A team of graduate students from Brigham Young University under the supervision of the main author, Dr. Henrichsen, collaborated on creating a book with an accompanying website, Basic Training and Resources for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (BTRTESOL). The entire program consists of 10 main sections with nearly 50 units addressing topics that novice teachers can choose from to help them prepare to teach English to non-native speakers. The BTRTESOL program answers the need for material designed for novice teachers, material that will help them to be better prepared in a minimalistic, non-overwhelming way. The goal of this program is that novice teachers will be more prepared to face the challenges and responsibilities that teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) brings. Each member of the BTRTESOL team created two units of the program. Each unit summarizes the information about each topic into a few pages of text that provides the minimum amount of information novices should know. The units then direct them to other sources in order to learn more. The program is still under development and is anticipated to be completed within the next few years with other TESOL MA students and Dr. Henrichsen completing subsequent units. This selected project details the making of two units of the BTRTESOL program, one in section one, "Basic Concepts," titled "Tutoring Guidelines," and one in section two, "Designing Programs and Lessons," titled "Designing an Overall Plan for a Course." The tutoring unit describes some guidelines for novice tutors, whether or not they have taught larger classes before. The course design unit describes the basics of creating a course curriculum. Novice tutors and teachers are frequently expected to plan everything for the tutoring sessions or courses as soon as they start their assignments. These units are designed to give them a starting point. In addition to an opening scenario, explanatory text, and resource connections, both of these units provide activities (i.e., a video clip or case studies) for visualization, analysis, reflection, and practical application.

How do special educators work to include children with special needs in preschool? That was the question that our thesis proceeded from, and the purpose was to get an insight in the methods used by the special educators to achieve inclusion.Our questions were:• Is Swedish preschool a place for inclusion?• How are special educators work organized and focused?• Which experiences do special educators have working with children with specialneeds in preschool, and what role do they mean that inclusion plays in this work?Our procedure in this enquiry was to perform semi-structured interviews with 5 different special educators in two different cities.Interpretation and analyis proceeded from three different theories: Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, John Bowlby’s theory of attachment and Karsten Hundeide’s sociocultural theory. The result showed support for the idea of the Swedish preeschool as a place with many opportunities for inclusion. We have also seen how both money and political decisions has an impact on which possibilities the preschools receive to work with inclusion. In addition it became apparent that the methods used by special educators differed depending on both cities and districts. One of the main purposes of the special educators consisted in finding different ways to include children in the everyday activities.

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Problem/Purpose: Critical care nurses are frequently exposed to the stress experienced by their patients' families, yet they often do not have the knowledge or skills to help family members cope with the stress of critical illness. While needs and stressors of families of the critically ill have been researched extensively, no prior studies have been conducted to determine the effects of an evidence-based nursing intervention for reducing family members' stress and improving their coping skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if an evidence-based nursing intervention designed to address the needs of family members would reduce stress and improve coping skills in family members of critically ill trauma patients. Additionally, the study assessed the family members' perceptions of how well their needs were met while their loved one was hospitalized in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Methods: Using a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design, an evidence-based intervention for critical care nurses was implemented to test its effect on stress and coping of family members of critically ill trauma patients. The study setting was the SICU at a tertiary university hospital in north central Florida. Subjects were family members of critically ill trauma patients who had been hospitalized in the SICU for at least 48 hours. Participants in the control group were given a packet containing instruments that measured 1) anxiety as an indicator of stress (Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ); 2) coping (Lazarus and Folkman's Ways of Coping Questionnaire ); and 3) assessment of family members' perception of having their needs met while their family member was in the SICU (Family Care Survey ). An evidence-based family bundle was implemented over an eight-week period and included an educational program for the nurses. After eight weeks, participants in the experimental group were given the same instruments previously administered to the control group. Anxiety levels, coping skills, and family members' perception of having needs met were compared between the two groups to determine the effectiveness of the evidence-based intervention. Results: A total of 84 family members participated in the study (control = 39; experimental = 45). The majority were women (n=60), spouse or parent of the patient (n=47), and Caucasian (n=70). Mean ages were 45.9 years for the control group and 47.4 years for the experimental group. No differences were noted in the demographic characteristics between the control and experimental groups. Using an independent samples t-test, no significant differences (p > .05) were noted between groups for either state or trait anxiety, although the mean anxiety score was lower in the experimental group. Significant differences between groups were noted on two of the eight coping subscales: Distancing and Accepting Responsibility. Improved coping, although not statistically significant, was noted on four additional subscales: Confrontive Coping, Self-Controlling, Planful Problem-Solving, and Positive Reappraisal. Overall coping scores also improved, but not statistically, for the total Ways of Coping Scale (both 50 and 66 item totals). Although not statistically significant, participants in the experimental group rated four out of eight items higher on the FCS, indicating an increased perception that more of their needs were met, greater overall satisfaction with the care that family members received, increased nurses' consideration of family members' needs and the inclusion of those needs in planning nursing care, and greater encouragement for family members to participate in care. Although findings were not statistically significant, the trend implies increased satisfaction with family care in areas involving family care and family member needs, including needs in planning care and encouragement to participate in care. In areas regarding information and communication, there was overall less satisfaction in both groups. Conclusions: This study provides data that can be used as a guide in developing programs that help families function and adapt to the extremely stressful experience of having a loved one who is critically ill. The information can be used to develop future research on larger scales with a longer and more extensive plan for implementation of the intervention to assist in a unit culture change. Nurses can use the results to facilitate practice changes in caring for families of critically ill patients. Modifying the interventions to focus on an interdisciplinary approach to meet families' needs, reduce stress, and improve coping also warrants further development and testing. Funding acknowledgement: Florida Nurses Foundation and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. College of Nursing, University of Central Florida

