Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in swimmers, runners, and general exercisers

The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in men performing regular aerobic exercise (swimming, running, or general exercising). Running, walking and cycling have been shown to provide anti-hypertensive benefits to those suffering fi-om hypertension while swimming has yet to be shown to be a beneficial mode of exercise for blood pressure control. Only one study has been completed using swimming as a training mode. In this study, systolic blood pressure was reduced by 9 mm Hg after a ten week training period, but there was no significant reduction in diastolic or mean arterial blood pressure. Thus there is a need for further information concerning swimming as regular aerobic exercise and its relationship to blood pressure. Resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, height, weight, and percent body fat data were collected on 107 white normotensive male subjects who differed in age and mode of exercise training (swimming, running and general exercising). Repeated measurements were obtained on separate days to assure reliable resting blood pressures. The investigator followed American Heart Association guidelines designed to eliminate erroneous readings of blood pressures. There was a significant effect for age on DBF (p\u3c0.02). Percent Body Fat (p\u3c0.0001) and MET x Min/Week (p\u3c0.0001). In addition, there was a significant effect for mode on SBP (p\u3c0.03), Percent Body Fat (p\u3c0.0001) and MET x Min/Week (p\u3c0.0001). There was a significant interaction between age and mode for MET x Min/Week values (p\u3c0.0001). Contrast statements within each group (age and exercise mode) yielded significantly higher mean SBP in swimmers compared to runners (p\u3c0.008). An age effect for DBP existed in swimmers (p\u3c0.003) but not in runners (p\u3c0.62). Significantly higher mean RHR was found in swimmers (p\u3c0.0001) and runners (p\u3c0.0001) when compared to general exercisers. Swimmers had significantly higher mean Percent Fat when compared to runners (p\u3c0.02). Additionally, when runners were combined with swimmers, they had significantly lower mean Percent Fat (ruimers p\u3c0.0001 and swimmers p\u3c0.0007) compared to general exercisers. The results of this investigation reveal that swimmers have higher resting systolic blood pressure than runners do. Although the swimmers were higher, the level of blood pressure they were at was still well below the hypertensive level. The Older runners and swimmers exhibited resting SBP and DBP well below their average blood pressure for their age. When comparing the percent body fat levels of the exercise groups, it can be seen that percent body fat was much higher in the Older exercise groups and yet they still had low blood pressures when compared to their peers. The benefit of low blood pressure appears to come from exercise then since blood pressure is known to rise with increasing body fat and obesity. It appears safe to recommend swimming as a beneficial mode of exercise for the control and management of hypertension

Incorporating iPad clinical site visits in a family nurse practitioner program in a regional university located in a rural community

Session presented on Saturday, July 25, 2015: Background Information: The setting for this project is a regional university in a rural Midwestern United States community. The School of Nursing prepares Family Nurse Practitioner students for advanced practice in primary care settings. The clinical sites utilized for the primary care courses include 30 Family Practice clinics in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Through the use of Face Time , iPads were utilized to communicate with the students and their preceptors in the rural setting and serve to provide faculty another method of a clinical site visit. Programs and Practices: The School of Nursing is committed to the University\u27s mission of providing undergraduate and graduate programs and services to the people of southeast Kansas, but also to others who seek the benefits offered. The PSU/FNP program is delivered as a hybrid program. The program utilizes a clinical preceptorship model which allows the FNP student the opportunity to perform clinical experiences in practicums located in the student\u27s home community. Description of Methods: The goals and objectives for the iPad Project included: 1) to establish and maintain communication with the Preceptor through the use of the iPad; 2) to increase the number of clinical evaluations of the Agency and Preceptor in a semester (by the Program Coordinator); 3) to increase the amount of verbal feedback the Preceptor is able to provide to the Program Coordinator; 4) to introduce \u27Apps for Healthcare Professionals\u27; 5) to enable the student to utilize the iPad for the \u27swivel effect\u27 (where the practitioner flips the screen around to explain something to their patients); 6) to enable the student to document their clinical encounters in Typhon, a student tracking system. Summary Recommendations: The first cohort of 12 FNP students utilized the iPads in their clinical practicums for 11 months (during the 2013-2014 academic years) with positive feedback. The iPad Project has proven to be a valuable tool in assisting the partnership between primary care preceptors (located in a 150 mile radius of the School) and faculty. In Cohort 2, consisting of 26 students, iPads were distributed for use through July, 2015. The clinical sites utilized include rural Family Practice clinics in following states and cities: Arkansas: Gravette; Kansas: Chanute, Parsons, Iola, Lawrence, Pittsburg, Ft Scott, Olathe, Coffeyville and Baxter Springs; Missouri: Nevada, Lamar, Joplin, Neosho and Carl Junction; and Oklahoma: Bartlesville and Grove. Through the use of Face Time , the iPads will continue to be utilized to communicate with the students and their preceptors in these Health Professional Shortage Areas. As an ongoing effort to conserve on gas mileage expenditures, the face-to-face clinical site visits are made just one time a semester (as opposed to the traditional two site visits per semester). This method of communication was utilized this past school year and proved to be very beneficial in strengthening the bonds between the preceptors and the PSU/SON Family Nurse Practitioner Coordinator. Additionally, the additional contact with the preceptor allows for a more thorough assessment of the student\u27s clinical abilities as they progress through the program

