history of concussion, however this data is dependent on truthful reporting of concussion injury. Clinicians should encourage timely reporting of symptoms and remain knowledge about the signs of an unreported concussion to provide immediate treatment and decrease the potential risk of an adverse event
Interdisciplinary Approach to Management of an L4/L5 Disc Herniation in a Collegiate Football Player: A Type 3 CASE Study
No full textBackground: The rate for low back injuries in collegiate football players has been reported as 2.70 per 10,000 athlete exposures with lumbar disc herniations (LDH) accounting for roughly 8% of these injuries. In athletic populations, the decision of surgical versus conservative management for LDH can present a unique challenge to the clinician and patient given an patient’s concern for return to play with minimal time loss. This type 3 CASE study will discuss the non-operative management of an L4/L5 disc herniation in a collegiate football player and highlight the interdisciplinary team approach that allowed the athlete to play an entire competitive season without limitations. Patient: In January 2023, a 21-year-old male Division I collegiate football player (long-snapper) presented to the athletic training facility with lower back pain, which radiated down his left leg. No specific MOI was reported. Both lower back and radicular pain were reported to increase during prolonged sitting and standing up from a seated position, as well as lowering into a sport-specific position. The patient was evaluated by the team physician and referred for diagnostic imaging. The MRI revealed an L4 and L5 paracentral disc bulge with increased narrowing of the vertebral foramen. Intervention: Following diagnosis, the patient was cleared by the team physician to continue football-related activities as tolerated. The sports medicine team developed a management approach for this patient which included consults from a pain management physician and spine surgeon, rehabilitation sessions three times a week with a physical therapist, daily rehab and pain management sessions with the athletic training staff, weekly treatment from a chiropractor, and scheduled check-ins with team physician. Physical therapy sessions focused on increasing abdominal strength and stability. Exercises included supine alternating upper and lower extremity lifts with dumbbells, hip hinges, hamstring curls with physioball, quadruped resisted hip extension, and standing lumbar extension. The athletic training staff implemented daily treatments which included the following: lumbar heat pack in combination with electrical stimulation, SI joint mobilizations, piriformis release and stretching, and hip realignment. Additional therapeutic exercises performed twice weekly with the athletic trainer included quadruped fire hydrants, walking lunges, and Pallof marches. Weekly chiropractic care centered on mechanical lumbar traction and mild adjustment. All rehabilitation exercises were performed prior to practice while cryotherapy was provided following activity. Lastly, the patient was directed to take OTC NSAIDs as needed for pain, and received an epidural corticosteroid injection prior to the fall season. Outcomes and Other Comparisons: Given the patient’s position (special team’s long snapper) and limited plays per game, the patient was given the option for conservative treatment in effort to play the entire fall season and delay surgery to season’s end. The patient opted for this conservative approach and received a comprehensive interdisciplinary management plan that allowed him to play the entire season without time loss. Conclusions: The election for surgical versus conservative management of LDH is often dependent on injury timing, patient symptoms, and the sport demands the athlete is returning to. In this case, the patient was a collegiate football player (long-snapper) who elected for conservative treatment. The interdisciplinary team, comprised of athletic trainers, physical therapists, a chiropractor, and team physician, worked together to develop a comprehensive management plan that allowed the patient to continue play throughout the competitive season. Upon completion of the fall season, the patient underwent microdiscectomy surgery to address his LDH. Clinical bottom line: This case highlights the benefits of an interdisciplinary team-based approach to injury management for a collegiate football player diagnosed with a LDH. Since all members of the interdisciplinary sports medicine team have important roles in optimizing patient outcomes following injury, it is important for athletic trainers to consider this approach
Single Limb Postural Control Throughout a Collegiate Football Season
No full textContext: It is estimated that college football players sustain an average of 3 subconcussive blows to the head per game. Limited research has demonstrated that collegiate football players present with decreased static postural control, as measured using the Balance Error Scoring System, at the end of season compared to baseline. Interestingly, neurocognitive test scores in collegiate football players were not found to differ preseason, midseason and postseason. Authors hypothesized that using neurocognitive tests may not have been sensitive enough to detect the effects of the subconcussive impacts. Force plate data provides valid information of postural control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate static postural control throughout a collegiate football season in players who had sustained no known concussion throughout a season. Methods: This case series consisted of 45 volunteers from a Division I collegiate football team (age = 20.55 ± 1.50 years, height = 183.22 ± 7.24 cm, weight = 99.42 ± 21.88 kg) with no known concussion at time of first data collection visit. Participants completed three data collection visits (early season, mid-season, end-of-season). At each visit, participants completed three successful 30-second trials of single limb, eyes closed balance on a force plate. The following center of pressure (COP) force plate outcomes were analyzed: COP sway in the mediolateral (ML sway) and anteroposterior (AP sway) directions, COP pathlength, COP maximum path velocity, and 95% ellipse. For each outcome, a repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare means over time. Post hoc t-tests were used for those differences that were found to be significant. A significance level was set a priori at P ≤ .05. Results: Significant differences were found for COP sway in AP (F2,129 = 4.28, p = .017) and ML (F2,129 = 10.66, p \u3c .001) directions. For both measures, postural control was worse at end-of-season (COP AP sway = 0.08 ± 0.37; COP ML sway = 0.071 ± 0.45) compared to early season (COP AP sway = 0.319 ± 0.46; COP ML sway = 0.556 ± 0.67). There were no differences between early season and midseason and no differences between midseason and end-of-season. There were no statistical differences between COP pathlength (F2,129 = 0.32, p = .730), COP maximum path velocity (F2,129 = 0.33, p = 0.72), or 95% ellipse (F2,129 = 1.739, p = .182). Conclusions: Our results show inconclusive postural control differences in non-concussed football athletes throughout a season. Further analysis of our participants is planned to determine if playing time may impact balance during a season. At this time, it does not appear that a football season has an impact cognitive function as measured via static postural control
Implementation of Patient Care Documentation Standard for Athletic Training Staff in Intercolle
No full textDocumentation is a professional standard for all health care professions. As part of a relatively young profession, athletic trainers have had to adjust to the expectations around documentation to stay at the same level as other health care providers. Documentation is often a highly discussed topic with more and more education sessions and resources being provided by NATA, BOC and NATA Research Education Foundation. The need for Continuous Quality Improvement projects and subsequent studies has continued to grow. Projects with a focus on documentation can be completed then disseminated to determine the most effective ways to improve documentation across our profession. At the university used in this project, members of the sports medicine staff were made aware of a lack of consistency in documentation quantity and quality. The purposes of documentation are patient care, communication, and ethical-legal requirements. To further evaluate the state of documentation by the sports medicine staff a quality improvement plan was launched in November 2021. Through three Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles the documentation practices were improved over a 14-month time frame. In the PDSA 1, the staff increased the number of documentation notes in a year-to-year comparison by 2652 notes. The total number PRO outcome collected increased through the second PDSA. The quality of the notes improved by 2 points on a 5-point scale during the third PDSA process