The Impact of Language Input on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Preschool Children Who Use Listening and Spoken Language

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the quantity of adult language input on their deaf and hard-of-hearing preschool children and to explore the effects, if any, on the child’s quantity of language, vocabulary development, and basic concept understanding. Using audio recording and the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) software, the study involved 30 preschool children with hearing loss who used spoken language as their communication modality and 7 children with normal hearing. Their language and the language spoken to them in all waking-hours of a two-day period (16 hours per day) were recorded and analyzed quantitatively as adult word counts (AWC), child vocalizations (CVC), and conversational turns (CTC). These components were compared to the child’s performance on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC-3) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4) to investigate if the quantity of language input had an effect on the child’s usage of vocabulary and basic concepts. Correlations were found between the amount of adult words, child vocalizations, and conversational turns across weekends and weekdays, but not on BTBC-3 or PPVT-4 scores. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between adult word counts and child vocalizations as a function of the child’s hearing loss, indicating parents of deaf or hard-of-hearing children are using as many words with their children as parents of children with normal hearing. Additionally, scores on the BTBC-3 and PPVT-4 were correlated with each other, but there wasn’t a statistically significant difference between the mean scores for children with normal hearing and the children with hearing loss, indicating both groups scored similarly on the assessment. Results from this study suggest the language used around children impacts their language use and the amount of interactions they have in their environment. This is significant because it identifies the influence of the quantity of adult language input on the child’s language development

Increasing Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in Cargo Drivers

The purpose of this project was to examine the extent to which lifestyle behaviors of transportation drivers in North Texas can be improved with health education. This research study was conducted to examine the health behaviors of transportation drivers as a result of an educational partnership between nursing and the transportation industry. The goal was to improve healthy lifestyles through education to decrease chronic illness and comorbid conditions of a significantly at-risk occupational population. The impact of this education was immediate and verified with quantitative measurement and statistical analysis. Results demonstrated that after nurse-led health education, transportation drivers reported significant changes in health responsibility, nutrition, and physical activity. Key recommendations for transportation employers to improve driver health, extend the careers of experienced drivers, and contain insurance costs associated with worker’s compensation, disability, and health include (a) instituting employee health education programs, (b) encouraging and incentivizing participation in health and wellness programs, and (c) examining further dynamic education opportunities to improve the health of transportation drivers

Spanish-speaking Parents\u27 Negotiation of Language and Culture with their Children\u27s Schools

Latinos are now the largest public school minority population in the U.S. Because of a shift in the states, cities, and counties where Latinos are choosing to live, many schools that did not previously serve substantial numbers of Latinos are doing so now. Additionally, many of the Latinos in these new settlement areas are recent immigrants who speak little or no English. This qualitative study examined how immigrant Latino parents who speak little or no English supported their children in the English-speaking school system of the U.S. It specifically examined how 12 Spanish-speaking parents negotiated language and culture with their children\u27s school in a new settlement area in the state of Utah. From the interviews I conducted with the Latino parents and school staff members, along with school observations and the collection of other data such as forms and notices, I examined how the parents negotiated language and culture with the school. I then analyzed the themes that emerged from this collection of data using a theoretical framework consisting of postcolonial theory, social and cultural capital, and the concept of social discourses. Major themes that emerged included the concern the parents had for their children\u27s education, the parents\u27 limited participation in the school discourse, children serving as language brokers, the maintenance and growth of their children\u27s heritage language, the hegemony of the English language, and issues involving social and cultural capital, linking capital, and racism. Recommendations include assuring availability of interpreters, increasing bridging and linking capital, supporting children\u27s heritage language, and being culturally sensitive and proactive to reduce racism. Hopefully, this research will add to the literature that will help educators better serve the growing Latino school population

PRINCIPALS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHER CERTIFICATION IN RURAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

The literature associated with principals\u27 perceptions of certified/uncertified teachers within private Christian schools is limited, specifically in rural communities. Therefore, little is known about principals’ perceptions of the importance of teacher certification in rural Christian schools. The purpose of the study was to evaluate principals’ perceptions concerning the pedagogical practices of certified teachers as compared to the pedagogical practices of teachers who are not certified. Specific to this study, teacher certification was defined as certification earned through the state or certification through a school-accrediting organization. A total of 82 principals were surveyed and asked to identify their perceptions of the importance of teacher certification and its impact on student achievement in their schools, with 41 private Christian school principals responding to the survey. The study was quantitative and non-experimental by research design, and the specific methodology was a survey research approach. Upon analysis of the study participants’ responses, the conclusion can be drawn that the professional practice dimension of instructional strategies was most associated with and predictive in educational practices that positively impact student achievement

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Attitudes Toward Mental Health Nursing

