Medical Education Commons^™

Graduate Art Therapy Experience Of Students Of Color, Keena Tarrant

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This narrative inquiry explored the perspectives of three professional art therapists of color. This study explored the past experience of being a graduate art therapy student of color on several levels. It also explored the impact of cultural competency course in relation to the experience of being a student of color. This experience is important in terms of how being an ethnic minority can affect the learning environment in relation to graduate experience of students of color and how cultural competency is taught to all students. This study explored the art recommendations of therapy professionals of color for cultural competency …

Effects Of Five Different Finger Rest Positions On Arm Muscle Activity During Scaling By Dental Hygiene Students, Mary Elizabeth Cosaboom

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the effects of five different finger rest positions, (fulcrums: opposite arch, standard intra-oral, basic extra-oral, cross arch and finger on finger) on the muscle activity of four forearm muscles, (extensor carpi radialis longus, flexor carpi ulnar is, biceps brachii and pronator teres) during a simulated periodontal scaling experience. A convenience sample of 32 consenting right handed senior dental hygiene students who met inclusion criteria participated. The 32 students had no history of injuries or disabilities to the right arm, wrist, or hand. Pre-test maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) scores were obtained prior …

Benchmarking Quality In Online Teaching And Learning: A Rubric For Course Construction And Evaluation, Mona P. Ternus, Kay L. Palmer, Debbie R. Faulk

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Online courses have many components and dimensions. Both the form (structure) and the content (expression) are situated in an overall environment. The sum of these elements results in student outcomes and learning. In order to facilitate construction and evaluate the quality of an online course, a four-part rubric was designed to reflect:

Structure (Context, Organization, and Environment)

Content (Presentation of Information)

Processes (Relationships and Interactions)

Outcomes (Mastery of Content and Course Evaluation)

This rubric was designed to provide quantitative and qualitative standardized evaluation for faculty self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and administrator evaluation. The rubric was piloted at two universities and shown …

Professional Outcomes Of Eastern Virginia Medical School Art Therapy Graduates, Heather Tyng

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

In 1982, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) awarded the first art therapy graduate with a Master’s Degree. Since then there have been 202 graduates through 2004.

The EVMS art therapy program has had no detailed or current information regarding the professional outcomes of its alumni. This lack of information created a need to survey EVMS art therapy graduates to determine how their careers have progressed to this point.

A survey was designed to investigate the professional outcomes of the EVMS art therapy alumni and to determine their opinions of the strengths and weaknesses of the EVMS art therapy curriculum. Of …

Stress Management Through Art-Making, Karina Schwarz

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Stress is a natural and necessary part of everyday existence; the symptoms related to stress are unavoidable and systemic (Frey, 2001). Acute and chronic stress can adversely affect individuals both physically and emotionally. The literature gives evidence that medical school students are not provided with the adequate tools needed to cope with stress. This study was an art-making intervention designed to decrease stress among medical students. There were 24 participants, 19 women and 5 men enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure their levels of …

Engendering Student Empathy For Disabled Clients With Urinary Incontinence Through Experiential Learning, Karen A. Karlowicz, Kay L. Palmer

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

As part of a rehabilitation clinical course for senior baccalaureate nursing students, a disability-incontinence experiential learning activity is required. The assignment is intended to familiarize students with some of the challenges encountered by a client with mobility problems, including continence management issues using disposable undergarments. Wearing the undergarments dry and wet while being confined to a wheelchair provides insight and promotes empathy for patients with bladder control problems.

Predictors Of Student Success In An Entry-Level Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Program, Mohammad J. Alzahrani

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the utility of a variety of predictors that have been used by the Old Dominion University, Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene and other baccalaureate dental hygiene programs in selecting dental hygiene students who are most likely to graduate and be successful in passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). Specifically this study attempted to determine whether or not the following factors are reliable predictors of success in a an entry-level baccalaureate dental hygiene program as evidenced by graduation and successful entry into the profession as evidenced by passing the …

Eating Disorders In The Oral Health Curriculum, Rita D. Debate, Deanne Shuman, Lisa A. Tedesco

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Due to the oral/systemic nature of eating disorders, this serious health issue requires comprehensive patient assessment and coordinated health treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the breadth and depth of eating disorder and comprehensive care within the dental and dental hygiene curriculum. Survey data were collected from deans of U.S. dental programs (n=24) and dental hygiene program directors (n=94). Statistically significant differences were observed between dental programs (DP) and dental hygiene programs (DHP) as more DHP reported including anorexia nervosa (p<.001), bulimia nervosa (p<.001), and oral manifestations of eating disorders (p=.003) within their curricula. Clock hours dedicated to these topics ranged from seventeen to thirty-five minutes, with no statistically significant differences observed between DP and DHP. Only 58 percent of DP and 56 percent of DHP included patient communication skills specific to eating disorders. Moreover, DHP were observed dedicating more instruction time for this skill (p=.011). As greater emphasis is placed on oral/systemic health and the provision of comprehensive care, many oral health professionals may not be adequately trained to identify, provide education, and communicate with patients regarding the oral/systemic nature of eating disorders. The findings from this study indicate that there is a need for appropriate training to better prepare oral health professionals for comprehensive patient care.