Gorillas stand up for working

Session presented on Saturday, July 23, 2016 and Sunday, July 24, 2016: Purpose: This project involved the introduction of the workplace trend, ergonomically-designed sit-stand desks (SSDs). Research in this area has concluded that for optimal health people should sit less and move more. Studies indicate the negative effects of prolonged sitting cannot be negated even by an hour of physical activity each day. Prolonged sitting time has been identified as a health risk factor and musculoskeletal discomforts (MSDs) are report by 60% of office workers. SSDs allow office workers to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the working day. Therefore, the intention of this study was to indirectly affect the health and wellbeing of participants through quantitatively evaluating the before and after musculoskeletal discomforts in the neck, shoulder, back, arms, and legs in those using. Research has shown that sitting is the most misunderstood health threat of our modern world. Researchers have found that sitting more than six hours a day will greatly increase your risk of an early death. Yes, sitting is the new smoking! Methods: The project began through distribution of 16 SSDs around the campus of a small regional university located in the Midwest. A MSD pre-survey was completed with a post-survey to be completed after an 8-week trial. SSDs will then be redistributed to another 16 participants; the data acquisition will be repeated. The study was guided by a research team consisting of two graduate students in nursing and three undergraduate students from nursing, biology, and accounting. The perception of musculoskeletal discomfort was measured before and will be measured after using the desks. Results: Preliminary results were obtained through a pilot study and reveal a very favorable response to the subjects\u27 perceived sense of wellness as well as a decrease in the subjective symptoms of back pain, musculoskeletal fatigue involving the neck, shoulders, arms and legs. Preliminary results from the pilot study are favorable to the subjects\u27 perceived sense of wellness as well as a decrease in MSDs. The study is ongoing through spring, 2016. Conclusion: The key to improving health and well-being is about making small movement throughout the workday from sitting to standing; final results will be available March 15, 2016

Promoting safe and effective feeding for infants and children : improving thickener guidelines at Children's Mercy Hospital

Feeding represents one of the most essential occupations for development, yet for infants born premature or with complex medical conditions, feeding may require skilled intervention. Since infants obtain their nutrition solely through liquid, safe and effective feeding highly depends on the coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing. Occupational therapists are uniquely suited to address feeding issues by educating caregivers and implementing feeding interventions. Thickeners are often used to adjust the consistency of liquids to facilitate a safe swallowing motor pattern. However, thickener is associated with increased variability in guidelines and protocols within practice. Research indicates it is difficult to thicken infant formula or breast milk due to the many variables that affect thickener efficacy. As part of an ongoing quality improvement initiative at Children's Mercy Hospital (CMH), I addressed key concerns related to thickener use through my Doctoral Capstone Experience by creating a spreadsheet to consolidate thickener information and streamline access to recipes. I established new thickened formula recipes and analyzed thickening trends across a variety of formulas with different nutritional characteristics by collecting data comparing how incremental adjustments in thickener impact the resulting level of thickness. Results found that that more precise liquid measurement methods can achieve a more desirable consistency and that formulas with higher sugar content may require additional amounts of thickener to achieve a target result. In conclusion, understanding the underlying variables affecting thickener allows for therapists to make more informed clinical decisions and promote safe and effective feeding practices.Includes bibliographical references

The Potential of Learner-Generated Podcasts for Reading in Occupational Therapy Education

Research suggests that reading compliance among higher education students is low, warranting enhancement of educational practices to support reading, especially for students enrolled in health professional programs. Researchers used a cross-sectional study design to explore the effects of a learner-generated podcast assignment as a reading supplement in occupational therapy education using two different survey instruments assessing student perceptions and learning styles. Forty-three Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) students participated in this study. Descriptive statistics indicated positive attitudes towards creating and preparing the podcasts but remained mostly neutral towards listening and watching podcasts. Tukey’s HSD test for multiple comparisons detected tactile learners on average completed less readings (40%) compared to visual and auditory learners (60%-70%), with a significant difference (0.05) between visual and auditory learners. Learner-generated podcasts present an opportunity to enhance student learning, but further research is needed to determine the best educational practices

Increasing the Number of Nurse Practitioner Preceptors by Increasing Preceptor Preparedness

