- Email: [email protected]
An Interprofessional Model for Full-Scale Simulations in Undergraduate Medical Nutrition Therapy Courses: Maximizing Existing Resources
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
Poster Session: Innovations in Dietetics Practice and Education Blogs: Promoting Education through Entertainment Author: E.D. Hilliard; North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND Research Outcome: To determine whether maintaining a nutrition blog increased student confidence in developing consumer nutrition messages. Methods: The sample included 36 undergraduate and 3 graduate students enrolled in a community nutrition course. After choosing a nutrition topic, students posted one original blog weekly for 8 weeks. Each student assessed the literacy level of one blog using the SMOG Readability Index and the Flesch - Kincaid Grade Level. At completion of the assignment, students evaluated the blog project using a 10 item, 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Students reported the change in their self-efficacy to write for low literacy groups and use technology to disseminate nutrition information. Analysis: Survey item median response differences were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Median before and after Likert responses were significantly different (p¼.000) for 3 items: 1) comfort writing about nutrition for the public; 2) understanding how to use the internet to communicate nutrition to the public; and 3) writing for low literacy audiences. Median responses improved from somewhat agree on all three items to agree and strongly agree. Additionally, 87% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they learned more about a nutrition topic of interest, and 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they grew as a nutrition professional as a result of the blog project. Conclusions and Implications: Writing nutrition blogs may allow students to develop skills communicating heath messages using technology. Projects based on practical application and which utilize relevant technology may create confident entry level practitioners. Funding Disclosure: None
An Interprofessional Model for Full-Scale Simulations in Undergraduate Medical Nutrition Therapy Courses: Maximizing Existing Resources Author(s): J.L. Lemacks, T.L. Cartwright, C.L. Connell; The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS Objective: To integrate applied and interprofessional experiences, in collaboration with nursing faculty/students, into an undergraduate level medical nutrition therapy (MNT) course series to enhance dietetics education. Description: Simulation case studies that aligned with content covered in courses offered by the nursing and nutrition department were integrated into two medical nutrition therapy courses. Students were prepared for simulation case studies by discipline. Nursing and dietetics students met in a nursing lab for the actual experience, assisted by simulation equipment. Dietetic students were required to complete pre-scenario questions with two volunteer students selected to act as the dietitian, while two nursing students acted as nurses. All students made practice decisions based on the patient scenario and debriefed as a group afterwards. Student feedback regarding the simulation case studies was retrieved from senior exit interviews. Results: Based on qualitative data, students valued the full scale simulation case study experience. They felt that these activities provided them with much needed patient interaction skills. Additionally, participating in the experiences allowed some students to identify their own weakness with regard to patient interaction and express the desire for even more interactions within the program. Both nursing and dietetics faculty viewed the experience favorably. Conclusions: The integration of full scale simulations into MNT courses using an interprofessional model was favorable by students. Dietetics programs may be enhanced with controlled, patient interactions by using existing resources and developing new campus partnerships with other health care professions. Future assessments should evaluate the ability of scenarios to meet learner’s objectives. Funding Disclosure: None
March Madness-Style App Reviews: Enhancing Learning through Technology
Healthy Women Building Healthy Families
Author(s): R.L. Tobe, C.M. Hamady, M. Ludy; Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
Author(s): K.W. Craven, J. Jennings; East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Background: With the influx of new mobile applications (apps) and lack of regulation, health professionals often question the safety, quality, and validity of apps. Dietetics students, therefore, must be given opportunities to critically evaluate health-related apps during their education. Game-based learning is a popular educational tool utilized to improve student engagement and motivation. This project’s goal was to provide undergraduate dietetics students with a hands-on activity to evaluate apps for their nutrition features and technical function. Methods: Undergraduate students (n¼189) from seven nutrition classes at a large Midwestern university participated in a March Madness-style bracket activity. Students were assigned an app to critically evaluate in small groups. After brief presentations of strengths and weaknesses to the class, students chose the better of two apps, advancing down the bracket until a winner emerged. Following this activity, a seven-question survey was completed and descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses. Results: Before the activity, 46.9% of students used health-related apps on their smartphones. After this activity, 91.8% could see the benefit of apps for educating the public about nutrition, and 80.4% believed apps would be important for their future occupational success. Conclusions: A March Madness-style bracket can be an effective way to engage dietetics students while creating a visual representation to evaluate their app preferences. This technique challenges students to critically analyze and compare appropriate apps, allowing them to gain experience in understanding the potential of new technology as well as knowing which apps can be recommended to future clients.
