Digital Commons Network^™

Strengthening Advising Knowledge To Improve Consistency And Coordination In Academic Advising, Rella Ng

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to improve consistent and coordinated academic advising at a medium, multi-campus higher education institution (HEI). It recognizes the vital role of academic advising in supporting a student’s academic journey. The OIP delves deeper into the responsibilities of HEI leaders with regard to facilitating the capacity of academic advisors to support students in their academic and personal growth and development. The present state of affairs suggests that academic advisors are not positioned to support and facilitate a student’s growth and development. The OIP seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the underlying factors contributing to …

Balanced Negotiations: An Online Negotiation Training For Women, Kaitlyn Rose Gallagher

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Research has identified consistent differences in the processes and outcomes of negotiation between women and men (Mazei et al., 2015; Stuhlmacher & Walter, 1999), but there has been little investigation into different types of negotiation trainings specifically for women (Barkacs & Barkacs, 2017; Kulik et al., 2020). This study developed and evaluated an online evidence-based negotiation training for women. Using a pretest-posttest randomly assigned control group design, 95 early career female participants completed three short self-guided online training modules. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), with pretest scores used as a covariate to reduce error variance, found that the intervention had a …

The Importance Of Implementing Safety Programs For Spanish-Only Workers In Mep, Izak J. Lozano

Construction Management

Hispanics make up 30% of the construction workers, the highest percentage of any non-Hispanic minority group. Unfortunately, evidence also suggests Hispanic and Latino workers with limited to no English language skills are not receiving an adequate amount of safety training which is a growing concern. A lack of safety training and language barriers on the jobsite are seen as the cause for Hispanic workers having 41.6% higher injuries and non-fatal injuries in construction as compared to non-Hispanics in 2020. Three contractors were interviewed about their safety training programs for Spanish-only workers to find what strategies were found to be effective. …

Improving Health Outcomes For Lgbtq+ Youth Through Provider Education, Marissa Simko

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background and Problem: LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults (ages 12-25 years) are known to have higher rates of physical and mental health concerns compared to heterosexual and cisgender youth. Within the LGBTQ+ youth community, rates of suicidality, substance misuse, homelessness, and STIs are higher than in the general population. LGBTQ+ youth have greater challenges accessing healthcare and higher rates of healthcare discrimination. This paper presents a quality improvement project focused on improving evidence-based practices in LGBTQ+ healthcare through the development and implementation of a LGBTQ+ youth centered educational workshop for healthcare providers.

Methods: This project was organized in …

Social Work Supervision Education: Pennsylvania Social Workers Reflect On Education And Supervisory Competence, Morgan Ann Daugherty

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Supervision is an essential component of social work education and ongoing professional development for those employed at all levels of practice, having been identified as a protective factor against compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary trauma. Supervision education encompasses the direct training of students in how to be a supervisor to include knowledge, skills, and abilities of effective application. Supervision education is taught via multiple methods such as supervision education courses, supervision education embedded into the curriculum, post-degree certificate programs, continuing education coursework, including field educator training and on-the-job training. With vague competency expectations outlined by the Council on Social Work …

Mental Health Literacy Training For Elementary Educators, Anna Joyce

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Young school children struggle with mental illness at a high rate, but often do not receive treatment or referral to mental health resources (Paula et al., 2014). Because of their age, their support systems are the first line of defense toward recognizing and reporting concerning symptoms of mental illness. Educators act as one of these support systems, but research shows mental health education for teachers is lacking in comprehension and adequacy (Dix et al., 2019). This literature review and training focuses on Mental Health Literacy (MHL), which promotes positive mental health education and literacy through encouraging help-seeking, recognition of mental …

“I Like People… Who Are Like Me:” Attitudes Of Southern White Conservative Males On Diversity, Kevin Patrick Schell Jr.

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In America, racism, discrimination, and white supremacy are systemic. In the South, this is seen more prominently given its history of intolerance. Leading to diversity training being ineffective towards Southern white conservative men in society and at the workplace. This research study aims to understand Southern white conservative men’s attitudes toward diversity to inform diversity training practitioners on better training methods. It also sought entry points and a path forward in diversity training for this demographic. Focus group studies were done with four individuals in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Data was collected and analyzed. It was found that their …

Acculturative Stress, Challenges, And Experiences Of Asian International Students In The United States, Matthew Silver

