Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Patient Initial Visit Compliance In An Outpatient Setting, Zackery Cooper

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Outpatient healthcare clinics make revenue based on patient visits and productivity is based on the number of visits seen per provider. When patients do not attend their scheduled appointments, practices lose the revenue from the visit, plus have the added cost of a potentially unproductive provider. The current practice in the project facility is to send reminder text messages through the electronic health record scheduling system. The system sends reminder texts 48 and 24 hours prior to the appointment date. The proposed change to the practice is to add telephone calls to patients the morning of their scheduled visit. The …

Hand Hygiene Compliance In Nursing Staff Of Long-Term Care Facilities, Lindsay Clontz

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Elderly residents of long-term care facilities are most at risk to acquire serious infections. Because of the relationship with nursing staff members, they are most likely to get an infection from a member of the nursing team. It is imperative that nursing staff members receive proper training related to hand hygiene in order to adhere to infection prevention and control guidelines. The goal of this project is to improve hand hygiene in nursing staff to reduce the number of resident infections recorded on the monthly infection surveillance report. This project utilizes a multi-faceted approach including a pre-test, presentation, post-test, return …

Prevention Of Infection During Hemodialysis Treatment Initiation, Jessica Stroupe

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Infection in the dialysis access of a patient can be detrimental to the health of a dialysis patient. For this reason, infection control is extremely important in the outpatient hemodialysis setting. The goal of this project is to prevent infection during dialysis treatment initiation. This goal will be achieved during a 5-week project in which staff of an outpatient hemodialysis unit will be directly observed and then educated on the importance of infection control during treatment initiation. Staff will be given education on areas that need improvement regarding infection control during treatment initiation. The staff will be able to use …

The Importance Of Skin-To-Skin Initiated In The Operating Room, Katina Miller

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

The benefits of skin-to-skin contact has been well documented for both infants and mothers. Out of all the different modes of delivery a pregnant patient can have, skin-to-skin contact is performed the least amount for mothers who delivery via cesarean section compared to mothers who have a vaginal delivery. All mothers, should they choose, should be allowed to have skin-to-skin contact with their infant in the operating room. This project was designed to increase skin-to-skin contact between a mother and their infant shortly after birth via cesarean section at least 75% of the time. Education was conducted during team huddles …

Fluid State And Diet Control In Patients With Acute Kidney Injury On Hemodialysis, Carolyn Evans-Howard

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Prolonged hospitalization, high number of readmissions, and high mortality rates are associated with patients diagnosed with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). The purpose of this quality improvement proposal is to address the need for more education for nurses caring for these patients. If the kidneys shut down temporarily due to acute illness or medication taken, fluid and toxins will build up in the body with no way of being released. It is proposed that if dietary and fluid restrictions are followed it may help the patient recover faster. The method proposed is to have nurses learn the necessary dietary and fluid …

Patient Satisfaction, Amber Bowman

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

This thesis project reviews how nursing care, specifically that of nursing assistance, impacts patient satisfaction. Care provided to patients during hospitalization is scored by post-discharge surveys. For this project, the HCAHP survey is specifically referred to and discussed. The survey data obtained from the HCAHP survey is available to the public for review. This data can affect the population's outlook on healthcare organizations. Research has found that care provided by nursing assistants has an impact on the satisfaction of patients. Research in the area of improving patient satisfaction is lacking in data and tools for improvement.

Breaking The Davidic Covenant And The Rape Of Zion, Holly Strother

MA in Religion Theses

Second Samuel 7 lays out the relationship between God and David through a covenant. David breaks the covenant with God when he takes Bathsheba and kills Uriah, and the consequences impact David, his lineage, and Daughter Zion (his kingdom). The language used to describe the city's fall is that of sexual violence, highlighting the horrors of rape within David’s life and lineage after he breaks his covenant with God by taking Bathsheba. The methodology of this thesis is a narrative approach to the biblical text that uses reader-response criticism while exploring the narrative of 2 Samuel 7, 11, and 12. …

A Life Worth Living: Evaluating And Assisting Army Chaplains In Suicide Prevention, John Simon Cochran

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Despite its efficiency and flexibility as a modern fighting force, the U.S. Army has experienced an alarming spike in the number of its soldiers committing suicide over the past decade – approximately a 20% increase. The goal of this project is to contribute to the lessening of future suicides by evaluating the current preparedness of U.S. Army chaplains to assist with suicide prevention and intervention efforts among U.S. Army soldiers. The study will provide actionable conclusions of how chaplains can more effectively identify, intervene, and influence U.S. Army soldiers away from the risk of suicide towards a life worth living.