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes toward mental health nursing and how these attitudes influenced their professional career choices in mental health nursing. Design: A descriptive, online survey was utilized to examine students’ perceptions of mental health nursing. A total of 229 junior and senior nursing students were recruited from eight nursing colleges in Midwestern United States to participate in this survey. Results: Students of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and nursing programs did not report significantly different perceptions of: (a) knowledge of mental illness; (b) negative stereotypes; (c) interest in mental health nursing as a future career; and (d), and beliefs that psychiatric nurses provide a valuable contribution to consumers and the community. Negative stereotypes were significantly different between students who had mental health nursing preparation either in class (p = 0.0147) or in clinical practice (p = 0.0018) and students who had not. There were significant differences in anxiety about mental illness between students who had classes on mental health nursing (p = .0005), clinical experience (p = 0.0035), and work experience in the mental health field (p = 0.0012). Significant differences in an interest in a future career in mental health nursing emerged between students with and without prior mental health experience and between students with and without an interest in an externship program with p-values of 0.0012 and \u3c 0.0001, respectively. Conclusions: The more exposure that students have to mental health nursing through clinical experiences, theory classes, and previous work in the field, the more prepared they feel about caring for persons with mental health issues

Complexity, Age, and Building Preference

The authors explore the role of complexity in the relation between building age and preference. Age was assessed as a categorical (via stimulus selection) and a continuous (via ratings of 64 color slides of urban buildings) variable. In either case, the authors replicated earlier research in showing that modern buildings were preferred over older buildings when building maintenance was not controlled, but when it was controlled, the relation reversed, and the older buildings were better liked. However, when a composite-rating measure of complexity was introduced, a somewhat different pattern emerged. Complexity interacted with rated age. The nature of the interaction was that throughout most of the range of complexity scores, age was negatively related to preference, but at the higher end of the complexity range, there was no relation between age and preference. Other findings: Buildings with visible entrances were preferred to those without, and distant views were preferred over near views

Model Shuttle Vehicle Developed To Support Vandenberg Hydrogen Disposal Investigation

Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) discharge a significant quantity of unburned hydrogen during normal start and shutdown operations. At Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), a Flight Readiness Firing (FRF) or launch abort could introduce this unburned hydrogen into the enclosed SSME exhaust duct. This hydrogen in a closed duct creates a risk of detonation which could result in significant overpressure at the aft heat shield thereby causing damage to the Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV). To mitigate the detonation hazard the Air Force (AF) initiated a Hydrogen Disposal System (HDS) program. Extensive analyses and feasibility testing were conducted on possible solutions. In December 1986 the AF Shuttle Test Group (STG) selected the Steam Inerting System (SIS) concept as the most technically feasible resolution to the unburned hydrogen issue. The following January, STG directed the Shuttle Processing Contractor (SPC) to complete the development and design of a SIS for the VAFB SSV launch pad (Refs. A & B)

A Model for Hospital Discharge Preparation: From Case Management to Care Transition

There has been a proliferation of initiatives to improve discharge processes and outcomes for the transition from hospital to home and community-based care. Operationalization of these processes has varied widely as hospitals have customized discharge care into innovative roles and functions. This article presents a model for conceptualizing the components of hospital discharge preparation to ensure attention to the full range of processes needed for a comprehensive strategy for hospital discharge

Individual Nurse Productivity in Preparing Patients for Discharge Is Associated with Patient Likelihood of 30-Day Return to Hospital

Objective: Applied to value-based health care, the economic term “individual productivity” refers to the quality of an outcome attributable through a care process to an individual clinician. This study aimed to (1) estimate and describe the discharge preparation productivities of individual acute care nurses and (2) examine the association between the discharge preparation productivity of the discharging nurse and the patient’s likelihood of a 30-day return to hospital [readmission and emergency department (ED) visits]. Research Design: Secondary analysis of patient-nurse data from a cluster-randomized multisite study of patient discharge readiness and readmission. Patients reported discharge readiness scores; postdischarge outcomes and other variables were extracted from electronic health records. Using the structure-process-outcomes model, we viewed patient readiness for hospital discharge as a proximal outcome of the discharge preparation process and used it to measure nurse productivity in discharge preparation. We viewed hospital return as a distal outcome sensitive to discharge preparation care. Multilevel regression analyses used a split-sample approach and adjusted for patient characteristics. Subjects: A total 522 nurses and 29,986 adult (18+ y) patients discharged to home from 31 geographically diverse medical-surgical units between June 15, 2015 and November 30, 2016. Measures: Patient discharge readiness was measured using the 8-item short form of Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS). A 30-day hospital return was a categorical variable for an inpatient readmission or an ED visit, versus no hospital return. Results: Variability in individual nurse productivity explained 9.07% of variance in patient discharge readiness scores. Nurse productivity was negatively associated with the likelihood of a readmission (−0.48 absolute percentage points, P\u3c0.001) and an ED visit (−0.29 absolute percentage points, P=0.042). Conclusions: Variability in individual clinician productivity can have implications for acute care quality patient outcomes