Background: the healthcare provider shortage has resulted in increased enrollment in nurse practitioner programs. Traditionally, the clinical education of these students has occurred primarily in clinical settings with the guidance of a practicing nurse practitioner. There is currently a shortage of these preceptors. Research indicates part of the shortage may be attributed to hesitancy to precept due to feeling ill-prepared as a preceptor. It is proposed that a focus group will verify concepts found in the literature. In addition, creating a webinar to better prepare preceptors will result in an increase in prepared preceptors. Significance: The shortage of nurse practitioner preceptors not only impacts the student’s ability to obtain quality clinical education, it also affects the universities; enrollment will decrease as available preceptors decrease. This will further negatively impact the healthcare shortage. Methods: A focus group was held to confirm the concepts found in the literature. Further, concepts gleaned from the literature and the focus group will guide the development of a preparation webinar for preceptors. Results: the focus group did confirm the barriers found in the literature. Discussion: The shortage of preceptors for nurse practitioner students impacts completion of the nurse practitioner program. Creating a webinar using data from the focus group and the literature will better prepare nurse practitioners to precept, thereby, resulting in an increase in the number of available preceptors

An investigation of the use of a digital process monitoring and control system in an undergraduate chemical engineering laboratory

Call number: LD2668 .R4 CHE 1989 G54Master of ScienceChemical Engineerin

Determining the impact of surgical scissor type on patient experience during Mohs micrographic surgery : a randomized control trial

INTRODUCTION: Environmental factors during dermatologic surgery can exacerbate anxiety and affect patient experience. Previous studies have evaluated the impact of smells [1] and sounds [3] on patient experience during Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), but no study has evaluated how the metallic clipping sound generated by surgical scissors impacts patient experience. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial including 148 adult patients presenting for MMS to evaluate how the clipping sound generated by surgical scissors impacts patient experience. Patients were randomized into one of three groups: 1. A control group with traditional curved Iris scissors, 2. An intervention group with modified curved Iris scissors, 3. A comparative arm where patients experienced both the traditional and modified scissors and were asked in a blinded fashion during surgery which scissor they preferred. RESULTS: The metallic clipping noise was noticed less by the modified group (p = 0.3747). The metallic clipping noise was less bothersome to patients in the modified group (p = 0.2258). In Group 3, of the 38 patients that selected a preference 60% chose the modified and 40% chose the traditional (p=0.2559). CONCLUSION While there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of noticing the clipping noise and being bothered by the clipping noise, there may be some clinical significance to draw from this study. Patient preference tended toward the modified scissors and these quiet instruments may improve patient experience, especially for those who are extra sensitive to sensory stimuli or for those who have never undergone dermatologic surgery before

Gift of life : Comparing factors involving non-directed kidney donor motivation for social workers and nurses

