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A Catholic Life Skills Program: The Adoration Module of the Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service - Life Long Learning (ACTS-L3) Journeyman
Get PDFThe location for my Pastoral Project will be the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) John B. Connally Unit, located two miles south of the town of Kenedy on Hwy 181 in Karnes County, Texas. The Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service Life Long Learning (ACTS-L3) - Journeyman program will provide a learning experience for those participants seeking a faith-based approach to personal development. The beliefs of the Catholic Church and lay faithful will be the basis for learning objectives. The planned curriculum intends to increase awareness of the vocation of lay people in all temporal affairs to our incarcerated communities.
Participants will be adult males with a mean age of 37 and education level of ninth grade. They are from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, but predominantly of Hispanic and African-American origin. The Connally Unit is a maximum security prison with a large population incarcerated for over 10 years. Many offenders (prisoners) have no opportunity for parole in the near future. The primary purpose of this program will be to influence a positive change of lifestyle through behavior modifcation in support of TDCJ\u27s mission: The mission of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is to provide public safety, promote positive change in offender behavior, reintegrate offenders into society and assist victims of crime (TDCJ, 2013).
Participants will volunteer to engage in fellowship, self discovery and social reentry preparedness. Activities will assimilate a doorway or threshold of change by reexamining the decisions and actions which consequently led to incarceration. Several resources are employed leading to a Journeyman style of self-directed and classroom discovery learning experiences with practical application exercise to encourage Life Long Learning. The program strives to create an active community with a positive influence. The curriculum design encompasses a combination of the Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate approach to training and education development process and the Understanding by Design models. Each Module will contain several lessons, which are self paced and volunteer or peer facilitated. Small group instruction and individual face to face will be the primary delivery method.
The ultimate goal of the program is to instill a faith-based lifestyle through which participants seek to better themselves and the community. This is accomplished by active participation in the preparation for re-entry into general society or continued growth and positive contribution toward the incarcerated community
The Numbers Game: What an Un-Predictive Ability of Success in First-Year Mathematics Courses and Subgroup Bias Mean to Students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Get PDFThe purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the ability of standardized test scores to predict the performance of students in first-year mathematics courses, and the extent to which these tests displayed differential validity among various subgroups. Using discriminant analysis, it was established that the following percentages of students were correctly classified into passing and not passing groups, using the listed independent variables: a) SAT mathematics scores - 58.6%, b) SAT verbal scores - 50.6%, c) ACT mathematics scores - 54.7%, and d) ACT verbal scores - 56.3%. New predictive models were created using standardized test scores in combination with students high school GPA, and high school rank to increase correct classification into passing and not passing groups to 67.1% using the SAT, 67.4% using the ACT, and 68.5% using a combination of the SAT and ACT. Using three-way ANOVA, it was determined that there was a significant three-way interaction between gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (income), and a significant twoway interaction between gender and socioeconomic status (income) for both the SAT and ACT. An analysis of main effects determined that ethnicity and socioeconomic status (income) displayed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of students on the SAT and ACT
Improving Foot Care and Kidney Disease Screening Through Implementation of American Diabetes Association Standards–2016 in The Primary Care Setting
Get PDFThe purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase adherence to the American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2016 recommendations for foot care and kidney disease screening for patients with diabetes mellitus type II in a primary care setting. Diabetes mellitus type II affects approximately 18.9-19.9 million, or 90-95%, of all diagnosed cases in the United States. Early detection and management decrease the risk of developing microvascular complications that may lead to neuropathy and nephropathy. Adults with diabetes mellitus type II, 20 years of age and older, accounted for approximately 73,000 non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations in 2011. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure representing 44% of all new cases of renal failure. This quality improvement project was implemented by providing education for medical assistants and the provider. A pre-intervention audit of 50 charts revealed 10% documentation of foot care performed, 6% screening of kidney disease via microalbumin/creatinine testing, and 0% documented provision of educational handouts in patients with diabetes mellitus type II. For the quality improvement project the clinic began to perform and document foot care and order urine microalbumin/creatinine test more consistently with these recommendations. A post-intervention audit of 50 charts showed 50%, achievement in foot care performed and documented, 26 % achievement in microalbumin/creatinine testing, and 0% documentation of educational material. This project led by a Doctor of Nursing Practice student encompasses a higher level of clinical evaluation, organizational leadership and responsibility in providing evidence-based care
Evaluating a Chaplain Corps Change Initiative: Examining the Relationship Between Change Beliefs and Job Satisfaction