This case study investigates how participating in the process of drama and the product of theatre affects the lives of persons with developmental and physical disabilities. In the summer of 2008, I documented the experiences of the actors in Kaleidoscope, a five-week musical theatre program in which 18 teenagers and adults created an original musical theatre production through a partnership between Asolo Repertory Theatre and Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities in Sarasota, Florida. In an effort to understand how moving through the rehearsal process and culminating product influenced and changed the lives of the actors within the Kaleidoscope community, I conducted three rounds of interviews with eight selected actors and two rounds of interviews with artistic and clinical staff, as well as documented personal observations through my role as a participant/observer. The major through lines of my data detail how drama, movement, dance, and voice work cultivated change in the actors' socialization, self-confidence, and self-expression. While participating in the art shaped the actors' lives in a variety of ways, the production of Dream Out Loud grew from collaborative efforts that challenged and celebrated both individuality and equality within the spectrum of difference among the ensemble. As I also studied Kaleidoscope as a whole to guide the design of my own program, I sought to discover methods of sustaining growth that stem from participating in both the dramatic process and product. Due to their wide spectrum of disabilities, the actors experienced a variety of changes, and for some, no changes at all in socialization, self-confidence, and self-expression. I concluded that while every actor did not walk away from Kaleidoscope having made great changes within The Three Ss, participating in the program was an artistically and socially valuable experience for each actor.

All nurses must be adequately prepared to care for individuals requesting Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) due to the practical, ethical, personal, and legal ramifications associated with MAiD. Nurses are both professionally and legally obligated to be knowledgeable and skilled in navigating the care of individuals requesting MAiD. This qualitative systematic review explored the knowledge and education needs identified by nurses regarding MAiD. This qualitative systematic review was conducted following the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence, including critical appraisal, study selection, data extraction and data synthesis. Four themes were identified: 1) ethical and moral challenges, 2) legislation and standards, 3) communication, and 4) mandatory MAiD education. The information and practice recommendations found within this review can be used to support the knowledge and education needs of all nursing students and practicing nurses throughout Canada.

Social isolation and loneliness (SIL) represent a growing public health and public policy concern, particularly among older adults. Half of older adults over the age of 60 are at risk of social isolation and one-third experience loneliness. SIL is a particular concern for individuals aging-in-place in low-density and rural areas. SIL increases the risk of premature death from all causes in older individuals, and results in $6.7 billion in additional Medicare spending annually. Tennessee is ranked tenth in the nation for risk of social isolation. Strategies to promote social connections are a critical step in designing age-friendly communities. A cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of older adults (62 years and older) living in affordable housing apartment complexes in Hawkins County, TN was conducted in February and March 2023. Loneliness (UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale), social isolation (Lubben Social Network Scale 6-item), and sense of community (Brief Sense of Community Scale) were assessed. Data were also gathered on demographic characteristics, health status, social engagement, and strategies to support older adults aging-in-place. Data from 82 participants aged 62 to 95 (73.14 mean age; SD = 7.00) were analyzed. The majority of participants were female (67%), non-Hispanic White (93%), lived alone (90%), and were retired (84%) with an average annual income less than or equal to $14,225 (43%). Nearly half (44%) report their health as fair or poor compared to others their age and 79% of participants have 4 or more chronic conditions. Overall mean loneliness score indicated moderate loneliness (mean = 4.9; SD = 2.08; range 0-9). 48% were at risk of social isolation (mean = 13.35; SD = 6.14; range 0-29). The total mean sense of community score was moderate (mean = 22.9; SD = 1.09; range 0-40). Factors associated with SIL will be analyzed using Pearson’s correlation test. Strategies to promote social engagement will be discussed. Living and growing older in rural communities is considered a primary risk factor for SIL. To support healthy aging, local efforts must include strategies to increase social engagement for rural older adults and their communities. Results from this needs assessment will be used to generate recommendations that can be used to improve social connectedness among older adults living in Hawkins County, TN.

Responses to a web-based survey following Hurricane Katrina were evaluated. The 3,140 university student respondents were separated into impact groups based on evacuation experience: high-impact (student evacuated), moderate-impact (friend/family evacuated), and low-impact (neither student nor friends or family evacuated). Students’ responses to items evaluating service utilization, services desired, and psychological distress were examined by gender, race, and impact group. Female students rated services as more supportive, and reported a greater desire for services not provided by the university, compared to male students. Compared to Caucasian students, African American students viewed services as more supportive and desired services not already provided by the university. Students in the high-impact group scored higher than the other impact groups on measures assessing symptoms of psychological distress. Overall, the results may be used by universities and other organizations to implement future programs and policies for responding to natural disasters.

With a majority of land in the United States being utilized for agricultural production, water resource conservation has become a significant topic of interest for natural resource agencies. In partnership with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mississippi State University conducted a stream restoration project within its agricultural research properties in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Water sampling during storm-runoff events was conducted to assess changes in microbial, nutrient, and sediment concentrations and loads pre- and post-restoration. In addition to these water monitoring activities, a regional survey of Cooperative Extension Service agents with agriculture and natural resource responsibilities was conducted to assess the need for in-service training on water resource conservation topics. Water quality monitoring and agent survey data were used to evaluate the restoration project’s environmental impact and potential as a demonstration site for future agent training initiatives for water resource conservation.

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