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Carnistic Colonialism and Yellow Peril Rhetoric: Analyzing U.S. Media Framing of Chinese Animal Consumption During COVID-19
No full textChinese animal consumption practices faced intense scrutiny as COVID-19 spread around the globe, sparking a media frenzy that exposed deep-seated prejudices. This study investigates how, in the first year of the pandemic, the top daily newspapers in the United States perpetuated harmful stereotypes and ideologies. By conducting a rhetorical framing analysis combined with an ideological rhetorical criticism of 38 articles from major U.S. daily newspapers, this research uncovers how the media problematized these practices through the use of framing, and how these frames promoted carnistic colonialism, Orientalism, and Yellow Peril tropes. The dominant frames used to describe Chinese animal practices were identified using rhetorical framing analysis, while ideological rhetorical criticism was implemented to identify the power structures and ideologies that informed the frames. This analysis showed that the media actively employed frames steeped in Orientalist narratives, Yellow Peril tropes, and notions of carnistic colonialism, constructing China as an uncivilized “Other” to a superior West. I argue that the ethnocentric fixation on framing Chinese animal practices as “weird” and “exotic” deflected attention away from other pressing political and socioeconomic factors can drive zoonotic disease outbreaks. This study advocates for culturally sensitive and socially fair media representations of non-Western groups and marginalized groups, demanding multi-optic perspectives and a critical analysis of dominant media narratives
Implementing the Brief Confusion Assessment method (bCAM) Delirium Screening Tool in an Emergency Department
Get PDFProblem: Persons with delirium have an elevated risk of falls. Thus, falls and delirium are inextricably linked. Both should be routinely screened for older adults.
Context: A 40-bed Emergency Department (ED) in the East San Francisco Bay area of Northern California and the first site among all acute care hospitals in the organization to implement the Brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) delirium scoring tool within the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Interventions: An EHR toolkit for delirium screening using bCAM was developed, tested, and implemented in the ED.
Measures: The outcome measure was the percentage of patients with a reported fall in the ED. The process measures included the percentage of patients with a documented bCAM and those with subsequent documentation of interventions to prevent falls.
Results: The bCAM screenings consistently achieved an average of 89% completion, exceeding the target of 75%. Additionally, fall interventions were documented in 86% of patients. From January to June 2024, the incidence of falls in the ED did not show improvement, with two falls reported each month in May and June, compared to zero falls in the same period in 2023.
Conclusions: Implementing bCAM screenings and fall interventions in the ED achieved a high compliance rate, indicating strong adherence to the department\u27s protocols. However, despite these efforts, the incidence of falls was not reduced. These results suggest that while the screening and intervention protocols were well-executed, additional measures or adjustments may be necessary to reduce falls for older adults in the ED
Improving Firefighter Health Through Education in Sleep Science
Get PDFSleep impacts all aspects of life, from mental health to physical well-being to job performance. Nowhere is this more important than in the fire service, where extreme working conditions are the norm. One of 44 stations in a large fire department (XFD), Firehouse X, has 21 full-time members, six on duty per shift. A microsystem assessment of Firehouse X revealed poor sleep habits and environmental factors that are not conducive to quality sleep. The role of sleep in the fire service has recently been examined, and interventions aimed at improving firefighters’ sleep have been recommended.
This quality improvement project implemented a four-week educational program on sleep science in Firehouse X from May to July 2024. Members were provided with educational materials in various formats weekly. A station sleep champion kept members engaged in the program. Environmental changes were supported. Members were surveyed before and after implementation using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The aim of this project was to improve sleep quality by 25% over four weeks and have 90% participation. 17 of the eligible 18 members participated in the first survey, but an additional two were unavailable for the 4-week follow-up. Thus, participation fell from 94% to 83%. Results demonstrated that all but one member improved their sleep scores, with three members improving by over 25%. However, the average percent improvement was 15%, falling short of the 25% goal. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of educating firefighters in sleep science. This program can be expanded to other firehouses in XFD
Clinical Trial Research Nurse New Employee Onboarding 30- 60 -90 Day Checklist
Get PDFProblem: The clinical trials research management team was plagued with high nurse turnover and poor clinical documentation due to a lack of seasoned clinical research nurses.
Context: A regional clinical trials team serving 22 hospitals within a Northern California not-for-profit health system.
Interventions: Mixed methods were used to inform the development of new employee onboarding for novice clinical trial nurses utilizing a structured 30-60-90-day checklist, improved communication channels, and continuous mentor support.
Measures: Monthly quality queries and quarterly staff turnover rates were tracked. Employee feedback was collected to assess the interventions\u27 impact.
Results: The number of quality queries was reduced by 62.9% from 786 to 495, and the turnover rate decreased from 30% to 20% within the intervention period.
