Evaluating admission criteria effects for under-represented groups

Pre-service teacher preparedness is a measurement of a teacher candidate’s ability to become an effective teacher (Clark, Byrnes, & Sudweeks, 2015). A growing number of Educator Preparation Providers’ (EPPs’) accrediting agencies are insisting that to improve pre-service teacher preparedness, EPPs must increase the rigor of their admission criteria. However, the research is inconclusive regarding whether a relationship exists between admission criteria and pre-service teacher preparedness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Educator Preparation Provider’s (EPP’s) current teacher education program admission criteria and pre-service teacher preparedness measurements to determine if the EPP should increase its admission criteria. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the three independent variables of admission criteria and the dependent variable of teacher preparedness. Results indicate no significant relationship between admission criteria and teacher preparedness. Findings were used to create a recommendation regarding the EPP’s admission criteria to the teacher education program.

Minimal criteria for placement of adults on the liver transplant waiting list: a report of a national conference organized by the American Society of Transplant Physicians and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

In this study, we investigated the currently applied selective admission criteria and tools of the two-year research master’s programs of both the Graduate Schools of Life Sciences and Natural Sciences of Utrecht University (the Netherlands). In addition, we evaluated their transparency to applicants. Both admissions staff members and applicants participated. To determine admission criteria that are important for admission decisions, we ranked 51 admission criteria and, on their basis, combined into six domains: academic background, grades, cognitive ability, research background, personality and personal competencies, motivation factors. To evaluate transparency, we contrasted the perceptions of applicants with the actual importance of admission criteria, as reported by admission staff members. We found that admissions criteria related to personality and personal competencies are less important in admission decisions than criteria related to grades, academic background and motivation. The applicants find the admissions decisions transparent to a moderate degree. This study also revealed that selectors use criteria and tools both with and without predictive value for later graduate performance. Moreover, some of the currently applied admission instruments might be prone to admission biases. We advocate selectors to use admission criteria and tools that are evidence-based, resistant to admission biases, and transparent to the applicants.

Late preterm and term infants comprise 97.3% of annual births in the United States. Admission criteria and the availability of medical interventions in well newborn nurseries are key determinants of these infants remaining within a mother-infant dyad or requiring a NICU admission and resultant separation of the dyad. The objective of this study was to identify national patterns for well newborn nursery care practices. We surveyed a physician representative from each nursery in the Better Outcomes through Research for Newborns Network. We described the admission criteria and clinical management of common newborn morbidities and analyzed associations with nursery demographics. Of 96 eligible nursery representatives, 69 (72%) completed surveys. Among respondents, 59 (86%) used a minimal birth weight criterion for admission to their well newborn nursery. The most commonly used criteria were 2000 g (n = 29, 49%) and 1800 g (n = 19, 32%), with a range between 1750 and 2500 g. All nurseries used a minimal gestational age criterion for admission; the most commonly used criterion was 35 weeks (n = 55, 80%). Eleven percent of sites required transfer to the NICU for phototherapy. Common interventions in the mother's room included dextrose gel (n = 56, 81%), intravenous antibiotics (n = 35, 51%), opiates for neonatal abstinence syndrome (n = 15, 22%), and an incubator for thermoregulation (n = 14, 20%). Wide variation in admission criteria and medical interventions exists in well newborn nurseries. Further studies may help identify evidence-based optimal admission criteria to maximize care within the mother-infant dyad.

A passing score on the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) exam is a metric of a students’ academic success in most Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Laboratory Science (CLS/MLS) programs. It would be ideal if CLS/MLS programs are able to predict a student’s success when an individual applies for admission to a CLS/MLS program. This study aimed to demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between admissions scores at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) School of Health Professions (SHP) and students’ performance on the BOC exam. Using simple linear regression analysis with Pearson correlation, specific criteria that are part of the application and admissions scoring process were used to determine the relationship. The results of the study showed moderate positive correlation with BOC exam performance, and although the admissions criteria at TTUHSC only moderately predict student success, they provide enough information to make an admissions decision on students who would have the best chance of success in the TTUHSC CLS program and the profession.

