Improving the means and methods of training of young fencers aged 9-11 years

Background and Study Aim. Training of motor actions of young athletes requires consideration the peculiarities of the sensitive period of their development. An important component of the training program is the use of training tools that do not harm the health of young athletes. The purpose of the study is to identify the dynamics of physical training and provide an assessment of technical and tactical techniques of fencers (sword) aged 9-11 years under the influence of the author's program. Material and methods. The study involved young fencers (n = 20; age 9-11 years). The study lasted one academic year. The training was held in the gym of the children's and youth sports school "Wave" (Kharkiv, Ukraine). Athletes were divided into two uniform groups: control group (n = 10) and experimental group (n = 10). Classes were held according to the author's program 4 times a week for 2 hours. A survey of trainers of trainers (n = 12) and experienced fencers (n = 30) was conducted. Parents of children agreed to participate in the study. The following tests were used: “Standing Long Jump Test (Broad Jump), cm”; “4x9 m Shuttle test, sec.”; "Hits into the target, 30 sec. points"; "Simulation exercises of a simple fencing combination, sec.". The program "Microsoft Excel" Data Analysis, SPSS was used. The level of reliability is selected p <0.05. Results. Significant changes in the indicators of the control group were obtained: “Standing Long Jump Test (Broad Jump), cm”, (p <0.05); in the test "4x9 m Shuttle test, sec." (p <0.05); both tests have assessment of technical and tactical techniques (p <0.01). In the experimental group, all tests showed positive changes (p <0.01). In comparison of two groups with each other in the tests "Standing Long Jump Test (Broad Jump), cm", "4x9 m Shuttle test, sec." and " Hits into the target, 30 sec. points" there were positive statistically significant changes (p <0.05). In the test "Simulation exercises of a simple fencing combination, sec." no significant changes occurred (p˃0.05). Conclusions. It is recommended to take into account the effects of exercise on the health of young athletes when designing a fencing training program.

Experience of pharmacy involvement in a disaster simulation exercise within a pediatric hospital emergency department: A pilot project

Disclaimer AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose In this descriptive report, we describe a unique trial of pharmacist participation in a multidisciplinary pediatric emergency department disaster simulation exercise. With the number of disasters increasing worldwide, the role of pharmacists in disaster response is of particular interest to the profession. Summary This observational study describes pharmacist participation in a disaster simulation exercise. An evaluation tool was developed to assess participants’ performance in the following domains: communication, pharmacotherapy, problem solving/decision making, and teamwork/organization. The observers used a rating scale of “concise/prompt,” “needs improvement,” or “not done” to evaluate performance on each objective. The participants’ self-perceived knowledge of disaster response was assessed with pre- and postsimulation surveys using Likert scales. Five simulation exercises were held from June to October 2019, with 2 pharmacists participating in each simulation. Within the problem solving/decision making and communication domains, pharmacists were concise/prompt 66% of the time, while they were concise/prompt for 88.8% and 92.5% of tasks in the teamwork/organization and pharmacotherapy domains, respectively. Surveys of self-perceived knowledge revealed that while only 10% of pharmacists felt “moderately prepared” prior to the simulation exercise, 80% of pharmacists felt moderately prepared to care for patients during a disaster event after the simulation exercise. Conclusion This report describes a unique approach of including emergency department–trained pharmacists in disaster simulation exercises to enhance their professional development, improve team dynamics in a mass casualty scenario, and increase their own reported level of preparedness to effectively manage a surge in critically ill pediatric patients.

Moment tests of independent components

We propose simple specification tests for independent component analysis and structural vector autoregressions with non-Gaussian shocks that check the normality of a single shock and the potential cross-sectional dependence among several of them. Our tests compare the integer (product) moments of the shocks in the sample with their population counterparts. Importantly, we explicitly consider the sampling variability resulting from using shocks computed with consistent parameter estimators. We study the finite sample size of our tests in several simulation exercises and discuss some bootstrap procedures. We also show that our tests have non-negligible power against a variety of empirically plausible alternatives.

Enablers of the successful implementation of simulation exercises: a qualitative study among nurse teachers in undergraduate nursing education

Background Simulation exercises are increasingly being used as a teaching method in the field of undergraduate nursing education. Thus, the present study sought to identify, describe and discuss enablers of the successful implementation of simulation exercises in undergraduate nursing education. Methods This study had a qualitative descriptive design and involved individual interviews conducted between November and December 2018 with six nurse teachers from three different university campuses in Norway. The transcribed interviews were analysed by means of a qualitative thematic analysis. Results The majority of the interviewees wanted to offer more simulation exercises as part of their respective undergraduate nursing education programmes. Moreover, creating a safe environment, facilitating student-centred learning and promoting reflection were all identified by the interviewees as enablers of the successful implementation of simulation exercises. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that nurse teachers consider simulation to be a valuable teaching method for improving students’ learning outcomes. In addition, the findings could guide the future implementation of simulation exercises in undergraduate nursing education. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT 04063319. Protocol ID: 52110 Nursing Students’ Recognition of and Response to Deteriorating Patients.

