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An Emergency Department Resource Nurse Checklist
Get PDFIntroduction: Like many hospitals across the country, a Southwest Missouri hospital emergency department (ED) is frequently crowded with patients. The resource nurse role is one method EDs use to help manage surges in patient care. A resource nurse is a registered nurse whose dedicated role it to help other nurses in the unit. Unfortunately, there are no specific written expectations to guide the resource nurse. The nurse often waits to be needed and productivity and dependability are highly variable. Purpose: Implementation of a checklist could prompt the resource nurse to be more productive, will provide written expectations for the role, provide a means of knowledge sharing, and could be used to provide accountability for productivity. Methods: The project consisted of four basics steps. Step one was to conduct a focus group of content experts to design the checklist. Second, the pre implementation survey using Qualtrics software was conducted. Next, the checklist was implemented and after a three-month study period the staff completed the post-survey. Results/Conclusions: The pre/post surveys measured nursing perceptions to detect improvement in the resource nurse utility. While the analysis of the data did not show significant change in nursing perceptions of resource nurse utility from the initial version of the checklist more research is needed to further improve the checklist and determine longer term outcomes related to ED throughput, outcomes, nurse stress, turnover, and burnout
SECONDARY CHANNEL BACKWATERS MAY BE SUPERIOR NURSERIES FOR NATIVE FISHES IN THE SAN JUAN RIVER OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST, BUT MONSOON-DRIVEN DETERIORATIONS MAY LESSEN THEIR QUALITY
Get PDFThe Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) are federally-endangered species occurring in the San Juan River of NM, CO, and UT, USA. These species have shown little natural recruitment in this system, with a lack of high-quality nursery habitats being one potential explanation for this phenomenon. The young-of-year of both species prefer backwaters, including those that form in secondary channels or in association with islands. However, it is unknown how factors that could limit imperiled fish recruitment, such as hydrologic stability, physicochemical features, resource availability, and nonnative fish densities, differ between secondary channel and island backwaters. Furthermore, how these environmental features vary during the critical post-spawning window of the July-September monsoon season within and across years is also poorly understood. As such, we compared hydrologic stability, shading, water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, turbidity, percent substrate composition, mean backwater width and depth, large woody debris (LWD) area, chlorophyll-a concentrations, invertebrate biomass, and native and nonnative fish densities between the two backwater types across 20 sites (i.e., 10 of each type) sampled on five occasions each in 2021 and 2022. We found that values of several variables were similar between backwater types (e.g., hydrologic stability, turbidity, silt coverage, mean width and depth, zooplankton biomass), but several other variables differed. For instance, secondary channel backwaters had greater shading, cooler water temperatures, higher DO concentrations, and more macroinvertebrates and fishes compared to island backwaters, although island backwaters had a greater coverage of coarse substrates. Many of these variables changed over time however in response to the monsoon season, which included increasing coverage of silt and decreasing widths, depths, LWD area, and abundances of macroinvertebrates and fishes. Our results suggested that secondary channel backwaters have more favorable physicochemical properties and are more productive compared to island backwaters, although both backwater types experienced degradation in quality throughout the monsoon season. Chronic and acute monsoonal-induced deteriorations in backwater habitat may explain the limited recruitment of imperiled native fishes in the San Juan River. Identifying strategies for improving backwater nursery quantity and quality (e.g., environmental flows management) will be paramount in helping to alleviate the recruitment bottleneck of imperiled Razorback Sucker and Colorado Pikeminnow in the San Juan River, thus aiding their recovery
A BRIEF REVIEW OF SELECTED RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES FOR HELPING YOUNG SINGERS MATCH PITCH
Get PDFThe purpose of this review of literature was to identify ways to help varying levels of novice singers manage and improve their vocal pitch matching ability. The review identified the work of prominent pedagogues and researchers. The literature review revealed that techniques aiding the novice singer yield varying levels of success. Most of the research showed that remedial techniques work best in small groups, one-on-one settings, and solo singing. The research did not address the issue of effective teaching and its effect with regard to student achievement (e.g., classroom management and issues related to effective or ineffective teaching ability)
THE RAILSPLITTER AND THE PATHFINDER: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND JOHN C. FRÉMONT
Get PDFThis study serves as an analysis of the connections between Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and John Charles Frémont as a Civil War general. Lincoln’s position within history is solid, unlike that of John C. Frémont. The thesis will elevate Frémont to a higher status as a historical figure by arguing that the emancipation edict that he issued for Missouri in August of 1861 would influence Abraham Lincoln’s preliminary emancipation proclamation of September 1862, even though Lincoln repealed Frémont’s decree. In biographies of each man, their interactions are merely a small part of the stories of their lives, but the interconnected nature of their Civil War experiences shaped the process of emancipation in the United States. Fully understanding the ways in which emancipation unfolded, and how John C. Frémont contributed to that, can allow for a less biased understanding of emancipation’s history, and restore to its rightful place the names of those who helped guide the way. Abraham Lincoln did not initially intend to emancipate all slaves in the South. And although the proclamation was his, the people who helped form it deserve commendation for their role in shaping history. Nor was John C. Frémont an entirely commendable figure, but was instead one who made many mistakes. Studying the relationship between these men can illuminate another side of Lincoln that is frequently glossed over, and can also show Frémont’s strengths and weaknesses, rather than merely looking at one side of the story, as many histories have done
