pulse
College of
Spring 2015
Allied Health & Nursing
Maverick “Modern Family� With a focus on family and societal health, the School of Nursing searched for a partner to help them improve family nursing in practice. They were surprised to find Bureau 507 right next door. Together, they are creating a familynursing database and interface with the potential to reduce overall medical costs and improve patient outcomes. Read more on page 12.
Lead. Partner. Achieve. These are the guiding principles of
pulse
College of
Allied Health & Nursing
the College of Allied Health & Nursing. I am proud to see evidence of these principles in the actions of each and every student, staff and faculty member—from participating in campus service and awareness events to presenting research at international conferences.
Dean’s
In our second issue of pulse, we work to give you a glimpse of the great things happening on campus and beyond. For example, Bruce Poburka’s new diagnostic rating form for speech-language pathology illustrates the way our faculty members serve as leaders in their fields. When Kristi Montandon partnered with Royal Caribbean, her students gained a unique opportunity to learn about commercial recreation from the frontlines. And Pat Sexton’s consistent leadership helps athletic training alumni achieve great things after graduation.
Welcome
Other members of the College of Allied Health & Nursing team can be seen leading community-wide educational events like Heather Von Bank’s Community Day of Play; developing unique partnerships like Amy Hedman as she works with clergy around the state to provide resources aimed at suicide prevention; and achieving international attention like Stacy VonGelderen as she presents innovations in family and societal health at a conference in Denmark. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space to list all of the people who lead, all of the agencies with which we partner, or all that we have achieved even in the past year. Let me just say, the multitude of community service work done by our faculty, staff and students is inspiring. From residential care facilities to prisons to summer camps to national review boards, the depth and breadth of our community service is vast. I am thrilled that our new clinical sciences building will help us continue our tradition of acting as leaders, developing effective partnerships with community, and achieving great things. Please enjoy reading our stories as you keep a finger on the pulse of the College of Allied Health & Nursing.
College of Allied Health & Nursing Dr. Kristine Retherford Dean Departments Dental Hygiene Family Consumer Science Health Science Human Performance Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services Speech, Hearing & Rehabilitation Services School of Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato’s College Allied Health & Nursing is dedicated to promoting wellness and improving quality of life through education, scholarship and service to the state, region and global community. The purpose of pulse is to inform stakeholders of the ongoing work of the College of Allied Health & Nursing and its impact on the allied health and nursing fields. Pulse is published annually by the College of Allied Health & Nursing and distributed to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders in the allied health and nursing industries. The College of Allied Health & Nursing welcomes ideas for feature stories and other content consistent with the mission of the magazine. Please e-mail story ideas to col-allied-hlth-nursing@mnsu.edu.
—Best, Kris Retherford
Table of
Contents:
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COVER STORY
maverick “modern family”
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MORE THAN JUST FUN AND GAMES Students in Heather Von Bank’s Benefits of Play in Child Development course organize a free community-wide play date. They learn firsthand how play affects academic achievement; social and emotional skills; how it improves cognitive development; and how it really is the way children learn.
The School of Nursing challenged Bureau 507 to create a user-friendly interface, which allows student nurses to easily retrieve all the family and social health information collected from Maverick virtual family patients. The final product will be much, much more.
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FOSTERING HOPE Amy Hedman, associate professor of community health education, is familiar with the sobering national statistics on suicide; she is also hopeful. Hedman works to spread hope to others through research and education.
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AHEAD OF THE CURVE More and more employers prefer to hire athletic trainers with master’s degrees. Beginning Summer 2016, the Athletic Training Program at Minnesota State Mankato will be the first program in the state university system to move to the graduate level.
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NON-TALKING HEADS Dental hygiene students in the pre-clinical and restorative functions courses have twenty new, very tolerant patients. Recently purchased dental simulators include interchangeable sets of teeth, a standard exam light, air, water, suction, dental hygiene instruments and a dental operator stool.
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Students, faculty and community partners of the College of Allied Health & Nursing are curious. As such, they regularly can be found challenging each other and engaging in research. Here we provide an overview of two of the many things happening across the College.
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PSYCHS ON BIKES Serving the Mankato Marathon every year since 2011, team members on bikes, on foot and on inline skates provide brief interventions to help runners address mental roadblocks that creep up during the race.
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HE SEES WHAT YOU ARE SAYING Bruce Poburka teaches speech-language pathologists to assess laryngeal problems and help restore vocal function for a wide variety of patients. He recently developed a new rating form in an effort to improve diagnostic consistency.