BackgroundWe evaluated our previously derived admission criteria for agreement with physician decisions and outpatient failure among patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) with pneumonia.MethodsAmong patients presenting to seven Intermountain EDs in the urban region of Utah with pneumonia December 1 2009-December 1 2010, we measured hospital admission rates and outpatient failure, defined as either 7-day secondary hospitalization or death in 30 days for patients initially discharged home from the ED. We measured our admission criteria’s ability to predict hospital admission and its hypothetical rates of admission and outpatient failure with strict adherence to the criteria. We compared our admission criteria to other electronically calculable criteria, CURB-65 and A-DROP.ResultsIn 2,308 patients, admission rate was 57%, 30-day mortality 6.1%, 7-day secondary hospitalization 5.8%, and outpatient failure rate 6.4%. Our admission criteria predicted hospital admission with an AUC of 0.77, compared to 0.73 for CURB-65 ≥ 2 and 0.78 for A-DROP≥ 2. Hypothetical 100% concordance with our admission criteria decreased the hospitalization rate to 52% and reduced the outpatient failure rate to 3.9%, slightly better than A-DROP ≥ 2 (54% and 4.3%) and CURB-65 ≥ 2 (49% and 5.1%).ConclusionsOur admission criteria agreed acceptably with overall observed admission decisions for patients presenting to EDs with pneumonia, but may safely reduce hospital admission rates and increase recognition of patients at risk for outpatient failure compared to CURB-65 ≥ 2 or A-DROP ≥ 2.

The relationship between admissions criteria, the preparation provided by teacher education programmes and student teachers’ (STs) beliefs about inclusive education (IE) are rarely made explicit. The paucity of data regarding this relationship leads us to question whether teacher candidates’ prior beliefs matter relative to admissions criteria or whether it can be assumed that all of the needed competencies and positive beliefs about teaching well will be acquired during the teacher education programme. To investigate these questions, this study focuses on STs enrolled in three teacher education institutions (TEIs): two in Serbia and one in Slovenia. The study indicates that STs’ beliefs about IE relate more to differences in the educational systems and the influences of societies as a whole than to admissions criteria for TEIs. Implications of the study for teacher education and admissions criteria are discussed.

Background: AMI, commonly referred to in general terms as a heart attack, is often caused by reduced or interrupted blood flow to a part of the heart, leading to myocardial necrosis. This is generally the result of a blood clot in the coronary artery that supplies that area of the heart muscle. Methods: An observational study of the type of cross-sectional study. This study targeted the patients of Damascus Hospital. Where the sample was randomly selected, about (200) patients were selected who met specific acceptance criteria, the most important of which is the presence of adequate information in the file, while all patients were excluded according to specific exclusion criteria. - Admission Criteria: Patients admitted to the ambulance or internal department at Al-Mujtahid Hospital, who were treated within the hospital and were not referred to other hospitals. - Exclusion criteria: Patients whose information important for conducting the research was not explicitly documented in the files or who had a lack of basic study information. - Place of study: Damascus Hospital (Al-Mujtahid). - Study time: between 1/12/2023 and 4/15/2023. Results: The most important factors and determinants associated with a higher risk of developing myocardial infarction in a certain age group (under 40 years) than the corresponding ones (over 40 years) according to the conducted statistical analysis: - Under 40 years of age: alcoholism and a family history of death from heart disease. - Over 40 years: BMI, low physical and physical activity, unhealthy diet, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure. Conclusion: Through our study that compared the risk factors for myocardial infarction, we recommend avoiding all risk factors for myocardial infarction, especially before the age of 40 years, as these factors accelerate the risk of myocardial infarction and the risk of life-threatening complications or even death. Therefore, we recommend the following: - Avoid excessive alcohol consumption at a young age because of its current and cumulative effect on the risk of myocardial infarction. - We recommend that all patients under the age of 40 and those with a family history of myocardial infarction visit a cardiologist regularly for examinations and reassurance. - Maintain low-effort exercise on a daily basis, such as walking. And moderate-intensity sports twice a week for all age groups, especially for those under 40 years old. Many of the risk factors for myocardial infarction do not often exist suddenly or without warning, but rather they are cumulative with age, so paying attention to heart and physical health before the age of 40 has the greatest impact in preventing or avoiding the risks of infection in the future.

