Digital Commons Network^™

Nurse Perceptions Of Caring And Professional Governance, Lan Angela Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Caring, a characteristic of an effective work environment, and clinical nurse control over the professional governance of nursing practice results in higher nursing retention and better patient outcomes. Although the concepts of caring and professional governance of nursing practice, and their discrete associations with patient outcomes, are widely studied, little to no research is published on the nature of the relationship between caring and professional governance of nursing practice. Without understanding this relationship, it is challenging to explore the impact of this relationship on nursing practice and patient outcomes.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe nurse …

Knowledge, Perception, And Clinical Management Strategies Of Us Pediatric Dentists On Molar Incisor Hypomineralization, Courtney T. Brashier

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional, survey-based study is to determine current US pediatric dentists’ knowledge, perceptions, and clinical management strategies for patients with molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH).

Methods: Following appropriate protocol and authorizations, all active pediatric dentists, general dentists, and post-doctoral student members identified by the 2020 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s membership list were invited to partake in an anonymous email survey. Data regarding participants sociodemographic, education, and clinical backgrounds were collected in addition to information obtained from MIH-focused questions. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to compare and analyze data. A significance level was set at …

Antibiotics And Antimicrobial Resistance: An Evaluation Of The Knowledge, Attitude And Perception Among Dental Students And Academic Deans And Department Chairs Within U.S. Dental Schools, Magdalena S. Holz

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to survey current 3^rd and 4^th year dental students, academic deans, and department chairs within U.S. dental schools to analyze the level of understanding; education; guidelines; and overall awareness regarding antibiotic use within dentistry and antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: A 25-question survey intended for 3^rd and 4^th year dental students and a 20-question survey intended for academic deans and various department chairs of U.S dental schools were each developed utilizing REDCap. The survey invitations were sent via e-mail to the current academic dean of each U.S. dental school for distribution.

Results: There were …

Perception Of Profile Appearance As Judged By Peers Using 3d Video Imaging, Megan G. Schuler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the social perceptions of subjects with differing lip position and facial convexity in three dimensions. A 3dMD camera (3dMD, Atlanta, GA) was used to capture 3D images of 9 subjects’ faces. The images were altered to have ideal lip position and ideal convexity, ideal lip position and Class II convexity, Class II lip position and ideal convexity, and Class II lip position and Class II convexity. 400 laypersons rated their perceptions of the subjects’ athletic ability, popularity, leadership, and intelligence on a VAS scale. Subjects with ideal lip position relative to the …

Perception Of Soft Tissue Laser Use In Orthodontic Practice: A Survey Of Orthodontists, Periodontists, And General Dentists, Brandon Burke

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, soft tissue lasers have been introduced into orthodontic practice to perform procedures that were traditionally referred to other dental professionals. The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of orthodontists, periodontists, and general dentists regarding the use of soft tissue lasers by orthodontists. The ultimate goal was to facilitate communication among dental professionals and improve the care of orthodontic patients requiring management of soft tissues. A survey was developed to evaluate and compare the current opinions of orthodontists (n=330), periodontists (n=171), and general dentists (n=77) regarding orthodontists’ use of soft tissue lasers. When compared to orthodontists and …

A Perceptual Evaluation Of The Effect Of A Pseudopalate On Voiceless Obstruent Production And Motor Adaptation, Megan Ann Cannon Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Electropalatography (EPG) has proven to be a useful clinical and research tool for measuring tongue-to-palate contact. Research has shown sensorimotor adaptation to an EPG device may be possible following a short period of speech practice. This study was developed in order to better understand how a listeners' perception of speech clarity is effected by the presence of a relatively thin artificial pseudopalate in the speakers' oral cavity. Twenty listeners rated 220 speech stimuli on a visual analog scale ranging from normal to very distorted speech clarity. The stimuli included two different American English sentences. Speech clarity ratings were looked at …

Leadership And Dental Aesthetics Of Adults As Perceived By Laypersons, E. Britton Montgomery

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if dental aesthetics is perceived by adults to affect an individual’s ability to emerge as a leader. An electronic survey was constructed using facial frontal smiling photographs of 10 patients. Statements were formulated to evaluate four leadership characteristics: intelligence, self-confidence, friendliness, and trustworthiness. Evaluators indicated their level of agreement with each statement for each subject using a 100mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data was obtained from 214 evaluators. Picture ratings were analyzed using repeated-measures mixed-model analyses. Evaluator factors and picture factors were considered when testing for crooked vs. straight teeth differences. There …

The Psychosocial Influence Of Dental Esthetics In Adolescents As Judged By Peers, Scott Thomas Henson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if dental esthetics affects the perception of adolescents regarding their peer's social aptitude in specific areas such as athletics, popularity, leadership, and academics. Ten patient photographs (4 males, 6 females) from a private orthodontic practice in Richmond, VA were selected for inclusion in this study. The frontal smiling photographs were digitally modified with insertion of either an ideal smile (straight) or a non-ideal smile (crooked) to create an image identical to the original except for an altered dental complex. Laypersons rated the straight and crooked patient photographs for athletic performance, socialization skills …

Analysis Of The Impact Of A Social Norms Campaign On The Alcohol Use Of Undergraduate Students At A Public, Urban University, Amanda B. Wattenmaker

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To conduct a secondary analysis of survey data collected at a large, urban university assessing for change in students' alcohol use perceptions and behaviors between 2002 and 2004. After the baseline data collection in 2002, the campus launched an intensive media intervention to normalize low-risk drinking. Simultaneously, the campus shifted from being a primarily commuter to primarily residential. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data collected from students in randomly selected undergraduate classes in February 2002 (n= 662) and 2004 (n=1334). The survey instrument used was the National College Health Assessment. Variables were categorized as demographic, alcohol perception, and alcohol …