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CLINICAL SCIENCE, COMMUNITY SERVICE The construction of a new clinical sciences building is underway at Minnesota State Mankato. It will serve as a community portal to campus as individuals access speech, hearing and dental services and area professionals participate in customized training.
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A COMMITMENT TO STUDENT SUCCESS Academic advising, financial support and engagement are critical to student success. The College of Allied Health & Nursing recently added an academic advisor position, improving student access to support, information and services.
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CRUISE CONTROL Recreation, Parks & Leisure Services Assistant Professor Kristi Montandon wanted students to have the opportunity to learn more about commercial recreation. After months of planning, a cruise ship became her classroom.
pulse
Spring 2015 Volume Two
College of Allied Health & Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato 124 Myers Field House Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-389-6315 Managing Editor/Writer Carol Jones Designer Teresa Poburka Photographer Robert Peterson, MVP Print Coordinator Doug Fenske A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the College of Education at 507-3895445 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY). AHNU143NE
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Photos by Heather Von Bank
Heather Von Bank and students lead an annual community-wide play day in a local park. The event uses low-cost, no-cost toys and helps both students and parents better understand the value of free play in childhood learning.
fun & games MORE THAN JUST
A park filled with children and parents playing a giant game of tictac-toe on a bed sheet, painting with toothbrushes and household sponges, chasing bubbles or bowling with twoliter bottles—this sounds like a scene from a Dr. Seuss book. Actually, they are sample activities from the community parent-child play day at Rasmussen Woods in Mankato. Heather Von Bank, associate professor of child development family studies in the Department of Family Consumer Science, and her students offer the event annually. First held in 2009, the event has drawn community-wide support, from the mayor of Mankato to the parks department to the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.
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One of Von Bank’s goals is to help parents and future professionals working with children understand the benefits of unstructured play. Students taking her Benefits of Play in Child Development course organize a community-wide free day of play. The University students are challenged to create no-cost or lowcost activities for children of various ages. They set up play areas with boxes, bottles, cans, paper-towel tubes and other recyclable materials. On the play day, students encourage parents and children to engage in creative play with clean, reusable items. Families also take home a booklet full of nocost and low-cost activity ideas they can do at home.
Organized sports and technology can be wonderful activities. “There is a time and place for everything. It’s a matter of balance,” Von Bank cautioned. “We need to be careful not to simply pacify kids with electronic devices or overschedule them. It is important for children to be comfortable with down time. Boredom increases creativity. “Technology moves at the speed of light,” Von Bank continued. “You don’t have to wait with electronic games; things are immediate. But developing emotional regulation is important. Children need to learn to wait for the leaf to fall and learn to enjoy its journey. "Physical interaction with an object has a demonstrated impact on intellect," Von Bank added. “The really
awesome thing about books is that they have a feel, a smell; you interact with them physically.” Von Bank reminds us that play can happen anywhere. “I think you will find play wherever you find kids,” she said. “When children play with those pots and pans, they are exploring sensory things, they are being little scientists learning about cause and effect, and they are mimicking you and modeling their behavior after what they see you do.” That exploration and those activities are important aspects of child development. Minnesota State Mankato students learn the value of play by seeing it firsthand and participating in the community play day. A survey
of Von Bank’s former students shows that the course helped them develop the language and collect evidence to share with parents about the benefits of play. One former student said, “I never knew how important play was. Now I have the language to talk with parents about its value.” “My students gain an understanding of how play affects academic achievement, social and emotional skills, how it improves cognitive development and how it really is the way children learn,” said Von Bank. n
Heather Von Bank, associate professor of family consumer science, recently co-authored The Power of Playful Learning: The Green Edition, a collection of activities made from household recyclables.
