Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Asynchronous Virtual Interviews On Ethnic Minority Matriculation Into A Doctor Of Physical Therapy Program, Conner Clark, Nanea Lagasca, Gladys Miller, Jasmine Puspos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Methods: This study examines the impact of the use of asynchronous virtual interviews (AVIs) in the admissions process of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). This research aims to examine racial and ethnic subgroup differences in AVI scores, evaluate the influence of AVIs on applicant scores in the admissions process, and assess the AVI inter-rater reliability among faculty evaluators using data from the 2019-2022 admissions cycles.

Results: Significant differences were found in AVI scores among racial and ethnic groups, with Black applicants scoring highest and Asian applicants scoring lowest. Additionally, inclusion …

Emergency Remote Teaching And Transition To Nursing Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Carrie Watkins Jeffrey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of new nurses in the United States who experienced Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) for most or all of their nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they perceive ERT influenced their transition to practice during their first year as registered nurses.

Background: The National Council of State Boards of Nursing reports that in 2021, the overall pass rate for first-time NCLEX-RN® demonstrated the sharpest decline since 2013. Most of the 185,000 nursing students who took the exam in 2021 and 2022 received their nursing education during …

Beyond The Surface: A Novel In-Game Behavioral Observation Matrix To Assess Video Game Expertise, Sam A. Leif

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the evolving landscape of gaming, a need for reliable methods to differentiate expertise levels among players has emerged. This study defines experts by their exceptional skills, domain-specific knowledge, and successful application of these attributes in complex situations. Unlike conventional methods that rely on self-reported experience for expertise stratification, this research proposes a shift towards systematic behavioral observation for a more reliable assessment of expertise. The Model of Domain Learning (MDL) facilitates empirical differentiation between novice, competent, and expert categories, allowing for appropriate stratification. Drawing from digital proxemics theory and adapted from the behavioral assessment matrix used by McCreery and …

Restorative Justice Implementation: Examining The Effects Of White Fragility And Race On Implementation Of Restorative Justice Practices In Schools, Heather M. Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current zero-tolerance discipline policies are ineffective and contribute to disproportionality in school discipline. Restorative justice practices (RJP) are an equitable alternative approach to exclusionary practices. RJP has been used in schools prior to adequate research informing implementation, which has led to variability in implementation and outcomes. In particular, teacher willingness to participate in the implementation of RJP has been noted to be variable and limited among research studies. It is necessary to explore teacher attitudes to determine what underlies this lack of participation to inform the next steps for RJP implementation in schools. Specifically, since disparities in discipline are related …

Get A Grip: An Anatomical Survey Of Four-Mallet Grips For Solo Marimba, Kyle Steven Bissantz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document examines the three primary grips used in playing four-mallet concert marimba. It focuses on each grip’s relationship to the anatomy of the fingers, wrist, and forearm, with particular attention to the grips’ movement characteristics. The discussion aims to support professionals, students, and teachers interested in developing a greater understanding of each grip’s similarities, differences, and basic physicalities. The first section is a detailed examination of Traditional, Stevens, and Burton Grips. The primary focus is the hand’s composition around the mallets and the movement characteristics of standard stroke types. The second section provides a comparative analysis of each grip’s …

Principals’ Perceptions Of School Sponsored Field Trips, Melissa Suzanne Giannantonio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the views, attitudes, and ideas that school principals have on school-sponsored field trips. As society continues to change it is increasingly necessary to contemplate the growing significance of field trip facilities’ educational roles and garner “information about the audiences they serve” (Anderson et al., 2015, p. vii). Additionally, the past decade has seen a decline in the number of field trips taken by schools, and in 2020, field trips came to a complete halt due to COVID-19 (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2020; Mathews, 2014; Mehta, 2008; Plummer, 2014; Reeves & …

Teachers’ Relationship Ratings Of Adolescents With And Without The “Emotional Disturbance” Label, Ashley Colson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The importance of student-teacher relationships is well established. However, research suggests that students in special education tend to experience lower quality student-teacher relationships than their peers in general education. Of particular importance is the developing research indicating that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs), and especially females, are at the highest risk of poor relationships with teachers. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the presence of an emotional disturbance (ED) label may impact teachers’ perceptions of relationships with adolescents who exhibit behavior that meets ED criteria. A correlational research design with a between-subjects analysis of the …

