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Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Clinical Teachers, Patricia Frontczak

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify ADN faculty and ADN student perceptions of the most effective clinical teaching characteristics (ECTC). An exploratory, descriptive design was implemented. ADN faculty and ADN students were surveyed using the Clinical Teacher Characteristics Instrument (CTCI). The CTCI consists of 20 characteristics of clinical teachers that are ranked on a five point Likert-type scale according to importance. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Significant differences in perceptions of the most ECTC between the two groups were identified by a Mann Whitney U procedure. A t-test was performed to identify differences of perceptions …

A Study Of Nursing Students And Intrinsic Spirituality, Christine Anderson Madsen

Master's Projects

This paper describes some theoretical perspectives of spirituality, the concepts of spiritual care and spiritual needs, and barriers to providing spiritual care as described in the literature. The two most frequently described barriers are lack of comfort with the topic and lack of education. Because there is so little written about the discussion of spirituality in schools of nursing, a descriptive study using nursing students on the central coast of California was conducted. The Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS) was used to measure intrinsic spirituality. This study looked for relationships between the scores on this scale, and the students' …

An Unheard Voice: Spirituality In Health Care, Benjamin Hardy Crenshaw

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

A Certain Essence Of The Sun: Byron Herbert Reece And The Southern Poetry Tradition, Alan Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study of Byron Herbert Reece (1917-1958) seeks to provide a broad look at his life, his work, his reputation,and his contributions to poetry. The record of his life is largely contained in a biography. The Mountain Singer, byRaymond Cook and in several published remembrances. These Remembrances often conform to a common assumption, promoted by Atlanta newspapers and others, that Reece was a mountain man poet. The accuracy of that image is challenged in this book and shown to be more an attempt to simplify Reese's Character than to explore his complex nature or examine his unique poetic vision. Little …

Holistic Obstetrical Problem Evaluation (Hope) : Testing A Midwifery Theory To Predict Maternal And Perinatal Health Outcomes, Darlene Elizabeth Jesse

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to test the Holistic Obstetrical ProblemEvaluation (HOPE) theory, derived from Watson's Theory of Care (1979), by examining the relationship of socio-demographic factors, biophysical, psychosocial, spiritual and perceptual components to birth weight, gestational age, APGAR score and unplanned cesarean birth. A prospective correlational research design was used. A convenience sample of 120 pregnant women, between ages 14-44 and 16-28 weeks gestation from three prenatal sites was interviewed using; (1) Socio-demographic factors; (2) thePrenatal Psychosocial Profile tPPPl: (3) the Abuse Assessment Screen (AASV (4) theSpiritual Perspectives Scale (SPS); and (5) perception of pregnancy questions.Biophysical data …

Resource Use And Foraging Activity Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats, Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana (Molossidae), Ya-Fu Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

Foraging patterns and the food habits of insectivorous bats may evolve in response to a variety of intrinsic (e.g., energetic demands, nutrient requirements, and morphological or physiological constraints in acquiring and consuming food) and extrinsic factors (e.g., the distribution and abundance of insect prey, and interactions with other organisms). This study investigates the foraging behavior and ecology of Mexican free-tailed bats, Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana (Saussure, 1860) (Molossidae) residing in large colonies, with emphases on their dietary breadth and variation, their foraging activity, and their resource use patterns.

Food habits and dietary variation of insectivorous Mexican free-tailed bats were investigated at …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of The Spouse Of A Heart Transplant Recipient, Alice Hill Mccurry

Doctoral Dissertations

Heart transplantation is an increasingly common treatment for end-stage heart disease and often involves extended periods of waiting for the transplant, recovering from the surgery, and life changes related to compliance with subsequent perennial medical follow-up and treatment. Current research readily documents increasing success in cardiac transplantation and in the long-term quality of life of recipients.Relatively few studies, however, have explored the impact of this critical life event on the spouse and/or children of the transplant recipient.The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience of spouses of heart transplant recipients. The study used a phenomenological design …

Accountability In Public Agency Contracting : The Case Of Child Protective Services In East Tennessee, Christine G. Ludowise

Doctoral Dissertations

In the United States, units of local, state, and federal governments have contracted out for goods and services for decades. However, in recent years there has been a growth in the provision of social services by private, not-for-profit vendors. The development of privatized public services has led to questions about the nature of accountability in public-private partnerships.