USING A CULTURABLE APPROACH AND METAGENOMIC ANALYSIS TO UNCOVER GUT BACTERIAL DIVERSITY OF GRAY BATS IN KANSAS
Get PDFUSING A CULTURABLE APPROACH AND METAGENOMIC ANALYSIS TO UNCOVER GUT BACTERIAL DIVERSITY OF GRAY BATS IN KANSAS
An Abstract of the Thesis by
Bobbi Monroe
Humans have historically had an ambivalent relationship with bats. In one hand, bats perform an important service to humans by reducing populations of many insect pests. On the other hand, they act as reservoirs of disease as highlighted by the recent Coronavirus pandemic. In the United States, many bat populations have been threatened by white nose syndrome caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This study was designed to characterize the bacterial diversity associated with the gray bat (Myotis grisescens) in Southeast Kansas. In addition, this study aimed to shed light on the presence of bacterial pathogens, if any, among this bat population. A total of 32 guano samples were collected and bacterial isolates with different colony morphology were recovered on tryptic soy agar media after enrichment. The majority (21/32, 65%) of isolates were Gram positive. All isolates were tested for growth on selective and differential media. Sugar fermentation profiles showed that 78% (25 of all isolates) fermented all four sugars, 9% (3/32) fermented three sugars, another 9% (3/32) fermented two sugars, and one isolate (1/32) 3% fermented only one sugar. Urea was hydrolyzed by seven (21%) isolates while one isolate (3%) was positive for indole production. After bacterial isolation results were shortlisted to removed possible repeats, additional tests yielded that 52% (13/25) were one step nitrate reducers, 68% (17/25) were MR positive while 32% (8/25) were VP positive, 52% (13/25) were oxidase positive and only 0.04% (1/25) was positive for phenyl alanine. All isolates were tested for their susceptibility to multiple antibiotics. In addition to biochemical characterization, the isolates were identified using molecular techniques. Pooled samples were sequenced using an Illumina mini sequencer. A total of 2,909,555 reads were completed. The most common Gram positive genera being Bacillus (17.01%) and Lysinibacillus (19.93%) while the most common Gram negative genera were Serratia (26.36%) and Achromobacter (20.17%). Male and Female samples were sequenced using the same Illumina mini sequencer. For males a total of 5,408,935 reads were completed and for females 9,645,398 reads were completed. The most common species in male Gray Bats were Bacillus pakistanensis (17%) followed by Enterococcus faecalis (7.17%) and Jeotgalicoccus pinnipedialis (2.70%). The most common species in female Gray Bats were Romboustia clostridium (11%), followed by Enterrococcus faecalis (7.9%), Bacillus pakinstanensis (3.90%). The identification of both known and novel bacteria in bats is important for prevention of possible disease spread and in preserving the bat species further
Tate, James, collection, 1943-2004
Get PDFJames Tate was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, and an English and literature professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He was an alumnus of the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University). Tate’s poems were published in numerous books, magazines, pamphlets, and as broadsides during his career. The materials of the James Tate Collection were collected by Gene DeGruson, from the early 1960s to 1997, and Randy Roberts, from 1998 to the mid-2000s. Additional materials were donated by Charles Cagle. The contents of this collection consists of biographical and autobiographical material, correspondence, bibliographical information (compiled by Gene DeGruson),Tate’s poetry, reviews, advertisements, publicity pieces, clippings, literary journals, recordings of interviews, and university catalogs.https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/fa/1230/thumbnail.jp
CHARACTERIZING THE ECOLOGY OF PLAINS (SPILOGALE INTERRUPTA) AND EASTERN (SPILOGALE PUTORIUS) SPOTTED SKUNKS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND POPULATION ASSESSMENT IN KANSAS
Get PDFThe plains spotted skunk (Spilogale interrupta) has recently been recognized as a distinct species from the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius). While once abundant across the central and eastern United States, both species have experienced population declines, resulting in their review for listing under the Endangered Species Act (1973). In Kansas, the plains spotted skunk has suffered a particularly dramatic decline, the last detection in the state having occurred in 2020. Additionally, due to the recent taxonomic split, many past studies reporting on S. putorius ecology actually describe findings of two species, potentially complicating our understanding of both species’ habitat needs. We have paired a systematic literature review with a large-scale camera trap survey to determine the ecology and presence of the plains spotted skunk in Kansas. We collected data from 170 papers published on either species and found the majority of the literature focuses on the ecology of S. interrupta and subsequently infers the results apply to both species despite limited evidence to support this extrapolation of interspecies comparison. We also ascertained that the majority of studies conducted for both species are concentrated in just four states within their respective ranges. In the second part of this thesis, we describe a large-scale camera study conducted between February 2022 and June 2023. We surveyed 602 locations across 18 counties in Kansas and we did not detect a spotted skunk. The limited data on the ecology of plains spotted skunk in the literature, compounded with the rapid decline of the species’ population, necessitates immediate conservation action
The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report, Quarter 3, 2023
Get PDFThe Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report is created by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Pittsburg State University