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Fostering hope
Suicide statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are sobering. In 2013, 41,149 suicides were reported, making suicide the country’s 10th leading cause of death. Every 12.8 minutes someone died by suicide. The highest rate was among people ages 45 to 64 years. Men die of suicide at about four times the rate of women. Firearms were the most common method of death by suicide, accounting for more than half.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, surveys suggest that more than a million people engage in intentionally inflicted self-harm in the United States each year. In 2010, the estimated economic cost of suicide death nationally was more than $44 billion annually. Amy Hedman, associate professor of community health education, is familiar with the statistics—but she is also hopeful. “There is hope,” said Hedman, who has struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide in the past herself. “A suicidal incident is most often just temporary. People do recover.” Shame and societal stigma keep the issues of mental illness and suicide hidden. Hedman wants to bring them into the light. “Many people with mental health issues are too ashamed to seek help,” she said. “People who experience suicidal thoughts do not talk about it. If sharing my story helps increase awareness and gets people talking, it is worth it.” Hedman is doing more than sharing her story. She conducts research that helps guide the development of community outreach initiatives in suicide prevention. Recognizing that clergy are often a trusted resource for many people struggling with personal issues, she became interested in exploring the role of clergy and churches in suicide prevention. In 2011, Hedman surveyed multiple denominations of clergy across
Minnesota to identify the role pastoral care plays in combatting depression. A second study of Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran clergy looked more specifically at their awareness of suicide warning signs, their ability to question people about it, the likelihood they would ask questions related to suicide and, if they make referrals, where they send people for further help. Both studies indicated that as a trusted resource for many people, clergy of all denominations could benefit from increased training. Many feel overwhelmed and underprepared to effectively deal with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts of their congregants. Hedman offers help to various faith communities by developing customized presentations and training sessions that cater to the interests and needs of the particular request. “I have done a lot of adult forums—talked to groups about depression and warning signs of suicide,” she said. “My goal is to develop a clergy toolkit full of resource materials such as how to inquire about suicide ideation, how to make a referral, recommendations about providing aftercare for family when a suicide occurs and more.” In addition, Hedman held a focus group with clergy in Minnesota’s Anoka County. She targeted the group because the area had experienced an epidemic of suicides. She queried them about how they foster hope in their congregations. Anoka County
clergy reported fostering hope in many ways: delivering hopeful teachings, having prayer gatherings, connecting one-on-one with individuals, making family visits, building relationships and community involvement, offering support groups, providing care teams to those in need, reaching out to those who appear to have lost hope and providing resources. Hedman’s research continues. “My current study centers on the perceived helpfulness of the national suicide prevention lifeline,” said Hedman. She began collecting data from Minnesota State Mankato students in March 2015. “Suicide is a complex issue,” said Hedman. “When I hear about suicide, my heart breaks. I feel for the surviving family members and loved ones who now must work through the unique challenges of suicide grief. I feel also for those who have died, for the pain they endured and the tragedy that no relief was in sight.” Seemingly tireless, Hedman continues her work. Through her research and community initiatives, she hopes to spread the message of hope. “Finding meaning in the work helps me make sense of the suffering. Helping others is healing for me, and I know the same is true for others,” said Hedman. “And, truthfully, if we can save one life, it is worth it.” n
Associate Professor of Community Health Amy Hedman, right, conducts research aimed at suicide prevention. She met with local clergy member Rev. Scott E. Olson to share tools and strategies he now employs with congregants and community members.
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ahead oF the curve
Pat Sexton ’85 began teaching at Minnesota State Mankato in 1993. He currently serves as professor and director of the Athletic Training Program.
Sexton demonstrated an assessment technique to students in the Athletic Training Program. Beginning Summer 2016, the program will be the first in the state university system to move to a graduate-level degree program.
Established in 1969, Minnesota State Mankato’s Athletic Training Program was one of the first accredited programs in the United States. Since then, it has graduated a long line of top-notch professionals. In fact, approximately onethird of inductees in the Minnesota Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame are Minnesota State Mankato alumni.
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“We work hard to keep our program and our students ahead of the curve,” said Pat Sexton, professor and director of the Athletic Training Program. It has never been an easy program. “I remember being intimidated when I was accepted into the program as an undergraduate student,” said Sexton, who earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Minnesota State Mankato in 1985. “But I liked healthcare, medicine, anatomy, kinesiology and athletics. I knew this was what I wanted to do.” Sexton and his colleague, Theresa Mackey ’96, work to maintain the program’s rigor. “The field is always changing. Healthcare is always changing. Research shows what works and what doesn’t,” said Sexton. “Our students learn to understand
