Browsing by Author "Palmer, Megan"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Conducting Effective Faculty Annual Reviews: A Workshop for Academic Leaders
    (AAMC, 2015-11) Lees, N. Douglas; Palmer, Megan; Dankoski, Mary; Family Medicine, School of Medicine
    Most if not all medical schools require annual performance reviews to be conducted on all or a subset of the faculty. Despite this being a common and recurring job expectation for academic leaders such as department chairs and division directors, such leaders are often poorly prepared to conduct effective reviews. Some of the difficulties stem from lack of training, avoidance of confrontation, lack of role modeling, and the time-consuming and high-stakes nature of the process itself. In addition, administrators report challenges related to insufficient methods for assessing teaching and research, variability in evaluation processes and criteria, and a disconnect between evaluation and salary. Thus, for some academic administrators, the faculty annual review can be perceived as a burden. This 2.5-hour workshop provides academic leaders an opportunity to engage with others about faculty annual reviews so they can have more confidence and resources when engaging in the evaluation process. This resource includes materials related to a leadership development workshop on this topic. The workshop is designed for academic leaders with responsibility for monitoring and assessing the performance of faculty, such as department chairs and division directors. The overall goals of the workshop are to improve the preparation of academic leaders in conducting reviews that provide constructive feedback to faculty members regarding their overall performance and to increase academic leaders’ awareness of and capacity in the use of annual reviews as a means toward increased faculty vitality. Although few attendees submitted formal program evaluations, the workshop was well received when offered at our institution. Six evaluations were submitted from the 18 institutional leaders who attended the workshop. Though few in number, the comments received on the program evaluation indicate a positive response and that our objectives were met. All attendees noted that they were able to identify something they planned to act upon.
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    Design and implementation of a basic and global point of care ultrasound (POCUS) certification curriculum for emergency medicine faculty
    (Springer, 2022-02-19) Russell, Frances M.; Kennedy, Sarah K.; Rood, Loren K.; Nti, Benjamin; Herbert, Audrey; Rutz, Matt A.; Palmer, Megan; Ferre, Robinson M.; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) use in the emergency department is associated with improved patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. When used for procedural guidance, it has been shown to increase first pass success and decrease complications. As of 2012, ultrasound has been identified as a core skill required for graduating emergency medicine (EM) residents. Despite this, only a minority of EM faculty who trained prior to 2008 are credentialed in POCUS. Half of all EM training programs in the United States have less than 50% of their faculty credentialed to perform and teach POCUS to learners. As the use of POCUS continues to grow in medicine, it is especially important to have a pathway for faculty to attain competence and become credentialed in POCUS. The goal of this paper was to outline an implementation process of a curriculum designed to credential EM faculty in POCUS.
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    Experience introducing physician assistant students into a medical student emergency medicine clerkship
    (Elsevier, 2019-03) Turner, Joseph; Corson-Knowles, Daniel; Besinger, Bart; Rebman, Rebecca; Hobgood, Cherri; Palmer, Megan; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Physician assistants continue to play an increasingly important role in our healthcare system, including a growing role in the emergency department. Introducing physician assistant students into an existing emergency department learning environment makes efficient use of resources and provides an opportunity for interprofessional education, but the success of such a strategy and the resultant impact on medical student education have not been previously described. The goals of our study were to determine the impact of the introduction of physician assistant students into a learning environment that already serves medical students and residents, and to assess the readiness of physician assistant students to participate in an established medical student emergency medicine clerkship. Methods A survey was completed by emergency medicine faculty and residents shortly after the introduction of physician assistant students into an emergency department learning environment. The survey contained 18 questions in two sections: 11 questions asking about the effect of physician assistant students on the emergency department learning environment and 7 questions comparing the skills of physician assistant students with medical students. Data from medical student evaluations of the clerkship were also collected. Results and Discussion: Forty-six physician preceptors (43%) responded to the survey. The majority of preceptors felt that the presence of physician assistant students offered valuable interprofessional education and overall was a positive experience, though some expressed concerns about the effect on the education of other learners. Most preceptors felt that physician assistant students had comparable skills with medical students, though some concerns were expressed regarding knowledge base and variability of skill level. Medical student evaluations of the clerkship were similar before and after the introduction of physician assistant students. These results, however, must be viewed with caution as we were able replace a medical student with a physician assistant student, keeping the total number of students at the study sites constant, which some institutions may not be able to do. Conclusions The impact of introducing physician assistant students to a medical student emergency medicine clerkship is viewed as being positive overall, though more research is needed to understand and optimize the learning involvement for all learners.
