Background: Many elderly people today have dementia, and many people with dementia encounter health care services, including in elderly care or in hospitals. Previous research indicates that relatives feel that nurses' treatment and contact can affect their well-being, and that patients with dementia feel that the hospital is not adapted to their needs and that communication with nurses is difficult. Aim: To describe nurses' experiences of treatment of patients with dementia in hospitals. Method: A general literature study of 4 quantitative articles, 6 qualitative articles. The articles were collected from two different databases. Results: Nurses strive to establish a caring relationship with patients with dementia in order to offer good care. Some nurses found it easy and challenging to meet and communicate with patients with dementia, while some nurses found it demanding. Lack of time was identified as a factor that caused stress and anxiety in nurses when dealing with patients with dementia. Conclusion: The results show that nurses who had a care relationship with patients with dementia contributed to the experience of good treatment, despise this there are many factors that can affect nurses' treatment such as prioritizing patients, lack of time, knowledge, experience and aggressive behavior from patients with dementia.

Developed forest camping has received little attention in the recreation research since the late 1960s and early 1970s. Changes in socio-demographics, technology, and the public's expectations for amenities over the past forty years suggested that the nature of the developed camping experience may have changed. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand the modern developed forest camping experience and associated meanings and the influence of technology on developed forest camping. In-depth interviews were conducted in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area with thirty-eight camping groups in three campgrounds which varied in their level of development. Developed forest camping experiences were described by participants as a combination of what they were doing (i.e., activities), who they were interacting with (i.e., social interaction), where they were camping (i.e., setting), and what they were feeling while they were there (i.e., psychological states/feelings). The camping experience occurred in stages and it emerged over the course of participants' trips, with emotional highs and lows. Camping was a social experience, with participants defining much of their experience in terms of who they were with. The developed camping experience was influenced by the natural environment, particularly scenic beauty and other aesthetic setting qualities. The majority of participants in this study suggested that they were able to get a nature-based experience even in highly developed camp settings in which large motor homes, televisions, and satellite dishes were common. Participants used a range of camping gear and electronics, and this technology was important to promote comfort and conveniences and for a distraction during inclement weather. The associated meanings of developed forest camping were restoration (i.e., rest, escape, and recovery), family functioning, special places, self-identity, social interaction, experiencing nature, association of God and nature, novelty, and the opportunity for children to learn. Restoration was the most commonly expressed meaning across all three campground types. The most commonly expressed life-context meanings were restoration and sharing positive family memories and stories. These family memories and stories often developed into important camping traditions. Recommendations for recreation managers, study limitations, and opportunities for future research are identified and discussed. / Ph. D.

The counseling process and relationship are inherently interconnected, and each person involved, or observing, has a unique perspective on what is significant. Thus, it is important for researchers to examine this process holistically for a more complete understanding of the counseling process and relationship. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of counselors-in-training (CITs) and clients in the counseling process with respect to what was meaningful, and the strength of the therapeutic relationship using a mixed methods approach. The following four research questions were a guide for this study: (a) What do CITs and clients experience as most meaningful in counseling? (b) What are the similarities and differences of what CITs and clients experience as meaningful in counseling? (c) How does the strength of the therapeutic relationship correspond to the depth of what CITs and clients experience as meaningful in counseling? (d) What are the similarities and differences of an observer's perspective and the experiences of the CIT and client of what is meaningful in counseling? These questions were explored through qualitative phenomenological interviews to capture the experiences of CITs and clients in a given counseling session, a quantitative instrument to measure the therapeutic relationship, and participant observation to gain an observer's perspective of the counseling session. Data analysis of the interviews revealed several themes of meaningful experiences for clients, CITs, and observer, with many similarities and some differences. Themes for clients were as follows: Counseling Relationship, Goals, Insight, Immediacy, Emotion, and Reflections on Counseling. Themes for CITs were: Counseling Relationship, Goals, Insight, Immediacy, Emotion, Nonverbals, Transference and Counter Transference, and CIT Negotiating the Counseling Process and their Role. Finally, observer themes were: Depth of Congruence, Goals, Insight, Immediacy, Nonverbals and Intuition, and Rescuing. There seems to be a slight connection between the strength of the therapeutic relationship and depth of meaningful experiences. More often than not, the stronger the therapeutic relationship, the greater depth of meaningful experiences of participants, however, these results are inconclusive. Findings from this research have implications for CITs, counselors, and counselor educators and supervisors. / Ph. D.