and apply the newest research and evidence-based practice.” The Athletic Training Program prepares clinicians. Studies show that all new graduates are novices and need three to five years to become clinically proficient. “However, like any healthcare professionals, new athletic trainers take on full caseloads and are looked to as the expert right away,” said Sexton. “It is our job to prepare them to meet those expectations.” One of the ways the program prepares students is through their work in the campus clinic. Students in athletic training use state-of-theart equipment to implement cutting edge treatment and rehabilitation for the University’s student athletes. “The experience helps our students learn to think critically and prepares them to
be good clinicians,” said Sexton. “The skills are especially important as we prepare graduates for clinical practice.” Students gain valuable clinical experience from off-campus preceptors at three area high schools, the emergency room, various clinics and a local ambulance service. “The program is a perfect combination of classroom learning, mentorship, exposure to real patients and hands-on application,” said Amy Hamilton ’98, sports medicine program manager at TRIA Orthopaedic Center. “Along with technical skills, the program provided practical tools for me to understand the landscape of the workforce and become a respected and involved professional.” Now, as someone who hires and manages athletic trainers, Hamilton
appreciates the way the program continues to prepare her current and future employees. “Athletic trainers from Minnesota State Mankato have a solid educational foundation, strong mentors and an awareness of the bigger picture of the profession,” she said. Currently an undergraduate program, Minnesota State Mankato is transitioning into a professional master’s degree program in athletic training. The change echoes what is happening in the field; more and more employers prefer to hire athletic trainers with master’s degrees, and Minnesota State Mankato wants to be in alignment with industry expectations. “We will be the first program in the state university system to move to the graduate level. Seventy percent of all athletic trainers practicing in the
U.S. have a master’s degree or higher,” said Sexton. “We want to prepare students to get those jobs.” The first graduate students will be accepted into the program in Summer 2016. Students in the undergraduate program already benefit from the preparations underway for the change. “As we move toward a graduate program, our undergraduate students are learning graduate-level material and have been doing so for years. It is one of the reasons they perform so well in the field,” said Sexton, proudly. “They know what they are doing and how to solve problems. It is not the faculty members but rather our alumni working and performing in the field who maintain the program’s reputation.” n
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Non-Talking
HEADS
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the field of dental hygiene to grow by 33 percent from 2012 to 2022—a rate three times higher than average job growth. Several new heads in the Department of Dental Hygiene at Minnesota State Mankato stand ready to help meet the need.
The new “heads” refer to 20 dental simulators. Each simulator consists of shoulders, neck and head. They can sit up or recline but they don’t actually stand. They do, however, act as a self-contained dental exam station. Each simulator includes interchangeable sets of teeth, a standard exam light, air, water, suction, dental hygiene instruments and a dental operator stool. “The fact that they are self-contained means we do not need plumbing to each unit and hoses running everywhere,” said Lisa Fleck, dental hygiene professor and department chair. “And the operator stools allow students to practice using proper ergonomics.” Fleck explained that the simulators are used primarily in the pre-clinical and restorative functions courses. “In our pre-clinical courses, students learn to use dental instruments. The simu-
lators allow them to gain experience before practicing on real patients,” she said. “They also allow for remedial training and a place to practice instrumentation skills. “We also have a class in restorative functions. The dentist will drill out various areas of decay and the student will place the fillings,” said Fleck. “A dentist then checks the quality of the filling.” Previously, students had to practice restorative functions on a set of teeth clamped to the countertop. The interchangeable teeth provide limitless opportunities to present a range of dental health issues. “We can also get pre-drilled teeth and sets with various levels of build-up,” said Fleck. In addition to the exam simulators, the lab also includes a portable Invision camera. The high-definition equipment allows close-up video transmission
of a dental situation or procedure to individual monitors. “It is much better than 20 students taking turns crowding around a patient,” said Fleck. Faculty also use the camera to record demonstrations to be posted in the online learning portal. “Students can work independently and compare their work to the demo,” Fleck explained. “We do not have to hover over them, and they gain critical thinking and self-assessment skills.” Purchased with funding from a University Big Ideas grant in 2013, the simulators were fully integrated into the program last fall. The dental hygiene clinic in the new clinical sciences building will allow for five additional simulation units, ensuring that Minnesota State Mankato will be ready to meet the increased need for dental hygienists for years to come. n
College of Allied Health & Nursing
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS James Wenkheimer and Cherie Pettitt
Megan Mahowald, Jill Rentmeester Disher, MPS & Gabe Pyan
Standing Intervention at the Workstation to Reduce “Sitting Disease”
Can Literacy Intervention in Speech-Language Intervention Programs Improve Students’ Reading Proficiency Rates in Minneapolis Public Schools?
With increased numbers of sedentary jobs, an emerging health concern is the effect of prolonged sitting on endothelial (arterial lining) cell function. Wenkheimer and Pettitt think intermittent standing may prevent decreased endothelial cell function. They have designed a study to be conducted in cooperation with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, using workstations provided by Ergotron, Inc. The study will assess cell function of the most sedentary group of employees who have greater numbers of worker compensation claims. Results have the potential to help employers invest in workstations that improve the health and wellbeing of employees and reduce worker compensation costs.