How Physicians Feel About Assisting Female Victims Of Intimate-Partner Violence, Ramani N. Garimella, Stacey B. Plichta, Clare Houseman, Laurel Garzon

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Purpose. To assess the feelings of physicians about assisting female victims of intimate-partner violence (IPV), and to examine factors related to positive and negative feelings about assisting victims of IPV.

Method. In 1998, a total site sample of 150 physicians practicing in a large general hospital in the area of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was surveyed by questionnaire via the mail. Four specialties were represented: emergency medicine, family practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatry. The questionnaire asked about medical training and training in assisting victims of IPV The physicians' feelings about working with victims of IPV were measured on a nine-item, five-point …

Cultural Adaptability Of Students Attending Culturally Diverse And Non-Culturally Diverse Dental Hygiene Programs, Katrina White Magee

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive investigation was to determine the cultural adaptability of students attending culturally diverse and nonculturally diverse dental hygiene programs throughout the U.S. The dental hygiene schools were identified according to their ethnic diversity as reported by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation in the 1996-1997 Survey of Dental Hygiene Education Programs. Once the programs were identified, a random sample was taken from the diverse and non-diverse dental hygiene programs. A 50-item inventory, the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI), was mailed to the participating dental hygiene programs. One-hundred eighty-eight students represented U.S. dental hygiene programs in the …

A Needs Assessment For A Distance Education Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program For Associate Degree Level Dental Hygienist, Joan Gugino Ellison

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive research was to determine the need for a distance education program for geographically dispersed dental hygienists to complete a baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. The sample consisted of randomly selected licensed dental hygienists in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A self-designed instrument, titled The Distance Education for a Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program Questionnaire, was mailed to the study participants after establishing validity and reliability. The questionnaire asked participants to provide information concerning personal demographics, educational background, and interest in completing a dental hygiene baccalaureate degree via distance education. Frequencies, percentages, crosstabulations, chi-square test …

Course Selection Factors Deemed Important By Dental Hygienists Prior To And After The Initiation Of Mandatory Continuing Education In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Melissa Lynn Sainsbury

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the factors deemed important by dental hygienists in their selection of continuing education courses prior to and after the initiation of mandatory continuing education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Under mandatory continuing education, dental hygiene educators must be able to plan continuing education courses that meet the needs of potential participants.

Results indicate that relative to each other, the 15 factors within this study, ranked in a hierarchy of importance in continuing education course selection by dental hygienists. Mandatory requirement for relicensure and course time ranked higher and course presenter and cost …

Sensitizing Students To Functional Limitations In The Elderly: An Aging Simulation, Sherry Allen, Viki Lorraine, Anne Lockett, Carolyn M. Rutledge

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Using activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) as a focus, faculty at Eastern Virginia Medical School provide an aging simulation exercise for a mandatory fouth-year clerkship in geriatrics. The specific aims of the simulation are to 1) experience the physical frailties of aging, 2) develop creative problem-solving techniques, 3) identify feelings regarding the experience of functional loss, and 4) develop proactive clinical approaches to the care of the elderly.

Methods: Students are assigned one of four diagnoses (Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, advanced diabetes, or stroke) and are then impaired to simulate …

Comparison Of Curriculum Content On Behavioral Strategies For Managing Anxious Clients In Associate And Baccalaureate Degree Dental Hygiene Programs In The United States, Darnyl Marie King

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Dental anxiety, a pervasive problem in the general population, is an important client management concern for dental hygienists. This study sought to determine the type and amount of instruction in United States dental hygiene programs in terms of behavioral strategies for the management of anxious clients, the difference in instruction between associate and baccalaureate degree dental hygiene programs, and the opinions of dental hygiene educators regarding these strategies. A self-designed, 19-item questionnaire entitled the King Behavioral Management Questionnaire was used to obtain data on a sample of 210 accredited dental hygiene programs. Part one of the questionnaire consisted of questions …

The Cultural Adaptability Of Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nursing And Physical Therapy Faculty, Irene Mary Connolly

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the cultural adaptability of full time faculty in the College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. The sample consisted of 40 health science faculty representing dental hygiene, medical laboratory sciences, nursing and physical therapy. The principal investigator personally administered the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI), a 50 item instrument, which contains questions to measure the construct cultural adaptability and its four dimensions: emotional resilience, flexibility/openness, perceptual acuity and personal autonomy. The CCAI is not targeted to one particular culture, but rather is designed to be culture general.

