Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Concussion History On Balance Performance In Collegiate Football Players, Cade R. Montgomery, Evan Braesch

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

This study aims to investigate the enduring impact of prior sport-related concussions on static and dynamic balance performance among collegiate football players. Twenty-six players (n=26), half with a history of diagnosed concussions (n=13). underwent balance testing using the Biosway Balance Error Scoring Scale test (BESS) for static balance, and the Y-Balance test (YBT) for dynamic balance. The Biosway test revealed notable statistical discrepancies in BESS composite scores between groups (p=0.010) and individual test items such as single leg stance with eyes closed (p=0.034) and tandem stance with eyes closed (p=0.030). No significant difference in the YBT composite scores between groups, …

Ankle Mobility And Balance In A Healthy College-Aged Population: A Correlational Study, Anna G. Johnson, Madelyn M. Roiger, Elisa M. Stewart

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

A review of current literature shows a relationship between ankle mobility and balance in an older population, with limited evidence in younger, healthy populations. To bridge this gap, this study aims to explore this relationship in a healthy, college-aged population. Maintaining upright balance is an integrated effort by the vestibular, somatosensory, and visual systems. Regaining a loss of balance happens with three strategies: an ankle strategy for small perturbations, a hip strategy for moderate perturbations, and a stepping strategy for the largest loss to regain a new base of support. Taking these sequential responses into account, the investigators specifically looked …

Caffeine’S Impact On Heart Rate Variability During Short-Term Exercise In University Students, Maya J. Spinler, Morgan M. Payne, Christopher Carroll Dr.

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

The primary objective is to explore the physiological effects of caffeine on intra-bout exercise-induced blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) deceleration resulting from repeated anaerobic exercise cycling in active university students. Use of caffeinated stimulants has increased in recent years, particularly in the exercise setting. The cardiovascular system (CS) is an essential piece of exercise physiology and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Caffeine has a known effect on the CS during acute exercise. What is not well solidified is the connection between caffeine and exercise-induced markers, such as heart rate recovery (HRR) and BP. Participants underwent …

Sound Of The Mind: The Effects Of Music On Anxiety, Cassidy Yates, Joel Frederickson

Science Symposium

Anxiety is a growing condition around the world. People have a variety of solutions to mental illness. Maybe, our solution could be even more closely related to what we’re already doing. Bethel psychology students participated in this study, voluntarily, for credit in their psychology courses. 11 jazz listeners and 6 rock listeners had their heart rate monitored while listening to a song, all after participating in a state anxiety survey. The data reflect the heart rates before the song, 30 seconds into the song, 1 minute and 30 seconds into the song, at the end of 3 minutes and 1 …

Internship At Emergency Physician Professional Association (Eppa), Bryan Tran, Brittany Nairn

Science Symposium

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to start working at EPPA’s scribe program. EPPA is an organization that emphasizes the importance of exposure to the healthcare environment along with developing relationships with different medical professionals. The main aspect of my job was aiding the provider in recording a patient visit with their medical records, physical exams, labs, imaging, patient outcomes, and overall purpose in coming into the emergency room. This job has helped me gain more knowledge about how our healthcare system works and allows me to connect with different providers and scribes. Furthermore, I have gained experience working …

Synthesis Of Disubstituted Β-Hydroxy Acids For The Enzymatic Synthesis Of Chiral Β-Lactones, Laura Charlotte Underwood, James Christenson

Science Symposium

Beta-lactone synthetases are a class of enzymes which produce chiral beta-lactones, four-membered cyclic esters, from racemic beta-hydroxy acid substrates. Chiral beta-lactones are used as chemical synthons and as bioactive compounds, such as the FDA-approved drug, Orlistat. However, substrate specificity of stand-alone beta-lactone synthetases are poorly understood, and their use in chemoenzymatic synthesis of chiral bioactive compounds remains unexplored. This research focused on the organic synthesis of beta-hydroxy acids to probe the substrate specificity of this class of enzymes and to generate potentially bioactive compounds against essential tuberculosis enzymes. The beta-hydroxy acid 2-[(5-chlorofuran-2-yl)(hydroxy) methyl]hexanoic acid was synthesized from lithiated hexanoate and …

Ankle Mobility And Balance In A Healthy College-Aged Population: A Correlational Study, Anna Johnson, Maddy Roiger, Ellie Stewart, Leah Jackson

Science Symposium

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ankle mobility and balance in a young, healthy population, filling a gap in existing literature primarily focused on older adults. The findings revealed no significant correlation between ankle mobility and balance measures in the college-aged subjects. While previous research in elderly populations suggested a link between ankle mobility and balance, this study suggests that such a relationship may not hold true for younger individuals. These results underscore the importance of considering age-related differences and overall health status when exploring factors affecting balance, potentially guiding future research and intervention strategies aimed at improving …