Get PDFThe Air Force Chaplain Corps is experiencing a period of rapid change that challenges traditional approaches to providing ministry for Air Force personnel. The need for an effective chaplaincy has never been greater; the Air Force’s critical manning shortages and worldwide duty requirements are adding stress and uncertainty to the lives of Airmen (Losey, 2015). To better support these Airmen the Chief of Chaplains directed a change initiative aimed at increasing the effectiveness of unit-based ministry, including aggressive goals for the amount of time spent in direct unit engagement. This study utilized a survey to explore beliefs of Chaplain Corps personnel regarding the change initiative and the relationship of those beliefs to job satisfaction. Items from two existing instruments were used in the survey, the Organizational Change Recipients’ Beliefs Scale (Armenakis, Bernerth, Pitts, & Walker, 2007) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1997). Additionally, open-ended questions gave respondents the opportunity to express their opinions and attitudes in their own words. The study revealed agreement with some aspects of the change initiative and highlighted areas which could be addressed to better facilitate change implementation. Personnel agreed with the importance of increasing the effectiveness of unit ministry, but many at the wing or unit level, expressed a sense of time pressure and difficulty with meeting conflicting demands. Job satisfaction was found to be generally positive and was related to change beliefs
The Impact of Short-Term International Volunteers on the Capacity Development of a School for Students With Disabilities in the Caribbean
Get PDFThis qualitative study contributes to the field of international volunteerism by giving insight into the impact of short-term international volunteerism on the capacity development of a school for students with disabilities in the Caribbean. In the United States over one million people volunteer abroad annually, with 70-80% of these volunteers serving eight weeks or less (Lough, 2010). However, whether the international volunteers are having an impact on the capacity development of the population served remains to be seen. This study focused on an aspect of short-term international volunteerism that has largely been ignored – how short-term international volunteers impact the capacity development of host organizations. The study was guided by the United Nations Development Programme’s Framework for Measuring Capacity Development which was utilized as the theoretical framework. This case study found that five years after an educational program was conducted by short-term international volunteers at a school for students with disabilities in the Caribbean, there was a noted impact on capacity development. Teachers were continuing to use some of the strategies taught by the international volunteers as well as use some of the resources provided. Recommendations for further studies are provided as well as the study’s implications for the design of short-term international volunteer projects
Alumni Commitment: Exploring the Process of Transition From Participants to Donors
Get PDFTraditionally, the mission and values of institutions of higher education tend to be positioned around nurturing students to realize their full potential. This includes growing students holistically as whole people, through their academic, social, and emotional interactions while enrolled. Through this focus, institutions hope to connect with students and build an emotional connection or affiliation that will last beyond the student years and into the alumni years. Alumni play a pivotal role in institutional advancement in that they serve as sources of support through their active participation, networking representation, serving as community liaisons, and their charitable contributions. The 2 most essential aspects representative of alumni commitment are their participation and donation. The 4 main characteristics that influence alumni participation and donorship include capacity, student experience, alumni experience, and the motivation to donate. Alumni relations departments are challenged with effectively identifying how to encourage alumni not only to participate in alumni-sponsored events, but additionally to donate as well. A qualitative research approach with constructivist grounded theory research design was utilized to gain insight into the processes associated with alumni organizations identifying effective strategies that encourage increased alumni affiliation. The aim of this study was to explore and obtain an understanding of the change that occurs when alumni transition from participants to donors. The significance of this study is that it allows institutions a more substantial view of the intrinsic aspects associated with alumni participation and donation. This study offers various factors for consideration that would assist alumni relations departments in better connecting with students and alumni in a more meaningful manner. The study’s results led to the generation of the Theory of Alumni Transitional Donation, which revealed the internal and external transitional processes that occur as alumni transition from participants to donors. The internal transitional process includes the institutional community setting with which alumni surround themselves, the shift in understanding they experience because of their interactions within their community settings, the lenses that alumni use to view these interactions, the transitional growth aspect through which they go, and lastly the perceived benefit they attach to these social interactions and experiences. The external transitional process includes institutional opportunities for volunteerism, participation, and donation. Recommendations for future research were also provided. Results from this study encourage that alumni continue, as a lifelong process, to foster the relationship and maintain the connections with their alma maters as something mutually beneficial
Improved Medication Management for Elderly Patients Through Increased Review and Documentation
Get PDFThe purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve medication management processes for patients in a wellness center. Medication reconciliation is a safe practice shown to reduce the potential for patient harm by preventing prescribing errors and adverse drug effects. Medication reconciliation includes assessment of medications, development of medication lists, education, and medication counseling for patients (Snyderman, Salzman, Mills, Hersh, & Parks, 2014). Assessment of medication reconciliation in a geriatric wellness center revealed poor medication management. Education on medication management was provided to staff (N = 10) and the workflow was altered to improve processes. Electronic medical records of 86 elderly Hispanic patients (mean age = 72.7) were compared before and after the education and the clinic process improvement to assess if documentation, medication reconciliation, patient education, and adverse drugs were addressed. After 6 weeks, 4 improvements were observed: (a) increased rate of staff and provider documentation of patients’ medications in the EMR from 25% to 82%, (b) improved patient reminders to bring medications to the clinic resulting in increased medication recording from 10% to 82%, (c) reduced high-risk medications prescribed from 8% of elderly patients to 5%, and (d) improved the receipt of patient medication education from 0% to 82% of patients. The interventions for staff and providers were effective in improving the practice and processes of medication reconciliation. The leadership of the Doctor of Nursing Advanced Practice Registered Nurse improved medication management and enabled this clinic to reach Medicare performance standards