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Within the United States, many international students may experience the process of acculturation. Acculturation exists when an individual, or group of individuals, from one culture, encounters another culture. Within that context is the experience of acculturative stress (AS). AS is the negative outcome resulting from the pressure and unsuccess of acculturation. In the psychology (and sociology) literature AS is measured among many international communities for many more host countries. Within the United States, Asian International Students (AIS) especially have been seen to have higher rates of AS and a greater hesitation to pursue therapeutic intervention to mitigate the symptoms and …

Examining The Influence Of Training On An Event-Based Prospective Memory Task In 3-Year-Olds, Emeri Rose Nosal

Honors Theses

Given the significance of prospective memory (PM) throughout an individual’s lifespan, PM has gained great momentum as a topic of research. Surprisingly, less studies have examined PM in children than adults despite the fact that cognitive abilities are developing during this time. Performance in event-based PM tasks has been shown to be poor in preschoolers and particularly weak in 3-year-olds. Previous studies of event-based PM tasks have included manipulations such as cues and incentives to aid in performance. In this study, I examined another potential manipulation to aid in PM performance not previously examined in literature: training. To assess whether …

Active Learning Techniques To Improve Emotional Intelligence Among Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Sydney Bontz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Students enrolled in nurse anesthesia programs are challenged to meet rigorous and lengthy clinical and didactic requirements throughout doctoral-level curriculums. Historically, admission into nurse anesthesia programs has been based on categories such as academic performance, intensive care nursing experience, and the curriculum vitae. However, emerging research has exhibited emotional intelligence as an essential skill for varying situations that may be encountered. Additionally, training can be utilized to increase emotional intelligence levels (Lolaty et al., 2012).

The goal of this doctoral project was to provide emotional intelligence training for first-year student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) at a mid-size University in the …

The Perceived Needs Of First Responders To Identify And Support Sex Trafficking Victims: A Case Study, Raja Kumar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found that sex trafficking in the 21st century is a growing human rights atrocity. This qualitative case study investigates law enforcement professionals’ perceived needs as first responders to identify and support sex trafficking victims. Specifically, this study examines resources, training, and support that they perceive to be critical to their success. The primary research question that guides this study is what do first responders need to identify and support sex trafficking victims? To answer this question, the following sub-questions facilitate the inquiry: A) What resources do law enforcement professionals need to identify and support victims of sex trafficking? …

Residential Care Staff Views On The Training That They Receive And Their Perceptions On Preparedness In Regard To Working With Residents, Deziray Sorieya Marroquin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze residential care staff’s views on the training that they have received at residential group care facilities. Training is an important component of preparing staff to work with children within the child-welfare system. The literature review suggested that there were various factors that hindered residential care staff from being able to provide the necessary care for the residents. Such factors included inadequate training, supervision, burnout, and high turnover rates within residential group care facilities.

The study used a qualitative, exploratory design. The data was collected from in depth interviews with six participants who …

Working Like A Dog: Literary Analysis Of Multifactorial Service Dog Outcomes., Sarah Brinck

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

What makes a service dog successful? Whether it is genetics or the environment they are raised in, the definition of a successful service dog is complicated. Organizations that set out to train service dogs depend on successful outcomes to continue operating. That makes it particularly important to determine and understand the primary factors that impact the success or failure of dogs bred and/or trained for service dog programs. Given the complexity of the requirements for effective service dogs, it can be costly for an individual or an organization to neglect any factors that contribute to success. Individual components of what …

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Through A Trust In Science Training Intervention, Nathan Dumessa

All Dissertations

Vaccine hesitancy is an ongoing public health issue that has been underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic and has implications for future pandemics and other vaccines. This research aimed to understand and address the factors associated with hesitancy. Study 1 was a correlational study that measured several factors that could predict vaccine hesitancy among Black and White participants recruited online (n = 364). Findings suggest that trust in science was the strongest predictor of attitudes towards the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, which in turn strongly predicted vaccine hesitancy. Study 1 established the direct and indirect relationships between several predictors of …

Empirical Evaluation Of A Novel Spatial Disorientation Induction Strategy, Michaela Cathlin Satter

Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that spatial disorientation-related accidents account for roughly 33% of all aviation mishaps with a 90% fatality rate (Gibb et al., 2011). Research meant to establish common practices and standardization of spatial disorientation (SD) training is needed to work toward decreasing this staggering statistic. The current study investigated the viability of a novel SD Induction Strategy that combined rotation about the vertical axis, visual cue input from a wireless virtual reality (VR) head mounted display (HMD) flight environment, and tactile input from a wireless joystick controller. To assess this combination’s effectiveness, Bank situation awareness (SA) and Pitch SA, …

The Creativity And Humility Guidebook: Fostering A Community Filled With Creativity Through Humility, Samantha Monaghan