More than 66% of our population of eastern North Carolina is classified as overweight/obese. Obesity guidelines recommend structured weight management programs to assist individuals in weight reduction however many with little or no health insurance have no access to registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN). ECU Family Medicine serves many un/under-insured individuals and recognized the need to provide services to overweight/obese patients. Since 2009 the practice provides funds for a weekly weight management class delivered by a RDN. A significant portion of the participants in this program report difficulty making healthy food choices because of budget limitations and lack of food preparation skills. We received a small grant from a local women’s organization to support adding simple, budget minded cooking demonstrations to our existing weight management classes. Participants are weighed weekly and complete a survey noting intent to try the recipe at home and acceptance of the recipe. As of February 2015, 13 classes with 37 participants have been held. Eight classes included food preparation instruction. The total weight loss for the group over this period was 198 pounds with an average loss of 5.4 pounds and one individual losing 37 pounds. Six participants lost more than nine pounds. Greater than 80% of participants each week reported intent to try the recipe at home. Adding a cooking component to weight management program for obese/overweight participants who have limited financial resources appears to support attendance and greater weight loss than earlier periods. The poster will include photos and recipes. Funding Disclosure: Women for Women: local organization of women who are committed to empowerment of women in the Greater Greenville, North Carolina area
Funding Disclosure: We received funding from an innovative teaching grant at Bowling Green State University.
A-66
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
September 2015 Suppl 2—Abstracts Volume 115 Number 9
Poster Session: Innovations in Dietetics Practice and Education Blogs: Promoting Education through Entertainment Author: E.D. Hilliard; North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND Research Outcome: To determine whether maintaining a nutrition blog increased student confidence in developing consumer nutrition messages. Methods: The sample included 36 undergraduate and 3 graduate students enrolled in a community nutrition course. After choosing a nutrition topic, students posted one original blog weekly for 8 weeks. Each student assessed the literacy level of one blog using the SMOG Readability Index and the Flesch - Kincaid Grade Level. At completion of the assignment, students evaluated the blog project using a 10 item, 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Students reported the change in their self-efficacy to write for low literacy groups and use technology to disseminate nutrition information. Analysis: Survey item median response differences were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Median before and after Likert responses were significantly different (p¼.000) for 3 items: 1) comfort writing about nutrition for the public; 2) understanding how to use the internet to communicate nutrition to the public; and 3) writing for low literacy audiences. Median responses improved from somewhat agree on all three items to agree and strongly agree. Additionally, 87% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they learned more about a nutrition topic of interest, and 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they grew as a nutrition professional as a result of the blog project. Conclusions and Implications: Writing nutrition blogs may allow students to develop skills communicating heath messages using technology. Projects based on practical application and which utilize relevant technology may create confident entry level practitioners. Funding Disclosure: None
An Interprofessional Model for Full-Scale Simulations in Undergraduate Medical Nutrition Therapy Courses: Maximizing Existing Resources Author(s): J.L. Lemacks, T.L. Cartwright, C.L. Connell; The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS Objective: To integrate applied and interprofessional experiences, in collaboration with nursing faculty/students, into an undergraduate level medical nutrition therapy (MNT) course series to enhance dietetics education. Description: Simulation case studies that aligned with content covered in courses offered by the nursing and nutrition department were integrated into two medical nutrition therapy courses. Students were prepared for simulation case studies by discipline. Nursing and dietetics students met in a nursing lab for the actual experience, assisted by simulation equipment. Dietetic students were required to complete pre-scenario questions with two volunteer students selected to act as the dietitian, while two nursing students acted as nurses. All students made practice decisions based on the patient scenario and debriefed as a group