A Descriptive Case Study: Exploring the Impact of Practicing the Role of the Registered Nurse Throughout a Simulation Curriculum from Graduates of a Midwest Associate Degree Nursing Program

The researcher sought to learn the impact of participating in a repetitive, immersive, high-fidelity simulation curriculum on graduates\u27 nursing practice. The literature has highlighted the gaps in graduates’ practice readiness and transition to practice. This gap is coupled with the decreased opportunities for students in the clinical setting, increased patient acuity, and rapid acceleration in the use of technology in healthcare organizations. The implementation of simulation pedagogy can help bridge these gaps; however, its implementation, frequency, and curricular integration vary across nursing academia. This qualitative descriptive case study explored the perceptions of graduates from a midwest associate degree nursing program and the impact of simulation on their nursing practice. Data were collected from an open-ended questionnaire and interviews with program graduates from 2018–2023. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Six themes were identified that related to graduates’ educational preparation, readiness for practice, and transition to practice: positive reflections on preparation for simulation clinical day participation, building self-confidence through role practice, integrating knowledge through practice, practicing patient care in context, impact of debriefing on learning and confidence, and preparing for practice through simulation. Completing preparation work to participate was key to connecting didactic content with practical application. Creating a psychologically safe environment sets the tone for learners to feel secure enough to take risks and adopt a growth mindset during their experiences and debriefing sessions. Repetitively practicing the role of an RN was crucial, coupled with repetitive practice in an immersive and contextually realistic environment for implementing the nursing process and preparing students for the professional nursing role

Discovering the Function of an Unknown Protein Using Bioinformatics Tools

This project is aiming to present the proposed function(s) of a protein whose function is currently unknown. To do this, research will be done using tools such as BLAST to identify the sequence of the protein, InterPro to understand the protein domains/family, as well as DALI and FoldSeek to look at the structure of the protein. The results of the research and data collected by these tools will help to determine the proposed function(s) of the protein. Understanding the function(s) of the protein will potentially help further scientific understanding and research

Finding Antibiotics in Soil

For this project, my objective was to explore the potential of soil-derived solutions in identifying novel antibiotics. To achieve this, I utilized soil samples, isolating them into different bacterial colonies. By diluting the samples and isolating individual colonies, I was able to conduct targeted tests. Each colony was exposed to specific antibiotics, and the resulting bacterial growth was monitored for a zone of inhibition. During my investigation, I discovered that one particular strain of bacteria, identified as the sixth colony, exhibited a significant zone of inhibition when exposed to Enterococcus faecalis. This finding suggests that this particular bacterium may harbor antimicrobial properties, showing promise as a potential candidate for further development as a therapeutic agent. This research highlights the importance of exploring unconventional sources, such as soil, to discover new antibiotics that may help address the increasing challenge of antibiotic resistance and enhance our ability to treat infectious diseases

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Analysis of Freeze-Dried Apple Using GC-MS

This experiment utilized methods of thin layer chromatography and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry to analyze the chemical composition of an apple before and after freeze drying. Methylene chloride was used to prepare the apple for extraction and subsequent evaporation of the aqueous layer. The GC-MS was used on this sample to determine the composition of the apple before freeze-drying. Following evaporation, the apple was freeze-dried and then rehydrated, and another GC-MS test was performed to identify any potential changes caused by the freeze-drying process. Thin layer chromatography was also performed on both samples. Through analysis of data gathered with these methods, it was possible to determine the chemical makeup of the apple before and after freeze-drying. By comparing the two samples, before and after, it was possible to extrapolate conclusions on what effects freeze-drying may have on an object’s chemical composition

Candidate For A New Antibiotic

Antibiotic resistance has become a major problem in the medical field, and this problem continues to expand every day. To find new promising antibiotic candidates, I took a soil sample from Liberty, Missouri, counted the bacteria in the sample, and found potential candidates. I have screened multiple soil microbes for their antibiotic activity and have identified a potential antibiotic producing candidate using genetic and metabolic approaches. I am hopeful that this candidate will be shown to produce an antibiotic that can be used to treat infections that are resistant to known antibiotics

Tiny Earth

The Tiny Earth Project is a company that’s goal is to engage students in research to confront the worlds growing problem of antibiotic resistance. We have been learning about this in our class at Johnson County Community College. Students are learning how to deal with this growing problem of ESKAPE pathogens that are antibiotic resistant. The poster will focus\u27s on the candidate I have been researching this semester and spotting the isolated colonies within the candidate. The problem of antibiotic resistance exists because people are overusing antibiotics on a mass level causing higher immunity leading to more deadly pathogens. The research has been addressed by putting the candidate through several tests and trials to try and determine what it is resistant towards and use that candidate against ESKAPE pathogens. From the soil collected it was found to contain a type of gram-negative bacteria in an in vitro environment. That candidate was able to inhibit E. Coli, E. Aerogenes, and A. Bayli. This means it could be a possible candidate to use against ESKAPE pathogens and there could be potentially more candidates waiting to be found

Hypersocial Behavior in Dogs: Link Between Phenotype and Genotype

Have you ever wondered what makes your dog friendly? JCCC students attempted to test their own dogs for a “friendliness” gene. Phenotypic and genotypic testing were conducted by determining a hypersocial score for each dog based on observed behavior of the dog with familiar and unfamiliar people. The presence of a gene insert for hypersocial behavior was determined through multiple tests including DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis. The knowledge gained from these tests will deepen the knowledge we have about hypersocial behavior and whether the breed and age of the dog impacts friendliness in dogs

Antibiotic Peptide Synthesis and Analysis of Bactericidal Activity

Peptide-based therapies for bacterial infections represent an increasing area of interest. Liquid-phase peptide synthesis was done to characterize the bactericidal capacity of a peptide composed of three tryptophan residues, and proton NMR was done to confirm the product. The tripeptide was spiked into a bacterial culture to assess inhibition

Lysine\u27s the Limit - A Peptide Synthesis Project

The purpose of “Lysine’s the Limit - A Peptide Synthesis Project,” is to synthesize an antimicrobial peptide from the coupling of Lysine and BOC-FF-OMe. The goal of the synthesis is to form a peptide that is two to three amino acids long. Before the coupling reaction can begin, both amino acids need to have a protecting group to prevent unwanted reactions. The amine groups on lysine will need to be protected by BOC-anhydride; di-tert butyl-dicarbonate. The peptide, BOC-FF-OMe, with its carboxylic acid protected, will need to go through a deprotection reaction. This will free the amine group to react with the carboxylic acid on lysine. The peptide bond will then be formed using EDC as a coupling reagent. The final peptide will be analyzed using 1H NMR and IR spectra. The antimicrobial activity will also be evaluated to ensure its an antimicrobial peptide