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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Anxiety Reduction Among Washington County Jail Inmates: A Community Service Project, Tyler J. Back, Laura Bakke, Daniel Cuppy Jan 2018

Anxiety Reduction Among Washington County Jail Inmates: A Community Service Project, Tyler J. Back, Laura Bakke, Daniel Cuppy

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The general principle of anxiety has been thoroughly studied in many populations and shown to have variable underlying etiology, partially related to abnormalities in brain chemistry as well as unfamiliar or uncomfortable social situations. The role of environmental factors pertaining to anxiety is the particular interest of this community service project, to which the research team and the staff of the Washington County Jail have focused the efforts of this community service project in improving and reducing anxiety levels among Washington County Jail inmates.The research team and the staff of the Washington County Jail identified the use of pharmacologic agents …


The Prevalence Of Cigarette Smoking Among Registered Nurses And Certified Nursing Assistants, Ana R. Brown, Taylor Paulson, Kathryn A. Peterson Jan 2018

The Prevalence Of Cigarette Smoking Among Registered Nurses And Certified Nursing Assistants, Ana R. Brown, Taylor Paulson, Kathryn A. Peterson

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Cigarette smoking is a dangerous addiction that affects over 45 million Americans. Smoking has been proven to cause a variety of diseases that result in about 480,000 U. S. deaths per year. Healthcare workers have the ability and responsibility to assist patients in smoking cessation; however, a significant number of healthcare workers also participate in cigarette smoking. Studies have shown that healthcare workers with higher levels of education are less likely to smoke; physicians are less likely to smoke than registered nurses, who are less likely to smoke than licensed practical nurses. There is a lack of research done on …


Physician Assisted Suicide: Attitudes Of The Minnesota General Population, Jennifer M. Bretscher, Tammy J. Estrem Jan 2018

Physician Assisted Suicide: Attitudes Of The Minnesota General Population, Jennifer M. Bretscher, Tammy J. Estrem

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Having the choice to hasten death via physician assisted suicide (PAS) is becoming increasingly more popular in the United States. The majority of states do not yet have laws that legalize PAS, but many, including Minnesota, are currently entertaining legislation to allow PAS as an end-of-life option if a person is over the age of 18 and has a terminal illness with only six months to live. To date, little research has been done to evaluate the attitudes about PAS in the Minnesota general population. The goal of this study was to determine whether demographics, namely, age, gender, educational level, …


Personal Health Habits Of Pas And The Effect These Habits Have On Preventive Health Counseling Practices, Emily A. Carstens, Megan L. Englund Jan 2018

Personal Health Habits Of Pas And The Effect These Habits Have On Preventive Health Counseling Practices, Emily A. Carstens, Megan L. Englund

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The burden of chronic disease can be largely prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. Individuals often receive their knowledge about preventive health recommendations from their primary care provider, and healthcare providers are more likely to counsel patients about the healthful behaviors they themselves practice. This study utilized a survey distributed to the Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants to assess the personal health habits of physician assistants and the effect personal health has on preventive health counseling practices. A personal health score and counseling score were calculated …


A Community Outreach Project Assisting Evergreen Elementary School With Students’ Nutritional Needs, Robin C. Erickson, Nicole Roach, Megan Smith Jan 2018

A Community Outreach Project Assisting Evergreen Elementary School With Students’ Nutritional Needs, Robin C. Erickson, Nicole Roach, Megan Smith

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Nine months out of the year, students within the United States attend elementary school to be educated on English, mathematics, history, and other topics. The Anoka- Hennepin School District’s philosophy of an elementary education highlights many important factors for success in school but neglects to highlight nutrition as one of the factors. The purpose of our community outreach project is aimed at reducing the stress of hunger for the students at Evergreen Elementary School (EES) by implementing a food drive. Through the food drive, the project team members were able to collect various donations including food, clothing items, and hygiene …


Barriers To Preventive Care For The Immigrant Population In Minnesota, Andrew Kenneth Gernand, Dustin Wayne Kingsley, Daleso Yadetta Jan 2018

Barriers To Preventive Care For The Immigrant Population In Minnesota, Andrew Kenneth Gernand, Dustin Wayne Kingsley, Daleso Yadetta

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Immigrants in Minnesota face several barriers regarding access and use of preventive healthcare services. Current literature indicates a high area of need exists within the immigrant population for the prevention of chronic illness. Language, health literacy, cultural norms, and citizenship all play a role in limiting the use of preventive care. As the number of elderly immigrants increases and the overall immigrant population steadily rises in the United States, it is in the best interest of patients and providers to prevent or reduce the burden of long term diseases like diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. Knowing that barriers are present within …


Examining The Effects Of Caffeine, Sleep And Exercise On The Academic Performance Of Pa Students, Saira Haq, Katelyn M. Walsh Jan 2018

Examining The Effects Of Caffeine, Sleep And Exercise On The Academic Performance Of Pa Students, Saira Haq, Katelyn M. Walsh

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant drug in the world and is consumed by nearly ninety percent of North Americans (Mednick, Cai, Kanady, & Drummond, 2008). Since caffeine is a highly consumed drug amongst a wide variety of demographics, it is important to consider the ramifications of caffeine on a person’s general well-being. In recent years, there has also been an increasing correlation between the number of individuals consuming caffeine and the rise of insufficient sleep (Mednick et al., 2008). Due to the high demands and stresses of college and graduate school, it is not surprising that many students …