afterwards. Student feedback regarding the simulation case studies was retrieved from senior exit interviews. Results: Based on qualitative data, students valued the full scale simulation case study experience. They felt that these activities provided them with much needed patient interaction skills. Additionally, participating in the experiences allowed some students to identify their own weakness with regard to patient interaction and express the desire for even more interactions within the program. Both nursing and dietetics faculty viewed the experience favorably. Conclusions: The integration of full scale simulations into MNT courses using an interprofessional model was favorable by students. Dietetics programs may be enhanced with controlled, patient interactions by using existing resources and developing new campus partnerships with other health care professions. Future assessments should evaluate the ability of scenarios to meet learner’s objectives. Funding Disclosure: None
March Madness-Style App Reviews: Enhancing Learning through Technology
Healthy Women Building Healthy Families
Author(s): R.L. Tobe, C.M. Hamady, M. Ludy; Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
Author(s): K.W. Craven, J. Jennings; East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Background: With the influx of new mobile applications (apps) and lack of regulation, health professionals often question the safety, quality, and validity of apps. Dietetics students, therefore, must be given opportunities to critically evaluate health-related apps during their education. Game-based learning is a popular educational tool utilized to improve student engagement and motivation. This project’s goal was to provide undergraduate dietetics students with a hands-on activity to evaluate apps for their nutrition features and technical function. Methods: Undergraduate students (n¼189) from seven nutrition classes at a large Midwestern university participated in a March Madness-style bracket activity. Students were assigned an app to critically evaluate in small groups. After brief presentations of strengths and weaknesses to the class, students chose the better of two apps, advancing down the bracket until a winner emerged. Following this activity, a seven-question survey was completed and descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses. Results: Before the activity, 46.9% of students used health-related apps on their smartphones. After this activity, 91.8% could see the benefit of apps for educating the public about nutrition, and 80.4% believed apps would be important for their future occupational success. Conclusions: A March Madness-style bracket can be an effective way to engage dietetics students while creating a visual representation to evaluate their app preferences. This technique challenges students to critically analyze and compare appropriate apps, allowing them to gain experience in understanding the potential of new technology as well as knowing which apps can be recommended to future clients.
More than 66% of our population of eastern North Carolina is classified as overweight/obese. Obesity guidelines recommend structured weight management programs to assist individuals in weight reduction however many with little or no health insurance have no access to registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN). ECU Family Medicine serves many un/under-insured individuals and recognized the need to provide services to overweight/obese patients. Since 2009 the practice provides funds for a weekly weight management class delivered by a RDN. A significant portion of the participants in this program report difficulty making healthy food choices because of budget limitations and lack of food preparation skills. We received a small grant from a local women’s organization to support adding simple, budget minded cooking demonstrations to our existing weight management classes. Participants are weighed weekly and complete a survey noting intent to try the recipe at home and acceptance of the recipe. As of February 2015, 13 classes with 37 participants have been held. Eight classes included food preparation instruction. The total weight loss for the group over this period was 198 pounds with an average loss of 5.4 pounds and one individual losing 37 pounds. Six participants lost more than nine pounds. Greater than 80% of participants each week reported intent to try the recipe at home. Adding a cooking component to weight management program for obese/overweight participants who have limited financial resources appears to support attendance and greater weight loss than earlier periods. The poster will include photos and recipes. Funding Disclosure: Women for Women: local organization of women who are committed to empowerment of women in the Greater Greenville, North Carolina area
Funding Disclosure: We received funding from an innovative teaching grant at Bowling Green State University.
A-66
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
September 2015 Suppl 2—Abstracts Volume 115 Number 9