Improving the Accuracy of Temporal Artery Thermometry in Pediatric Direct Care Providers: A Performance Improvement Project

Purpose: The purpose of the project was to improve the accuracy of temporal artery thermometry (TAT) measurements compared to axillary, rectal, and oral thermometry readings on a Pulmonary Pediatric Care Unit. Design and Methods: A pre-educational and post-educational competency tests and skill performance test of obtaining accurate TAT results with an Exergen 5000 Temporal Scanner were implemented after the pediatric nursing staff participated in a 60-minute educational program. Of the 32 participants, most were RNs (84%) followed by certified nursing assistants (9%) and LPNs. Most participants worked the 12-hour day shift 7a-7p (59%), followed by the 7a-3p shift (38%) and one participant who worked the night shift 11p-7a (3%). Results: The mean score for the pre-test was 3.5 out of 6, and the post-test score was 5.4 out of 6. A two-tailed paired sample t-test indicated that the mean pre-test score (3.5) is significantly different from the mean post-test score (5.4). Further, a one-tailed test showed that the mean post-test score was significantly higher than the mean pre-test score (t=6.9; p\u3c0.001). All project participants scored 100% on the skills demonstration tests after receiving the educational intervention; there was no pre-test for the skills demonstration test. Conclusion: TAT measurements are more precise and accurate when obtained using the appropriate technique. A comparison between competency test performance before and after the TAT educational program suggests that the intervention can help improve the accuracy of TAT measurements performance among pediatric nursing staff. Implications for Nursing: TAT measurements are more precise and accurate when obtained using the appropriate technique

The Implementation of Reading Interventions in a Community Setting

The study examined the effects on reading skills of phonological awareness and analogy-based interventions that were provided in a community setting. Children were assigned randomly to one of the two conditions. In the phonological awareness condition, children were taught to connect the sounds of speech with alphabet letters. In the analogy-based condition, children were taught to use familiar words to decode unfamiliar words. The results revealed significant overall improvement on three measures of reading skills. However, this improvement did not depend on whether the children received the analogy-based or phonological awareness intervention. The implications of this research for developing effective reading interventions in collaboration with community organizations are discussed

Content analysis of the Des Moines Register\u27s coverage of women in sport through photographs since Title IX

The purpose of this study was to examine the specific coverage of girls and women in sport photographs by the Des Moines Register since the inception of Title IX in 1972. This particular time period was chosen because of the impact Title IX has had on the numbers of girls and women participating in sport. Using George Gerbner\u27s theory of cultivation as a theoretical basis, the study sought to determine whether the photographs and their descriptors portray stereotypical images of women and girls in sport.;While there have been several studies conducted on the portrayal of women in sporting magazines and television, there is not as much information available on the presence of women in sport as portrayed through newspaper photographs. This study looks specifically at the content of sport photographs in the Des Moines Register. Results of the content analysis of the Des Moines Register sports section concluded that the fundamental relationship among women, gender and sport as shown through portrayals in women\u27s sports photographs has improved in the last 25 years since Title IX

PVN-RDO-423-V-038-02

This readout is likely for lot 35, 36, or 37