Conclusions: Structured and standardized onboarding and training for new clinical trial nurses can significantly increase knowledge, resulting in improved clinical trial documentation and reduced staff turnover rates. This project\u27s success suggests that similar strategies can benefit other organizations facing high turnover and documentation quality issues. The interventions are scalable and adaptable, potentially leading to broader improvements in operational efficiency within a shorter timeframe
Disproportionate Access to Maternal and Perinatal Health Care: An evaluation, outcomes and Proposed Interventions
No full textThis study examines persistent inequities among African American Birthing Individuals (AA BI), revealing that socio-economic factors alone do not mitigate negative pregnancy-related outcomes. A literature review and data analysis highlighted high infant mortality rates among this group despite existing programs. The Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) offers community-based resources, yet disparities persist regardless of income, education, or maternal age. National and city-level comparisons consistently show higher infant mortality rates among AA BI, primarily due to preterm deaths. Recommendations include expanding PEI by increasing doula services, implementing a multi-step community-based intervention, and enhancing partnerships to conduct root cause analyses addressing social determinants of health. A 2024 needs assessment by SFDPH identified perinatal and maternal health needs, such as access to care and economic support, underscoring the importance of addressing these issues. Future research should focus on understanding and tackling the root causes of disparities, along with stronger implementation of implicit bias training among clinicians.
Keywords: inequities, African American birthing individuals (AA BI), social determinants of health (SDOH), Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI), racial disparities, implicit bias, obstetrics, infant mortality, root causes
Implementing the Clinical Nurse Leader Role to Improve RN Satisfaction in an Emergency Department Microsystem
No full textThis quality improvement project aimed to enhance registered nurse (RN) satisfaction in the ED microsystem through implementation of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role. The target population consisted of RN staff in the Emergency Department ED microsystem at the acute care hospital. According to the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), the hospital’s current data on RN satisfaction and ED performance metrics were below the national benchmark. A fishbone analysis identified causes of RN dissatisfaction, including insufficient staff collaboration and a lack of leadership and support from management on the unit. A SWOT analysis evaluated strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with implementing the CNL role.
The intervention of this project was organized into three phases. Phase I involves creating and conducting a needs analysis, involving a questionnaire aligned with the seven CNL core competencies, to assess the current environment establishing satisfaction baselines, gather nurse feedback, and evaluate the feasibility and potential impact of the CNL role. Phase II focuses on preparing for the CNL role by establishing a budget, defining the job description, and creating a job description table along with a Venn diagram to clearly differentiate the CNL’s responsibilities from similar leadership roles, such as the Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) and Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). Approval from Human Resources, the microsystem manager, and nursing director will be sought from the resource committee to integrate the CNL role into the hospital’s ED organizational structure. Lastly, Phase III involves planning to fill the CNL position through advertising, selecting candidates, and training on unit protocols and team dynamics. Cyclical appraisals, incorporating staff feedback and performance auditing, would be implemented to ensure CNLs are meeting the project’s objectives.
Due to time constraints and budget denial, the CNL role implementation was not achieved within the project’s time frame, and we remained in the planning stage of the interventions. Nevertheless, the anticipated benefits of implementing the CNL role include increased RN satisfaction and improved patient care outcomes in the ED microsystem
Graphic Medicine as Library Outreach
No full textOne of the most compelling aspects of graphic novels is the ability to connect to the emotions of the reader through visual storytelling. Understanding the challenges another person faces or realizing that one’s own challenges are not unique can boost a reader’s empathy as well as their sense of belonging.
The low-lift-high-impact nature of graphic medicine is perfect for awareness campaigns as well as critical scholarship. It makes praxis practical and disarms a reader’s defenses to experience the vulnerability of being fully human. Graphic novels meet students where they are. The high circulation statistics speak for themselves and through graphic novels, so do minoritized people
A QR Code for the Brain: A dynamical systems framework for computing neurophysiological biomarkers
No full textWhose Information is Whose? Adult Adoptees and the Silent Struggle to Access Records
No full textThe United States has fifty-one different laws pertaining to adult adoptee access to their original birth certificates and adoption court records, with only fifteen states being unrestricted. These states give adult adoptees access to their documents upon request. Fifteen states are restricted, meaning they require a court order to obtain documents, which involves proving “good cause” to a judge. This requirement of “good cause” has no standard definition. The remaining twenty-one states are compromised, meaning they have complex requirements to obtain documentation. My research uses case studies of the restricted laws of California, the unrestricted laws of Louisiana, and the compromised laws of Ohio as examples of the three types of state statutes. My thesis aims to understand why these laws deprive adoptees of the right to their documentation and what influenced a change or lack thereof