Background: With the COVID-19 pandemic having a significant negative impact on the health-care systems globally, different models of respiratory intermediate care units were shown to play a vital role in the management of COVID-19 patients, especially those with impaired oxygenation. The present study demonstrates that respiratory intermediate care units were helpful in reducing health-care cost and acting as a backup for intensive care units (ICUs) in Saudi Arabia. Design and Setting: This is a retrospective study that was carried out in King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between June 15, 2020, and August 7, 2020. The study team collected information from patients' records. The data collected comprised patient's demographic information, admission site, admission criteria, and length of hospital stay. Descriptive and comparative analyses were carried out through the SPSS version 26. Results: Eighty-one patients were eligible for inclusion: 67.9% were male, 58% were above 50 years old, and similar proportions were overweight. Chronic kidney disease was the most commonly occurring comorbidity (23.5%), whereas only three patients had hypertension, and a similar number had some form of immunosuppression. In addition, 44.4% of patients were admitted through COVID wards. The mean length of hospital stay was 11 ± 5 days, with 54.3% of patients staying for more than 10 days. About 97.5% of the patients were transferred to the general medical COVID-19 ward, whereas only 2.5% were admitted to ICU. The percentage of high-flow oxygen either high-flow nasal cannula or noninvasive ventilator was 66.2 ± 15.7%. About 27.2% of the patients required oxygenation through a simple standard interface such as a mask or nasal cannula. There was no significant difference among age groups and different body mass index categories in terms of hospitalization course and oxygenation. Females used noninvasive ventilation (P = 0.008) more than males. Conclusion: Females are more prone to higher oxygenation needs compared to males with COVID-19 infections. Respiratory care units can reduce the number of females who need ICU admissions for noninvasive ventilation.

We examined administrative outcomes after opening an oncology acute palliative care unit (APCU), to determine attainment of administrative targets related to the unit's function of acute palliation. We retrospectively reviewed the administrative database for our APCU for the 5 years following its opening in 2003. Data were abstracted on demographic information, as well as source of admission, primary reason for admission, discharge destination, inpatient death rate, and length of stay. Linear regression and the Cochran-Armitage trend test were used for analysis. In keeping with targets set at the unit's opening, our primary hypotheses were that outpatient admissions, admissions for symptom control, and discharges home would increase over the study period; secondary hypotheses were that length of stay and inpatient death rate would decrease. There were 1748 admissions during the study period: the median age was 64, 54% were women, and the most common cancer sites were gastrointestinal (24%), lung (20%), and gynecologic (13%). There were significant changes for all primary endpoints: outpatient admissions increased from 47% to 70% (p < 0.0001), admissions for symptom control increased from 42% to 75% (p < 0.0001), and discharges home increased from 18% to 39% (p < 0.0001). The secondary end points of death rate and length of stay decreased from 65% to 40% (p < 0.0001) and 12 to 11 days (p = 0.54), respectively. Setting and adhering to administrative targets for an APCU is possible with appropriate admission criteria, adequate community resources, and education of patients, families and health professionals regarding the model of care.

In order to increase and diversify the midwifery workforce, admissions criteria for midwifery education programs must not contain unnecessary barriers to entry. Once accepted, students need to successfully complete the program. Many admissions criteria commonly used in midwifery education programs in the United States are not evidence based and could be unnecessary barriers to education. The primary objective of this study was to identify factors known during the admission process that were related to successful completion or failure to complete a midwifery program educating both student nurse-midwives (SNMs) and student midwives (SMs); a secondary objective was to quantify reasons for program noncompletion. This master's-level, distance education program educates a diverse group of both SNMs and SMs. A pilot, retrospective cohort study examined all students matriculating at the program from fall 2012 on and scheduled to graduate by summer 2016 (N = 58). Demographic information, admissions information, academic records, and advising notes were reviewed. Reasons for noncompletion were identified, and characteristics were compared between students who did and did not complete the program. Program completion was not significantly associated with students' status as nurses prior to admission, labor and delivery nursing experience, length of nursing experience, nursing degree held, presence of children at home, working while in school, or undergraduate grade point average. Being a nurse, years of nursing experience, type of nursing degree, or labor and delivery nursing experience were not associated with completion of this midwifery program.