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    Metacognition in Anatomical Sciences Education
    (2023-06) Cale, Andrew Stephen; McNulty, Margaret A.; Byram, Jessica N.; Hoffman, Leslie A.; Longtin, Krista; Palmer, Megan; Williams, James C.
    Metacognition, the ability to self-regulate one’s learning and performance, is well-known to provide numerous academic and professional benefits for students, educators, and clinicians. However, few studies have studied metacognition specifically in the context of anatomical sciences education. Therefore, the overarching purpose of this dissertation was to explore the metacognition of students and educators who are learning and teaching the anatomical sciences. This dissertation investigated the metacognition of allied health students (physical therapy, physician assistant, and occupational therapy; n=109), first-year medical students (n=1802), and anatomy educators (faculty, associate instructors, and teaching assistants; n=13) in anatomy courses through three multiple-methods studies. Quantitative data were collected using assessment data and either the Metacognition Awareness Inventory (MAI), Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI) assignments, or Teacher Metacognition Inventory (TMI). These data were then analyzed using the appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were also collected through reflective writing activities (e.g., online discussion boards or reflective journals) and analyzed using thematic or framework analysis. Overall, both students and educators improved their metacognition across a semester of either learning or teaching anatomy, with certain subgroups demonstrating greater metacognitive ability or growth than others. Higher performing allied health and medical students were both more accurate at predicting their exam performances compared to their lower performing peers. Faculty also demonstrated the greatest teaching-specific metacognition, though teaching assistants exhibited the greatest growth in their teaching-specific metacognition. These improvements were primarily in their reflective ability and awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses as teachers. Several notable themes relating to metacognition were also identified such as student willingness to monitor learning diminishing over time due to competing academic or professional commitments. Additionally, novice educators were more inwardly-focused on personal traits and content mastery, whereas experienced educators were more outwardly-focused on interpersonal factors (e.g., student rapport and inclusive language). These insights into the metacognition of both students and educators can inform how to best support and improve teaching and learning in the anatomical sciences. Given the significance of metacognition, it may be beneficial to incorporate educational activities that can support the metacognition of both students and educators, simultaneously.
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    “Showing up to the conversation”: Qualitative reflections from a diversity, equity, and inclusion book club with emergency medicine leadership
    (Wiley, 2025) Alexander, Andreia B.; Palmer, Megan; Palmer, Dajanae; Pettit, Katie; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in health care fosters many positive outcomes including improved patient care. DEI initiatives are often created by or require buy-in from departmental leaders with low DEI literacy. Book clubs are one way to develop DEI literacy. The purpose of this paper is to describe how leaders in the department of emergency medicine (DEM) process the information gained from reading a DEI book through discussion in a book club setting and explore how participation enhances their DEI literacy and fosters self-reflection. Methods: This was a qualitative exploratory study based on a constructivist approach. Data were analyzed by four researchers using inductive thematic analysis techniques. Results: Sixty-eight leaders within the DEM participated in 11 book clubs. Nine themes were identified (examination of privilege, initial reaction to discussion about racism, discomfort, worry, self-reflection, release, role recognition, readiness, and education). After prompted examination of their own privilege participants moved through a model of perceived readiness to act. Participants started with feeling paralyzed by the work's enormity or becoming defensive. They then moved toward discomfort with discussions of racism and systemic racism and progressed to discussions around worrying that they were contributing to noninclusive environments. After a period of self-reflection, participants tended to release their paralysis, push aside their defensiveness, accept the role of discomfort, and express the importance of education on these issues. Participants then recognized their role in creating inclusive environments and started discussing what they can do about it, which, for many, was to show up to the conversation. An underlying driver of movement through this model was the education that was provided through the book. Conclusions: By addressing privilege and systemic inequities through the reflective practice and dialogue of a book club, participants demonstrated a growing commitment and perceived readiness to advancing inclusive practices within medicine.