Acute Effects Of Virtual Reality Gameplay On The Visual System: An Observational Study, Aaron Loe, Gavin Rataj, Leah Jackson

Science Symposium

PURPOSE: Virtual reality (VR) has an increasing breadth of utilization, from at home entertainment to a tool used in professional athletic and clinical settings. A review of literature shows altered visual performance (VP) post-VR gameplay in children and adult athletes, particularly in acuity, accommodation and convergence, but has been limited to the immediate effects on vision. This study aims to repeat similar test measures, expanding on aspects of VP, pre- and post-VR gameplay in a healthy, collegiate-aged population, while exploring the feasibility of repeated testing to observe any ocular changes that may occur over time once gameplay has ceased. METHODS: …

Navigating And Caring For Mental Health In A Group Home Setting, Constance Azonwu, Brian Hyatt

Science Symposium

During my Nursing Assistant internship, I transitioned from classroom learning to real-world caregiving. Guided by an instructor, I further developed practical skills. At Immaculate Homes Care, I faced challenging and new situations, and as a provider, I administered medications and interacted with residents regularly. This experience reinforced the importance of empathy, documentation, and patient care. It also prepared me for my career and boosted my confidence in making decisions.

Human Gross Anatomy Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Grace Ginter, Jackie Towner

Science Symposium

Over the summer I worked for Bethel University’s Physician Assistant program helping out as a class and laboratory teaching assistant for their human gross anatomy and cadaver lab. My main jobs included basic upkeep and sanitation of the lab and running the class laboratory period. Daily I guided students in their dissection procedures and techniques. Additionally, I helped convey important anatomical knowledge that worked to bridge the gap between lecture material and real-life experience. Outside of lab time myself with the assistance of the other teaching assistants were responsible for the creation and set up of weekly laboratory quizzes and …

Internship In Biological Sciences: Lab Assistant At Twin Cities Dermatopathology, Emma Ryks, Brittany Nairn

Science Symposium

From June to December last year, I served as a Laboratory Assistant at Twin Cities Dermatopathology—an associate of Sonic Healthcare, USA. In this role, I worked under Xiao Xie (TCD’s lab Supervisor) maintaining the lab space. Tasks included managing the intake of slides, quality checking, labeling, staining, and coverslipping the slides, organizing them for pathological assessment, updating the patient records, and storing the slides after processing. This role required much diligence and communicativeness as I became the “reference person” to which the histologists, doctors, accessioners, and data records personnel could come with issues or questions that I could resolve or …

Internship With Eppa, Masha Kasperovich, Joy Doan

Science Symposium

EPPA is an organization run by practicing physicians in emergency medicine. On staff with them, there are over 300 professional medical providers, including MD’s, DO’s, PA’s, and NP’s who staff the emergency rooms in partnered hospitals around Minnesota, specifically in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, and rural Minnesota. Something that is special about EPPA is that the leadership and staff are all incredibly kind and have the desire to get to know you and help you along your journey. EPPA not only employs medical providers, but they also have a very special opportunity for college aged students in the pre-health …

Eppa Scribe Program, Renee Virtue, Sara Wyse

Science Symposium

Over the course of Fall semester, I started scribing with EPPA to gain experience working in the medical field with doctors and PAs. Working with a variety of different medical professionals allowed me to see the differences and similarities between working as a nurse, PA, or doctor. I learned how important it is to have an approachable bedside manner and to be willing to listen to your patients, time management, and balancing priorities of school and work. In addition, I got to witness a variety of medical procedures and developed a broader medical vocabulary. Overall, the internship helped deepen my …

Spectral Characterization Of High-Speed Sers Fluctuations, Makayla Schmidt, Emily A. Farley, Marit A. Engevik, Alexandre G. Brolo, Nathan Lemke, Nathan Lindquist

Science Symposium

The concept of plasmonic “hotspots” is central to the broad field of nanophotonics. In surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), hotspots can increase Raman scattering efficiency by orders of magnitude. Hotspot dimensions may range from a few nanometers down to the atomic scale and are able to generate SERS signals from single molecules. However, these single-molecule SERS signals often show significant fluctuations, and the concept of intense, localized, yet static hotspots has come into question. Recent experiments have shown these SERS intensity fluctuations (SIFs) to occur over an extremely wide range of timescales, from seconds to micro-seconds, due to the various physical …

College Student's Attitudes Towards Speech Disorders, Morgan Dean, Joel Frederickson

Science Symposium

This study investigated College Students and their attitudes toward Speech Disorders. The sample consisted of 42 college students from Bethel University aged 18+ or who had an approved parent consent form. Participants participated in this study through the SONA system as part of a research experience assignment or extra credit opportunity for a Bethel University course. The purpose of this study was to find differences in college student's attitudes toward speech disorders.