Using simulation exercises to improve student skills and patient safety

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the delivery of nursing training in higher education and how workforce development programmes are delivered. Using simulated practice is an opportunity for experiential and immersive learning in a safe and supported environment that replaces real life. This article discusses the use of simulation in nurse education to improve patient safety.

Arching from Function to Form—Important Design Elements of Simulation Exercises (SimEx) in Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Management

With Rasmussen’s abstraction hierarchy as starting point, the present article focuses on understanding some of the aspects guiding the development of a simulation exercise (SimEx) from a multi-faceted perspective, based on interviews and post-exercise evaluations conducted with both exercise designers and participants. The results show that, in order to achieve its overarching objective, an exercise must fulfill a wide range of “functions”, which in turn can take various kinds of “forms” or actual representations in the physical world. The paper discusses a number of identified required functions of a SimEx, sometimes labeled as design elements, and furthermore elaborates on differences and specific requirements at form level, e.g., virtual vs. physical exercises.

Impact of Virtual Disaster Collaboration Exercises on Disaster Leadership at Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

This study measured the impact of virtual three-level collaboration (3LC) exercises on participants’ perceived levels of collaboration, learning, and utility (CLU) at hospitals in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Our 3LC exercise is a tabletop training tool used to facilitate disaster education and document CLU. This model enables the practitioner to acquire new knowledge and promotes active learning. An English version of the CLU scale, the validated Swedish survey tool, was applied to 100 healthcare managers or leaders in various positions at both the operational and tactical levels after conducting the 3LC exercises. The response rate was 100%, although not all questions were answered in some cases. The results show that most participants strongly agreed that the exercises focused on collaboration (r2 = 0.767) and that they had acquired new knowledge during the exercises. There was a statistically significant association between participation in the collaboration exercises and perceived learning (r2 = 0.793), as well as between perceived learning and utility (r2 = 0.811). The collaboration exercises enhance the perceived effects of CLU. They also improve the ability of participants to adapt situational strategies to achieve a safer society. Although exercises were conducted virtually, they were well received by the participants and achieved a value M = 4.4 CLU score, which opens up new dimensions in collaboration simulation exercises.

Powered Respirators Are Effective, Sustainable, and Cost-Effective Personal Protective Equipment for SARS-CoV-2

Objectives: The provision of high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) has been a critical challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated an alternative strategy, mass deployment of a powered air-purifying respirator (PeRSo), in a large university hospital.Methods: We performed prospective user feedback via questionnaires sent to healthcare workers (HCWs) issued PeRSos, economic analysis, and evaluated the real-world impact.Results: Where paired responses were available, PeRSo was preferred over droplet precautions for comfort, patient response, overall experience, and subjective feeling of safety. For all responses, more participants reported the overall experience being rated “Very good” more frequently for PeRSo. The primary limitation identified was impairment of hearing. Economic simulation exercises revealed that the adoption of PeRSo within ICU is associated with net cost savings in the majority of scenarios and savings increased progressively with greater ITU occupancy. In evaluation during the second UK wave, over 3,600 respirators were deployed, all requested by staff, which were associated with a low staff absence relative to most comparator hospitals.Conclusions: Health services should consider a widespread implementation of powered reusable respirators as a safe and sustainable solution for the protection of HCWs as SARS-CoV-2 becomes an endemic viral illness.

Teaching and Training Surgeons in Robotic Colorectal Surgery

Robotic surgery is becoming more popular among practicing physicians as a new modality with improved visualization and mobility (1–2). As patients also desire minimally invasive procedures with quicker recoveries, there is a desire for new surgical residents and fellows to pursue robotic techniques in training (3–4). To develop a new colorectal robotics training program, an institution needs a well-formulated plan for the trainees and mentors with realistic expectations. The development of a robotics training program has potential obstacles, including increased initial cost, longer operative times, and overcoming learning curves. We have devised a four-phase training protocol for residents in colorectal surgical fellowship. Each of these phases attempts to create a curricular framework that outlines logical progression and sets expectations for trainees, Program Directors, and residency faculty. Phase zero begins prior to fellowship and is preparatory. Phase one focuses on an introduction to robotics with learning bedside console troubleshooting and simulation exercises. Phase Two prioritizes operative experience and safety while completing steps independently in a progressive fashion. Phase Three polishes the resident prior to graduation for future practice. We recommend frequent evaluation and open-mindedness while establishing a focused robotics program. The end goal is to graduate fellows with an equivalency certificate who can continue to practice colorectal robotic surgery.