This paper reports the findings of a Canada based multi-institutional study designed to investigate the relationships between admissions criteria, in-program assessments, and performance on licensing exams. The study's objective is to provide valuable insights for improving educational practices across different institutions. Data were gathered from six medical schools: McMaster University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, Queen's University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, and Western University. The dataset includes graduates who undertook the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1 (MCCQE1) between 2015 and 2017. The data were categorized into five distinct sections: demographic information as well as four matrices: admissions, course performance, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), and clerkship performance. Common and unique variables were identified through an extensive consensus-building process. Hierarchical linear regression and a manual stepwise variable selection approach were used for analysis. Analyses were performed on data set encompassing graduates of all six medical schools as well as on individual data sets from each school. For the combined data set the final model estimated 32% of the variance in performance on licensing exams, highlighting variables such as Age at Admission, Sex, Biomedical Knowledge, the first post-clerkship OSCE, and a clerkship theta score. Individual school analysis explained 41-60% of the variance in MCCQE1 outcomes, with comparable variables to the analysis from of the combined data set identified as significant independent variables. Therefore, strongly emphasising the need for variety of high-quality assessment on the educational continuum. This study underscores the importance of sharing data to enable educational insights. This study also had its challenges when it came to the access and aggregation of data. As such we advocate for the establishment of a common framework for multi-institutional educational research, facilitating studies and evaluations across diverse institutions. This study demonstrates the scientific potential of collaborative data analysis in enhancing educational outcomes. It offers a deeper understanding of the factors influencing performance on licensure exams and emphasizes the need for addressing data gaps to advance multi-institutional research for educational improvements.

An energy-based strategy to find admissible thrust networks compatible with foundation settlements in masonry structures

The HESI Admission Assessment and Radiography Exit Examination as Predictors for Student Success

Purpose: Investigate health care providers’ perceptions of referral and admission criteria to brain injury inpatient rehabilitation in two Canadian provinces.Methods: Health care providers (n = 345) from brain injury programs (13 acute care and 16 rehabilitation facilities) participated in a cross-sectional web-based survey. The participants rated the likelihood of patients (traumatic brain injury and cerebral hypoxia) to be referred/admitted to rehabilitation and the influence of 19 additional factors (e.g., tracheostomy). The participants reported the perceived usefulness of referral/admission policies and assessment tools used.Results: Ninety-one percent acute care and 98% rehabilitation participants reported the person with traumatic brain injury would likely or very likely be referred/admitted to rehabilitation compared to respectively 43% and 53% for the patient with hypoxia. Two additional factors significantly decreased the likelihood of referral/admission: older age and the combined presence of minimal learning ability, memory impairment and physical aggression. Some significant inter-provincial variations in the perceived referral/admission procedure were observed. Most participants reported policies were helpful. Similar assessment tools were used in acute care and rehabilitation.Conclusions: Health care providers appear to consider various factors when making decisions regarding referral and admission to rehabilitation. Variations in the perceived likelihood of referral/admission suggest a need for standardized referral/admission practices.Implications for RehabilitationVarious patient characteristics influence clinicians’ decisions when selecting appropriate candidates for inpatient rehabilitation.In this study, acute care clinicians were less likely to refer patients that their rehabilitation counter parts would likely have admitted and a patient with hypoxic brain injury was less likely to be referred or admitted in rehabilitation than a patient with a traumatic brain injury.Such discrepancies suggest that policy-makers, managers and clinicians should work together to develop and implement more standardized referral practices and more specific admission criteria in order to ensure equitable access to brain injury rehabilitation services.