Independence for individuals with disabilities can be facilitated through the use of devices that have been created and adapted for these individuals. Research regarding the use of technology to afford independence to those with disabilities is growing as new devices are being created. One such device is the Travel Assistance Device (TAD) which has undergone conceptual tests to assess if the individual components of the device work as intended. The purpose of this research study was to determine whether the prompts given by the TAD would exhibit stimulus control over the participant's behavior of pulling the cord to stop the bus at the appropriate time and exiting the bus at the appropriate stop. Results show favorable outcomes for the 3 participants who were able to pull the bus cord at the appropriate stops and exit the bus only when the TAD delivered prompts. Future implications in parent training are discussed.

Academic dishonesty and cheating abound in universities across the globe, with increased instances of academic dishonesty in many disciplines including medical professional education programs that have high expectations for integrity and ethical conduct. The purpose of this study was to determine how faculty in physician assistant (PA) programs described their experiences, specifically their roles and responsibilities, in addressing incidents of academic dishonesty. The conceptual framework by Nitsch and colleagues, which focused on faculty failure to report conduct violations in dishonesty cases, informed interviews with 10 PA faculty members concerning the role of faculty members in academic dishonesty violations. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify common themes through a manual coding process. Interviews were followed by a modified Delphi process with 5 of the participants to confirm consensus of the responses obtained in the interviews. Themes from the findings focused on faculty members' high expectations of academic honesty from students in PA programs, the role of university involvement in reporting and managing cases of academic dishonesty, including deterrents to faculty reporting, and program strategies to deter academic dishonesty. Based on findings, a PA faculty development workshop was developed for creating cultures of academic integrity in PA programs and program campuses. Positive social change may result through better management of cases of academic dishonesty in PA programs and on campus, as well as the use of faculty as change agents in promoting a culture of campus integrity.

Palliative care has become an integral part of healthcare throughout the United States. The goals of this discipline are focused on improving patient quality of life during times of illness. These goals are universal throughout medicine and apply to all practicing providers. An interdisciplinary council developed core competencies for this discipline which includes pain assessment and management as a key component. Throughout healthcare, the assessment and management of pain continues to be a challenge for providers. A review of the literature has demonstrated that untreated pain has become an increasing burden on the patient population. Many providers feel training during their medical education is insufficient and they entered the workforce unprepared. An evaluation of current standards put forth by educational governing bodies has shown the regulations regarding palliative care, pain assessment in particular, to be scattered and non-specific. It is apparent a more concise curriculum, dedicated to palliative care and pain assessment is needed for all future medical providers to hone the essential tools needed to properly evaluate and treat pain. The proposed intervention consists of an educational module which combines a didactic session and student role playing module focused on pain assessment. This intervention will focus on Physician Assistant students in particular, as this profession will continue to play a large role in healthcare. Didactic sessions focused on pain assessment, a core competency of palliative care, will be presented to the students. A role playing exercise following these didactics will allow students to practice such pain assessment skills and also explore what it may be like to be a patient in pain and provide them with insight on the importance of adequately assessing related symptoms. The current model of education regarding palliative care has proven to be ineffective, especially regarding pain assessment. A more concise, dedicated module for this essential skill is needed for students to become more efficient, effective providers. With the ability to assess patients more effectively, providers will be able to manage patients’ pain and decrease the burden untreated pain has put on the population as a whole.

The cost of losing a manager in the retail sector is 2 to 3 times their yearly salary. The purpose of this exploratory single case study was to explore strategies general managers in large retail organizations can use to improve assistant manager retention. Building upon Ramlall's adaptation of motivation theory, research was conducted to determine factors that contributed to retention of assistant managers in a general merchandise retail store operating in Virginia and North Carolina. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 20 general managers of stores in the same organization located in Virginia and North Carolina, reflective journals, and researcher observations and were then coded by themes and analyzed using Moustaka's method of thematic analysis. Seven themes emerged from the study including needs for a supportive work environment, training and communication, pay, and appreciation and feedback. Implications for positive social change include increased wages through higher retention, which can affect the economy of the communities in which the company operates. The company operates nationally, so the potential insight on in increased wages could have a wide impact on the economy if applied to all stores. Assistant managers will also benefit from consistency and growth within the company and in turn be able to provide more stability to employees that work for them. If applied to other companies, this study could also have a positive impact on a wider scale. General managers from different companies in different areas may use the results of this study as a starting point to assess and improve assistant manager retention within their stores. This improved retention could lead to more stability in their team and better knowledge retention for the organization.

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