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In Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), children without speech/language and reading disabilities achieve reading proficiency at nearly twice the rates of students with speech/ language and reading disabilities. A primary goal of MPS is to improve reading proficiency for all students. A multi-phased research project is currently being conducted between MPS and Minnesota State Mankato. The first phase of the project includes a semester of literacy development instruction to MPS speechlanguage pathologists. Phase two includes a research project to explore if the increased knowledge, beliefs and practices of literacy of speech-language pathologists translate into improved student reading proficiency. pul se | sprin g 2015 1 1
Maverick
“Modern Family” The School of Nursing curriculum at Minnesota State Mankato focuses on family and society.
Research shows that family-focused healthcare reduces overall medical costs while improving patient outcomes. “Sometimes, underlying health issues are missed when a patient is treated in isolation,” explained nursing professor Stacey Van Gelderen. “When nurses are trained to pay attention to the bigger picture, health outcomes improve.” To that end, School of Nursing faculty members created the Maverick 12 C o llege o f A lli e d Hea lt h & N ur s i n g
Family—65 fictional family members with highly developed health and social backstories. Currently, health issues within the Maverick Family are simply stored as Word documents in the nursing simulation lab. However, Van Gelderen and her team knew the family had more to teach. “We have the case studies, we have the instruction, but we need the electronic data collection piece,” said Van Gelderen. “We approached several companies. While agreeing it was a good idea, none had the resources or the expertise to move it forward. We were feeling defeated.”
Enter Bureau 507
Run by Minnesota State Mankato students and mentored by faculty, Bureau 507 (B507) is an on-campus consulting firm that works to solve problems for business and education. When College of Allied Health & Nursing Dean Kris Retherford learned about B507, she suggested that it might be a good fit for the School of Nursing’s idea. The idea presented to B507 was a database with a user-friendly interface that would help student nurses easily retrieve all the family and social health information collected from their virtual patients. “Although other
like a family tree. Oh, and they wanted it to work on an iPad. That is where the project started in July 2014. B507 is now creating a family nursing database and interface from the ground up. Azarbod explained that current electronic health records are insurance- and payroll-based rather than patient-based. “The system was designed to bill rather than treat patients,” he said. “It was created for industry, as a way to communicate with insurance, then later modified to use with patients.” Although widely used, the present system can be The multi-disciplinary team working cumbersome. “Currently, on the Maverick Virtual Family meets there is a disconnect in nursweekly to report progress and gather input. ing practice. Nurses’ elecThe project must be ready to demonstrate at the International Family Nursing Association tronic medical record-keepConference in Denmark in August 2015. ing duties impact work flow,” said Van Gelderen. “We ask Busted! Members of the Maverick Virtual about family health issues, Family project goof off between takes. we click a box, the information is stored but can be difficult to retrieve and use.” Nursing student Emilee companies declined our requests, B507 Kuehl is a part of the team took the project and ran with it,” said that works with B507.“Technology is Van Gelderen. a big part of healthcare,” she said. “But Cyrus Azarbod, computer inforfamily history data is sort of lost now.” mation professor and B507 faculty With input from the B507 team, advisor, said this is exactly the kind of the Maverick Virtual Family project project B507 looks for: a complex probhas moved far beyond a portable eleclem requiring a multidisciplinary team. tronic health record system. It now in“Our team includes students from cludes a unique instruction module— computer information science, technivideo game-like software that helps cal communication, business, nursing, student nurses practice diagnostic and graphic design and others, depending treatment skills on virtual patients in on the project,” he said. the simulation lab; a data collection The School of Nursing envisioned and analysis module—which allows a portable electronic health record continued research about nursing insystem. They wanted an interface that struction and treatment practices; and would display data pictorially, perhaps an electronic medical records mod-
ule—which uses a pictorial interface with easily accessible family and social history information that can be shared with the entire treatment team. Both Van Gelderen and Azarbod are routinely surprised and impressed during their weekly update meetings. “The students are brilliant. They are not bogged down with industry practice,” Van Gelderen said. “Their inexperience allows more creativity.” “It is so fun,” said Kuehl. “Programmers and graphic designers are super customer focused. Everyone goes the extra mile. New ideas are shared and the project is evolving beyond anyone’s initial idea.” Azarbod agreed. “The team is highly motivated and constantly thinking of new ways to solve problems,” he said. With funding from the Glen Taylor Nursing Institute for Family and Society, the School of Nursing and the College of Allied Health & Nursing, the Maverick Virtual Family project is past the halfway mark. Originally, the goal was to deliver a product to be used in classrooms for Fall of 2015. However, an invitation to demonstrate the product at the International Family Nursing Association Conference in Denmark in August 2015 has the group working overtime. “We think it will have broad appeal to the industry, and the conference is a great place to present a prototype,” said Van Gelderen. “The Affordable Care Act promotes family health and interdisciplinary care and provides benefits and incentives to facilities that provide it. This electronic medical record system will provide an effective way for facilities to use the data already collected to improve family health and interdisciplinary care practice.” n
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Psychs on Bikes
In 2011, Minnesota State Mankato sport psychology graduate students became the only sport psychology team in the country to work with runners during a marathon race. The team, led by Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology Cindra Kamphoff, is called “Psychs on Bikes.” The clever moniker describes one way in which the team travels the route to assist runners. “While on bike and on foot, we provide brief interventions to help runners address mental road-