Helping The Homeless Through Visionary Leadership, Angela Martin

Education Projects

This project addresses the homelessness problem by asking several questions. Those questions are (a) How many people from each state are in homeless status; (b) What does it mean to be homeless in America; (c) Do we understand the difference between being poor and being homeless; (d) What programs are currently in place to help the homeless; (e) How can these programs be modified to enhance its feasibility; and (f) What is the estimated cost to fix the homelessness issue? These questions can be answered through research and use within visionary leadership to eliminate the issue one step at a …

Closing The Financial Need Gap Through Annual Giving And Donor Relations, Timothy Edelen

Education Projects

Higher education is currently in a crisis that is affecting institutions of all sizes. As the allotted funds from federal and state governments decrease and additional revenue-generating areas such as tuition fail to close the need gap, many universities and colleges find themselves in a budget crisis. This crisis affects public and private higher education institutions, resulting in the need for philanthropic support from outside sources. Institutions of higher education, private and public alike, are turning to private giving to meet budgetary demands. As a result of this crisis, both public and private higher education institutions turn to philanthropy to …

Human Resources Strategy For Nonprofit, Bipasha Tewary

Education Projects

Camino Community Development Corporation Inc. faced a significant challenge in the utilization of its human resources. There were high employee attrition rates in the organization. A disciplined inquiry revealed that employee dissatisfaction, low remuneration, and lack of sound recruitment and retention policies were among the factors that led to the increased attrition. The consultancy project aimed at formulating effective leadership strategies that would make the Camino Community Development Corporation Inc.'s human resources robust. Professional recommendations to address the organization's challenges with its human resources were formulation and implementation of sound recruitment and retention strategies; increased focus on employee motivation to …

M&Ms: Mentors And Mentees, Melody B. Johnson

Education Projects

This project focused on the challenge of meeting the needs of at-risk students in an elementary school setting. In response to the literature, we designed and implemented a school-based mentoring program. This project examined whether a face-to-face mentoring program in this school with these students could meet three goals: provide students regular contact with a caring adult, increase student confidence in themselves or their environments, and reduce behavior infractions. These students, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, were identified for social-emotional and/or behavior issues by their teachers, administration, or guidance counselor. School employees served as the pool for mentors, and …

Black Leadership And Culture In Creative Industry: Organizational Practices And Worker Satisfaction In A Charlotte, Nc, Social Enterprise, Alexandra Arrington

Education Projects

This project reviewed the leadership, organizational culture and practices, and worker satisfaction in a Charlotte, NC-based marketing and advertising agency led by Black founders. These founders are creative artists and entrepreneurs with expertise in a variety of traditional and nontraditional creative fields, collectively called creative industries. The agency, Hue House, is a community-focused creative startup formed in 2019 to “decolonize the marketing and advertising industry” (Hue House, n.d., About Us section) through consulting, creativity, and community. As an entrepreneurial startup and social enterprise, the agency’s goal is to serve a niche in the predominantly white-led advertising and marketing industry. Part …

Higher Education Student Leadership Program, Heather Harrison

Education Projects

Leadership development programs have increased over the past 2 decades. Institutions of higher education have found value in giving students the tools to ignite and showcase soft leadership skills such as communication, time management, and self-awareness within the workplace and to gain better employment post-college through leadership development programs. Research shows that students value programs that include workshops and tools from diverse authors and presenters, mentorship, and assistance with connecting with their peers. Leadership development programs are delivered through the curriculum in the classroom, programs designed through student affairs offices or centers, and students engaging in leadership positions on campus, …

Holding Space: Developing Strategies To Center Education, Belonging, And Inclusion In A Black Cultural Center At A Large Research-Intensive University, Lorenzo Jameco Mckenzie

Education Projects

The story of Sankofa teaches us to look back to move forward. Concerning this consultancy project, it means that by gathering information from the past, experiences, joys, challenges, and insights, we would be able to reflect, synthesize the information, and chart a course of action for the prosperity and future of the African American Cultural Center at NC State University. As college campuses become more diverse and the need for robust diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in colleges and universities increases, this project seeks to provide a community engagement plan outlining comprehensive ways to build a significant Black cultural community …

