Terminal Degree Research Articles

Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Wake Forest School of Medicine.

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Geospatial and Temporal Clustering of Folic Acid- Sensitive Congenital Defects in Villa Clara Province, Cuba

Noel Taboada Lugo1*, Manuela Herrera Martínez2, Geni Hernández González3 and Hartley Ledesma Hernández4 Author Affiliations 1Master of Sciences, Medical Doctor, Terminal Professional Degree in Clinical Genetics, Department of Medical Genetics, Principal and Adjunct Professor of Medical Genetics at the Villa Clara Medical University, Cuba 2PhD, Medical Doctor, Terminal Professional Degree in Clinical Genetics, Biomedical Research Unit, Titular Professor of Medical Genetics at the Villa Clara Medical University, Cuba 3Medical Doctor, Terminal Professional Degree in Biostatistics. Health Vigilance Department, Villa Clara Health Provincial Direction, Cuba 4Bachelor’s degree in Technical and Professional Teaching, Health Vigilance Department, Villa Clara Health Provincial Direction, Cuba Received: August 06, 2020 | Published: August 28, 2020 Corresponding author: Noel Taboada Lugo, Master of Sciences, Medical Doctor, Terminal Professional Degree in Clinical Genetics, Department of Medical Genetics, Principal and Adjunct Professor of Medical Genetics at the Villa Clara Medical University, Cuba DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2020.29.004865

Gender differences in NIH grant funding in neurological surgery

Research productivity is a vital component to an academic neurosurgeon’s career. We sought to evaluate gender differences in NIH funding among faculty in neurological surgery departments. NIH funding awarded to PIs of neurological surgery departments from 2014 to 2019 were obtained and analyzed for gender differences in funding trends, with attention to terminal degree and academic rank, as well as publication range in length of years and h-index. 79.4% of all NIH grants were awarded to male PIs, with the remaining 20.5% given to their female counterparts. Mean of the total NIH grants awarded to men was significantly higher at $1,796,684 (± Standard Error of Mean (SEM) $155,849, IQR: $1,759,250) compared to women at $1,151,968 (± SEM $137,914, IQR: $1,388,538) (P = 0.022). Mean NIH funding per grant for men was $365,760 (± SEM: $39,592, IQR: $189,692) and for women was $292,912 (± SEM: 28,239, IQR: $283,177). Differences in mean NIH funding per grant approached but did not reach statistical significance between men and women (P = 0.122). When stratified for academic rank, there was a significant difference in mean NIH funding per grant between men and women on the associate professor level (p < 0.005), with women exceeding men in funding at this academic level, with other academic ranks remaining non-significant. Overall, male neurosurgeons receive significantly more total NIH grant funding than their female counterparts, except at the level of associate professor where women were found to surpass men.

Master's-Level Education in the Governmental Public Health Workforce.

More than 16 000 graduate degrees in public health are awarded annually. Yet only 14% of the governmental public health workforce has formal public health training of any kind, and 8% has a master of public health (MPH) degree. We characterized the differences among governmental staff members with master's degrees across US health departments. We used data from the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, a national survey of state and local public health departments (43 669 responses; response rate, 48%). We examined the characteristics of the workforce by educational attainment and compared respondents who had obtained a "terminal" (ie, highest degree obtained) MPH degree with respondents who had obtained a terminal non-public health (non-PH) master's degree. Respondents who had a non-PH master's degree were as likely as respondents who had an MPH degree to hold a supervisory role (43% vs 41%; P = .67). We found only 1 significant difference between the 2 groups: respondents aged ≤40 with a terminal MPH degree were significantly less likely than respondents aged ≤40 with a non-PH master's degree to earn more than the national average salary (adjusted odds ratio = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.47-0.97; P = .03). We found only marginal differences in career outcomes for people working in governmental public health who had a terminal MPH degree vs a terminal non-PH master's degree. This finding does not necessitate a full reconsideration of the MPH as it relates to governmental public health practice but a greater recognition that there are multiple paths into practice.

Informing the Professional Case Manager's Career Path: Five Lessons.