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blocks that creep up during the race,” said Kamphoff. “Our team asks how a runner is doing. If they are struggling, we provide tools and strategies to help keep their mind positively focused.” The Psychs on Bikes team has been present at the Mankato Marathon every year since 2011. In 2014, the race hosted nearly 5,000 runners. Psychs on Bikes is only one of the services of the Center for Sport and Performance Psychology, which Kamphoff established in 2013 with
funding from a University Big Ideas grant. The Center offers individual and group coaching on the concept of performance—from sports to art to business—and works with area industries, high schools, sport associations, colleges and universities. “We help people identify their mental roadblocks, develop strategies to get over them, and perform at their best, no matter what they are doing,” said Kamphoff. n
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He sees what you are saying... Bruce Poburka, professor in the Communication Disorders Program, developed this visual rating form to be used by speech-language pathologists and other healthcare professionals in their assessments of laryngeal functioning. Poburka expects the realistic graphics and instructional notes to help improve rater reliability.
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Faculty and students from Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Speech, Hearing, & Rehabilitation Services study all kinds of communication disorders, from loss of hearing to aphasia to voice disorders. Bruce Poburka, professor of speech-language pathology, specializes in the area of voice. “When people have chronic hoarseness or some disease process that affects the larynx, they can lose function if it gets bad enough,” he said. Poburka teaches speech-language pathologists to assess laryngeal problems and help restore vocal function for a wide variety of patients. Typical diagnostic assessments use an endoscopic video of vibration patterns in vocal folds. They literally watch what happens to your vocal folds when you make sounds. “The vibration rate for a female is around 225 times per second during normal conversation,” said Poburka. “It can be in the area of 900 times a second for a soprano opera singer.” Since such vibrations are too fast to be seen unaided, the examiner uses a stroboscope—a synchronized, flashing light passed through an endoscope—to capture the movement. The flashes of light allow the examiner to observe vocal fold vibration in what appears to be slow motion. The therapist views the vibration pattern and makes a series of judgments that reveal information about how well a patient’s voice is working as well as factors that may be contributing to the problem. The assessment helps the therapist plan a patient’s course of treatment. “They rate the vibration patterns against what is considered to be in the normal range,” said Poburka. Historically, therapists used rating forms that featured something akin to a Likert-type scale to record their ratings. “The old form required therapists to translate their assessment and visual interpretation to a somewhat abstract numeric and narrative scale,” he said. “That can reduce the rating reliability. “At the end of the day, it is still a perceptual rating,” said Poburka. “Even though we are using high-tech equipment to get the images, we are not objectively measuring anything; we are just judging.” Never really satisfied with that original style of assessment tool, Poburka developed and published a graphic rating scale during his second year at Minnesota State Mankato in 1995. “The graphic scale allowed therapists and doctors to record interpretations of endoscopy on a stylized image of a larynx,” he said. “It was an improvement because it
combined a graphic image with the Likert-type scales and got a lot of wide use, even international requests. But, my original form lacked instructional notes and did not extend the use of graphics to certain parameters that do not easily lend themselves to graphic representation.” Currently, Poburka and his colleagues, Diane Bless at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Rita Patel at Indiana University, Bloomington, are working on developing a more sophisticated rating tool. The new form uses realistic graphics for all parameters and instructional notes for rating each one. “The graphics reduce the abstraction of a Likert-type only scale because the rating form looks similar to what is seen on the screen during the assessment,” explained Poburka. “Does the vocal fold move about 40 percent? If so, that corresponds to the 40 percent mark on the rating form. “In addition to allowing examiners to rate vocal behavior visually, we also added things we think will help improve rating consistency between different raters and also from day to day within the same rater,” said Poburka. “For example, for each parameter, we provide a brief definition of what people are rating; these act like quick reminders, which is especially helpful when people don’t do the test often or are beginners. We also added graphics for every parameter. We think that those improvements will make the rating more concrete and solve the main problem that existed—reliability. Finally, because left and right orientation is reversed in laryngeal endoscopy, the form has this reversal built into it, so clinicians don’t have to make that transformation mentally.” Poburka and his team are studying the form’s reliability by testing raters who are using it, comparing their agreement with each other and their reliability within themselves. “More than anything, we are looking to develop a tool that will be reliable,” he said. Data is currently being collected, and findings will be published and presented at an upcoming national American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference. n
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Clinical Science, COMMUNITY SERVICE
The construction of a new clinical sciences building is underway at Minnesota State Mankato. The project’s $25.8 million appropriation was made possible when Governor Dayton signed the Minnesota Jobs Bill into law on May 20, 2014. “We’re grateful to the state legislature and Governor Dayton for passing this bill into law,” said Minnesota State Mankato President Richard Davenport. “These projects will be extremely beneficial in the future not only to the University, but to the greater Mankato area.” Back in 1998, when discussions about the project began, it was originally conceived as a building to physically convene departments that were spread across campus. The purpose has changed dramatically over the years. Plans for the 59,100 square-foot, three-story facility now include a 24-chair dental clinic and simulation lab, plus 12 speech and hearing examination and consultation rooms and labs, a nursing simulation lab, observation areas, 24 offices, five new classrooms and several student interaction and study spaces. But the building is more than bricks and mortar.