The Theory Of Mind Hypothesis Of Autism, Kendall Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Present theory of mind research suggests that autistic individuals demonstrate deficits in theory of mind capabilities. A literature review was conducted to investigate the claim made by the theory of mind hypothesis of autism that theory of mind deficits are responsible for the social deficits present in autistic individuals. It was concluded that this hypothesis was prematurely accepted as an explanatory model for autism when it is better described as a symptom of autism. Alternative explanations for autistic social deficits such as executive function deficits and the theory of weak central coherence were analyzed. Implications and suggestions for future research …

A Critique Of Frederick Nietzsche's Philosophy On Law, God, And Morality, Rebekah Vaughn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Friedrich Nietzsche is the last of the modern philosophers. His philosophy has influenced fields such as literature, psychology, and ethics. Nietzsche’s philosophy on ethics is primarily what will be covered. Nietzsche wishes to sever the connection between western civilization and God. He sees that people may no longer believe in God, but they still follow Christian morality. Nietzsche argues for a new morality, one humanity will create themselves. His famous line “God is dead” is an expression of what humanity needs to do with God. Nietzsche then argues the Overman will take over humanity, leading towards a world with a …

A Workshop On The Spiritual Disciplines: Teaching Church Members How To Listen To God Through Prayer, Meditation, Solitude And Journaling Developed For The Members Of Eau Claire Baptist Church Columbia, South Carolina, Steven Blair Bouknight

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Listening to God is so vitally important. This project includes five 75-minute teaching sessions where participants learn how to listen to God through use of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, solitude, and journaling. Participants take part in various home assignments to practice these spiritual disciplines in their personal lives throughout the week. Participants respond to surveys rating their progress weekly in practicing each of the disciplines mentioned above. Results indicated increased awareness of hearing God speak following the intentional use of the spiritual disciplines and the increased practice of these disciplines by participants.

Intentional Undergraduate Leadership Development Through The Establishment Of A Center Of Excellence For Leadership At Gardner-Webb University, James Rennie

Education Projects

Similar to most universities in the United States, Gardner-Webb University lists leadership development in their students as a high priority. The first two sentences in the Gardner-Webb University strategic plan state,

The mission of Gardner-Webb University is to prepare graduates for leadership and service in their professional careers and in their personal lives. Rigorous and innovative degree programs, combined with distinctive experiential learning opportunities, shape students into thinkers, doers, and world-changers. (Gardner-Webb University, 2021a, p. 1)

There are several key words in these sentences that warrant further discussion. First, leadership development is an instrumental aspect of the core mission of …

Collective Leadership Practices Improve Teacher Efficacy And School Culture, Vickie Stine

Education Projects

Experience has shown, and research correlates, teachers are the single most important school-related factor affecting student achievement. For students, the difference between having a quality teacher and having an incompetent teacher can exceed one grade-level equivalent in annual achievement growth (Hanushek et al.,1992). Shortages in the teaching force continue to increase nationwide, reaching crisis proportions. Challenges facing educators, including ever-changing needs of students, adjustments in education services, increased documentation requirements, lagging student outcomes, new initiatives, discipline concerns, and the expectation for teachers to perform to meet ever-increasing demands have resulted in disengagement of educators and decisions from them to leave …

Building Leaders In Policing: Using Leadership Characteristics And Attributes To Develop First-Line Supervisors And Line Officers, Brad Stewart

Education Projects

Organizational effectiveness and legitimacy in policing are largely based on public perception witnessed predominantly through interactions with line officers and first-line supervisors. The demand for highly effective first-line supervisors falls short as agencies are ill-equipped to provide leader development. This mixed methods study examined the characteristics and attributes of first-line supervisors as perceived by line officers in the Asheboro, North Carolina Police Department. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: (a) Which dominant characteristics and attributes are perceived by police officers to be associated with leader efficacy; (b) Which of the perceived characteristics and attributes contribute to the development …

Creating A Nonprofit Organization To Combat Health And Healthcare Disparities Impacting Black Women, Chernee M. Gerald

Education Projects

Adequate healthcare is essential to the lives of all Americans; however, disparities exist in the quality of care and services available to marginalized groups in this country. For many years, there have been conversations and research conducted around the health and quality of healthcare provided to Black Americans; more specifically, the quality of care Black women receive. At the forefront of healthcare factors impacting Black women are breast cancer, maternal mortality, and the implicit bias of healthcare providers. This project uses survey data collected from Black women in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community to identify the most pressing health issues of Black …