Professional case management's career path offers countless opportunities to pursue, from attainment of the highest levels of licensure and credentialing to education, and that terminal degree. Defining each point of the journey and individual milestones warrants keen attention to a number of areas. All of these decisions and options evolve in response to the industry landscape, as well as professional and personal development. Five key lessons provide case managers clear starting points to consider the most appropriate career path to travel amid a landscape marked by constant change.

DNP or PhD as a Credential for Nurse Faculty: Choices and Consequences.

With the inception of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as the designated practice doctorate in nursing and ultimate acceptance of the DNP as a terminal degree in nursing by professional nursing organizations, questions have arisen about the implications for faculty appointment in the teaching-learning in nursing. Following a brief discussion of the background of the DNP and recent trends in academic nursing programs, a challenge is presented to nurse faculty and administrators to consider carefully the illuminated critical issues and concerns in planning for the future of teaching-learning in nursing.

Practical and philosophical considerations in choosing the DNP or PhD in nursing

The two terminal degrees in nursing, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), are complementary degrees in moving the discipline of nursing forward. The role of nurses with either doctoral degree is discussed related to the overall stewardship of the nursing profession. Core elements and key differences between the two degrees will be delineated. Factors affecting practical decision-making about either degree will be discussed, including the choice of which degree as well as funding doctoral education. Finally, future directions for the two degrees in the nursing profession will be discussed.

Abstract D043: Éxito!: Building a new pipeline of Latino doctors and cancer researchers

Abstract Introductory sentence with purpose of study: The Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training (Éxito!) program was developed to encourage Latino master’s level students and graduates to pursue a doctoral degree and career in Latino cancer health disparities (CHD) research. Cancer is the leading cause of death among Latinos who represent 18% of the population. However, similar to under-represented groups there is a disproportionate representation at the terminal degree level. Thus, it t is imperative that the next generation of health practitioners and researchers is representative of the diverse U.S. population and that culturally competent solutions are implemented to eliminate cancer related CHD among all ethno-cultural groups especially Latinos. Brief description of pertinent experimental procedures: Twenty-five selected participants are invited to complete an intense five-day Summer Institute (SI). The SI is led by successful Latinx researchers and Latinx role models. For the week, trainees are immersed in intense interactive learning activities, presentations on succeeding in academia/research, on how to obtain funding and tips/tools for applying and overcoming barriers in completing a doctoral degree, specific for Latinx students. Ten, 6-month internships in Latino CHD research are then available for SI alums annually. Evaluation is done through change (“post-pre” SI training) in Social Cognitive Theory based constructs of academic self-efficacy and confidence in overcoming barriers. Alumni are monitored through acceptance and completing doctoral programs. Summary of the new published data: In nine years, 200 individuals have completed SI training and 49 internships have been awarded. SI training has been associated with a significant improvement in academic self-efficacy (p &amp;lt; .001) as well as significant improvement in attendees’ confidence toward obtaining a doctoral degree (p &amp;lt; .001). Internship experiences have improved research skills (p &amp;lt; .001). 23% (n=46) of alumni are enrolled in a doctoral program. Eight have graduated with two more anticipated this summer. Statement of conclusions: Éxito! is an excellent model increasing the pipeline of Latino doctoral graduates and cancer researchers. Despite differences within Latinx cultures, Éxito! proves that with a shared Latinx ethnicity, students encounter very similar obstacles/concerns in continuing their education, in part because of cultural incongruence. Éxito! is framed in cultural congruence. The application of which in academia is a key concern for under-represented ethno-cultural students seeking higher education. The cultural congruence components of the Éxito! model in are generalizable to other under-represented groups as well to model not only demonstrated success in increasing the pipeline of Latinx researchers but other underrepresented biomedical researchers as well. Citation Format: Arely Perez, Daniel C. Hughes, Rena Pasick, Amelie G. Ramirez. Éxito!: Building a new pipeline of Latino doctors and cancer researchers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D043.