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“It is truly a College of Allied Health & Nursing collaborative clinical services building, designed to serve students and the community at large,” said Dean Kris Retherford, College of Allied Health & Nursing. The new building will offer state-of-the-art academic space for the College as well as advanced community service clinics. “The university setting should be a place that demonstrates evidence-based practice as well as the highest level of innovation in service delivery,” said Retherford. “This building is designed to do just that. It will allow our students to develop real-world skills while providing top-level community service.” Many of the academic programs offered through the College of Allied Health & Nursing include theoretical, applied, lab and classroom experiences. Students are trained to work with people at varying levels of health and wellbeing. Having a public clinic on campus will help more effectively prepare students to meet the challenges of a changing society and rapid healthcare advancements. Retherford is especially excited about the cross-discipline opportunities the building will provide. “We made sure to
reserve space for four collaborative consultation rooms,” she said. “So, for example, if a dental hygiene student suspects that dietary issues may be affecting a patient’s dentition, they can call in a dietetics consult. In the new building, there will be space for the dietician to consult with the patient.” Two of the four rooms will be fitted with exam tables and two will have conference tables. All will be wired for technology. The building’s convenient location on Warren Street, north of the Taylor Center, will improve access to these services for thousands of local and regional clients. In addition, Retherford anticipates that customized training for community partners will eventually also be available in the state-ofthe-art simulation lab spaces. “The College of Allied Health & Nursing’s clinical sciences building will serve as a community portal to campus as individuals access the speech, hearing and dental services and area professionals participate in customized training,” said Retherford. “In addition, it will enable us to effectively provide our students with opportunities to develop realworld skills in professions experiencing significant shortages. It is a win-win for students and the community.” n
Photo by Gregg Andersen
Hundreds attended the September 2014 groundbreaking ceremony for the new clinical sciences building. Dean Retherford, center, and department chairs stood ready to break ground with the golden shovels.
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A Commitment to
Academic Advisor Tana Lamm is the newest member of the College of Allied Health & Nursing’s student support team.
STUDENT SUCCESS The College of Allied Health & Nursing offers a variety of support and resources to the approximately 3,000 students it serves each year.