An Online Course Quality Enhancement Project, Jonathan Davis

Education Projects

Between 2018 and 2019, according to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, the total reported distance education enrollment increased 129.1% (Straut & Boeke, 2020). This explosive increase in the number of students taking distance education courses during this timeframe is intriguing and undoubtedly increased further in 2020 and 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts of colleges and universities to shift courses online in order to continue operations while also preventing the spread of the virus. Moreover, there has been growing concern regarding student success in online courses and the quality of instruction provided via …

Building Brand Identity And Organizational Growth For A Small Media Company, Reginald L. China

Education Projects

The global Coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the need for increased media content. It also showed that media content was integral to communication and stakeholder engagement during community lockdowns. I worked with the Jones Media Company to gauge the need for media services in faith-based organizations. The survey results revealed that religious institutions are not exempt from using media content to engage congregations, the community, and potential members. According to Auxier and Anderson 2021, the ability to access multimedia content is in the palm of our hands. Their research showed that some 84% of adults ages 18 to 29 say they ever …

Disciplinary Policies And Practices: Dismantling The School To Prison Pipeline, Ricky Johnson

Education Projects

Dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline has been a problem for decades that seems to have come to no answer. This project aims to analyze the current conditions and create ways to dismantle the pipeline through new policy, leadership, alternative practices, and school/ community programs. The disproportionate rates of suspension and expulsion and their ties to the juvenile justice system, along with everything dealing with education, should be alarming to most. However, far too often, these alarming numbers are swept under the rug. It is beyond time for disciplinary policy and practice change on a micro and macro level; something must be …

Designing A Literacy Program For A Better Chance, Better Community (Abc2), James E. Pittman

Education Projects

ABC2 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that connects rural communities with resources in order to trigger youth power and advocate for practical solutions and healthier lifestyles. This project concentrated on the planning stage of developing a literacy program for students in rural Halifax County. The proposal was written to take use of both sides' current strengths while also looking for ways for the organization, community, and me to expand. Its assessment entailed three steps, including evaluation of whether the project met base criteria, assessment of the project’s impact, and evaluation of the project’s complexity. The primary focus of this project …

Hickory Nut Gap Farm Culture Change, Stacia Harris

Education Projects

Organizational culture is crucial to success yet incredibly difficult to thoroughly understand and, when needed, change. This mixed methods study examined the specific culture at Hickory Nut Gap Farm to better define challenges and opportunities for growth and improvement. Using data and published research on organizational culture, this consultancy yielded custom strategies to help Hickory Nut Gap Farm create a consistent culture and also address other specific challenges revealed through research.

Determining Rural Church Growth And Sustainability Based On Population Trends And Outreach, Kimberly Ford

Education Projects

Farmington Baptist Church is a church located in rural Davie County, North Carolina. The church’s mission is focused on children, community, and culture. Due to consistent growth of the church population over the past 5 years, the church will soon outgrow its current space and needs to determine if they are to invest in a new building. The purpose of this project was to help determine if the growth of the church is sustainable based on both external and internal factors, and if so, what was the number of members they should anticipate accommodating with a new sanctuary building. External …

The Arduous Pursuit Of Ratification: A Community Effort And Benefit Towards Adoption Of Countywide Zoning For Anson County, North Carolina To Aid In Economic Development, David L. Williams

Education Projects

This consultancy project was designed to assist Anson County, North Carolina with understanding the impacts of enacting countywide zoning and how to develop a zoning ordinance. While a vast majority of cities and counties in North Carolina have zoning throughout their jurisdiction, Anson County does not. This project revealed the economic impacts of countywide zoning by assessing both qualitative and quantitative data, including a review of the literature. The literature review concluded counties that enact zoning increase economic or job opportunities. As evidence, a Georgia study concluded the average employment for counties with a zoning ordinance was more than double …

Developing A Small Youth Nonprofit Board Of Directors To Support Fundraising And Volunteer Engagement, Blayre C. Penn

Education Projects

Nonprofit organizations that provide services for young people are immense assets within urban communities. These organizations impart mentorship and provide positive activities to enrich the lives of young citizens who may or may not have access to these opportunities provided elsewhere at a cost. However, as noteworthy of a benefit, the management of nonprofits often threatens their sustainability. If the understanding of organizational blind spots regarding volunteer retention, sustainability of funding, and board leadership is lacking, decision-making on strategic planning becomes very difficult (Sand, 2005). This consultancy project explores the best practices for managing a small nonprofit that focuses on …