Analysis of the effectiveness of an endoscopy education program in improving residents' laparoscopic skills

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a gynecologic endoscopy education program in enhancing residents' proficiency in laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: The program was designed to provide residents with the knowledge and skills necessary for laparoscopic surgery, before entering the operating room, in a cost-effective manner that honored the principles of adult education. The 7-week program included didactic sessions to provide conceptual learning but focused on practical skills enhancement through practice in both pelvic trainer and animal laboratory settings. The program design included dominant, nondominant, and two-handed skills as well as models for laparoscopic dissection, hemostasis, and suturing. The evaluation of the program is based on timing of laparoscopic skills as well as resident and faculty evaluation of laparoscopic proficiency at the beginning and end of the program. RESULTS: Prior to the program, 48% of residents and 75% of faculty were satisfied with laparoscopic training. All residents improved operating times in pelvic trainer skills after the program, with first-year residents improving by 68%, third-year residents by 58%, and fourth-year residents by 72%. The residents self-assessment of competence in 14 laparoscopic skills revealed an increase in all skills following the program. The faculty assessment showed an upward trend in skills competence. At the conclusion of the program, 100% of residents and 92% of faculty were satisfied with the laparoscopic training. CONCLUSION: A structured program emphasizing skills enhancement is an effective approach to improve residents' performance in laparoscopic surgery.     

Nurses' perceptions of factors influencing the use of a pain program

Factors that, according to nurse participants, influenced the application of what was learned in a pain program were explored by means of qualitative interviews. Participants indicated that the correspondence between the program and their personal view on pain management, attitudes toward the program and innovations in general, self-efficacy perceptions, and (un)familiarity and taboos with respect to program items influenced what they put into practice. In addition, participants indicated that interactions with colleagues, nursing managers, patients, and physicians affected their application of the program. Furthermore, organizational factors, such as limited time and lack of formal program implementation, were mentioned as influential.     

Evaluation of an interdisciplinary training program in palliative care: addressing the needs of rural and northern communities

Our study was a pilot test of an interdisciplinary training program in palliative care to improve the quality of care to terminally ill cancer and AIDS patients in rural and northern communities in Manitoba. The program involved two weeks of intense palliative care training for nurses, social workers, physicians, and volunteers. Four teams were trained during a six-month period. A repeated measures design was used to assess the effectiveness of the program. Results indicated that health professionals' knowledge about care of the dying, care of individuals with HIV/AIDS, and attitudes toward care of the dying improved upon completion of the training program and remained improved three months following the program. Improvements in use of medications, increased attention to family care, increased discussion of DNR orders, and increased consultation related to symptom management were evident following the training program. The parallel training program for volunteers was also judged to be effective.     

A Five-Year Master of Environmental Engineering Curriculum

The master's degree is essentially the entry-level degree for those wanting to practice environmental engineering. Although the BS∕MSCE (environmental emphasis) path produces graduates in high demand by employers, certain parts of the environmental engineering discipline demand graduates with a more specialized degree program. In response to the need for a specialized, or “professional,” degree program, Texas Tech offers an alternative to the traditional path to becoming an environmental engineer: the Master of Environmental Engineering (MEnvE) degree. The courses in the curriculum (EnvE course numbers) are taught by either civil or chemical engineering faculty. The MEnvE degree is a five-year “freshman-to-master's degree” program. The BS∕MSCE (environmental emphasis) degree program and the MEnvE program essentially require the same number of credit hours and many of the same courses. One principal difference between the two programs is that the BS∕MSCE path provides graduates with a broader civil engineering or chemical engineering background while the MEnvE program provides graduates with more concentrated preparation in biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, and environmental engineering. A second principal difference is that MEnvE graduates are focused on environmental engineering design. Thus, the MEnvE degree program is referred to as a professional degree program since graduates from the program typically enter professional practice rather than continue for a PhD degree.     

Effectiveness of a counseling intervention program for teaching career decision-making skills.

