Companions to Combatants:

This thesis uses the narrative of Charles Sumner\u27s Caning to examine the shift in national public perceptions of patriotism and the disconnect in the late Antebellum period between North and South. Using the metrics of presidential action, national and state newspaper stories, and social thought, this paper traces the 50 years between the War of 1812 and the Civil War, looking specifically at the development of localist politics in the end of the period

Preparing Humanities Students for Employment: Reimagining Career Exploration and Education through Ignatian Spirituality and Discernment

Graduate students in the humanities are hungry for career exploration as they face limited academic career options and feel called to work beyond the academy. Career preparation is typically left to graduate advisors, and then, the focus tends to be on academic career preparation. This article details how a required, introductory graduate class was reimagined to integrate career exploration using a framework at the heart of Ignatian spirituality and education: discernment. The authors outline the course and two assignments that can be adapted and applied to any graduate course. The authors share reflections on how the class has impacted their own professional and personal formation, and they end with heuristics for educators to use when preparing to teach similar graduate courses

Utilizing an Educational Intervention to Increase Advance Directive Completion Rates for African Americans in a Family Practice Clinic in Louisiana

Abstract Advance care planning (ACP) is a process that allows for an individual to document ahead of time the medical treatment they want if they are unable to communicate after an unexpected life-threatening situation. The legal forms used to document these wishes are called advance directives (ADs). Since African Americans (AAs) develop chronic disease at younger ages and often experience shorter lifespans than other racial groups, it is imperative that they have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of ACP. Regrettably, because AAs seldom complete ADs, more aggressive, and often, ineffective medical care is provided at the end of life. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to promote patient autonomy by equipping and empowering these individuals with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions regarding end-of-life care (EOLC). The intervention utilized educational resources to engage patients in meaningful discussion and dialogue on the advantages and disadvantages of ACP during regularly scheduled clinic visits over a one-week time frame. The average number of patients aged 50 years and older who were seen in the clinic during a one-week timeframe was calculated and multiplied by 0.80 two weeks prior to the project being initiated. These calculations determined the number of chart audits that were required for pre- and post-study implementation. Sixty-five patients met the study criteria and received AD education. Fifty-six of the 65 patients agreed to be counted for the study. Fifteen ADs were executed during the intervention. This represents 27% of those who agreed to be counted. Keywords: advance directive, advance care planning, end-of-life care, African American

Possibility Thinking in the Community-Engaged Classroom: Uniting Hope and Imagination towards Anti-Racist Action

Drawing on the work of Patrick Saint-Jean, S.J., this article examines the contribution that “possibility thinking” makes to community-engaged learning at three Jesuit universities. The article considers ways in which possibility thinking intersects both Jesuit and secular perspectives on hope and imagination, and their relationship to anti-racist praxis. We then describe three institutional contexts at different stages of enacting community-engaged learning in introductory and upper-level English classes. The article concludes by offering three praxis-oriented directions for community-engaged learning educators to take up in their own institutional contexts: developing faculty capacity and awareness; fostering solidarity not charity; and encouraging reflection not reaction

Career Development & Learning at Jesuit Colleges & Universities During the COVID-19 Pandemic & Beyond

Today’s youth are often interested in how they can work toward social justice, not just in their spare time, but also as part of their educations and careers. This includes students who are drawn to the social justice missions of Jesuit colleges and universities. In 2020, the COVID-19 public health crisis disrupted education and career plans, placing major obstacles along young adults’ pathways. Guided by the Engagement of Hope theoretical model, the current study examines student supports and how they may facilitate hope and learning. Mixed methods data were collected from five undergraduate students from a Jesuit university in a Midwestern city, using in-depth interviews and an online survey conducted in 2021. The findings reveal that students depicted their hopes for later careers, described learning numerous skills, used a wide array of college supports, and discussed the role of families in their education and career pathways. The authors reflect on adaptations made to student supports during the pandemic and on how student service programs at Jesuit institutions might continue to evolve in the post-pandemic era

The Jesuit Archives and Research Center: Your Next Research Destination?

This article provides background information on the Jesuit Archives & Research Center (JARC), describes types of materials at JARC related to the history of education, and explains how to use the resources housed at JARC. As the Reference Archivist at JARC, Ann Knake facilitates the use of these archival collections by fielding reference inquiries and coordinating research visits

Integrated support and network systems for waste management and poverty reduction: Formalisation of informal waste pickers in northern Malawi

This paper seeks to explore an integrated support and network systems for waste management and poverty reduction through formalisation of informal waste pickers in northern Malawi. A systematic literature review on 50 peer reviewed papers, articles and books found that 70% of Malawi’s waste goes uncollected (United Nations Habitat, 2011) and is left in open dumpsites, roadside, streets, and river banks. Waste management (waste handling, collection, and disposal) remains a challenge in all municipalities and cities of Malawi. The local government’s inefficient and ineffective waste management is because of poor policy environment, centralised control of decision on waste, lack of government revenue to manage waste, poor cooperation among stakeholders, low public participation and lack of public authority and regulation. The situation poses a threat to the environment and people’s health rights if it is not handled immediately. This paper identified Informal Waste Pickers (IWPs) as the potential solution to the inefficiencies and challenges in waste management. Despite IWPs being marginalised by the general public. It is the focus of this paper to explore a holistic community-driven approach by facilitating citizens’ active participation and involvement in waste management decisions, organising themselves to formalise individual IWPs for collective economic and social mobility, and lobbying for a voice in public service decisions in Northern region of Malawi. The program assumes that an integrated stakeholder support and network system in formalising IWPs intervention leads to sustainable waste management, poverty reduction, and environment protection

Infant Safe Sleep Initiative

Abstract Background: Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is one of the leading causes of infant deaths in the United States and a significant health issue. Although there has not been a distinct single cause found for SIDS, it has been determined that there are several risk factors identified that increase the risk of an infant dying from SIDS. Infant Safe Sleep Education as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics is essential for healthcare professionals to educate new families on infant safe sleep. Objective: The objective of this project was to create and evaluate a Quality Improvement Initiative that would improve the knowledge and implementation of infant safe sleep practices and role modeling in the hospital setting both before and after an educational initiative. Methods: A QI initiative with a pre- and post- test analysis was conducted utilizing a convenience sample of newborn infants and staff. A crib audit tool was implemented on an inpatient Womens’ and Infant Floor as well as a knowledge-based survey for nursing staff. The data was analyzed with inferential and descriptive statistics to determine statistical significance. Results: There were forty-nine cribs included in the pre-crib audit and forty-two post initiative. Thirty-two nursing staff completed the surveys. The crib audit aggregate data scores show an improvement overall from 51.7% to 67.5% following the education and the nurse knowledge aggregate data scores improved from 71.05% to 95.24% post education. This showed statistically significant improvement on both crib audit and survey with a p score \u3c 0.001. Conclusions: Statistically significant improvements were made in both the safe sleep environment and nursing knowledge after the introduction of an educational initiative. Keywords: SIDS, Safe Sleep, Nurse, Hospital, Initiative, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Infant Education, Interventio