Contracting out is often government's solution to political and social pressures to cut costs and to improve services and efficiency. Not many would argue that government should buy goods and services for cheaper than it can produce them. Contracts between government and service …

Living As Subject : The Stories Of Five Women With Disabilities, Lois M. Symington

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of the processes by which a select group of women with disabilities have reached a position of subjectivity. Subjectivity is defined as a process of becoming—a process in which women placed on the margin of society define themselves and use power and agency to effect personal change as well as change in others. Women with disabilities are oppressed, perceived and portrayed as roleless, and considered objects of pity and sympathy.

The five women participating in this study have developed critical consciousness about their status in our society, and in …

Stress Experienced By Respite Care Workers And Family Caregivers When Caring For Alzheimer's Patients, Monica D. Minewiser

Theses & Dissertations

Changing demographics and cost containment in health care in caring for the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patient has given birth to a growing need for respite care workers. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the stress level of a respite care worker who works with an AD patient in a noninstitutionalized setting on a daily basis will be significantly less than that of a family caregiver when caring for an AD patient. The Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) was the instrument used to measure stress. This is a questionnaire consisting of 24 questions and allows 5 …

Ruminant Respiratory Syncytial Virus Subgroup Distinction Using Synthetic Peptides From The Extracellular Central Region Of The Attachment Protein-G, Steven Timothy Grubbs

Doctoral Dissertations

Subgroup specific, peptide-based, enzyme immunoassays were developed from the unique extracellular, central region (residues 158-189) located between two mucin-like regions of the attachment protein-G from ovine and bovine respiratory syncytial viruses. Antigenic peptides [ovine (residues 173-189) and bovine (residues 171-187)] used to develop the enzyme immunoassays were identified by a combination of algorithms and epitope mapping from each G-glycoprotein. The negative threshold for each enzyme immunoassay was established as the mean optical density of indirect immunofluorescent antibody-negative bovine sera plus three standard deviations. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of each enzyme immunoassay was determined by comparison with …

The Relationship Of Parents'/Guardians' Self-Management To Their Children's Self-Management, Academic Performance, And Health, Nan Mccammon Gaylord

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined parents'/guardians' self-management and its relationship to their children's self-management, academic performance, and health. It also examined the relationship between these children's self-management and their own health and academic performance. The sample consisted of 94 seventh grade student and parent/guardian pairs from an inner city school in the southeast. A parental consent form, student assent form, consent form for the release of academic records, the Lifestyle Approaches Inventory (Williams, Moore, Pettibone, & Thomas, 1992) and the Lifestyle Approaches Inventory- Revised were sent home with every seventh grade student in the school. Participation was encouraged by offering incentives to …

The Ecology And Management Of Black Bears In The Tensas River Basin Of Louisiana, Keith Marshall Weaver

Doctoral Dissertations

The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus)once was common throughout east Texas, Louisiana, and southern Mississippi. By the mid-1980's, extensive habitat destruction reduced its range by >80%, and long-term survival of the subspecies is now uncertain,was the pioneer investigation of the population status andResults were used by the U.S.This study ecology of D. a. luteolus.Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to address a petition to list the subspecies as federally endangered, and provided the basis for management recommendations intended to promote population recovery. Investigations were conducted from 1988-1991 in the Tensas River Basin of northeasternLouisiana, 1 of only 2 …

Stress At A Juvenile Detention Center: Identifying Stressors And Examining The Coping Process, Matthew J. Schmid

Masters Theses

In the examination of the literature dealing with stress as it relates to corrections, normally "juvenile corrections workers are not considered, due to the dearth of stress-related research" (Huckabbe, 1992, p. 479). This thesis is a qualitative project designed to analyze detention workers' views on stress. I was interested in finding out the following two things: (1) the workers' identification of the major stressors in their job, and (2) the ways the workers coped with the stressors identified.

Structured interviews were conducted with one third (12) of the detention staff that worked at a forty bed juvenile detention center in …

Components Related To Occupational Stress Or Burnout Among Music Therapists Working In Hospice/Palliative Care Arenas, Dorothy Virginia Pienta

Masters Theses

Music therapists who work in hospice/palliative care settings are susceptible to burnout as well as others who work in health care settings. In this descriptive correlation study, the components of occupational stress or burnout among music therapists working in hospice/palliative care settings were studied. A mail survey was sent to 300 music therapists who worked in hospice/palliative care settings and were members of the American Music Therapy Association. Of the 181 surveys that were returned, 106 were acceptable for use in this study. Their responses to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Work Environment Scale, as well as information from the demographic …

The Effect Of Pain Management Education On Nurses' Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Opioids And Adjuvants, Lynne Hopper Mccoy

Master's Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine if a pain management class improved nurses' knowledge and influenced nurses' attitudes regarding pain management. The design was quasi-experimental using pretest-posttest intervention. 83 participants completed the Nurses Knowledge and Attitude Survey Regarding Pain twice. Those who attended a class showed improvement in their pain management knowledge and attitude scores on the survey. Implications for staff development and inservice educators are that continuing education increases nurses knowledge about pain management and must include opportunities for class members to apply concepts.

