The Implementation of a Forensic Program in Southern West Virginia

The Implementation of a Forensic Program in Rural Southern West Virginia More hospital-based forensic nursing programs are needed, notably in rural areas. Rural seclusion and longstanding cultural norms often prevent victims from receiving post-assault care. This project proposes a Forensic Nurse Hospitalist (FNH) program in rural, underserved southern West Virginia (WV). An FNH program has an on-site forensic nurse 24 hours a day. No forensic services are available in the southern WV region, an area below the federal poverty line with increasing violent crime rates. Prompt access to treatment is proposed to increase victims\u27 health and forensic needs. Inclusion criteria for receiving a forensic exam include patients with complaints of intimate partner violence (IPV) with or without strangulation, sexual assault, felony assault, elder abuse, and human trafficking. Discussions will address medicolegal challenges related to the scarcity of forensic nurses, and a plan to train and decrease the attrition rate of skilled forensic nurses. Review of the literature has shown only one in ten registered nurses (RNs) who begin forensic training will eventually conduct forensic exams without preceptor oversight. Additionally, after completing orientation, forensic nurses often work in the field for only 12 to 18 months due to burnout, lack of proficiency in skills, random presentation of forensic cases, and work-life imbalance. Therefore, the proposed project will focus on combating nurse retention, burnout, and moral distress. All new nurses will be asked to complete a baseline survey online to obtain data and insight on potential topics for focus group discussions. Survey topics will include barriers, challenges, and coping skills related to the workload of a forensic nurse. The data collected will guide focus groups on debriefing, resiliency, and providing a support network for forensic nurses. Research has also shown that access to a skilled forensic nurse has increased consults for sexual assault, IPV, strangulation, child abuse, and elder abuse after the implementation of an FNH program. Thus, rates of unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other psychological impacts related to violent crimes have been shown to decrease, deeming the FNH program a practical approach to combat the lack of forensic services in underserved areas

Seeking Balance in Oregon’s Coastal River Aggregate Mining Policy: How Do Scientists Inform the Permit Streamlining Process?

This essay presents a case study of the Regional Gravel Initiative (RGI) workshop, one instance of policy makers using science to inform decision making for sustainable and streamlined processes. The RGI consists of eight agencies, both federal and state, with responsibilities for informing and issuing permits for mining aggregate on Oregon’s coastal rivers and streams. Aggregate is an essential component of infrastructure, but regulations protecting water quality and salmon habitat have contributed to decreased aggregate yields from in-stream sources. Recognizing the state’s need to balance these competing resources, the RGI conducted a workshop featuring scientific panelists who were tasked with providing and interpreting information for policy makers. This essay specifically addresses the question how do scientists inform the permit streamlining process? using Pielke’s Honest Broker framework. Document review, participant observation, and interview methods are used to analyze the roles scientists filled in informing policy makers. Results show that scientists collectively acted as honest brokers of policy alternatives, expanding and clarifying options to decision makers. The workshop setting limited scientists’ abilities to act in other ways, but scientists are presented with opportunities to inform through other roles in other settings throughout the policy process. This essay will be useful to continuing and future efforts to streamline and inform policy processes. Policy makers should be aware of the roles scientists may fill in informing decision making and of their abilities to direct scientists’ impact on policy processes

Building a Participatory Culture: Collaborating with Student Organizations for Twenty-first Century Library Instruction

Today’s students are critical thinkers, collaborators, and creators. They expect to participate in twenty-first century learning environments not as passive information consumers (think lectures), but as active contributors (think team-based problem-solving). There are opportunities for instruction librarians to collaborate directly with student-led organizations. These partnerships have the potential to increase attendance at library events and provide platforms for students to engage in richer forms of exploratory learning that incorporate twenty-first century skills. This article will discuss the literature surrounding library instruction collaborations, identify “Librarian–Student Organization Collaborations” as an important form of partnership, and supply specific case studies of successful library instruction events based on these collaborations

The Problem of Population & Planning: Assessing the Reliability of Past and Current Population Projections and Filling in the Seasonal Gaps in Wallowa County