Co-Teaching At The Secondary Level: A Qualitative Study Of Perceptions, Implementations, & Constructivism, Anne-Marie Raskin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The intended outcome of this qualitative study was to provide valuable information that could improve pre-service teacher education programs and inclusion professional development programs, as well as help guide school-based administrators on how to better support co-teaching at the secondary level. In order to accomplish the outcome, the purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to examine secondary co-teachers’ perceptions toward their preparedness to co-teach in an inclusion classroom based on their pre-service training, overall professional development, and administrative support; and (2) to explore how well secondary co-teachers practice constructivist-oriented co-teaching. The research questions included: (1) How do secondary co-teachers …

The Lived Experience Of The Dnp-To-Phd Nursing Graduate: Examining The Journey, Bonni S. Cohen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The traditional route of obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing is vertical: a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), followed by PhD in nursing. An ongoing shortage of PhD- prepared nurses—nurse educators and nurse researchers, in particular, has spurred the creation of more pathways to obtaining a PhD in Nursing. In recent years, there has been a drive to increase the number of nurse scientists with doctoral degrees through innovative pathways. A newer terminal nursing degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), has taken root over the past decade to produce nurse leaders who are experts at translating …

Implementing The Use Of Lesson Plan Templates Within The Mentorship Program For Dignity Health Hand Therapists, Ronell Matthew Sueno

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapists (OT) have a wide range of specialties following graduation, one of which is hand therapy. This specialty requires a certain level of knowledge and clinical reasoning, especially concerning hand anatomy and physiology. It is hard to transition into hand therapy as a new occupational therapist due to extensive knowledge, additional patient-care hours, specialty certifications require, and lack of opportunity. A smoother transition into the workforce can be achieved through mentorship programs that allow for meetings with mentors to ask questions and get clarification on different treatments and diagnoses. This quality improvement project focused on gaining perspectives of hand …

Investigating Students’ Lived Experience With Prebriefing Structure And Elements In Nursing Simulation Education, Meghan Liebzeit

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prebriefing is a growing body of knowledge in nursing simulation education. It is recognized as an important factor in the simulation experience, however the practice of prebriefing varies widely making it difficult to understand what methods best prepare students for the simulation scenario. While research over the last decade has identified prebriefing increases confidence, skills, and clinical judgment, what content is important to include in prebriefing, or how it promotes the achievement of outcomes is under recognized.Implementing an intervention based on a pedagogically sound eight-week simulation clinical course, developed with the theoretical underpinnings of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Kolb’s …

A Pilot Program To Inform High School Students About Allied Healthcare Professions, Nhu Mac

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The literature revealed the lack of diversity in the workforce, limited recruiting and retention methods, and lack of exposure to these professions as the contributions to the shortage and demand for the profession of occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech- language pathology (SLP). As a result, the fourteen-week program to inform high school students about OT, PT, and SLP roles in the community and public health was implemented at Desert Pines High School in Clark County School District (CCSD) to see if it would influence their perceived attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and the likelihood of pursuing these careers. Using …

Leveraging Simulation To Understand Nursing Student Learning In Technologically Complex Environment, Deborah Rojas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction The adoption of simulation technologies in schools of nursing has increased significantly over the last 5 years. Results regarding the use of simulation technology have been positive. The use of simulation technologies has been developed to include complex nursing situations that resemble real clinical settings. Research has demonstrated that memory recall is better in an environment that is the same or similar to the environment in which the learning took place (Krokos et al., 2018). For this reason, educators have used simulation technologies to create realistic environments where students can learn. However, learning outcomes in simulations are affected by …

No Scrubs: Nursing Applicant Trajectories After Rejection, Jennifer Torgerson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is a nursing shortage in the United States which has become even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite qualified applicants, thousands of students are turned away from educational programs each year as programs reach capacity limits. The rejection may have social, psychological, and economic consequences for the student. Students faced with rejection need to make decisions whether to continue their pursuit of nursing or go a different direction. This exploratory quantitative study aims to understand the trajectories of students that are not admitted into a capacity restricted nursing program at a community college in the Southwestern United States. …

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork In An Emerging Justice-Based Setting: Hope For Prisoners, Noah Claypool

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This capstone occurred through a partnership with HOPE for Prisoners in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an emerging area of practice, the occupational therapy profession needs more resources and programs focused on the justice system. The lack of evidence-based resources to support future level I fieldwork students at HOPE for Prisoners poses a barrier for students to maximize their fieldwork experience and effectively engage with the organization’s population of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men, women, and young adults in southern Nevada.This capstone experience involved a 14-week immersion at HOPE for Prisoners, including participation in training and workshops and engagement with clients, …