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    What Makes a Leader: Examining How Search Committees Conceptualize, Measure, and Evaluate Leadership
    (2020-12) Wilson, Shawn M.; Palmer, Megan; Hundley, Stephen; Flowers, Natasha; Scribner, Samantha
    The purpose of this research was to investigate the social and cultural constructions of leadership and how search committee members evaluate candidates for leadership positions. Moreover, how they conceptualize, measure, and evaluate leadership potential of candidates. To explore this issue, the following research questioned were answered: How do members of an executive search committee construct their views of leadership?; In what ways do the individual, social, and cultural constructions of leadership held by search committee members influence behaviors and outcomes of a search committee? In this study, I investigated how members of a search committee constructed their views of leadership and in turn how this influenced the search process for an executive leader. In order to explore this issue, this study is approached through the constructivism paradigm and informed by critical inquiry, using case study methodology. I followed one executive search process from the charge meeting until the committee made its recommendation to the hiring authority. The unit analyzed in this search employed a leadership competency model and tools which mapped to this model, in an effort to mitigate the influence of bias. I used semi-structured interviews with committee members to understand their views on leadership. I supplemented interviews with observations and document analysis as means of collecting data for the study. Three findings emerged through data analysis: the role of background and identity on views of leadership, the influence of personal and societal constructions of leadership on individual behaviors and search outcomes, and the application or utility of using a leadership competency model. Through my findings, I demonstrated how individual’s background and identity shaped their perceptions of what it meant to be a leader. Additionally, how they rated and talked about candidates matched their individual views about leadership rather than the leadership competency model they were asked to use. More specifically, analysis illuminated that minoritized search committee members had drastically different beliefs about leadership and experiences serving on the search committee. I concluded the study by outlining implications for policy, future practice, and future research, including offering a conceptual framework and tools for an equity-minded search process.
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    Workplace Violence in a Large Urban Emergency Department
    (American Medical Association, 2024-11-04) Doehring, Marla C.; Palmer, Megan; Satorius, Ashley; Vaughn, Tabitha; Mulat, Bruck; Beckman, Andrew; Reed, Kyra; Spech dos Santos, Theresa; Hunter, Benton R.; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Importance: Workplace violence (WPV) against health care workers (HCWs) is common and likely underreported. Reliable data on the incidence of WPV and its impact on victims are lacking. Objective: To prospectively define the frequency of WPV against HCWs in the emergency department (ED), examine whether HCW demographics are associated with increased risk, and explore the impact of these events on HCWs. Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 months in 2023 (August 28 to October 22, 2023) in the ED of a large, urban, academic safety net hospital in the US. Participants included ED physicians, nurses, and other HCWs, who were asked to complete a brief so-called shift sheet for every ED shift worked during the study period. Exposure: WPV as recorded on shift sheets. Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was the number of events per shift. Events were coded for severity (types 1-5) and gender- or race and ethnicity-related bias. Shift sheets asked for the participant's demographics and whether they experienced verbal or physical abuse during the shift. If so, they were asked to provide a description; rate the impact the event had on them; and indicate whether they felt the event was sexist, racist, or otherwise biased. Perceived impact was recorded, and demographic characteristics associated with the likelihood of experiencing WPV were explored using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: Among 72 HCWs who participated in the study, 52 were female (72%). A total of 575 shift sheets were returned of an estimated 1250 possible (46%), with 155 events, including 77 type 1 events (50%; shouting, yelling, or insults), 29 type 2 events (19%; threats of physical or sexual violence, death threats, or use of slurs), and 39 type 3 events (25%; physical violence); there was a mean (SD) of 3.7 (1.9) shifts per 1 event. No type 4 or 5 events, which involve physical violence causing grievous injuries requiring medical attention and, in the case of type 5 events, permanent disability or death, were recorded. Ten events could not be coded. Sexist or racist bias occurred in 38 events (25%) and 11 events (7%), respectively. Participants reported how the event impacted them in 133 events. Of those, moderate or severe impact was reported in 32 (24%) and mild to no effect in 101 (76%). There was no association between self-reported impact and coded severity of events. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, a higher likelihood of experiencing WPV on any given shift was independently associated with being in the nursing role (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9-5.0) and being age 40 years or younger (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.5). Conclusions and relevance: In this cross-sectional study of HCWs in the ED, participants experienced WPV once every 3.7 shifts. The nursing role and younger age were associated with increased risk. These results highlight an urgent need to identify interventions to support and protect HCWs.