Beyond Western Expectations: Filipina Nurse Leaders Anastacia Giron-Tupas and Julita Villaruel Sotejo, 1910-1950

Since the early 20th century, Filipina/o nurses have actively shaped the global nursing profession. The United States justified its acquisition of the Philippines through benevolent modernization of the islands, particularly through the importation of nursing. Attainment of leadership positions mostly became available to Filipina/os after completing postgraduate nursing education, which until 1922, was only available abroad. This article considers American nursing as an instrument for colonization, and describes the requisite travel for nurse leaders to complete the terminal degree in Philippine nursing education. The experiences of Filipina nurse leaders Anastacia Giron-Tupas and Julita Villaruel Sotejo provide insight into the formative years of Philippine nursing at the mid-century, and the power dynamic between Filipina/o and American nurses. Together, their shared experiences add to the broader history of contributions to nursing by nurses beyond the West. The article concludes with implications for nursing today.

Parental Educational Level As A Predictor Towards The Return Rate Of Pre-Primary and Primary Pupils To School Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

The study was carried out to determine the extent parental educational levels predict return rate of pre-primary and primary pupils by parents as soon as the schools resume at the end or close to the end of coronavirus pandemic. The study which was carried in Port Harcourt, Nigeria adopted accidental sampling technique to sample 942 parents out of a population of 476,658 parents. Four research questions guided the study. The major instrument for the study was the Researchers made questionnaire titled “Return of children to school by parents amidst coronavirus pandemic”. The data generated was analyzed using simple percentage. Findings showed that parents whose educational levels were within non-completion of primary school education and Diploma certificates will return their children on the ground that schools can effectively administer hand washing by pupils while those with first degrees to the terminal degrees disagreed with the ability of schools to carry out a hand wash exercise. However, the parents generally agreed that the schools cannot maintain the required social distancing and administer frequent fluid intake to pupils as preventive measures and as a result would not return their children to schools. Based on these findings, the study among other things recommended thus: since some category of parents agree that the schools cannot enforce hand wash by children, NGO’S and public spirited individuals need to enlighten the schools on the need to take the business of hand wash serious; since the schools cannot maintain adequate spacing, the government and her agencies must urge the schools to operate two to three shifts so as to have adequate space and facilities that would enable them maintain the recommended social or physical distancing and that any school that will operate, must have a source of portable water confirmed by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the United States: Reflecting, readjusting, and getting back on track

BackgroundIn 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) called for all nursing schools to phase out master's-level preparation for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and transition to doctor of nursing practice (DNP) preparation only by 2015. Today, five years after the AACN's deadline, nursing has not yet adopted a universal DNP standard for APRN practice entry. PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the factors influencing the ability of nursing schools to implement a universal DNP standard for APRNs. MethodsDeans from top-ranked nursing schools explore the current state of the DNP degree in the US. The authors draw upon their collective experience as national leaders in academic nursing, long-time influencers on this debate, and heads of DNP programs themselves. This insight is combined with a synthesis of the literature and analysis of previously unpublished data from the AACN on trends in nursing doctoral education. FindingsThis paper highlights issues such as the long history of inconsistency (in messaging, curricula, etc.) surrounding the DNP, certification and accreditation challenges, cost barriers, and more. The authors apply COVID-19 as a case study to help place DNP graduates within a real-world context for health system stakeholders whose buy-in is essential for the success of this professional transition. DiscussionThis paper describes the DNP's standing in today's professional environment and advances the conversation on key barriers to its adoption. Insights are shared regarding critical next steps to ensure national acceptance of the DNP as nursing's terminal practice degree.

The Exercise Oncology Twitter Conference: Disseminating Research in the Age of Social Media

ABSTRACT Background: Scientists are using social media to amplify their scientific impact. As such, researchers are looking for novel ways to engage this medium to promote scientific findings and communicate research to a broader audience. Here, we examine the use of a Twitter conference as a means to effectively communicate advances in the field of exercise oncology. Methods: The Exercise Oncology Twitter Conference (ExOncTC) occurred in October 2018. Each presentation consisted of 6 tweets over 15 min. Attendees were able to interact during a presentation via the conference hashtag (#ExOncTC). Registration data were used to characterize presenters and participants while Twitter Analytics/Union Metrics were used to aggregate data to determine engagement and reach. Results: The ExOncTC featured 68 presenters from 13 countries and 48 institutions. Presenters varied in academic background (ranging from undergraduate students [1.5%] to terminal degree holders [46%]) and profession (including researchers [42.5%] and physicians [6%]). Participants, including researchers, physicians, students, patients, and organizations could register via the Web site (n = 231), follow the @ExOncTC Twitter handle (n = 805), and/or search the #ExOncTC hashtag. During the conference, #ExOncTC was tweeted 1,501 times by 483 unique users for 4,943 total engagements (number of times a user interacts with a tweet). Collectively, these tweets reached 453,900 distinct users with potential impressions equaling 1.8 million (number of views possible). Conclusion: Reach of the ExOncTC demonstrates the potential effectiveness of using a Twitter conference as a platform to communicate the field of exercise oncology, suggesting Twitter conferencing should be explored as a tool for scientific dissemination to the broader field of clinical exercise physiology.