Final report for GEO 553.Planners face innumerable challenges as they look to the future of their communities. At the most basic level planners must attempt to understand the needs, values, and opinions of the community. The triple-bottom line of the environment, economy, and social demands must be balanced with sustainability to ensure that decisions made today will meet current needs without compromising future needs. One of the biggest challenges for planners is to try and see into the future and make informed decisions that will affect a changing population composition. Understanding the multiple population estimates, projections, and forecasts can be a challenging task. To help facilitate understanding, the following basic definitions are provided. A Population Estimate is an educated guess about the population at any point in the present or the past based on non-census, non-survey data. An estimate might be measured from voter rolls. A Population Projection seeks to describe future populations based on present data if a certain set of chosen current trends continue, reverse, or remain the same. A Population Forecast also seeks to describe future populations based on present data but does so based on a prediction of how current trends will change in the future. The forecast differs from the projection in that it is based on an assumption that something will or will not happen. The projection only suggests how population may change if some certain trends remain or change, such as amenity migration, or economic recessions. With a better understanding of the methodology behind estimates, projections, and forecasts and an analysis of how past estimates, projections, and forecasts have fared, planners can make more informed choices when thinking about the future of their communities. The purpose of this paper is to assist planners in Wallowa County, Oregon to fill gaps in knowledge of demography. As Wallowa County considers updating its Comprehensive Plan, this knowledge will inform planners as to the reliability of currently available projections and forecasts. Part I includes a discussion of current projection methodologies and assumptions, a brief annotated bibliography of population projections, as well as analyses of past population projections for two similar counties. Part II includes a discussion on seasonal population flux and is an examination of the challenges of measuring and planning for seasonal populations. At the end of this section is seasonal population data and a discussion of basic trends. Part III provides a summary and conclusion. References and Appendices follow

Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference for Pre-service Educators

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are attracting increased attention in education. The iSTEM 2017 conference was a professional development program designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with interdisciplinary, research-based STEM instructional strategies that can transform traditional classroom instruction into dynamic learning environments. The STEM Education Scholars (STEMES) is a Learning Community of Practice, housed in the College of Education, at a midsized mid-western public research university. The program of study focused on designing a professional development program for future Pre-K12 teachers. The iSTEM 2017 conference presented by the STEMES Community of Practice sought to inform pre-service teachers of STEM pedagogy, and focused on innovative classroom resources, hands-on learning and increasing content confidence when incorporating STEM into classroom instruction. iSTEM 2017 was held in February, 2017, and offered twenty refereed presentations and workshop sessions, a keynote address, and a closing session to over 200 pre-service teachers. Conference participants chose sessions, participated in game-like experiences and shared their learning with each other as well as with conference organizers. Results from participant self-reported surveys were analyzed to measure the impact of the conference on improving participants’ confidence in teaching STEM topics, and their attitudes about the instructional methods. These results were added to the conference proceedings, which also contain documentation of each iSTEM 2017 session. Findings suggest that the iSTEM 2017 conference had an overall positive impact on participants’ familiarity with STEM education, their belief in the importance of STEM education, and their confidence to integrate STEM education into future instructional practices

Independent Living Oldest-Old and Their Primary Health Provider: A Mixed Method Examination of the Influence of Patient Personality Characteristics

This convergent mixed methods study examined 35 healthy, independent living individuals\u27 (over 85 years) perceptions of their relationship with their primary health provider (PHP) and health practices. The relationship between PHP relationship perceptions and locus of control (LOC), resilience, and self-efficacy was explored through surveys and interviews. The majority indicated they visited their PHP just for preventative care; the number of PHP visits per year was significantly lower than reported for individuals over 85 by the CDC, possible reasons for this finding are provided. A positive relationship between LOC, resiliency, and self-efficacy for the oldest-old was found. Few participants indicated their PHP had discussed normal changes with aging. This study has deepened understanding of the complexity inherent to the healthy oldest-olds\u27 relationship with their PHP. The findings suggest this relationship relates to the PHP\u27s personal characteristics, the elderly patients\u27 personality, and the influence of the accompanying patient escort