The Effect Of Vision On Lower Quarter Balance During Y-Balance Test Testing In College Students, Katelyn Mehr, Nathan Smith, Leah Jackson

Science Symposium

In order to maintain balance and stability, the body relies on the integration of information from the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. If an individual has an impairment or weakness in one or more systems, their ability to maintain balance may be impaired. Both postural stability and vision contribute to one’s ability to maintain balance in functions of everyday life. The Y-Balance Test (YBT) is a dynamic balance assessment. This study focuses on the visual system and its relation to postural balance, specifically if altered visual states affect one’s ability to maintain balance during a YBT via the use of …

The Influence Of Music Tempo On Bench Press Power Production In College-Aged Males, Samuel Linderbaum, Reese Pantila

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

Previous research suggests that music with a tempo exceeding resting heart rate may stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), releasing catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine). These hormones have physiological effects such as increased heart rate and muscle strength in cardiovascular exercise. This study aims to see if the effect of music in cardiovascular exercise is also present in strength training. This will be done by examining whether pre- and intra-exercise music listening at different tempos affects power output during bench press repetitions in young adult males. It is hypothesized that music at a higher tempo will stimulate the SNS and result …

The Effect Of Targeted Heart Rate Maximum Percentages On Cognitive Function In College-Aged Adults, Emily Snider, Izzy Smith

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

Previous research has displayed per the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), an increased heart rate (HR) is associated with higher cognitive function due to hormone and neurotransmitter release, specifically through the release of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI). The purpose of the present study is to examine if cognitive function defined by the Purdue PegBoard (PPB) is affected by targeted increases of HR maximum, as increased HR is stimulated by the SNS. METHODS: Twenty- eight healthy participants ages 20.82 ± 1.10 were recruited via email and enrolled in this study. Participants' targeted maximum HR was determined with the maximum HR equation …

The Effect Of Vision On Lower Quarter Balance During Y-Balance Test Testing In College Students, Nathan Smith, Katelyn Mehr

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

Purpose: In order to maintain balance and stability, the body relies on the integration of information from the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. If an individual has an impairment or weakness in one or more systems, their ability to maintain balance may be impaired. Both postural stability and vision contribute to one’s ability to maintain balance in functions of everyday life. The Y-Balance Test (YBT) is a dynamic balance assessment. This study focuses on the visual system and its relation to postural balance, specifically if altered visual states affect one’s ability to maintain balance during a YBT via the use …

Use Of Best Practices In Exam Item Creation, Analysis, And Revision: Nursing Faculty’S Knowledge, Use, And Implementation Barriers And Facilitators, Julie Anne De Haan

Day of Scholarship

The ultimate goal of nursing education is to prepare graduates to provide excellent, safe patient care. The implementation of exam item best practices can significantly contribute to this process. This study examined nursing faculty’s use of best practices for exam item creation, analysis, and revision and best practice barriers and facilitators. Through a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive correlational research study, the research demonstrated that faculty inconsistently use exam item best practices. Faculty research participants identified ways to enhance the use of best practices and suggestions to nursing leadership were developed based on the data. With faculty development and an outlined support …

Telemedicine For Prenatal Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katrina Wu

Day of Scholarship

In the United States, 24.4% or approximately 1 million pregnant individuals, do not receive early or sufficient prenatal care each year. Due to its widespread adoption during the pandemic, understanding how it was implemented and insights from user experiences can inform the utilization of telemedicine as a potential long-term strategy to improve access to prenatal care. For this national, convergent mixed methods study, researchers surveyed 196 perinatal providers and 749 pregnant patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated mild to moderate satisfaction across six telehealth usability domains. While the majority of participants reported they did not use blood pressure cuffs …

Physician Assistants/Associates With Doctoral Degrees: Where Are They Now?, Alicia Klein

Day of Scholarship

Original Research: The impact of holding a doctoral credential by clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate practice patterns and describe demographic characteristics of PAs who have terminal doctoral degrees. This was a secondary analysis, using descriptive bivariate statistics and chi-square tests, with data obtained from the 2021 Salary Survey of the American Academy of PAs. There were statistically significant differences in practice patterns and demographic factors between PAs with and without doctoral degrees. Taken together, holding a doctoral credential may improve upward mobility at workplaces. This study was among the first …

Evaluation Of A Unique Care Coordination And Transition Management Clinical Module, Debbie Solomon, Beth Anderson, Ann Holland