Fostering professionalism in doctor of nursing practice students

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is the terminal degree for advanced practice nurses. All documents outlining competencies for doctorally-prepared nurses include professionalism as a requirement. While fostering professionalism in DNP students is expected of faculty, there is little data or guidance that describes specific educational strategies related to this concept. The available literature related to professionalism in healthcare education is not specific to advanced practice nursing. The purpose of this article is to define domains of professionalism for DNP-prepared advanced practice nurses, discuss specific examples of each domain, and propose strategies for including the domain within the DNP curriculum.

Coeficiente para la medición isocuanta de la Eficiencia Terminal en la Escuela de Medicina Justo Sierra

El fenómeno de la eficiencia terminal ha sido objeto de estudio de varias Instituciones de educación superior en México. Muchas de ellas lo consideran un estándar de productividad y evaluación del rendimiento y calidad de los programas académicos universitarios. La Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad Justo Sierra, con el objetivo de identificar el índice de la eficiencia terminal del Programa de Médico Cirujano, realizó un estudio descriptivo de tipo exploratorio en el que se incluyeron 2,447 alumnos matriculados durante treinta y dos generaciones. Lo que sirvió para calcular la frontera isocuanta a través de la construcción de un coeficiente de eficiencia terminal y de titulación. El coeficiente de eficiencia terminal real global fue de .30 (r=0.004), y el coeficiente de eficiencia de titulación global fue de .84 (r=0.95); estos valores buscan una comparación 1:1 es decir una entrada por una salida. Este trabajo permitió identificar la frontera isocuanta en los dos coeficientes con una distancia proporcional a cada generación, lo que arrojó la intensidad del índice de eficiencias terminal y de titulación en la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad Justo Sierra.

Confronting the Limitations of the MFA as Preparation for PhD Study

Today's design research problems are different from the past; they are more complex and call for inter- and multidisciplinary work. Design faculty and doctoral students are hindered in this work by the curricular content and pedagogy of the terminal master's degree. Students graduate from professional MFA design programs often unprepared to pose truly researchable questions, recognize multiple research paradigms and their corresponding standards, structure methodologically rigorous investigations or even author papers longer than a few pages. These shortfalls persist in the scholarly pursuits of many design faculty and extend to the institutional adoption of alternate evaluation criteria from the research thresholds in other fields. Strengthening of the quality in doctoral research and supervision, therefore, depends to some extent on rethinking master's study in design.

Prosthesis satisfaction in a national sample of Veterans with upper limb amputation.

Many persons with upper limb amputation reject prostheses, and many are not satisfied with their devices. Research is needed to understand modifiable factors related to device satisfaction. Myoelectric devices with multiple degrees of freedom are now available; however, no studies have examined whether they lead to greater device satisfaction. Prosthetic training contributes to more skillful prosthesis use and greater likelihood of long-term use; however, the relationship between training and device satisfaction is unclear. (1) To describe and compare satisfaction by prosthesis and terminal device type and (2) to identify factors associated with satisfaction. Cross-sectional study. Participants were 449 persons with unilateral upper limb amputation who used a prosthesis. Participants described their prostheses, prosthetic training, device repairs, visits to a prosthetist, and rated device satisfaction using two standardized measures (Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales Satisfaction scale and Orthotics and Prosthetics Users' Survey - Client Satisfaction with Devices scale). Multivariate generalized linear regression models examined the relationship between prosthesis and terminal device type and satisfaction, controlling for covariates that were meaningful in bivariate analyses. There were no differences in satisfaction by prosthesis type or terminal device degrees of freedom. Satisfaction was associated with receipt of training to use the initial prosthesis, amputation level, age, and race. No differences in satisfaction by device or terminal device type were observed. Worse satisfaction was associated with more proximal amputation level, younger age, and black race. The association between receipt of initial prosthetic training and device satisfaction points to the critical role of occupational or physical therapy in the early stages of prosthetic care. Prosthetic satisfaction did not vary by device or terminal device degrees of freedom. Proximal amputation level, younger age, and black race were associated with lower prosthetic satisfaction. Receipt of initial prosthetic training was associated with greater device satisfaction, pointing to the critical role and lasting impact of early training.