Where Will I Sleep Tonight? A Qualitative Case Study Of Homeless And Displaced College Students, Andria Lynn Coleman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the needs of undergraduate students who are homeless or displaced, as well as examine the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University, a public four-year university, that may support or hinder students’ retention and progression. This study will be driven by the following research question: How do students who are homeless or displaced, but earned a scholarship, grant, or both navigate the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University during their first two years? Using Resiliency Theory and Hope Theory as the theoretical frameworks, this qualitative multiple case study seeks to identify …

The Closing Of One Black Box, The Opening Of Another: A Self-Study Of How An Instructional Coach Makes Decisions, Andromeda L. Hightower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the efforts of traditional and alternative teacher education programs (i.e. pre-service teacher education) in the United States, teachers frequently report feeling unprepared by the time they begin teaching full time in the classroom. Teachers with low levels of self-efficacy are correlated with lower job satisfaction, higher levels of stress and anxiety, and lower student achievement gains in the classroom. To assist with ameliorating these gaps, schools, districts, and private distributors provide training opportunities for teachers once they have begun the job (i.e. in-service teacher training) in the form of teacher professional development. Mainstream professional development approaches are traditionally simplistic …

Technology-Based Self-Management Of Initiations For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Low Communication Who Participate In An Alternate Assessment, Amelia Fuqua

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Self-management as a behavioral intervention has been used with students who have autism spectrum disorder for a variety of behavioral targets, including communication. Research has been conducted on self-management of communication initiations for students who have autism spectrum disorder in primary grades through high school. The process of self-management includes monitoring one’s own behavior to change that behavior. Currently, there are no studies using technology with self-management for the initiations of students with autism spectrum disorder and low communication who also participate in an alternate assessment. The purpose of this study was a systematic replication of Newman and Ten Eyck …

Exploring The Intersection Of Stress, Resiliency, And Relationship With Teacher Among High School Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Scotia Hammond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Experiencing stress at high levels during pivotal developmental years can have a detrimental impact on adolescents’ overall development and well-being (Rahdar & Galvan, 2014; Romeo, 2013). Extensive research has shown the positive effects a strong student-teacher relationship has on students’ resiliency to counteract the negative effects of stress (Akin & Radford, 2018; Johnson, 2008; Masten et al., 2008; Mulloy, 2011; Sanders et al., 2016; Stewart & Sun, 2004). Unfortunately, these studies rarely include students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Students with EBD are more likely to have higher levels of stress, lower levels of resilience and often struggle forming …

Raising The Bar Of Leadership Awareness For Understanding Student Trauma, Roxanne L. James

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper analyzes if family structure and school mobility indicators can predict natural matriculation from middle school using a newly created tool, the Biographic Analytic Rubric, BAR. To answer this question, I used BAR-coded data from 26,233 8th-grade students to see if their risk score predicted their natural matriculation from middle school. The results revealed that the higher the BAR risk score indicator a student has, the less likely they will matriculate from middle school naturally. School leaders may utilize this tool as an early warning system when students enroll in middle school to ascertain which students may need additional …

Activity-Based Intervention And One-To-One Correspondence For Children With Developmental Delays, Cyndy Anang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

PreK children with developmental delays in inclusive classrooms need access to math interventions helps them develop foundational math skills that are needed to succeed during their K-12 education. Research is significantly lacking that addresses increasing math skills for children with disabilities in PreK classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine how using activity-based intervention (ABI) increases one-to-one correspondence for children with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. A single subject multiple probe design across participants was implemented to embed one-to-one correspondence math goals into daily routines and preferred activities. The participants of the study were two 3–5-year-old children categorized …

Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions Of Persistently Challenging Behaviors, Swpbis, Cico And Student-Teacher Relationships, Elizabeth Lynn Messina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teacher perceptions of behaviors have a large impact on the quality of student-teacher relationships. Such relationships trickle down and affect academic and social-emotional-behavioral performance. With the wide prevalence of School-Wide Positive Behavioral and Intervention Support (SWPBIS), questions about why there is not a greater efficacy in improving relationships and related outcomes are being raised. While it is widely documented that teachers often have negative perceptions of children with Persistent Challenging Behaviors (PCBs), the origins of such perceptions are unknown. Additionally, the use of SWPBIS is also widely used (Sugai et al., 2008); however, knowledge of SWPBIS in such sufficiency as …

