I Hate Group Projects

Most college students will be assigned a group writing project during their academic career. However, traditional writing center pedagogies are not optimized for group work. What types of concerns are common in group writing and how do they differ from those of individual writers? What strategies can writing tutors use to best address these group writing concerns? In this module, participants will explore the concerns unique to group writing and discuss strategies for effectively facilitating group writing

Effects of an intermediate care program for inmates with severe persistent mental illnesses

The effects of the Brown Creek Correctional Institute’s Intermediate Care Social Skills Day Training Program were investigated using a population of forty-three adult male inmates with severe persistent mental illness. Comparisons were made for similar time periods before, during and after in regard to level of care, inpatient hospitalizations, behavioral infractions, and disciplinary segregations. Cost benefits were also investigated. Results indicate that the number and length of hospitalizations, length and number of disciplinary segregations, and number of behavioral infractions were lower for inmates during the program. However, some increases were found in these variables after inmates were transferred to other institutions. This increase could possibly be explained because of transfer to a lower level of care after participating in the Social Skills Day Training Program. Cost benefits were also found as a result of the lower number of hospitalizations, behavioral infractions, and segregations

VV-ECMO in Respiratory Insufficiency

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has advanced significantly in the last few decades. Although not FDA-approved in the United States for respiratory insufficiency, it is widely used to support cardiac and pulmonary function via Venoarterial (VA) and Venovenous (VV) ECMO, respectively. In the patient with worsening respiratory failure VV-ECMO is considered a salvaging therapy that gives patients’ lungs time to heal or as a bridge to lung transplant. Clinicians use tools like the Murray score to initiate a referral for VV-ECMO using indices like oxygen requirement, pulmonary compliance, and bilateral opacities. Early referral for VV-ECMO within 7 days of intubation has shown better results. Important factors that are considered in ECMO candidacy are patients’ age, comorbid conditions, and chronic conditions that would affect patients’ overall longevity. Extracorporeal life support organization (ELSO) gets data from ECMO centers worldwide and has general recommendations for centers guiding treatment and management. During the COVID pandemic, there was a huge surge in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and rampant use of VV-ECMO for COVID-ARDS. Data from various centers have helped us understand the appropriate use of VV-ECMO for ARDS and other causes of hypoxic and hypercapnic respiratory failure. Early referral and careful screening for the patient for ECMO are of paramount importance for a better outcome