Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

Background: Anxiety in simulations can be influenced by various factors that either motivate or immobilize students. Understanding simulation anxiety is crucial for educators to design appropriately challenging scenarios without overwhelming students. No instruments have yet been tested to differentiate between debilitating and facilitating anxiety within nursing simulations. Methods: A quantitative repeated measures design was used to examine students’ baseline and pre-simulation anxiety with 90 pre-licensure junior level nursing students. The Achievement Anxiety Test (AAT) was administered to differentiate levels of debilitating and facilitating anxiety. Results: The revised AAT demonstrated preliminary validity and reliability for measuring debilitating and facilitating anxiety when used in nursing simulation. Linear regression showed only debilitating anxiety significantly predicted pre-simulation state anxiety. Baseline anxiety has a significant impact on students, increasing debilitating anxiety in simulated settings. Conclusions: To ensure success in practice settings, it is important to address students baseline anxiety to support a successful transition into practice. This study was prospectively determined to be exempt with the University’s Institutional Review Board on 6 December 2022 and was not prospectively registered in a formal registry.

Parental accommodation is one factor that has been consistently linked to youth anxiety, while social support has been linked to resilience. Ecological models may explain how the interaction of factors across environments impact child development. The current study seeks to examine the interaction between accommodation and peer social support in relation to child anxiety symptoms. It is hypothesized that peer social support will significantly moderate the relationship between accommodation and youth anxiety. The current sample included youth 9–17 years old and one of their parents (N = 62). Accommodation significantly predicted youth anxiety symptoms; however, the interaction of accommodation and peer social support did not exhibit a significant association with anxiety. Conclusions, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Background

Weight stigma (devaluation due to body weight) in healthcare is common and influences one’s engagement in healthcare, health behaviors, and relationship with providers. Positive patient–provider relationships (PPR) are important for one’s healthcare engagement and long-term health.

Purpose

To date, no research has yet investigated whether weight bias internalization (self-stigma due to weight; WBI) moderates the effect of weight stigma on the PPR. We predict that weight stigma in healthcare is negatively associated with (i) trust in physicians, (ii) physician empathy, (iii) autonomy and competence when interacting with physicians, and (iv) perceived physician expertise. We also predict that those with high levels of WBI would have the strongest relationship between experiences of weight stigma and PPR outcomes.

Methods

We recruited women (N = 1,114) to complete a survey about weight stigma in healthcare, WBI and the previously cited PPR outcomes.

Results

Weight stigma in healthcare and WBI were associated with each of the PPR outcomes when controlling for age, BMI, education, income, race, and ethnicity. The only exception was that WBI was not associated with trust in physicians. The hypothesis that WBI would moderate the effect of weight stigma in healthcare on PPR outcomes was generally not supported.

Conclusions

Overall, this research highlights how weight stigma in healthcare as well as one’s own internalization negatively impact PPRs, especially how autonomous and competent one feels with their provider which are essential for one to take an active role in their health and healthcare.

Background and Purpose: This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of 12 sessions of patient-specific adaptive dynamic cycling (PSADC) versus non-adaptive cycling (NA) on motor function and mobility in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), using inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors for objective assessment. Methods: Twenty-three participants with PD (13 in the PSADC group and 10 in the NA group) completed the study over a 4-week period. Motor function was measured using the Kinesia™ sensors and the MDS-UPDRS Motor III, while mobility was assessed with the TUG test using OPAL IMU sensors. Results: The PSADC group showed significant improvements in MDS-UPDRS Motor III scores (t = 5.165, p < 0.001) and dopamine-sensitive symptoms (t = 4.629, p = 0.001), whereas the NA group did not improve. Both groups showed non-significant improvements in TUG time. IMU sensors provided continuous, quantitative, and unbiased measurements of motor function and mobility, offering a more precise and objective tracking of improvements over time. Conclusions: PSADC demonstrated enhanced treatment effects on PD motor function compared to NA while also reducing variability in individual responses. The integration of IMU sensors was essential for precise monitoring, supporting the potential of a data-driven, individualized exercise approach to optimize treatment outcomes for individuals with PD.

Background:
Expert modeling videos (EMVs) have shown promise in improving students’ performance in simulation. However, research evaluating the impact of EMVs is limited to major performance areas, lacking exploration into specific student competency behaviors.

Purpose:
This study evaluated the effect of an EMV intervention on undergraduate nursing students’ behavioral competencies as measured by the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (CCEI).

Methods:
Using a quasi-experimental pragmatic evaluation design, students in a medical surgical nursing course (n = 160) viewed either an expert model demonstration video (experimental) or expert model discussion video (control). Students’ behavioral competencies were measured and compared between groups using the CCEI.

Results:
Students who viewed an expert model demonstration video performed at a higher level of competency in 11 of the 18 CCEI behaviors.

Conclusion:
Using EMVs in nursing simulation may improve students’ ability to achieve clinical competency in nursing specific behaviors.