Self-Esteem: The Impact Of A Course In Growth And Development On Fifth Grade Students, Mary Jang

Master's Projects

Teens in the United States have the highest pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease rates among the developed countries. The social and financial costs of teen births are staggering. Research shows that high self-esteem is significantly related to resistance to group pressures, willingness to express unpopular opinions, family adjustment, creativity, and effective communication between parents and youth. The research question is: Will a 5-hour course in growth and development increase the level of self-esteem in fifth grade students? A convenience sample of 20 students (13 girls and 7 boys) who attend a public elementary school in San Jose, California, comprised …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Health Education Program For Classroom Assistants, Patricia A. Robinson

Master's Projects

Classroom Instructional Assistants are being used more frequently to provide care for medically fragile children who are mainstreamed into the regular education setting. The purpose of this evaluative study was to develop a beginning health curriculum that could be provided as an inservice program for classroom Instructional Assistants. Content for the inservice consisted of handwashing, medication administration, asthma, and seizures. This study used a pretest and posttest design to look at the effectiveness of the educational inservice. There were 17 participants, 16 of whom completed the pretest and posttest. A pretest was administered prior to the inservice followed by a …

Differentiation In Roles Of School Nurse And Unlicensed Assistive Personnel, Lynn Shieh

Master's Projects

School nurses provide a vast number of health services for students, teachers, and staff. Despite school nurses' important contributions to the health status of students, through the years their positions have been gradually supplemented by Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)/ Health Clerks. With the number of UAPs increasing in the school setting, roles and responsibilities of school nurses and UAPs need to be clearly differentiated in order to utilize the UAP's services legally and efficiently. This research used a descriptive survey to investigate the perceptions that differentiate the role of school nurses and UAPs among school administrators, nurses, UAPs, secretaries, and …

Functional Diversity And Life History Traits Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Disturbed Soils, Kelly Marie Fleming

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Relative effectiveness of ten species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi native to a revegetated coal strip mine site was tested on red clover against a non-mycorrhizal control and against inocula of two commercial isolates. Most (70%) of the isolated species in a native fungal community were as effective at promoting growth as commercial isolates. The net benefit of native colonizing fungi likely was positive, since the majority of the fungi colonizing two-year-old apple and grape in the field also were effective symbionts. The relationship between colonization and sporulation was compared among one Acaulospora , two Glomus, one Gigaspora, and one Scutellospora …

Effects Of Ultrasound On Milk Homogenization And Fermentation With Yogurt Starter, Hongyu Wu

Masters Theses

Yogurt production was selected to study the effects of ultrasound on milk homogenization and fermentation. A microscope was used to check the size distribution of fat globules to evaluate ultrasound homogenization. The pH change during fermentation and the water holding capacity, viscosity and syneresis for finished yogurt were evaluated. It was found that ultrasound has a very good homogenization effect at high amplitude levels compared with conventional homogenization. Longer exposure times improved the ultrasound homogenization effect. If enough exposure time and amplitude level are provided, extremely small fat globules can be produced. The fermentation results showed that the method of …

Perceptions Of Hiv/Aids In West Virginia Nursing Facilities, Valarie Ann Bell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Introduction. Placement of HIV/AIDS infected individuals into geriatric long-term care facilities has been a problem since the beginning of HIV/AIDS. Specific aims. The objective of this study was to determine how prepared West Virginia nursing facilities are to deal with the HIV/AIDS population. Methods. An anonymous mailed survey guided by the organizational change theory was sent to all 144 certified nursing facilities within the state. Questions were asked about current policies, procedures, education, concerns, resources, and experiences specific to HIV/AIDS. Results. A total of 72 surveys were returned for a response rate of 50%. Most facilities (71.8%) offered educational programs …

Women And Work: An Analysis Of The Sociological And Historical Trends Of Maternity Leave Policies In The U.S., Gina M. Schrader

Honors Theses

This paper presents an analysis of maternity rights and regulations within the context of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. First, I will define the legislation while observing the sociological and historical significance of the legislation. Second, I will analyze maternity leave policies of the modern working environment and address the increasing involvement of women within the workforce. Finally, I will examine the needs that are unmet within current policies and the possible alternatives.