A Contemporary Portrait of Black Women Student Affairs Administrators in the United States

Although Black women are the most represented minoritized group among U.S. higher education administrators, they continue to lag behind White women and men in terms of leadership in the student affairs profession, which may be exacerbated by their relative underrepresentation in graduate programs in education. Further, beyond generalized narratives about the aggregated experiences of Black women in higher education, little is actually known about the status and ambitions of contemporary Black women in student affairs. A secondary analysis of archival data extrapolated from a program evaluation survey provided preliminary insight into the educational and professional characteristics and aspirations of 401 Black women student affairs administrators who participated in the African American Women’s Summit. Findings revealed that the majority of participants had earned master’s degrees, were employed as assistant deans/directors, and were earning between $30,000–$49,999 annually. The most represented student affairs functional areas among participants were Housing and Residential Life Programs, followed by Multicultural Student Programs and Services. Most participants were employed at large, public, 4-year, predominantly White institutions. Further, despite hesitations about enrolling in doctoral programs and persisting in the profession, many participants still aspired to terminal degree completion and senior-level leadership. The data were interpreted in relation to existing research about the career pathways of chief student affairs officers and suggest that more specific strategies are needed to facilitate the promotion of Black women into student affairs leadership positions. While the findings of this study focused on a specific group of Black women student affairs administrators and thus should be applied cautiously, the portrait offered contributes to the scant body of literature about Black women employed in student affairs and suggests interim strategies that may be used to ameliorate their underrepresentation in the field.

Coauthor Network Analysis of Journal of Agricultural Education Articles from 2008-2017

The social capital of collaboration is a critical part of the research process. While AAAE supports collaboration and inclusivity, analysis has not occurred for what collaborations are occurring. This study addressed collaboration between researchers via a social network analysis of coauthorship in the Journal of Agricultural Education from 2008 to 2017. There were 587 articles published in that time frame with 593 unique authors. The number of articles published annually and number of authors per article increased during the 10-year period. The majority of authors only published one article in the time frame analyzed. After excluding authors who never collaborated on an article, a social network of 582 coauthors was analyzed. There was a general tendency for the most prolific authors to also be the most connected, though there were some outliers. Of note, the majority of the most connected authors received their terminal degrees from one of three institutions. The majority of the most prolific coauthor pairs were advisor-advisee pairings, and the remainder were individuals who had worked at the same institution during much of the study’s time frame. A prolific coauthor pairing was not necessarily indicative of a connection that was important for bridging authors across the network.

MacArthur Fellows, 1981-2018: Gender, Race and Educational Attainment

This study examines the backgrounds of the winners of the MacArthur Fellowship grants from 1981 to 2018, from the conceptual framework of the term “genius”. The study finds that of the 1014 Fellows, Whites account for over eight out of every ten; minorities account for almost 20%; men account for almost 63%; White men account for 51.3%; Blacks account for 12.5%; Asians account for 5.9%; and Native Americans account for 1.2 percent. Of 965 terminal or highest degrees earned by 928 Fellows, 540 (56%) are doctorates, with the Ph.D. accounting for 514 (53.3%). White men earned the majority of all degrees (50.8%). Harvard University awarded the highest number of degrees, 119: Yale University, 61; University of California, Berkeley, 51; Columbia University, 44; and Princeton University, 41. All eight Ivy league institutions awarded 306 (31.7%) degrees to 300 (32.3%) Fellows. The 2020 U.S. News and World Report Top 25 institutions combined awarded 522 degrees (54.1%) to 514 Fellows (55.5%). There is a link among earned doctoral degrees, foreign-born males, and the overall gender gap in the study.