Student success has always been important to the College of Allied Health & Nursing, and its students enjoy a range of support services. Shirley Murray, student-relations coordinator, has long delivered academic counseling and support. The School of Nursing employs an academic advisor specifically assigned to pre-nursing and nursing students. The Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services and the Dietetics Program routinely assign faculty advisors to first-year students. University-wide, new students meet with advisors from First-Year Experience. 20 C o llege o f A lli e d Hea lt h & N ur s i n g
But with seven departments, 44 programs of study and nearly 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Dean Kris Retherford thought that more help was long overdue—which is why the College hired Tana Lamm as a new academic advisor. “We are committed to the success of all students,” said Retherford. “Our major areas of study are technical and rigorous. We have a wonderful faculty that is committed to teaching and engaging students. But we needed more boots on the ground. Our Strategic Priority Action Team recommended the addition of an academic advisor position; we set aside summer reve-
nue to make it happen. Tana’s experience in student relations and career counseling will serve our students and our College well.” Two new student support services have been implemented in the 2014-2015 academic year. “The first change includes the use of access codes for students with 30 credits or less,” said Lamm. “When students in their first or second year attempt to register, it alerts them to meet with an academic advisor.” Students have the option of meeting with an advisor one-on-one or in a group advising session. “In the group session, Shirley and I, along
with a graduate assistant, meet with the students,” said Lamm. “It creates a touchpoint for us. We meet and ask things like, ‘How are classes going? Are you happy with your major area of study?’ We make sure they are aware of resources and review their course list prior to registration. It helps ensure they are on the path that is right for them.” The second new initiative includes the University-wide Scholarship Finder webpage. “This is meant to be a one-stop shop that will help reduce some of the redundant paperwork for students,” said Lamm. “It includes both departmental and
University Foundation scholarships. It is a great resource for students, because sometimes, without scholarships, students must work extra hours, which can negatively affect their academic standing.” In addition to academic advising and financial support, engagement is key to student success. Lamm facilitates an 11-member student advisory committee. The group helps keep the lines of communication open between students and the College as well as between departments. Members help disseminate information about things like program changes, student club activities, special events and commu-
nity service projects—which happen in nearly every program. “Every academic program in the College of Allied Health & Nursing requires some type of experiential learning component,” said Lamm. “The hands-on, applied learning helps students gain practical experience in their respective fields, which employers are always looking for in candidates.” Academic advising, scholarship offerings and providing hands-on learning are just a few of the ways the College of Allied Health & Nursing demonstrates its commitment to student success. n pul se | sprin g 2015 2 1
The Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services offers students three areas of study: therapeutic recreation, resource management and leisure planning management. Assistant Professor Kristi Montandon, also wanted students to have the option of exploring commercial recreation. After months of planning, a cruise ship became her classroom.
Cruise control
Photos by Kristi Montandon
22 C o llege o f A lli e d Hea lt h & N ur s i n g
Kristi Montandon, assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services.
Montandon leads an annual week-long study abroad program called Cruise Culture with cooperation from Royal Caribbean. Although students may have the opportunity to swim with stingrays or ride a zip line through a rainforest, the primary purpose is to learn the inner workings of commercial recreation through the cruise industry. “This is a way for students to get some valuable information about commercial recreation and tourism in the field,” said Montandon. This year, Montandon changed the timing of the cruise from after graduation in May, to March, during spring break. “The date change allows students to begin internships and summer jobs right after classes end,” she said. The 2015 class participants sailed to Coco Cay Bahamas, St. Martin and St. Thomas. On the ship, students toured public and private spaces to learn how the virtual city-on-a-ship functions. Students also heard from each department head—housekeeping to food service to security—about their roles, their goals and their challenges. One recurrent theme is how each department head uses the ship’s roster to customize their activities as well as planning menu items and supplies such as alcohol. Knowing their audience helps manage the bottom line and is critical to providing the goods and services that make passengers’ experiences enjoyable and memorable. The cruise industry’s success depends on its cultural responsiveness to passenger needs and preferences. Staff members speak more than one language (some are fluent in several) and represent many different cultures.
Students also get front row seats to the challenges that the activities staff faces. “They learn how the staff plans activities for thousands of people and keeps them going for the duration of the cruise,” said Montandon. “Sometimes there is opportunity to see how staff adapts to changes in weather and sailing schedule. For example, on a previous cruise, a port was closed due to heavy winds. Thousands of people who would have gone to shore remained on the ship. Within an hour, the activities staff slid a new schedule under our doors, with five times the activities.” On days when the ship stops at a port, Minnesota State Mankato students participate in excursions and learn how the cruise industry impacts local economies. In addition to zip lines and stingrays, students have snorkeled in the ocean, taken river float trips, swum with dolphins and toured islands on ATVs. Customized, highrisk activities are gaining an increasing market share of the commercial recreation industry. Although Minnesota State Mankato doesn’t offer commercial recreation as a major, Montandon’s cruise course gives students a peak into the multi-billion dollar industry. n
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College of Allied Health & Nursing Minnesota State University, Mankato 124 Myers Field House Mankato, MN 56001
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A Reason to Give Robert Fonda, D.D.S., proudly helped build a premiere Dental Hygiene Program at Minnesota State Mankato. When he arrived in 1969, there were no dedicated dental hygiene classrooms, no clinic, not even an office telephone. For 20 years, Fonda served as the program administrator, director and instructor. Forty-five years later, the program continues to grow. Hundreds of highly trained dental hygiene alumni educate and treat thousands of patients annually. In 2017, dental hygiene services will be available in the new state-of-the-art clinical sciences building. In 2014, Dr. Fonda’s family donated funds to establish a scholarship in his name. We invite you to join them and give a gift in his honor. For more information about the Fonda Scholarship, contact Dan Dean at daniel.dean@mnsu.edu.