Day of Scholarship

A two-year curriculum evaluation was undertaken to guide development of a unique clinical curricular module focused on care coordination and transition management. The module, in place in the junior curriculum since 2015, had been modified through the years in response to changes in faculty, clinical partners, and department resources. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly limited student field experiences, requiring development of existing and new on-campus simulated learning experiences. Three analytic processes were used to evaluate how teaching methods and resource utilization contributed to student achievement of learning outcomes. The results led faculty to reinitiate field experiences in home care and hospice …

Patient Centered Care Coordination: The Impact Of A Non-Acute Care Clinical Curricular Module On Nursing Student Learning Outcomes, Ann Holland

Day of Scholarship

This poster reports on the results of a study that investigated the impact of a clinical curricular module for teaching patient-centered care coordination on BSN student learning outcomes. Prior to the development of the clinical curricular module, the junior-level curriculum in the Bethel nursing program contained disparate student learning experiences in non-acute care settings. The module brought these existing and new learning experiences together into a cohesive curriculum using the Chronic Care Model as a conceptual framework. The quasi-experimental study was one of the first nursing education research studies conducted about the important and emerging professional nursing role of care …

Holistic Review: Application To Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Education, Kristi Gustafson

Day of Scholarship

Literature review/survey of best practices; tools and measures to consider experiences, attributes, and metrics of applicants; considerations for the student and cohort experience; addressing healthcare workforce needs and needs of the nursing profession; application to post-baccalaureate (second-degree) nursing admission processes

Reasons Clinical Education Directors Intend To Leave Their Jobs, Alicia Klein, Katrina M. Schrode, Lucy W. Kibe, Gerald Kayingo

Graduate School Faculty Publications

Objectives

The goals of this study were to characterize clinical coordinators compared to other Physician Assistant (PA) faculty, and investigate factors associated with intent to leave their position, institution, and academia in the U.S.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data obtained from the 2019 Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Faculty and Directors Survey. We examined bivariate associations with faculty role and conducted multiple logistic regression to identify predictors of intent to leave among clinical directors.

Results

Clinical directors indicated an intention to leave their position more often than other faculty. Factors influencing intent to leave were a lack …

Importance Of Eye Exams As A Secondary Preventative Measure For Diabetic Retinopathy: Winning The War On Blindness, Alondra S. Arredondo, Olivia Demeyer, Rachel Louise Pfenning-Wendt, Samuel Wolfe

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite current efforts by medical professionals to reduce the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication of uncontrolled diabetes, this noncommunicable disease remains the leading cause of preventable vision loss worldwide (Cheloni et al., 2019). Research estimates 90% of DR cases could be prevented if detected early through routine eye exams, yet certain social determinants of health still remain a significant barrier for many individuals to receive this care. According to Wong & Sabanayagam (2020), only 25% of DM patients in developing countries receive routine care with adequate eye screenings. The goal of this community service project was to …

Rural Maternal Care Crisis & Strained Workforce: An Integrative Review Revealing Factors In The Rural Maternal Care Crisis, Taylor F. High Elk

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The United States is comprised of 75% rural areas and settings (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2014). Nearly five million women in the US do not have access to maternity care in the county in which they reside (Uribe-Leitz et al., 2022). Purpose: The purpose of this integrative review is to assess the hospitals that provide maternity care in rural settings, the procedures performed in these locations, and the maternal care workforce in the rural obstetric setting. The goal of this research is to identify why there is a lack of maternity care in the rural setting, and …

Acute Effects Of Mental Health On Concussion Testing, Annika Thompson, Carin Gutzwiller

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

The process of diagnosing a concussion starts long before any hit on the field. At the beginning of each season, athletes are baseline tested using the same Sports Concussion Assessment Test 5 (SCAT5) that is used on the field when injury occurs. How they perform on this baseline test plays a major role in future diagnosis. Thirty-Five male and female subjects (mean years of age 20.8 years ± 1.6) free of concussion diagnosis came in for a total of three separate appointments. At each appointment, a mental health survey, reaction time test, and the cognitive portion of the SCAT 5 …

The Relationship Between Motivational Music And Endurance Performance Of College-Aged Individuals, Sara Tan, Dy Say Der

Human Kinetics & Applied Health Sciences Student Works

Introduction: Music has shown beneficial ergogenic effects to exercise performance by increasing endorphins and catecholamines levels in the blood. However, the relationship between motivational lyrical music and endurance performance is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between motivational music and endurance performance using the Sports-specific Endurance Plank Test.
Methods: 10 males and 26 females (age 21± 3 years) college-aged students were recruited to complete the study at Bethel University. All participants performed the Sports-specific Endurance Plank which assesses the trunk flexors and lumbar extensors in the same manner observed in sports performance movements. Participants …