Analysis of …

An Assessment Of The Descriptors And Determinants Of Academic Success Of Selected Allied Health Students In Virginia, Theodora Christine Gordon

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study assessed the relationship of cognitive and noncognitive variables in relationship to academic success of students from selected allied health majors: respiratory therapist (RTT), radiologic technology (RT), surgical technology (ST) and medical records technician (MRT) from hospital based and community college programs in Virginia. Student academic success was defined as academic (classroom) grade point average, clinical grade point average, cumulative grade point average and passing status. The cognitive variables were preclinical (high school) grade point average, academic, clinical and cumulative grade point averages. The noncognitive variables were character type, temperament type/preference for learning style, and the Sedlacek Noncognitive Questionnaire …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Types Of Clinical Instruction On Selected Variables Among Urban Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Janice Parks Hylton

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide baseline data regarding student perceptions of bureaucratic, professional, and service values and of instructors/preceptors as role models for each model of clinical supervision, traditional versus preceptored. A non-probability, convenience sample included 113 baccalaureate nursing students from two accredited programs in an urban area. Two instruments were used to identify student perceptions of bureaucratic, professional, and service values and of instructors/preceptors as role models. The results of the questionnaires revealed no significant differences between the students' perceptions of bureaucratic and service values and perceptions of instructors/preceptors as role models, Students' perceptions of professional …

A Comparison Of Two Theories Of Resistance To Innovation In Medical Record Administration Baccalaureate Degree Programs, Joyce Brown-Harvey

Health Services Research Dissertations

Resistance to innovation is a major obstacle to the successful implementation of planned change in colleges and universities. The purpose of this study was to compare two explanations of resistance to innovation to determine which one best explains the variance in receptivity and proposed innovations among faculty members in medical record administration programs. One explanation holds that organizational members' receptivity to change is a function of their personalities. The second explanation holds that members respond to specific innovations and that they do so in terms of whether the innovation would increase or reduce their present status.

The faculty of baccalaureate …

Faculty Standardization Of Dental Hygiene Instrumentation Skill Evaluation: A Calibration Exercise, Diane-Marie Smela

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Faculty must be standardized so that student skills are assessed in an unbiased, equal fashion. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of calibration on dental hygiene faculty standardization. Examples of correct and incorrect instrumentation skill performance were demonstrated and discussed during the calibration exercise. Groups simultaneously viewed instrumentation skills while assessing correct or incorrect performance. Group standardization was determined through analysis of answer key agreement, intra-rater reliability, and inter-rater reliability. Data were statistically analyzed through the use of a z-test for both answer key agreement and inter-rater reliability, and chi-square (x²) for inter-rater reliability …

Articulation Of Practical Nursing Programs To Institutes Of Higher Learning, Gwendolyn T. Sweat

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the size of the Practical Nursing schools, the student/faculty ratio, the admission process, the number of program hours as well as individual course hours of each program, specific aspects of articulation agreements in place, and the need for a bridge course and its contents. Also collected was demographic information regarding the students. The study involved the aggregate population of 43 Practical Nursing Programs in Virginia. Study findings, based on responses from 28 schools, included the following: the practical nursing schools are or the most part 18 months long, have three faculty members, admit students in late summer …

An Exploratory Study Of Research Utilization By Virginia Nurse Educators, Evelyn M. Clingerman

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: to explore research utilization by three groups of Virginia nursing educators; and to determine if differences in stages of diffusion existed between nurse educators working in hospital diploma, associate degree and baccalaureate degree settings within the Commonwealth of Virginia. A stratified random sample included 28 hospital diploma, 41 associate degree and 37 baccalaureate degree nurse educators from the Commonwealth of Virginia, who completed the Nurse Educator Questionnaire (NEQ). Two free-response questions were used to identify factors which the nurse educators perceived as inhibitors and facilitators to research utilization. The results of a two-step mailed …

Cognitive, Retention And Transfer Of Learning Consequences Of Computer Assisted Instruction And Videotape Instruction With Registered Nursing Students, Linda Mccormack-Miller

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Videotape instruction on cognitive, transfer and retention learning consequences of RN students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. The sample consisted of 18 registered nurses who were enrolled in a sophomore level physical assessment course. The research design was a pretest-posttest experimental design. Mastery of Learning Theory and Transfer of Learning Theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. The Mann Whitney U Test, significant at P(.05, was performed to test for significant differences between the groups on the dependent variables. The …

Survey Of Attitudes Of Licensed Dental Hygienists Toward Continuing Education In A State With Mandatory Continuing Education Versus A State Without Mandatory Continuing Education, Katharine Reeves Behroozi