Cognitive Components Of Social Anxiety: A Comparison Of Elderly And Young Adults, Jeffery Alan Mcneil

Dissertations

The present study investigated the underlying cognitive elements of social anxiety in elderly and young adult samples. The young adult participants in this study were 99 undergraduate students from a Midwestern university, recruited through scheduled undergraduate classes from both the Communication and Education Departments. Fifty elderly participants from two independent living senior residence centers were recruited through organizational meetings and contacts coordinated through the housing director or the wellness director. One senior residential center was located in the Midwest, while the other was in the Southeast. The study employed well recognized self-report cognitive measures to assess social anxiety: the Fear …

The Design And Analysis Of A Corporate Data Network Supporting A Real-Time Clinical Data Application, Craig M. Longo

Masters Theses

In this study a design is proposed for a corporate, data network supporting real-time data applications. The proposed network incorporates both Local Area Network and Wide Area Network technologies to form a system capable of supporting a variety of applications. Multimedia software, like desktop video conferencing, IP telephony, and video streaming are becoming more pervasive. Since multimedia applications depend on active human involvement and perception, they are commonly referred to as real-time. The content of real-time applications relies on the timely and consistent delivery of information. If real-time applications experience any variation in information delivery, usually referred to as jitter, …

Elderly Respondents' Perceptions Of Patronizing Speech By Service Providers Toward Elderly Adults., Tammi Rae La Tourette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of several factors in elderly respondents' evaluations of neutral and patronizing speech by nurses toward elderly targets. Thirty-eight nursing home and 62 community Caucasian elderly women viewed two videotaped vignettes, one in which a nurse spoke to an elder target in a patronizing tone, and one with a neutral tone. Both samples rated the nurse more favorably, rated the elder target more satisfied with the conversation, and assumed that the nurse-elder dyad knew each other better when the nurse's speech was neutral as opposed to patronizing. Contrary to what was predicted, community elders did not …

Association Of Parental Weight With Pregnancy Weight Gain And Outcome, Rini Banerji

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of paternal of paternal BMI with maternal weight gain, the birth weight of the newborn and to develop a prediction equation. This study utilized a purposive sampling technique. The participants for this study were recruited from five different WIC sites in north central West Virginia. The sample consisted of 156 participants out of which 93 completed the study.;Data was collected from the participants through direct administration of questionnaires and personal interviews. The data was analyzed using the statistical software STATISTICA version 5.5, 1999.;The findings of this study indicate that there …

Back To Nature To Beat The Blues, Shannon Leigh Kirby Lawson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a reduction in depressive symptoms in nursing home residents by using a pet therapy intervention to increase levels of social support and social interaction within the nursing home facility.;The target population in this study consisted of two nursing home facilities in West Virginia. Approximately 21 subjects participated in the study. An intervention using pet therapy was conducted in the intervention facility in which certified therapy animals "visited" the residents once a week for four weeks. The control group received a delayed intervention of gospel singing once a week for four weeks after …

Explaining Age-Related Problem -Solving Differences On Concept Identification Problems As A Function Of Problem Content, Strategies, And Stereotypes, Dave Buck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purposes of this study were to: (a) determine whether older adults would use logic-based strategies on a concept identification task when the stereotyped content of the task was changed to "experience free"; (b) determine whether older adults would use logic-based strategies when the stereotyped content was left intact after completing an "experience free" version of the concept identification task, and (c) explore relations of potential causal mechanisms of strategy use for older adults such as problem interpretation or past experience. Thirty-two older adults (M = 70.0 years) and 32 younger adults (M = 21.2) solved two versions of the …

A Qualitative Study Of A Team-Teaching Classroom And A Traditional One-Teacher Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Johnny D. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study describes two heterogeneously grouped second-grade classrooms during the 1998-99 school year. One class featured collaborative team teaching, and the second class was taught by a traditional single teacher. There were 33 regular education students and nine at-risk students in the team classroom and 14 regular education students and eight at-risk students in the one-teacher classroom. One hundred three interviews were conducted with 21 students in the team classroom and 18 students in the one-teacher classroom, with 13 parents, with three teachers, and with the school principal. The researcher observed the two classes 61 times from September to May. …