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Although an often-under-explored cognitive skill, humility has an important relationship with a person’s creative capacity. Due to its inherent focus on honesty, flexibility, and openness, intellectual humility significantly increases an individual’s problem-solving abilities. This paper will detail the development of The Creativity and Humility Guidebook, which will be used to provide a thorough overview of both creativity and humility to the Roberts Wesleyan University community in order to equip faculty and staff with a fuller understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the two. Due to the turbulent climate of higher education in today’s world, coupled with the countless social, economic, …

Healthcare Workers’ Perceptions, Practices, And Knowledge Of Trauma-Informed Care In The Hospital Setting, Emily Gayle Tippens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychological trauma has become a pervasive term throughout the mental health field but has been slow to gain momentum in the healthcare field. Hospitals have always been a place where people with mental health concerns or psychosis seek help, but hospitals have historically not implemented a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. As the mental health crisis continues to become more detrimental, trauma-informed care skills will become more valuable. This study measured the knowledge, opinions, perceptions healthcare professionals in West Texas have regarding trauma-informed care. This study hypothesized that healthcare workers in West Texas would benefit from TIC training. This study hypothesized …

Breaking The Silence: What Isn't Being Said About Grieving Students, Robin Farian

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus issue addressed in this Capstone Project is how well teachers are trained to support a student who is grieving. This is an important issue for teachers because a student who is grieving is in a very vulnerable place, and the way a teacher responds can be very beneficial or detrimental to the student. An argument is made that teachers should be better prepared for a situation where a student is struggling with grief. Considerations of the issue should include the perspectives of teachers who have experience teaching grieving students. Three action options emerged from an analysis of the …

Better Budtender Training, Vincent Mcdonald Castillo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A survey conducted by the cannabis education program in the Monterey County Health Department (MCHD) concluded that around 57% of users in the county do not feel educated enough in the subject to form their own educated opinions about cannabis use (Cannabis Education Survey 2022). The MCHD decided to address this concern by collaborating with local dispensaries to provide an educational course in video form for budtenders. This video provides factual information on consumption methods, how differently they may affect people and the recommended time to wait before operating a vehicle. Following this education, consumers of cannabis will have reliable …

The Effectiveness Of Targeted Education On Improving Nurses’ Self-Efficacy In Caring For Psychiatric Patients On Medical Surgical Units, Rachel Shirey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Individuals with mental illness are occasionally hospitalized on medical units, specifically medical-surgical units. Nurses working on medical-surgical units may find patients with mental illness more challenging due to the complexity of care they sometimes require. Nurses’ perceived ability to provide quality care for these patients is reduced in comparison to their perceived ability to care for patients without mental illness. Consequently, low self-efficacy can result in the provision of a lower quality of care for this population. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the care that patients with mental illness receive while hospitalized on medical-surgical units. …

The Efficacy Of Leadership Training: A Case Study Of The Sullivan Foundation's Inspired Leadership Workshop, Rachel Berry

Honors Theses

All too often, leaders are raised up without the proper training for the job. Although a variety of different leadership training methods have been implemented over the last few decades, the efficacy of these training methods are still in question. Therefore, this thesis serves to examine the efficacy of leadership training programs by examining a leadership workshop, conducted by the Sullivan Foundation on two separate occasions, in order to understand if leadership training improves one’s leadership ability. In order to measure the efficacy of the Sullivan Foundation’s Leadership workshop, this thesis utilized a case study approach to examine the workshop …

Addressing Bias From Faculty Through Implementing Bias Training, Tori A. Henning

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has indicated that college students experience bias from college faculty on a regular bias. However, there is no mandated training for college faculty on the various forms of bias and the impact that it can have on students’ ability to be successful. While bias influences many students, students of color, women, LGBTQ+ students, and students from of different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds experience bias at greater rates than white students. This project explores how the various forms of bias, the training that college faculty receive, student development theory, and how bias impacts students’ success and their sense of belonging …

Learn, Reflect, Practice, Discuss: A Professional Development Pilot For Clinical Nurse Educators, Jessica Savage, Linda Wofford Dr., David Phillippi Dr.

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

AIM: The aim of this project was to assess the effect of a professional development pilot on the self-efficacy among clinical nurse educators toward evaluation and assessment of students in the clinical setting.

BACKGROUND: Nursing schools employ clinical nurse faculty with varied levels of experience and formal education in teaching. Positive student outcomes are dependent on the competency of their nursing faculty, yet best practices to train and support the professional growth of clinical faculty have not yet been identified.

