Psychology 1000- December 2024
In this psychology course (Psychology 1000/General Psychology), I was able to recognize and learn about certain patterns that dictate our everyday lives. Through this, I recognized my own patterns or habits that fit clinical descriptions. Through this project, I learned how pivotal addressing first responders associated PTSD and , mental health affect their day to day lives. This is especially important to me because I am going into the medical field, where stress comes with the job. Learning how to prioritize my emotional health will inturn benefit my patients and my own personal life throughout my professional career.
Peer-reviewed Article Summary Paper; First Responder Resilience: A cross-sectional Network Analysis: An International Journal
In this article, researchers studied the experiences of first responders and how their occupations affect them through the stress they face. The overall purpose of this study was to observe how mental resilience can mitigate mental health comorbidities. It is without a doubt that first responders face traumatic events throughout their careers. Over 80% of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency dispatchers experience traumatic experiences while on duty (Klimley et al., 2018). Because of this, first responders are more likely to have higher rates of mental health symptomatology compared to the general population (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2018). Previous results from Ponder, Carbajal, et al., 2023, found that 22% of law enforcement officers screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 35% for alcohol and drug issues, and 14% for suicidality. Additionally, when studying firefighters and emergency medical technicians, approximately 59% tested positively for PTSD, 59% had alcohol or substance issues, and 30% were considered at higher risk for suicide. The author then explains other studies, showing the overlap between resilience and post-traumatic growth (PTG) - it was found that they are both processes of how the brain adapts to the situation that occurred (Finstad et al., 2021). It was also found that the mentality towards the situation seemed to be extremely important; in situations where a person had a traumatic experience, their reactions could be constructive or self-deceptive. It was found that constructive thinking and reflecting on their personal belief systems helped establish resilience, which in turn led to post-traumatic growth. In comparison, those who used more self-deceptive techniques were more likely to experience issues such as denial, avoidance, wishful thinking, self-consolidation, or palliation, which did not promote PTG. This further pushed the researchers' desire to understand the resilience of first responders.
The researchers performed the study by first gathering participants. There were 370 participants from various ethnicities and backgrounds. It's important to note that all participants had sought psychological treatment before through a nonprofit organization. Participants were then given an exam called The Response to Stressful Experiences Scale - a 22-question test that assesses how people respond to stressful events in their lives. After considering that data, the researchers wanted to see how different aspects of resilience are connected, which they did using a statistical program called R. They constructed a network to view how different aspects of resilience are related, then identified which aspects were most important by calculating centrality within the network. The researchers used a Bayesian approach - a statistical method that uses prior probability to continuously update new information added to the data - to understand if there were types of resilience that lead to others.
The results uncovered insights into the resilience process as a whole for first responders seeking professional help. The partial correlation network showed strong connections between certain resilience factors such as faith in a higher power or prayer and meditation - these practices also indicated that relying on them yielded a better probability to bounce back quicker from traumatic events, highlighting their personal belief systems in the resilience process. The centrality analysis showed how finding strength in meaning, purpose, and overall life missions were key factors in promoting post-traumatic growth. The predictability analysis allowed the team of researchers to explain the surrounding factors of each resilience option. Overall, the findings in this study showed how they were able to break down the resilience process. This was important to the researchers because it enabled them to identify avenues for intervention and support when first responders may need it.
Works Cited
Ponder, Warren N., et al. "First Responder Resilience: A Cross-Sectional Network Analysis." Traumatology: An International Journal, 2024. ProQuest, https://casper.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/first-responder-resilience-cross-sectional/docview/3031770891/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000510.
Nurs 1100 - December 2025
NURS 1100 Professional Nursing Care in Health Promotion(5L,15LB,10CR)This semester introduces the learner to the concepts of health promotion, safety, clinical judgment, leadership, patient centeredness, and professionalism. Health promotion includes learning about self-health and health in children, adults, older adults, and the family experiencing a normal pregnancy and delivery. Learners will value evidence about healthy lifestyle patterns and risk factors for disease and illness, apply growth and development theory, develop therapeutic relationships, conduct an age appropriate and culturally sensitive health assessment, and promote health using the nursing process and standards of professional nursing. Guided learning experiences in various community settings and facilities are correlated with classroom and laboratory instruction.Prerequisite: Admission into the nursing program and ZOO 2110 (if not taken previously).
Nurs 1200 - August 2025
NURS 1200 Professional Nursing Care of the Patient with Chronic Illness(5L,15LB,10CR)This semester introduces the learner to the patient and family with chronic illness using the concepts of health promotion, safety, clinical judgment, leadership, patient centeredness, and professionalism. Learners will use caring behaviors, therapeutic communication and advocacy when providing care to patients with chronic illness across the lifespan. The learner will identify the roles and values of the members of the interprofessional healthcare team. The patient and family lived experience is emphasized. Guided and/or precepted learning experiences in various community settings and facilities are correlated with classroom and laboratory instruction. Prerequisites: NURS 1100 Concurrently: Concurrent enrollment in PSYC 1000 (if not taken previously).
Nurs 2300 - May 2026
NURS 2300 Professional Nursing Care of the Patient with Acute Illness(5L,15LB,10CR)This semester introduces the learner to the patient and family with acute illness using the concepts of health promotion, safety, clinical judgment, leadership, patient centeredness, and professionalism. Learners will use caring behaviors, therapeutic communication and advocacy when providing care to patients with acute illness across the lifespan, including acute complication of pregnancy and delivery. The learner will facilitate the effectiveness of the interprofessional healthcare team. The patient and family lived experience is emphasized. Guided and/or precepted learning experiences in various community settings and facilities are correlated with classroom and laboratory instruction. Prerequisites: NURS 1200 Concurrently: ENGL 1020/COM2 (if not taken previously)