How Virtual Animal Anatomy facilitated a successful transition to online instruction and supported student learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Anatomy faculty with cadaver-based laboratory courses were presented with a significant challenge in March 2020 to create equivalent learning experiences without cadaveric access. The undergraduate domestic animal anatomy course at the Colorado State University was halfway into a 16-week semester when COVID-19 lockdown orders and the transition to remote instruction began. The new course curriculum was critically evaluated using student surveys and course outcome data. Most students (92.5%) agreed that the transition to online learning was a success; however, students who valued face-to-face lectures prior to March were less likely to perceive the transition as a success. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of survey results suggest that the resources perceived as most helpful for the transition to online learning were not the same as those that helped facilitate animal anatomy learning. Most students (92.5%) agreed that the Virtual Animal Anatomy (VAA) helped them learn anatomy, and 82.2% indicated that the VAA was a valuable resource following the transition to online learning. Additional resources associated with transition success included course instructors, weekly quizzes, written descriptions of anatomical structures and open laboratory sessions. In contrast, those resources associated with facilitating learning included guided quizzes and asynchronous lecture recordings. These findings suggest that the VAA can support online anatomy learning when used in conjunction with other best practices for online teaching.

Depression and polypharmacy are risk factors for activity limitation in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at risk for deficits in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL: e.g., managing medication, preparing healthy meals). Understanding which demographic and health factors contribute to decreased frequency of IADL performance is especially important to prevent age-related functional decline in type 2 diabetes. This study examined the relationships among demographic and health variables and frequency of IADL performance in adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, we collected health, demographic, and activity information via self-report and electronic health record review from safety-net primary care patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 93). We used regression models to determine which factors were associated with IADL performance in three subscales (domestic, leisure/work, outdoor) and the overall score. RESULTS: Depression was associated with decreased frequency of IADL performance for domestic, leisure/work, and outdoor activities. Each additional daily medication was associated with decreased frequency of domestic and outdoor IADL performance. DISCUSSION: Depression and taking more daily medication were predictors of decreased IADL performance for adults with type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest regular screening for depression and polypharmacy is important in the primary care of diabetes; especially as these are potentially modifiable risk factors.

Influence of an Equine-Assisted Activities Program on Dementia-Specific Quality of Life.

Institutional facilities face challenges providing experiences to residents with dementia that promote participation in meaningful activities. Guided by the Lived Environment Life Quality Model, this study investigated associations between 9 different activity situations-one an equine-assisted activities program (EAAP)-and positive, negative, and neutral behavioral indicators of quality of life (QoL) in 6 residents with dementia who expressed an interest in horses. Direct observational data were collected for 4 hours twice weekly over 8 weeks. Using χ2 tests, differences across activity situations were tested. More positive patterns of time use (conversation; χ2 = 44.3, P < .001) and emotional well-being (pleasure; χ2 = 21.8, P = .001) were found in EAAP compared to other activity situations. Further, EAAP was the only activity situation associated with all positive QoL indicators. These findings add to our understanding the importance of providing meaningful activities that promote use of abilities and provide environmental support, for enhancing QoL, especially for institutionalized people with dementia.

The impact of an educational intervention on college athletes' knowledge of concussions.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine college athletes' knowledge regarding concussions and to determine if an educational lecture before their sport season would improve their knowledge and reporting of concussions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University classroom. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy National College Athletic Association Division II men's/women's soccer players and men's/women's basketball players. INTERVENTIONS: Educational lecture regarding the basics of concussions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, and a paired sample t test determined the athletes' knowledge of concussion before and after the season and the impact of the educational intervention. RESULTS: A paired sample t test indicated that the athletes scored better on the postseason concussion knowledge assessment [t(49) = 10.34, P < 0.000, d = 1.47]. CONCLUSIONS: After an educational intervention, athletes demonstrated an improvement in their knowledge on concussions.

The relationship of critical thinking to performance on the NCLEX-RN.

This study investigated the relationship of critical thinking to performance on the NCLEX-RN. The sample (N = 218) was composed of baccalaureate nursing students from a university-based nursing program in the southwestern United States, and participants completed two critical thinking instruments: the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). Results showed that there was a difference between participants who passed and failed the NCLEX-RN on both the entry and exit CCTST. Students in the pass group also had higher scores on the exit CCTDI, but scores for the fail group were comparable with national norms for nursing students. No changes in CCTST or CCTDI total scores occurred between program entry and exit, and neither instrument was useful in the prediction of NCLEX-RN performance. There were no differences in NCLEX-RN performance between the pass and fail groups for age or gender.