Developed a career decision-making model and program to provide a counseling intervention and teaching materials to aid students in improving their career maturity and decision-making skills. The model and program were piloted and evaluated to determine program effectiveness. 334 academic and nonacademic student groups were part of a quasi-experimental–control design to measure career maturity and decision making. Data indicate that students in the program significantly increased their Career Maturity Inventory scores, career maturity was significantly related to decision making, and more nonacademic program than academic groups increased their decision-making scores. Students reported they found the program useful in evaluating future career choices. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using concept mapping to develop a conceptual framework of staff's views of a supported employment program for individuals with severe mental illness.

Describes the use of concept mapping to develop a pictorial multivariate conceptual framework of staff views of a program of supported employment (SE) for individuals with severe mental illness. The SE program involves extended individualized supported employment for clients through a mobile job support worker who maintains contact with the client after job placement and supports the client in various ways. Participants were 14 staff members of a psychiatric rehabilitation agency with assignments associated with the SE program. They brainstormed a large number of specific program activity statements (N?=?96), sorted and rated the statements, and interpreted the map that was produced through multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The resulting map enabled identification of 4 issues that should be included in any theory of SE programs: the specific activity sequences that characterize the program itself, the pattern of local program evolution, the definition of program staff roles, and the influence of key contextual factors such as the client's family or the program's administrative structure. The implications of concept mapping methodology for theory development and program evaluation are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computer-assisted instruction: MR imaging of the knee

Computer-assisted education offers a unique method of learning that is complementary to conventional learning techniques. The regional anatomy of musculoskeletal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging lends itself well to discrete learning modules on the computer. This article describes a computer-assisted educational program for MR imaging of the knee. The program is divided into four sections: MR imaging physics, anatomy, pathology, and a quiz. The program has cross-references between the sections that allow comparison of normal versus pathologic findings, review of specified pathologic entities, and self-testing of comprehension. The student can progress through the program in a linear or nonlinear fashion at his or her own pace. All images in the program were digitally acquired with an MR imager and transferred directly to the computer used to develop the program. The program is available throughout the radiology department on a local area network and in the medical school library on stand-alone units. The program is currently being used at a medical school as a supplement to the recently implemented problem-based learning curriculum and for resident education.     

Computer program of genetic map construction and database of gene localization

Computer data base containing information about gene localization in the chromosomes of various organisms is composed. Computer program of genetic map constructing is created. The program represents graphically the information conserving in the data base. The data base and the program are intended for realization on the IBM-compatible computers.     

For Children's Sake: Training students in the treatment of child witnesses of domestic violence.

The authors describe For Children's Sake, an innovative program at Illinois State University focused on serving children who have witnessed domestic violence and on training graduate students in working with this special population. Unique aspects of the program including its funding source, child maltreatment focus, and training model in complete program delivery, are highlighted. Additionally, a multilevel integration of the For Children's Sake program into the School Psychology doctoral program is discussed. Challenges, dilemmas, and successes that faculty and graduate students involved with For Children's Sake have experienced are mentioned to assist and encourage trainers in developing other innovative programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A researcher€ducator collaborative interview study of transactional comprehension strategies instruction.

Reading educators are translating the comprehension strategies research of the 1970s and 1980s into strategies-based reading instruction, meshing decoding, comprehension, and interpretational strategies into transactional strategies instruction. The teachers in 1 prototypical program were interviewed to determine their perceptions of program effects. Teacher satisfaction with program effects was also tapped, as were teachers' perceptions about program shortcomings. A unique feature of this study was that the educators responsible for the program helped determine what they would be asked during the systematic interview; that is, an attempt was made to take full advantage of the insider information possessed by the program developers and teachers. In general, the teachers specified a large number of potential program effects acceptable to them. They also identified some potential shortcomings that should be addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of multiple coil closure of patent ductus arteriosus on blood flow to the left lung as determined by lung perfusion scans

This paper describes a combined inpatient and partial hospital program, with a ten-bed short-term inpatient unit and a partial hospital program that can accommodate 24 patients. Inpatients and partial hospital patients are treated together by the same staff in a program located in the partial hospital. The authors highlight features of the program that address the five elements of continuity: place, personnel, program, patient-peers, and plan for treatment. The discussion focuses on the importance of continuity in sustaining a combined unit; potential benefits for patients, families, staff, and trainees; attractiveness to third-party payers; and impediments to fully realizing the potential of the unit.     

