Continual exposure to trauma in the emergency services: an investigation into the psychological effects on new recruits

The main aim of this study was to investigate the psychological effects of continual exposure to trauma on new recruits to the emergency services. Changes over a three-month period, in which trainee ambulance technicians were continually exposed to trauma, were measured in terms of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress symptomatology, world assumptions, and perceived social support.Ten trainee ambulance technicians (treatment group) and eight ambulance administration staff (untreated control group) completed baseline measures, whilst the trainees were in training. Post-test measures were then completed after the trainees had been operational for one month and then again at three months. After three months of continual exposure to trauma, the trainees also completed a semi-structured questionnaire to provide qualitative insight into the trainees' experiences.The main findings of the study were as follows: Anxiety levels of the trainee ambulance technicians decreased significantly over the three months. Posttraumatic symptomatology levels also decreased significantly in the trainees between preexposure and three month of continual exposure to trauma. The use of positive reinterpretation and growth as a coping response to trauma increased significantly within the group of trainees. No significant differences were found in the measures of the untreated control group, indicating that the findings from the trainees were likely to be attributable to the effects of continual exposure to trauma. These results werediscussed in terms of the psychological impact that continual exposure to trauma had on the trainees. The strengths and limitations of the study, along with the clinical implications, and recommendations for future research were also presented

A Comparison of Heath and Carter\u27s Somatotyping to Body Composition in 30 to 40 year Old Caucasian Males

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Heath and Carter\u27s Modified Somatotype Method and body composition in 30 to 40 year old caucasian males. The following hypotheses were investigated: 1. It was hypothesized that there is a significant relationship between Heath and Carter\u27s first component and per cent body fat. 2. It was hypothesized that there is a significant but low relationship between Heath and Carter\u27s second component and lean body mass or lean body mass/height. 3. It was hypothesized that there is a significant relationship between Heath and Carter\u27s third component and linearity. The subjects for this study were 50 adult caucasian males, ages 30 to 40 years. All of the subjects who participated in this research project were volunteers and were considered to be normal and healthy. Measures of body size (height, weight, limb girths and diameters, skinfolds and hydrostatic weighing), vital capacity and residual volume were obtained on all subjects during the spring and summer of 1982. All subjects were required to attend two testing sessions of approximately one hour in duration. The testing sessions were approximately one week apart. Each session included the measurement of the variables pertinent to the calculation of Heath and Carter\u27s Somatotype and body composition. Statistical analysis of the data. included the interclass and intraclass reliability coefficients for body composition and somatotype measures between test days. Zero order correlations were also determined for body composition and somatotype ratings from Heath and Carter. Regression coefficients for the association of body composition with selected anthropometric measures and Heath and Carter\u27s somatotype ratings were also used

The relationship of three higher-order thinking variables to the academic achievement of second-year nursing students in an associate-degree program

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between three measures of higher-order thinking skills and student achievement in a medical surgical nursing course in an associate-degree program. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine whether these higher-order thinking skills were important for success in nursing.The sample was comprised of 68 nursing students at Chattanooga StateTechnical Community College enrolled in a medical-surgical nursing course during the Fall of 1998. To help fulfill the secondary purpose of this study, a second group of participants included 25 practicing associate-degree nurses with 1-3 years of experience and employed at a large, urban hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.The three higher-order thinking skills investigated were: critical thinking as measured by the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, judgmental ability as measured by The Scale of Judgmental Ability in Nursing, and reflective judgment as measured by the rating of a semi-structured interview utilizing King and Kitchener\u27sReflective Judgment Model.Both groups of participants, the students and the practicing nurses, completed two written instruments, the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and TheScale of Judgmental Ability in Nursing. They also completed a 20-30 minute interview with the investigator for the rating of reflective judgment.11The students\u27 scores on each measure were correlated with the number of points (achievement) they had earned in the medical-surgical nursing course. Scoresbetween students and practicing nurses on each measure were also compared.Finding 1. A significant relationship was found between critical thinking as measured by the score on the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and points(achievement) earned in the medical-surgical nursing course (r=.27, p=.028).Finding 2. A significant relationship was found between judgmental ability as measured by the score on The Scale of Judgmental Ability in Nursing and points(achievement) earned in the medical-surgical nursing course (r=.49, p =.00).Finding 3. No significant relationship was found between reflective judgment as measured by the rating of an interview utilizing King and Kitchener\u27sReflective Judgment Model and points (achievement) earned in the medical-surgical nursing course (r=.23, p = .062).Finding 4. No difference was found between student scores in the three measures of thinking and those of practicing nurses. However, a significant difference was found when only the scores of students who passed the nursing course were compared to the scores of practicing nurses. The students who passed the nursing course scored significantly higher on The Scale of Judgmental Ability inNursing than the practicing nurses.Finding 5. There was evidence that there was some overlap in what theWatson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and The Scale of Judgmental Ability inNursing were measuring. There was evidence that the interviews based on King andillKitchener\u27s Reflective Judgment Model were measuring something different from the other two instruments