Though experiential learning is a popular topic in higher education, a great deal of research in the field neglects to make ties between program outcomes and educational theory, creating a gap in knowledge regarding how participant students truly experience educational programs. Consequently, this study proposes an updated perspective of experiential education that considers the experiential and social aspects of these learning environments. While it is important to determine programmatic impacts, it is equally important to assess how learning has occurred, so programs can be modified accordingly. The Equine Studies Program at the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center began in 2010, with seven cohorts having completed the program since its inception. At this time, however, no study has been conducted to gain a thorough understanding of the program's purpose, nor assess if programmatic impacts align with its objectives. This study utilized qualitative interview methods to determine the program's objectives and impacts on participants. The findings provide insight on how experiential learning programs can be enhanced to better prepare students for the challenges of modern industry. Recommendations are made for continued research in this area to determine how the implementation of experiential learning programs may impact overall undergraduate curricula. Additional research should also be conducted to compare the impacts of varying types of experiential programs. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Parent involvement in school has proven its effectiveness (Jeynes, 2012). Students whose parents are involved tend to present better behavior at school and achieve higher quality of homework and schoolwork (Cancio, West and Young, 2004; Epstein 2001). In the case of children transitioning to kindergarten, parent involvement can help them overcome adjustment difficulties and receive the support they need to succeed (Patel and Corter, 2013). In order to increase parent involvement among parents of children transitioning to kindergarten, school counselors, teachers and other school personnel can benefit from understanding how parents perceive parent involvement and what experiences they are having as their children transition to kindergarten. The purpose of this study was to describe, using a qualitative approach, how parents of children transitioning to kindergarten perceive parent involvement and how they have been experiencing parent involvement during this transition. This study included the participation of ten parents whose children were enrolled in kindergarten in a public school in Southern California. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed through the process of coding. Findings showed that there are different ways of parent involvement and that such involvement is the result of a teamwork that happens through interactions between the parent, the child, and the school. Moreover, discussions of the findings also revealed that schools that offer services and support to parents during the kindergarten transition help them become more involved parents. Lastly, it was brought to knowledge that parents of children transitioning to kindergarten do not always know about the existence or the role of the school counselor, who could be serving as an important support to these parents and their children. Important implications are offered for school counselors, counselor educators, and kindergarten teachers, as well as recommendations for future research. / Ph. D.

Collaborative learning skills are one of the essential learning outcomes for a college education in 21st century. College students are expected to possess the ability to collaborate with others in order to succeed in their career after graduating from college. However, the effects of collegiate experiences on collaborative learning for different gender and academic areas are almost unexplored. In addition, researchers highlight the need for more research on interaction effects to explore whether different types of students respond differently to various collegiate experiences. The researcher examined the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills. Furthermore, the researcher explored whether this relationship was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skills. Social-cognitive learning theory and Astin's involvement theory were used as conceptual frameworks to guide this study. Astin's input-environment-output college impact model served as a theoretical guide. Using an institutional cross-sectional data set, multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine these relationships. According to the results, the relationship between student-student interactions and graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills was positive after controlling for the other independent variables in the study. Further results revealed that the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with the outcome variable was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skill. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was significantly weaker for male students, whereas the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for female student. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for students in hard pure academic areas when compared to students in soft applied academic areas, while the opposite was observed for the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable. The findings of the present study can be used to shape students' interactions with faculty and their peers with the awareness that these impact different types of students in different ways. / Ph. D.