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to compare attitudes of licensed dental hygienists toward continuing education (CE) in two states: Kentucky, a state with mandatory continuing education (MCE) as a requirement for dental hygiene re-licensure and Virginia, a state without MCE for dental hygiene re-licensure. A self-designed, 28-item instrument, Continuing Education Attitudinal Questionnaire, was mailed to a stratified and random sample of 400 licensed dental hygienists in Kentucky and Virginia. Employing the chi-square test for independence, analysis of results revealed that Kentucky participants responded more affirmatively than Virginia participants to attitudinal statements regarding CE, particularly in areas of MCE, benefits …

The Influence Of Nursing Experience And Education On Nurses Inferences Of Patients' Suffering, Patricia A. Coots

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

A primary dimension of nursing is caring tor patients who suffer. This study examined the inferences made about patients' suffering oy 65 registered nurses employed in acute care health facilities. Utilizing The standard Measure of Inferences of Suffering Questionnaire. the purpose of the study was to explore the influence of nursing education and experience on the degree of pain and psychological distress inferred by the nurses. Analysis of Covariance was used to test for group differences on the basis of nursing education when number of months of nursing experience was controlled. Although nursing education did not influence nurses' inferences of …

A Comparison Of Nursing Role Conceptions Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Their Nursing Faculty, And Clinical Nurse Mentors, Michele Lynn Musella

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This descriptive study focused on the bureaucratic, professional, and service role conceptions of nurses. It was hypothesized that there are significant differences in the ideal and actual perceptions of these role orientations among baccalaureate nursing students, their nursing faculty, and their clinical nurse mentors. The three subscales of Pieta's 1976 Nursing Role Conception Scale (NRC) were used. The results of a discriminant analysis indicated significant differences in professional and service nursing role conceptions among students and both their nursing faculty and clinical mentors (p

A Survey Of Burnout Among Dental Hygiene Educators, Sandra Boggs Ricks

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

A survey was conducted on 159 full-time dental hygiene educators in order to collect data on job satisfaction, morale, and perceived institutional/program effectiveness. Educators were chosen for the study by cluster sampling from two- and four-year accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States. The programs were selected at random from stratified groups according to type of institutional setting. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire which contained four major sections: demographic data, job satisfaction, institutional/program effectiveness, and feelings related to their position. Findings were analyzed utilizing contingency tables and Chi-Square analysis. No attempt was made to establish a cause …

Admissions Criteria As Predictors Of Students' Successful Completion Of A Dental Hygiene Program, M. Linda Brown

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the criteria used to select dental hygiene students and to determine the ability of these criteria to predict students' successful completion of a dental hygiene program. One hundred sixteen graduates of the certificate level dental hygiene program at Old Dominion University between 1971- 1981, inclusive, comprised the sample. The majority of the subjects were Caucasian females, ages 20 to 24. The admissions criteria examined were (1) Dental Hygiene Aptitude Test scores, (2) Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, (3) preadmission quality point average, (4) college chemistry quality point average, and (S) percentile rank in …

The Effect Of A Cardiac Education Program On The Knowledge, Stress, And State Anxiety Levels Of First Time Post Myocardial Infarction Patients In A Post Coronary Care Unit, Jeanine L. Johns

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The effect of a cardiac education program in terms of changes in knowledge, state anxiety and stress were examined for persons suffering a myocardial infarction for the first time. In addition, the relationship between stress and trait anxiety and changes in knowledge and state anxiety were examined. A sample of 20 patients were selected from two medium sized hospitals in Southeastern Virginia. Statistically significant differences at the .01 level were found between the means of the pretest and posttest scores of the experimental group for knowledge and state anxiety using the t test for dependent groups. The same test showed …

Dental Hygiene Students' Perceptions About The Behavioral Characteristics Of The Effective Clinical Teacher, Frances Gaby Carson

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

A descriptive research approach and a self-designed questionnaire were used to obtain information about the effective clinical teacher as perceived by first and second year dental hygiene students. The Effective Teaching Behaviors Questionnaire was reviewed critically by several Old Dominion University dental hygiene faculty who's comments were used for revision. Once revisions were made, a pilot study was conducted on a sample of Old Dominion University dental hygiene students to determine the reliability and validity of the instrument.

The sample consisted of the entire student population of five accredited dental hygiene programs: three baccalaureate degree university programs and two associate …

Effects Of The Dental Hygiene Curriculum On Student Creativity, Linda Kathryn Martin

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This investigation examined the influence of the dental hygiene curriculum on student creativity throughout the two years of dental hygiene study. A secondary purpose was to determine if various accredited dental hygiene programs differentially affect creativity in students. Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking was used to measure creativity in students from three dental hygiene programs in Virginia. Data were organized according to a 3 X 4 factorial research design, using dental hygiene programs and academic semester levels as attribute independent variables. Fluency, Flexibility, Originality and Total scores of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were the dependent variables.

Two-way analysis …