804 research outputs found
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Covid Wellness
Get PDFMy story is about the impact Covid had on my life over the course of two interstate moves, a master’s program, working through Covid, and lastly my experiences here at UIW
The Black Male Triumph Story: Successfully Achieving Graduate Degrees
Get PDFResearch Focus. In post-baccalaureate education, Black males have historically and continuously been underrepresented and misrepresented; however, this research was focused on abstracting the positive characteristics that were similar among successful post-baccalaureate Black male graduates. My research looked at the post-baccalaureate attainment of 16 Black male participants in a nuanced way by pinpointing the common positive attributes of the successful scholars. Specifically, I explored the importance of informing educators about necessary tools that contributed to the success of Black males in graduate school. The goal of my study was to target policymakers in education, present and future researchers, practitioners, and faculty who can help better serve Black males in graduate school and beyond. Research Methods. This complex story came to life by listening to and examining the stories of Black males through Narrative Inquiry. As the study progressed, I became completely immersed in the research by incorporating my personal experiences and emotions in graduate education. In doing so, I brought the reader closer to the subculture of the Black male experience in graduate school by using autoethnography as a research methodology, along with Narrative Inquiry. These qualitative methods allowed me to act as the study\u27s researcher, subject, and narrator all at the same time. Autoethnography involved a great deal of reflection, introspection, and self-analysis, which aided in bringing validity to my study as well. In terms of specific methods, I used 60 200-minute semi-structured interviews via Google Meet, gathered written personal philosophy statements, and implemented a descriptive survey to triangulate data. I complemented this by adding in my own ethnographic accounts to dialogue with the experience of the participants. Research Results/Findings. The study’s findings provided a counterpoint to deficit-oriented research on Black males in graduate school. The study found 10 characterizations and three major themes that formed the creation of the Successful Black Males Post-Baccalaureate Degree (SBMPD) model. Another interesting aspect of the study was discovering connections between my own experience and those of the majority of the 16 participants. The findings from the study discussed the transformation of the SBMPD model into the emerging Furlow Engagement and Endurance Theory, what it means, how it works, and the interpretations of the new phases that the model and theory went through. I also presented important ways in which the theory should be implemented at the graduate levels. Conclusions from Research. This research provided insights into why it was important to focus on the positive imagery of Black males in graduate education, which can be more expressively captured through narratives of personal experiences. The benefits of this study will support an increase in the number of Black males in graduate school by providing institutions and students a model of tools that will support Black males in completing their degree with success. Evidence from the study encourages (a) everyone to find a group of people with whom they feel comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities, (b) the importance of embracing that the struggle has given courage to persist, and (c) the value of finding a way to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Each of these men shared their knowledge and experiences with this study in the hopes of positively influencing the lives of future Black men pursuing post-baccalaureate degrees. Within ourselves as Black students and as educators, there is a wealth of meaning, knowledge, and understanding about what contributes to Black male success in graduate school. The sector of higher education must be the trailblazers to set the standard to incorporate all aspects of the Black male in education while, above all, allowing one to be true to oneself and to one’s own truth. Although words are lovely, it is time to act with intention. The actions of institutions, faculty, key stakeholders, and students will directly be affected by the power of this truth and knowledge within these research findings
Medication-Induced Oculomotor Dysfunction: a report of two cases
Get PDFBackground: Consideration of current medications and their interactions as a source of new onset oculomotor dysfunction is imperative for providing good eye care. Medication etiology should be particularly suspected when the symptoms begin with the initiation of a new medication and resolved with discontinuation of the same medication.
Case Reports: Presented are two cases demonstrating that it is prudent to be aware of medications capable of inducing oculomotor dysfunction. Each case reveals instances of acute oculomotor dysfunction after the initiation of a central nervous system affecting medication. Case 1 details a partial pupil sparing third nerve palsy after initiating the anti-anxiety drug, buspirone. Case 2 accounts the addition of zolpidem (Ambien), a sedative, and the subsequent new onset nystagmus and hypertropia.