瑞士Hasler配料秤系统程序备份及恢复技术

主要介绍瑞士HASLER配料系统HF9控制器CPU程序的备份及恢复技术，基于LEAPER-3D FLASHWRITER程序写读器结合EPROM对系统程序进行备份，其程序备份和恢复技术经济、可靠。通过该方法已修复了多块原板卡完好但程序损坏的设备，取得了较好的经济效益。     

Architectural Engineering Program at University of Miami

The baccalaureate and masters programs in architectural engineering at the University of Miami are described here. The Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering (BSAE) program contains required courses in all the specialty areas of architectural engineering (structures, construction, and environmental systems), as well as courses in architectural design. Students can pursue each of these subjects in more depth by the proper selection of electives. The BSAE program requires 132 semester credits and is nominally a four-year program. The Master of Science in Architectural Engineering (MSAE) was introduced in 1990, and the course content of this program provides for specialization in one of the key areas of architectural engineering, and is customized for each student. Students with nonengineering backgrounds are typically admitted to the MSAE program with deficiencies.     

The effect of muscle training program for home care employees

To assess the results of general muscle training for home helpers and home nurses we followed 40 women who completed a six month strength training program. All participants were employees at the home care district Skovg?rden Hj?rring. The training program consisted of exercises for all parts of the body. It was a general rehabilitation program and consisted of a teeterboard, a rubberband and a weight bag adjustable from one to six kg. The duration of the program was one hour. All participants were instructed in the training program by author Ulla Willadsen. The period of training lasted six months and was performed twice a week.     

Effectiveness of a worksite smoking cessation program in the military. Program evaluation

1. A program evaluation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the smoking cessation program. Substantiating data enhances the value of health promotion programs as key components of the health care delivery system. 2. Persons enrolled in the 8 week smoking cessation program and members of a comparison group were administered an evaluation tool prior to participating in the program, with a second evaluation tool upon completion of the program. Afterward, the smoking status of the members of both groups was evaluated at 3 month intervals for a period of 1 year. 3. Of the participants, 26.7% were not smoking 12 months after the program, compared to 6.9% of the comparison group. Of those participants who resumed smoking, 64% smoked less than half the amount they smoked before taking the class.     

Fostering the intellectual development of verbally gifted adolescents.

51 7th–8th graders were chosen for an intellectual development program on the basis of exceptional performance on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. They participated in a productive-thinking program and a challenging course in either creative writing or the social sciences. Results indicate that the program produced significant gains in verbal intelligence scores. The productive-thinking program also significantly raised scores on measures of creativity. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the efficacy of the rank transformation in stepwise logistic and discriminant analysis

Workers exposed to harmful dusts such as coal often are screened for possible pneumoconiosis. A classification devised by the International Labor Office (ILO) is used for film interpretation. Film interpretation is time consuming and requires the comparison of the subject's radiograph with as many as 22 standard films and the completion of a nonintuitive form. A computer program has been written to aid in interpretation of films. This program, written in SuperCard, uses hypermedia concepts to link textual, diagrammatic, and digital images. The program includes digitized ILO radiographs, guidelines, references, and other textual and radiographic material. The program is easy to use and reduces the time required to interpret films. The concepts of how the program is constructed are emphasized so that others may devise similar program aids.     

Personality and behavior differences of obese and nonobese adolescents.

36 adolescents categorized as nonobese, obese in a weight control program, and obese who rejected a weight control program were given opportunities to snack and were administered 3 personality tests (Tasks of Emotional Development by Cohen and Weil, the Mooney Problem Check List, and Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale). Results indicate that more obese not in a weight control program ate in an individual eating situation in which they suspected they were being observed. More nonobese ate in a group eating situation in which they did not suspect they were being observed. Results also indicate the highest level of maturity for nonobese adolescents and the lowest level for obese adolescents not in a weight program. Obese adolescents in a weight control program reported fewer "very troublesome" problems than obese adolescents not in a weight control program or nonobese adolescents. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)