Improving Self-Efficacy And Knowledge While Reducing Anxiety In High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients Through Standardized Education, Shelley Miles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death of women in the United States. Patients at high risk for developing cancer are more easily identified in today’s world. Early identification might be due to strong family history or genetic mutations, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2. Screening and risk reduction guidelines have been developed over recent years for these patients. Adherence to these guidelines continues to be a problem. The factors stemming from this problem include lack of knowledge about being high-risk, understanding the guidelines, and anxiety and depression about the perceived risk of developing breast cancer. These factors can cause …

Diurnal Regulation Of Exercise-Induced Myocardial Signaling And Transcription, Charli Aguilar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Exercise is well known for its many benefits on the body and most notably the heart. Recent emphasis, and significant resources, have been dedicated to elucidating the molecular mechanisms through which exercise exerts its pluripotent beneficial effects on health and the prevention of disease. A continuous evolution in this field has sought to modulate and optimize exercise in various ways to maximize the benefits. In recent years, a growing appreciation for the impact of circadian rhythms has gained traction and their influence on many essential biological functions have been integrated into exercise physiology (i.e. - chrono-exercise), as well as …

Improving Nurse Leaders’ Knowledge And Confidence In Transformational Leadership Skills In The Online Environment, Tanya Haight

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Leadership is critical to the success of most organizations, and the achievement of an organization's goals is largely dependent on the leaders' ability to engage, motivate, and influence their teams—often referred to as Transformational Leadership. This is especially true for healthcare organizations wherein the morbidity and mortality of patients may be affected by the quality of leadership. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meetings transitioned to the online format without nurse leaders' formal training. Leaders cited this lack of orientation as impeding their ability to sustain an online-virtual transformational leadership presence with their teams. They reported varying degrees …

Development Of Online Modules To Introduce Prospective Students To The Profession Of Occupational Therapy, Hosia Towery

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prospective students interested in Occupational Therapy academic programs are subject to the admission criteria of each educational institution, including experiential learning, clinical observation hours, volunteer experiences, or similar prerequisites. There are no standardized criteria established for these prerequisite requirements b the accreditation agency, as it is within the scope of Higher Education. There is no accountability at the regional or local level to ensure educational opportunities for prospective students interested in higher education, creating a gap as highlighted in the recent global pandemic, where student access to education was further challenged. Students are reliant on a variable set of requirements …

A Multiple Case Study: Exploration Of The Writing Instruction Practices Of Veteran High School English Teachers, Victoria Lindemann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The gift of literacy can be the greatest equalizer in a society or used as a weapon to marginalize. As writing instructors, it should be our job to help our students find their voice – to give voice to the voiceless (Friere, 1970). More research must uncover the influences beyond the classroom and how those influences inform veteran teachers’ decisions about their writing practices and instructional designs, specifically on how teachers engage students in writing. It is the writing of our thoughts and ideas that shares a piece of ourselves with the world around us.This study explored how experienced English …

An Empirical Investigation Into The Impact Of Automated Grading, Alex James St. Aubin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Context: Computer Science enrollment has seen increases in recent years. At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas we have seen an average year to year growth rate of 17.33% in the spring and 13.71% in the fall over the past 10 years in our entry level programming course. These enrollment increases have led to considerable additional costs for grading course material.Objective: The goal of this study is to determine the impact of automatic grading systems on students. If automatic grading is at least as effective as manual grading in practice, it may reduce cost under the context of at least …

“Failure Is Not An Option”: Sub-Saharan African International Graduate Students’ Experiences In U.S. Higher Education Institutions, Alfred Acquah

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The rapid growth of international students, particularly from Sub-Saharan Africa, in U.S. higher education institutions calls for more critical research to understand their nuanced experiences in these institutions. So often, international students are homogenized and put under one umbrella, which shadows their unique experiences, especially those from developing countries and regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, the paucity of literature on these students makes it even harder to hear their voices. Therefore, there is the need to disaggregate international students to become aware of some of their subtle challenges. This study aims to explore the experiences and community cultural wealth (CCW) …

Is Dietary Teaching Via Telehealth Effective In Lowering Hgba1c In Adult Patients With Prediabetes Or Type 2 Diabetes?, Mia Mccallum-Crawford

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two common conditions diagnosed in the primary care setting. Both conditions benefit from a healthy lifestyle, managing blood sugar levels, and getting diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). Within the past two decades, the healthcare community in the US has witnessed a substantial rise in diabetes among adults. Overall, the self-management of diabetes continues to worsen nationally. The purpose of this project is to improve patients’ self-management of both Prediabetes and T2DM through nutrition and show how nutritional counseling via telehealth provided by a nurse practitioner can improve HgbA1C values over 3 …