More than 5,000,000 post-9/11 service members are expected to transition out of the military by 2020 due to a reduction in the size of the U.S. military and presence in Iraq and Afghanistan (American Council on Education, 2014). As these service members separate from the military many will choose to enter some form of postsecondary education. The literature across the past decade has not changed in its recommendations on how to serve student veterans. If campus administrators expect to support veteran students in their transitions, they need empirical research about the transition experiences of veteran students and not rely on best practices that are not supported by empirical evidence. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the transition experiences of Post-9/11 student veterans from a military setting to a college setting. The study used grounded theory methods to systematically review the literature about the transition of student veterans from the military to a college or university and create a conceptual framework for this study, or the Student Veteran College Transition Model (SVCTM). The SVCTM showed what strategies used by college and university administrators during a veteran's transition to college promote positive transition outcomes for student veterans within a number of conditions and contextual factors. This qualitative study used a modified version of Seidman's (2013) phenomenological interviewing and collective-case study. Semi-structured interviews provided data for the study. Findings of this study confirmed previous research that student veterans experience a challenging transition from the military to college and that military and veteran student offices and veteran student organizations play an important role in the transition for student veterans. The findings also included that the conflict between military, civilian, and academic cultures disrupted student veterans' ability to adapt to their new role as civilian and student. To combat this conflict, student veterans turn to family and other veterans internal and external to the college provide support during the transition from the military as they integrate their military, civilian, and academic identities. / Ph. D.

Yes / This report looks at the experiences of people with dementia living in care homes in England, with a particular focus on whether their care offers dignity and respect. Most similar studies have relied on the views of carers, care staff and people in the early stages of dementia. This study examines directly the experiences of people including those with advanced dementia.

People living in extra care housing have a variety of mental health needs. Whilst many people opt for extra care housing as a means of enhancing quality of life, it is recognised that around 30% will experience significant mental health problems notably dementia and depression. This often leads to them having to move out of extra care housing or becoming isolated within their apartment. The Enriched Opportunities Programme (EOP) was developed by ExtraCare Charitable Trust and Professor Brooker and her research team as a means of ensuring that people experiencing mental health problems can continue to enjoy a good quality of life. EOP brings together what is known as best practice in a structured, systematic and proactive way. Key facets of the programs include a specialist staff role ¿the EOP Locksmith¿; staff training; individualized case work; liaison with health and social care teams; activity & occupation; and leadership. This report summarises a recently completed 2 year cluster randomised controlled trial. 5 extra care housing schemes were randomly assigned to receive the EOP for an 18 month period. A further 5 housing schemes were randomly assigned to receive a placebo intervention consisting of employing an extra member of staff called a Project Support Worker Coach (PSWC) for the same time period. We followed the lives of the 268 most vulnerable residents living in all these extra care housing schemes and villages. We compared the results for people receiving the EOP intervention with the PSWC intervention and analysed the differences. The process of implementing EOP and the impact on people¿s lives has been very positive. The main advantages in the EOP schemes were that residents were Half as likely to have to move out into a care home ¿ Far less likely to spend time in hospital as an in-patient ¿ More likely to have a GP visit ¿ More likely to see a community physiotherapist, occupational therapist and a chiropodist More likely to have their mental health problems diagnosed In addition residents in the EOP schemes and villages ¿ Rated their Quality of Life more positively ¿ Reported decreased symptoms of depression over time ¿ Reported greater feelings of social support and inclusion There were also a number of advantages enjoyed by participants in both the EOP and the PSWC interventions. Residents in both interventions reported ¿ Greater opportunity to be active ¿ Greater use of community facilities ¿ More fun ¿ Greater variety of things to do. This report will be of interest to all those involved in the provision of extra care housing and to those implementing the National Dementia Strategy.

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