Conclusion: In each case, no organic etiology was found, and the oculomotor dysfunction resolved following discontinuation of the recently added CNS affecting medication. Specific drug interactions are also considered as contributing factors to the oculomotor dysfunction in both cases
Longstanding Crystalline Retinopathy Secondary to Intravitreal Triamcinolone Injection
Get PDFBackground: Crystalline retinopathy has many disparate etiologies with varying potentials in visual outcome. Due to the potential severity of these outcomes, differentiation of etiology is critical to guide both follow up and treatment regimen. Diagnosis can be facilitated with a thorough medical history, clinical presentation, and imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Case Report: This case demonstrates a rare incidence of crystalline retinopathy in a 65-year-old male attributed to a single intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection with 8 year follow up data, followed by a review of other types of crystalline retinopathy secondary to pharmaceutical agents. Conclusion: A complete case history, including medications, systemic disorders and surgical history are critical. Ancillary testing, such as OCT can be diagnostic. This patient’s history of IVTA injection for diabetic macular edema and the OCT showing preretinal hyperreflective refractiles lead to the diagnosis of triamcinolone crystalline retinopathy
How Romantic Relationships Impact Athletic Performance in Student-Athletes in Higher Education; A Regression Analysis
Get PDFThe purpose of this quantitative regression analysis was to test examine the association between romantic relationships to athletic performance, after controlling for gender, sport, grade, and partner athlete status for student athletes at a private catholic university in South Texas. Being a student-athlete comes with a lot of pressure and expectations. Research has shown how performance from a student-athlete is crucial from keeping their scholarship from being on thin ice (Gord, 2018). Studies have helped point how relationships can influence athlete performance in some way, whether it is family, coach, teammates and friends, or romantic (Bolter & Weiss, 2012; Moll, Jordet, & Pepping, 2010; Sager & Lavallee, 2010). Literature shows the importance of performance for an athlete and how an external variable such as a relationship can alter that. If performance is a determining factor for maintaining a scholarship and a relationship can alter performance, the use of this literature attempts to help aid the research questions in this study by showing the relationship between romantic relationships and student-athlete performance. This study examined the association between romantic relationships and student-athlete performance at a private catholic university in South Texas. In addition, Gender, Sport, Grade, and Partner Athlete Status were examined to see if they were predictors to Satisfaction with Performance. Both Sternberg’s Triangular Love Theory passion component (1986) and Chelladuari and Riemer’s (1997) Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to measure the relationship in this study. The results of this study showed that romantic relationships and athletic performance are significant, but no significance with the predicting variables, gender, sport, grade level, and partner athlete status. This provides a foundation for this area of study, since there is little to no research on this area of study (Muzika, 2018). These findings may not be generalizable for all student-athletes, but it does present that there is a significant correlation between romantic relationships and athletic performance. Obviously, this study does not bridge the gap on this topic, but it does shorten it some
COVID and the Path to Optometry
Get PDFThis story is about how the COVID-19 pandemic brought me to my passion of optometry
Unknown Battles
Get PDFMy narrative is about the emotional consequences of starting a graduate program in the midst of a pandemic
Reducing Physical Restraints and Emergency Psychiatric Medications on an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit With the Broset Violence Checklist
Get PDFBackground: Physical restraint and psychiatric emergency medication use, especially psychotropic medications, is problematic, negatively impacting patient safety on psychiatric units (Ambwani et al., 2021; Iuppa et al., 2013; Rahman, 2021). The Bröset Violence Checklist (Woods & Almvik, 2002), a short-term violence-predicting tool, has been used in the inpatient setting to predict violent outbursts and determine when high-level violence interventions are needed.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to recognize signs and symptoms of aggression and agitation early and intervene to reduce the use of physical restraints and emergency restraint medications on an inpatient psychiatric unit, thereby improving patient safety.
Objectives: The objectives of this project were to assess 90% of patients within 24 hours of admission and daily using the Bröset Violence Checklist, then employ de-escalation techniques in 100% of patients scoring a 3–6 on the tool. These objectives were anticipated to reduce physical restraints and emergency restraint medications by 50%.
Interventions: After education sessions for the providers and staff on the Bröset Violence Checklist, copies of the tool were placed in the providers’ offices, nurse’s station, psychiatric department, and on patient charts. A handout reviewing de-escalation techniques was also available at the nurse’s station. Patients were assessed within 24 hours of admission and daily during the project, and de-escalation was used on patients scoring a 3–6 on the checklist.
Results: (N = 46) The use of personal physical restraints, defined as the application of physical force without a device (De Berardis et al., 2020), decreased by 86%, and intramuscular emergency psychiatric medications decreased by 83% after the intervention was implemented. Mechanical restraints, defined as restraining a person by applying a restraint device (De Berardis et al., 2020), increased by 23%, potentially due to the number of moderate and high-risk patients admitted to the unit. 100% of moderate and high-risk patients screened received de-escalation interventions.
Implications for Practice: Doctorally prepared Advanced Practice Registered Nurses can provide the oversight necessary to successfully implement evidence-based interventions to improve the screening and management of agitation and aggression, thereby decreasing the need for restraints and emergency psychiatric medications on psychiatric units