Pharmacy Student Opinions Related to Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased concerns related to suicide, with additional attention placed on the potential long-term negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Pharmacists are healthcare providers who are readily accessible and underutilized in suicide prevention efforts. This study uses survey methodology and comparative analyses to develop recommendations for the timing and administration of Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy (UK COP). The findings indicate that QPR suicide prevention training should be administered in the first and third years of pharmacy school, with a supplemental lesson in the third year on medications commonly associated with suicide attempts

Developing Ethical Training Curriculum for University Short-Term Missions

This thesis addresses common problems associated with short-term mission (STM) trips and the gaps in existing training materials for these trips. The research throughout this project is designed to inspire community-specific training materials for college students participating in domestic STM trips through their universities. The final chapter of this thesis includes the framework for a sample curriculum to promote sustainable STM work — providing cross-cultural communication techniques and relationship-building tools to avoid harming the communities students seek to serve

Using Kinship Navigators to Assess the Needs of Kinship Caregivers

Kinship care is a viable alternative to foster care for many children, however, the proper supports and services must be in place for the families. This article describes a kinship navigator program for children and kin caregivers involved in Child Protective Services in-home treatment cases. The program was piloted over a three-year period to assess and address the service needs of kinship caregivers. Using the Family Needs Scale as a measurement tool, the results of the evaluation are provided along with a discussion of the need to support caregivers to provide the best outcomes for children in kinship care

Oral History Interview: Robert H. Sutphin

This interview is one of a series conducted concerning rural life in West Virginia and the surrounding region; particular attention is given to rural health and home remedies. Subjects included in this interview are centered around the Hillsville, Carroll County, Virginia, area. Mr. Sutphin speaks of his birth, home remedies, births in general, marriage, courting, a flu epidemic, funerals, baptism, and the importance of church. Also included is a discussion of automobiles, airplanes, entertainment, education, farming, discipline in the school, responsibilities of children and law enforcement.https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history/1159/thumbnail.jp

Examining the Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy of Teacher Candidates in Urban Immersive Residency Programs

Urban immersive residency programs have emerged from partnerships between K-12 schools and universities offering teacher candidates a year-long field experience alongside coursework aligned with the framework and practices in the schools (Zeichner & Bier, 2015). The goals of these programs include teacher candidates applying what they learn during preparation into practice and getting good student outcomes, while building their confidence in teaching diverse students. This study used situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) to position urban immersive residency programs as a community of practice where teacher candidate’s self-efficacy and understanding of culturally responsive teaching overlap. A mixed methods design was used to compare the culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) of teacher candidates in residency programs to teacher candidates from traditional preparation programs, as well as capture several teacher candidates’ perceptions about how their understanding of culturally responsive teaching was influenced by aspects of the one urban immersive residency program they attended. The results can be categorized into three findings: (a) teacher candidates from urban immersive residency and those from traditional programs have moderate CRTSE beliefs; (b) the urban immersive residency program provided a community of practice for teacher candidates that supported their culturally responsive teaching development; and (c) the urban immersive program residents’ perspectives showed clear understanding of culturally responsive teaching. Implications and opportunities for future research are described

Inmate Peer to Peer Mentoring, a Resource for Future Prison Reform

The moral rehabilitation initiative using trained and equipped inmates to mentor their peers within West Virginia prisons is in its infancy and lacks formal validation as a resource for prison reform in West Virginia. All key stakeholders must validate peer-to-peer mentoring for it to reach its fullest potential and become a tool for future prison reform. The key stakeholders include state correctional leaders, individual prison administrations, and the inmate population. Most of the inmate population in West Virginia has release dates and will be returning to local communities throughout West Virginia. Today’s investment in an inmate’s moral fiber translates to positive changes within the prison culture and fewer future victims of violent crime within the communities upon release. Moral people do not kill, rape, or steal. The “moral rehabilitation” training and equipping is provided through a four-year accredited Bible College offering a Bachelor of Arts in Bible/Theology and Pastoral Ministry. The college is inside West Virginia’s only maximum-security prison and is the first of its kind in West Virginia’s history. The college is open to men of all faiths or no faith, and anyone can apply for admission. Of West Virginia’s twenty-one adult prisons, over twenty men have graduated and currently serve as peer mentors. Some of the graduates were sent out as missionaries to other prisons within West Virginia. There are four prisons now using the graduates as peer mentors. The purpose of this study will be to seek validation of the use of peer mentors as a strategic resource toward prison reform, not only in West Virginia but other states as well

Pre-service STEM teachers’ views of teaching before and after their first lesson

Evaluating comments from pre-service STEM teachers before and after their first teaching experience, this study examines changes in pre-service STEM teachers’ viewpoints regarding the most challenging aspect of teaching and the most important traits of a teacher. Pre-service STEM teachers were asked the same survey questions on the first and last days of their initial introduction to STEM education course. Through this course, students partook in their first opportunity to plan and teach a lesson. Findings suggest student’s initially reviewed teaching from an extrinsically observable vantage point before moving to a more intrinsic reflection point after their first teaching experience