Factors Influencing Provider Antibiotic Prescribing Behaviors: A Qualitative Study, Patrick Kevin Hayden, Emily Palmer Jan 2018

Factors Influencing Provider Antibiotic Prescribing Behaviors: A Qualitative Study, Patrick Kevin Hayden, Emily Palmer

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of antibiotic resistance has grown steadily over the past few decades. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying each year due to the unavailability of previously effective antibiotic regimens. A major influence in the continued progression of this resistance can be attributed to the overuse and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. This study explored the factors that influence medical providers to use or prescribe antibiotics in situations when they are not indicated. The study was conducted through a semi-structured interview to providers from Minnesota and Wisconsin who work or have previously worked in urgent cares or emergency rooms. Providers …


Prevention And Education Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Within Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Queer Adolescents, Kalie S. Johnson, Hayden Middleton Jan 2018

Prevention And Education Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Within Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Queer Adolescents, Kalie S. Johnson, Hayden Middleton

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are becoming an increasingly significant issue faced by high school adolescents in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adolescents 15 to 21 years of age account for over half of the STDs acquired in the United States every year. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) sub-group of adolescent populations is at a higher risk for STDs than their heterosexual counterparts, and with ten percent of American adolescents identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, the prevention and education of STDs in this sub-population is of utmost …


Attitudes Towards Vaccinations In The Minnesota Slavic Community, Maksim Kozak, Hannah Margaret Roy, Rachel Van Heest Jan 2018

Attitudes Towards Vaccinations In The Minnesota Slavic Community, Maksim Kozak, Hannah Margaret Roy, Rachel Van Heest

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of vaccine preventable illnesses is increasing in the United States. Negative attitudes towards vaccinations, or vaccine hesitancy is fueling the decreasing vaccination rates. Ascertaining the level of vaccine hesitancy in susceptible populations is essential in combatting the rise of vaccine preventable illnesses in the United States. Very little research has previously been compiled on vaccine attitudes in Slavic immigrants. Slavic immigrants identify racially as “white” on surveys, masking differences in the Slavic population from the much larger Caucasian population in the United States. In order to better understand the level of vaccine hesitancy in the Minnesota Slavic immigrant …


Factors Contributing To Physician Assistant Burnout, Sarah F. Leonard, Tiffany J. Mellang, Connor Sacks Jan 2018

Factors Contributing To Physician Assistant Burnout, Sarah F. Leonard, Tiffany J. Mellang, Connor Sacks

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workplace burnout is known to be extremely prevalent among employees in the medical professions. For other health care professions such as physicians or nurses there is a plethora of existing literature on workplace burnout, but there is a lack of research on workplace burnout as it relates to Physician Assistants (PAs). This research study sought to discover what potential factors are specifically contributing to workplace burnout among PAs, symptoms of burnout experienced, and the personal strategies that PAs have found useful in coping with burnout. Interviews with ten currently practicing PAs in the Minnesota and Wisconsin region were conducted to …


The Impact Of Religious Beliefs Of Medical Practitioners On The Prescribing Of Contraceptives, Ashley M. Overby, Kayla Westling Jan 2018

The Impact Of Religious Beliefs Of Medical Practitioners On The Prescribing Of Contraceptives, Ashley M. Overby, Kayla Westling

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, the use of artificial birth control has been a highly debated topic across different religions and this debate continues to remain strong today. Living in a country made up of diverse cultural backgrounds and beliefs, religious differences may influence the way practitioners and patients interact with each other when it comes to a variety of medical issues, especially contraception. There is little research, however, that has been done to evaluate for a significant correlation between religious views of practitioners and their tendencies to prescribe contraceptives to patients. A questionnaire was distributed to the Association of Physician Assistants in …


An Overview Of Perinatal Health And Childhood Development In Honduras, Rose Margaret Carlson, Abigail D. Conrad, Alexandra Nicole Lothe, Caitlin M. O'Donnell, Cameron Svihla Jan 2018

An Overview Of Perinatal Health And Childhood Development In Honduras, Rose Margaret Carlson, Abigail D. Conrad, Alexandra Nicole Lothe, Caitlin M. O'Donnell, Cameron Svihla

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Honduras is a country with great healthcare needs. Within health care, the largest percentage of mortality is due to conditions occurring in the perinatal period, including prenatal and maternal health, delivery and postnatal care (PAHO, 2017a). Additionally, malnutrition continues to affect infants as they growth throughout their childhood (Gray, Cossman, & Powers, 2006). Education is shown to produce positive outcomes in low-income populations (Perkins, et al, 2011). The purpose of this project was to identify Honduran healthcare needs and provide effective and sustainable intervention. A needs assessment with a Honduran-Canadian health organization reiterated evidence found in the literature, illustrating the …


Attitudes Regarding Physician-Assisted Suicide Among Minnesota Family Medicine Physicians, Lauren M. Cooke, Lindsay Emmerich, Sam Feyder Jan 2018

Attitudes Regarding Physician-Assisted Suicide Among Minnesota Family Medicine Physicians, Lauren M. Cooke, Lindsay Emmerich, Sam Feyder

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An affinity for bioethics lead researchers to investigate the attitudes of physicians toward physician-assisted suicide amidst growing conversation regarding patient liberties. Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) refers to the prescription of a lethal dose of a drug to prematurely end a patient’s life (Gather & Vollmann, 2013). The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes of physicians toward PAS and thus, predict how their approach to end-of-life issues will change under its legalization. A case-based survey was created to determine the relationship between physician age and support for access to PAS, patient diagnosis and support for access to PAS, physician …