METHOD: A multi-modal professional development pilot including online-learning modules, self-reflection, practice-learning, and peer-mentoring components was designed and implemented with …

Trainee Perceptions Of Structured On-The-Job Training (Ojt): The Impact Of Trainer Experience And Use Of Structured Ojt Guides, Jessica Nicole Cooperstein

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigated the influence of trainer experience on the trainer’s use of directive behaviors and communication clarity in structured on-the-job training (OJT) and how those variables, in turn, impacted trainee perceptions. It was predicted that trainer experience would be positively related to trainer characteristics (directive behaviors and communication clarity), and that the use of structured OJT guides would have a conditional impact on this relationship. It was also predicted that trainer characteristics would be positively related to trainee perceptions. Finally, it was predicted that the conditional relationship of trainer experience and use of structured OJT guides would influence …

Lo Bueno Y Lo Malo – Assessing Admissions Staff And Practices Supporting Undocumented Students At Illinois’ Four-Year Public Universities, Dave Marcial

Theses and Dissertations

Illinois has enacted legislative policies to provide access to higher education and state funding opportunities for undocumented students. Public Act 093-0007, Illinois RISE Act, and Illinois House Bill 3438 all have implications for Illinois four-year public universities and community colleges.

This dissertation focused on understanding the training, knowledge, and support of the admissions staff at all twelve public four-year universities. A survey was created with the assistance of content experts to gauge admissions staff institutional training and knowledge as it pertains to supporting undocumented students. Approximately 90 admissions staff were identified for the study and 57 participants responded from all …

Effectiveness Of Trainings Funded By Development Partners In Egyptian Government Organizations, Mariam Walid

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis explores the effectiveness of trainings provided through development partner funding to the Egyptian government. Egypt is receiving a moderate amount of funding from development partner, as an emerging economy . The development assistance reached 1.56 billion US dollars where a good amount of it is directed towards capacity development and training. In light of the current public administration reform, specifically the efforts in public administration reform, Egypt needs skillful employees to enhance the governmental performance and help it achieve its strategic 2030 vision. Accordingly, it is very important to understand the effectiveness of the trainings provided by development …

Responding To Disruptive Behaviors In Educational Environments, Kelsey A. Black

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behaviors are a key factor in classroom management and student progress. Current research focuses on identifying the antecedents for such behavior in order to determine the style of intervention that will best support the student in self regulation and striving toward positive behaviors. Staff response to behavior is impactful on how students operate in the classroom. This paper and the accompanying application materials review recent studies on the subject and organize them into useful training to support school staff in choosing appropriate interventions for their students. Interventions for both general and special education students were surveyed and synthesized to …

Medical Emergency Preparedness Among Undergraduate Students, Savannah L. Finigan

Honors Theses

Knowing how to respond to a medical emergency is a valuable life skill that college students ought to have the opportunity to attain in order to save lives. This study aims to understand how prepared and confident local students are to respond to a medical emergency. Participants consisted of undergraduate students who had no healthcare or nursing school experience. A survey was distributed that asked students to rank and describe their own confidence to respond to medical emergencies. The survey also questioned how much former training or experience they had with medical emergencies. The results of the survey show that …

The Accuracy Of Recreational Athletes In Self Detecting Ventilation Threshold During A Maximal Exercise Test, Andrew Biegner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

INTRODUCTION: Ventilatory threshold (VT) is where minute ventilation (VE) increases nonlinearly with increasing exercise intensity. Prior studies have shown that subjects can recognize VT by changes in breathing during exercise. Teaching recreational athletes to use VT as a training method could result in better quality training. PURPOSE: Determine if recreational athletes can accurately perceive changes in ventilation associated with VT during maximal exercise testing. METHODS: Subjects were recruited (n=20, age= 20.5 ± 1.7 yrs.) to participate in the study. Subjects performed a modified maximal treadmill protocol with gas analysis. Subjects indicated when they noticed a considerable change …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Pediatric Primary Care Physician Training For Anxiety Screening And Psychoeducation, Julie A. Wojtaszek

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent psychological conditions in the pediatric population with significant impacts that often extend into adulthood. Pediatricians are in a unique position to screen and briefly intervene to facilitate early treatment and prevent long-term sequelae, but they often do not have adequate training. The current study addressed this gap with a brief online educational workshop that had two aims: to promote (a) screening for anxiety and (b) appropriate evidence-based interventions. Fifty-three providers participated, and 38 completed surveys preand post-training. Findings support the acceptability of the training, improved knowledge related to anxiety, and an increased readiness …