Purpose: This research examines donor motivations using a research design from earlier investigations evaluating the persuasiveness of the National Kidney Foundation s (NKF) altruistic gift of life frame. Earlier studies produced mixed results, showing, in particular, substantially more support for material incentives among an international sample of nursing professionals as compared to a convenience sample of college students. The purpose of this exploratory study is to compare nurses and social workers on each of three measures used as indicators of kidney donor motivation: 1) social distance between donor and recipient; 2) support for material incentives as a component of motivation to undergo a living kidney donation; and 3) self-ratings concerning compassion fatigue and worker burnout as possible factors influencing donor motivations among nursing and social work professionals. A total of 159 social workers and nurses participated in a survey that addressed not only the relationship between material incentives, social distance and motivation to donate; but also work-related burnout and compassion fatigue as structural factors that might reduce donor motivation. This study does not shy away from a debate surrounding cash for organs and other controversial ideas. Instead, ethical concerns were incorporated into the research model in an effort to explore what motivates an individual to undergo living kidney donation surgery. Methods: The data for this research are based on a self-administered, self-reported survey using a non-representative sample of convenience administered at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) 2015 Spring Clinical Meetings to social workers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The study assessed the willingness of NKF member nurses and social workers to undergo a living kidney donation with a modified version of the Bogardus Social Distance Scale (Bogardus, 1925; 1933), which is regarded as a valid measure of the level of comfort individuals have in associating with individuals who are increasingly distant or dissimilar on various key traits. The researchers also used a cumulative summated-rating scale linking various material rewards to willingness to donate. This ethical-motivation scale (EMS) was developed in accordance with ethical issues raised in the literature on donor compensation and consists of nine items of increasing monetary or material value. To measure compassion fatigue, an 11-item summated rating scale was utilized, again using issues raised in the literature on burnout and compassion fatigue. SPSS 22 was utilized for the statistical analysis of these data. Percentages and simple cross tabulations were used for nominal and ordinal variables to observe bivariate relationships. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, were used for the three ordinal-level scales. A Cronbach s alpha was used to test the reliability and internal consistency of the ethical-motivation scale and produced α = .82. The Cronbach s alpha for the modified Bogardus Social Distance Scale was α = .72 A Spearman correlation technique was used to examine the relationship between the social distance scale and the ethical-motivation scale. Results: The nurses and social workers in this study were compared on each of three measures used as indicators of kidney donor motivation: 1) social distance between donor and recipient; 2) support for material incentives as a component of motivation to undergo a living kidney donation; and 3) self-ratings concerning compassion fatigue and worker burnout as possible factors influencing donor motivations among nursing and social work professionals. With respect to social distance, a modified Bogardus Social Distance Scale based on the hypothesis that those with the least social distance from the respondent would elicit the most willingness to donate. The data supports the hypothesis that as social distance increases, the willingness of respondents to donate a kidney decreases. 95.8% of nursing, social work, and other healthcare respondents indicated they would donate one of their kidneys to an immediate family member. Regarding a family member, 74.4%, or 21.4% less, were willing to donate a kidney to a member of their extended family. Regarding donation to a friend, 71.3%, or 24.5% less, were willing to donate a kidney to a close friend. In contrast to the high willingness associated with donations to immediate and extended family, however, only 22.9% of nursing, social work and other healthcare respondents were willing to donate a kidney to an acquaintance and only 14.5% were willing to donate to a stranger. Hence, 81.3% fewer respondents were willing to donate a kidney to a stranger than to an immediate family member. This result is statistically significant at p \u3e.001. A comparison between nurses and social workers on the Bogardus Social Distance Scale supports the hypothesis that social workers are more altruistic. Compared to nurses, social workers are 6.3% more willing to donate when it comes to donation to an immediate family member; 9.6% more willing when it comes to an extended family member; and 11.7% more willing when it comes to a close friend. In addition, despite the low level of willingness to donate to unrelated others among both groups, social workers are 23.8% more willing to donate to an acquaintance than are nurses, and 22% more willing to donate to a total stranger. Thus, the range of difference in willingness to donate to related and unrelated others is much greater in nurses at 89.6% (p \u3e.09 2df) as compared to 73.9% for social workers (p \u3e.001, 2df). To examine the amount of support associated with material incentives of increasing value, a nine-statement ethical-motivation scale developed by Humphries et al (2009) was utilized. The results indicate nursing and social work respondents agreed that living donors should be compensated for medical expenses, both groups also agreed that donors should be compensated for lost wages and should receive a federal tax deduction. High agreement was also expressed for non-compensated altruistic giving in the nursing respondents as well as the social work respondents. Conclusion: To assess the persuasiveness of the NKF s altruistic gift of life frame among member nurses and social workers, this research design was developed by a team member and included a measure of compassion fatigue as well as work-related burnout. Results from the use of the Bogardus Social Distance Scale confirm, consistent with prior research studies, that respondents are more willing to donate a kidney to a close other (e.g., a member of their immediate family) than to a distant other (e.g., a stranger). Thus, this research, considered in conjunction with prior research, provides strong empirical evidence that, regardless of target population, social distance is the single most important motivating factor in altruistic living kidney donation. Additionally, a comparison of nurses and social workers using the Bogardus Social Distance Scale reveals that nurses are less willing than social workers to participate in a living kidney donation. For nurses, these findings are consistent with earlier research and support the hypothesis that nurses are pragmatic in their orientation. In contrast, the greater willingness among social workers to donate a kidney supports the hypothesis of an idealistic orientation. However, on the ethical-motivation scale item that suggests donating a live kidney should be a free-will donation and purely altruistic , nurses express somewhat more agreement than social workers. Both nurses and social workers expressed low support for cash payouts and other high-value rewards. Furthermore, on the compassion fatigue scale, both nurses and social workers reported that while they feel physically and emotionally exhausted at the end of the work day, they found work personally rewarding and were not burned out. Compassion fatigue also does not appear to explain the greater social distance expressed by the current sample of nurses in that the results on the compassion fatigue scale are comparable for both nurses and social workers. This may be due to cultural rather than structural factors, such as the different professional worldviews and socialization experiences of nurses and social workers. Despite lack of support for high-value material rewards, results from the ethical-motivation scale show strong support among both nurses and social workers for limited material incentives in the form of compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and a federal tax deduction. These findings suggest that the gift of life frame is not persuasive when it comes to motivating individuals to undergo a live kidney donation, particularly when it involves an unrelated other. Specifically, the results show that unless the recipient has a close relationship to the donor, there is a low willingness to donate. Given this, the research team is in favor of re-framing living donation to emphasize both justice and rights. Specifically, these authors argue that material compensation could be construed as a just reward that preserves the rights of a selfless donor to autonomy, integrity, and dignity. In the view of these authors, this restorative frame avoids the perception of cash for organs that lacked resonance with the nurses and social workers in this study