Interventions to Increase Vaccination Rates in Homeless Adults Aged 50 Years and Older in a Shelter-Based Clinic
Get PDFPronounced disparities in adult immunizations exist across the country. In homeless adults over 50 years of age with chronic diseases, coverage rates for influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations falls at 30% as compared to the 60% coverage rate found in the general public. Hepatitis B immunization rates are also significantly lower in the elderly homeless population. Increased prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly homeless shelter residents’ increase their risk for severe complications following influenza, hepatitis B and meningococcal infections. To prevent disease epidemics and further disability in the homeless population, the need for appropriate and timely vaccinations is critical. Attitudes and beliefs towards vaccinations, distrust of healthcare providers and limited access to healthcare are significant factors for low immunization rates in the homeless population. Alcohol and substance use, mental illness and multiple chronic diseases exacerbated by congregated living conditions are risk factors for communicable diseases, which are preventable when adequate surveillance and immunization strategies are implemented. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to increase vaccination rates among high-risk elderly homeless patients in a primary care clinic. Interventions included are the implementation of immunization standing orders and client reminder/recall cards. Improvement was evaluated by comparing pre- and post- intervention immunization rates in patient population. The effectiveness of reminder cards was measured by increase in patient appointments. It is recommended that healthcare providers treating homeless patients utilize clinical practice guidelines for planning and evaluating immunization protocols and most importantly, immunize these patients at every opportunity
Duty Hour Limitations and Educational Outcomes: Perspectives From a Community Hospital-Based Family Medicine Residency Program
Get PDFIn 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association introduced new models that established limits on residents’ duty hours in training programs across the United States (Miulli & Valcore, 2010; Philibert & Taradejna, 2011); more stringent limitations were implemented in 2011. If these physician training programs decreased the time residents’ spent in a formal learning environment and utilized experiential learning as one teaching method, did the duty hour limitations affect the residents’ learning outcomes? The purpose of this ex post facto, quantitative study was to determine if there were differences in ITE (In-Training Examination) scores of family medicine graduates the year before and the year after duty hour limitations, 2003, as well as the year of duty hour limitations updates, 2011, at a community-based hospital residency program in South Central Texas. The study analyzed, for a span of 17 years, yearly ITE scores of residents who completed training in a community-based family medicine residency program (n = 355). Scores were divided into 3 groups. The first group included examination scores for the period 1997–2002 (109 residency graduates), when duty hour limitations did not exist. The post-implementation groups included examination scores for 2003–2010 (165 residency graduates) and 2011–2014 (81 current residents). The ITE consists of 240 questions covering a wide range of content categories. To analyze the ex post facto data from the ITE, a quantitative approach was used to determine if there were differences in scores of family medicine residency graduates before and after the year of duty hour limitations (2003) and from scores of current residents after duty hour limitations updates (2011). Univariate analysis provided descriptive statistics (gender, ethnicity, age). Inferential analysis determined if there were differences between the mean scores of the residents within the three groups of duty hour limitation periods. Analysis of this data indicated significant differences in the means of the ITE scores in 2 of the 3 duty hour periods. In addition, significant results were reported in the means of the adult medicine subcategory scores over 2 of the 3 duty hour periods, with no significant difference reported in the means of the maternity care subcategory scores. Based on the population for this study, results showed a significant difference in ITE scores after the duty hour limitation updates in 2011. These duty hour limitation standards are now a permanent fixture of postgraduate medical training. Researchers should continue to study educational outcomes related to resident work hours. Reporting on best practices would encourage duty hour limitations within individual institutions, be they university-based or community hospital-based residency programs
Success and Persistence of At-Risk Students in Summer Bridge Programs and Semester Developmental Courses
Get PDFIn today’s society, many students are entering colleges and universities unprepared in mathematics for enrollment in college-level courses. The lack of sufficient preparation during high school years for taking college-level mathematics courses has created a problem for students and the institutions of higher education trying to serve them. Most colleges and universities have implemented developmental courses for students who have fallen short of the required skills for entering into college-level mathematics courses. Since developmental education is a comprehensive process focusing on intellectual, social, and educational growth for all students, interventions are provided to improve unprepared students’ achievement and persistence in both the short-term, first semester, and in the longer term degree processes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in success rates and persistence to further mathematics courses between students who took the first developmental mathematics course in a summer bridge program and those who took the first course in a traditional program. The students enrolled in the summer 2008 through fall 2009 were selected for this study. Their records of enrollment and passing rates were collected and analyzed using descriptive cross-tabulation. The results indicated students in the bridge mathematics programs were more persistent than the students in the traditional developmental mathematics courses, and the students in the traditional developmental mathematics courses had a better passing rate than the students in the bridge mathematics programs