Strategies to Lower Risk in the Management of Acute Aggression

Luz Gomez, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Acute aggression poses a risk of harm to patients and staff in acute care. On one hand, disparities in the management of aggression are well documented, with factors like race affecting the likelihood of restraint use. However, agitation is also a leading cause of staff injury, with the majority of such injuries occurring during the application of restraints. Using the Model for Evidence-Based Practice Change, this project aims to implement an aggression order set modeled after the Project BETA (Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation) guidelines. With this approach, duration of restraint application and incidence of staff injury will decrease by 50% over the next year.

Strategies to Reduce Heart Failure Readmissions in Rural Hospitals

Xee Lee, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Heart failure is a significant public health concern, contributing to high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Patient education, telephone follow-up after discharge, and referring patients to a cardiac telehealth program are ways to reduce readmissions in rural communities. Within three months of implementation, the inpatient unit will complete education within 90% of HF patients, the 30-day readmission rate for HF patients will be below 40%, and the nurse care coordinator will have successful contact via a post-discharge follow-up telephone call to 75% of HF patients. Community-based rural hospitals must implement these interventions to reduce heart failure readmission rates.

Stratigraphic and Mineralogical Characteristics of Cu-Zn-Co-Mn Mantos at Minera Boleo, Santa Rosalía, BCS, Mexico

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This poster documents a REU research project investigating the stratigraphic emplacement of ore minerals in a mining district in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Strength and Needs Assessment of the Humboldt State Student Disability Resource Center

Other

Using data collected in 2017 from student consumers of the Humboldt State University (HSU) Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC), a strength and needs assessment of their program was conducted. This project explored the personal and academic experiences of students who are disabled at HSU and utilize SDRC services. The goal of this project was to identify the strengths of the SDRC and to make recommendations for what could be improved upon, specifically in terms of access to resources and support.

Stress and the Oral Microbiome

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The microbiome is many single celled organisms, which play an essential role in protecting the body against pathogens. Studies show that stress decreases microbial diversity, and thus negatively impact the body’s immune defenses. This study explored relationships between stress, cortisol levels, and the oral microbiome. Daily questionnaires and biweekly salivary tests assessed stress levels and microbial diversity. Data collection was conducted the first and second week of December 2018. Stress plays a significant role in the experience of college students. Understanding how stress impacts what microbes are in the mouth could lead to the development of better stress management strategies.

Stress, Anxiety, Social Support and Hopelessness in Latino and White College Students

College of Professional Studies

The current study examined the association of stress, anxiety, hopelessness and social support in undergraduate Latino and White students. The sample included 250 Latino (women = 76%) and 296 White (women = 66%) participants, with more women in the Latino group (chi2 = 5.74, p < .05). For the total sample, a hierarchical linear regression with stress as the dependent variable, age and sex entered in block one and anxiety, social support, and hopelessness in block two, resulted in an R = .772 with block two variables accounting for 57% of the variance. Separate regression analyses for Latino and White students produced similar results, R = .75 and R = .80, respectively.

Structural Determination of the Olfactory Epithelium in Terrestrial Adult Rough-Skinned Newts (Taricha granulosa)

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Taricha granulosa (rough-skinned newt) uses olfaction for feeding, migration, and mate choice. In this study, we are examining the olfactory epithelium with scanning and transmission electron microscopy to determine whether variation in cellular morphology exists amongst seasonally terrestrial adults and aquatic larvae.

Student Legal Lounge

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The Student Legal Lounge (SLL) is an on-campus resource created by students for students. SLL provides the pupils of HSU with legal information, which has been researched by students in many different legal fields; such as housing rights, immigration rights, constitutional rights, and etc. In addition, SLL has commenced an attorney referral program, so that our students have the adequate tools when they are faced with a serious legal quandary. Needless to say, not only is the SLL a great on-campus resource for HSU students, but it also provides an opportunity for involvement for those who are interest in legal work a chance to gain communication, research, organizational skills.

Student Perceptions of Diversity in University Curriculum: Informing Course Design

College of Professional Studies

When aspects of culture and diversity are integrated into courses, students can benefit in many ways including enhanced critical thinking and greater social agency, or one’s belief in the importance of working to correct social injustice. Despite these benefits, few instructors report that they integrate diversity-related content into their course curriculum, with many citing lack of knowledge for how to do this as a primary barrier. The purpose of this study is to assess student perceptions of diversity in the curriculum using both quantitative and qualitative methodology, with the broader goal of informing future curriculum design.

Student Satisfaction with Technology

College of Professional Studies

The purpose of this research is to assess HSU students’ satisfaction with the various services provided by the Information Technology Services department. The services that are being assessed are computers labs, on-campus printing, technology in the classroom, on-campus wi-fi, myHumboldt, HSU Gmail accounts, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Canvas, ITS Support, online classroom scheduling (via 25live), and the virtual labs (vlab.humboldt.edu). After completion of the survey, we hope to use the data to implement changes within the department in order to increase student satisfaction with the services mentioned above.