Digital Commons Network^™

Unconventional Mental Health Treatment: Reexamining The Racial Disparity In Treatment Seeking Behavior, Meghan L. Mills

Master's Theses and Capstones

Using 2005-2007 pooled data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), this thesis examines how race affects the type of mental health treatment ught by adults. This research examines whether a more inclusive definition of mental health treatment that incorporates unconventional mental health treatment may partially account for this disparity in treatment seeking behavior. Specifically, by including and differentiating between "formal" and "informal" complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as types of unconventional mental health treatment, it was hypothesized that the greater use of "informal" CAM (i.e. seeking help from a religious or spiritual advisor or friend or …

New Graduate Nurses' Perceptions Of Simulation Training, Karen S. Britt

Master's Theses and Capstones

New graduate nurses enter practice with basic critical thinking skills and have minimal experience applying learned concepts into clinical practice. Hiring institutions aim orientation programs at developing new graduate nurses' skills so that they are better prepared to meet patient needs. Human Patient Simulation is one tool employers have recently begun using. A qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into seven new graduate nurses' perceptions of utilizing simulated mock code training during the orientation process. Analysis of the focus group discussion identified four emerging themes: Developing Confidence, Developing Knowledge Base, Developing Critical Thinking, and Developing a Sense of Realism. …

The Effect Of Diet And Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (Pbde) Exposure On Adipocyte And Whole Body Metabolism In Male Wistar Rats, Erin L. Allgood

Master's Theses and Capstones

PBDEs, lipophilic flame-retardant chemicals, are considered to be endocrine-disrupting compounds and potential obesogens. This study investigated PBDE exposure plus a high-fat/high-sugar diet in rats. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were fed either a control or high-fat/high-sugar diet and gavaged with either 18 mg/kg PBDEs or corn oil daily for 4 weeks. Body weight and food intake were measured 3x/week. At 3 weeks, 24-hr whole-body metabolism was measured. At 4 weeks, blood was sampled for T4 and insulin, epididymal adipose tissue was removed and adipocyte lipolytic response to varying concentrations of isoproterenol was measured. PBDE administration significantly increased weight gain, decreased T4 …

Validity And Reliability Of The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool: A Replication Study, Kathleen Marie Keane

Master's Theses and Capstones

Because critically ill patients are often not able to self report the presence of pain, an observer rating scale, the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) was developed for pain assessment of critically ill patients. This research examines the reliability and validity of the CPOT via replication of the original research study that developed the tool. Utilizing a repeated measures design, two nurse observers used the CPOT to score patient pain behaviors during rest, with repositioning and after repositioning. Results show fair to almost perfect interrater reliability and good discriminant validity of the instrument. The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool …

A Nutrition Education Program To Increase The Consumption Of Whole Grains Among College Students At The University Of New Hampshire Dining Halls, Katharine Rocheford

Master's Theses and Capstones

The relationship between whole grain consumption and a reduced risk of some chronic disease is prominent in the literature. Yet consumers and college students fail to meet the current recommendations. This study investigated the impact of whole grain education materials and whole grain labels placed in the UNH dining halls to improve students' knowledge and whole grain consumption. Survey responses from 504 students were analyzed for whole grain knowledge scores and consumption levels from before and after this program. While overall knowledge score and whole grain consumption did not increase due to this program, a significant positive relationship was seen …

The Lived Experience Of Adolescents With Dyslexia, Josefine M. Garcia

Master's Theses and Capstones

In this study, interviews with 8 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 were performed to explore how young people with dyslexia experienced school in terms of well-being, educational performance and challenges, self-esteem, peer relations, the roles of teachers and parents, and views on support. The elementary years of school seemed to be the most difficult for interviewees. While peer interactions were often seen as a crucial part of school, all students reported that they had experienced or feared ridicule from peers. Academic and personal self-esteem seemed low for all participants, and while many students saw their problems as …

The Effect Of Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (Sbar) Education On The Quality Of Student Nurses Handoff Report, Kerri Goupil

Master's Theses and Capstones

Leaders in patient safety initiatives have promoted the use of standardized communication at the time of handoff as a means to decrease the margin for errors during the transmission of critical information. One means of standardizing handoff is by using the framework provided by the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) communication technique. This framework provides specific guidelines for organizing and communicating relevant patient information at the time of handoff. To date there is a gap in training and education of handoff practices at the academic level of healthcare students. Potential interventions to address this gap include the positive benefits of …

Implementation Of A Dive Computer, Andras Fekete

Master's Theses and Capstones

Diving, whether it is a recreational sport or an occupation, can pose numerous safety concerns. Two of the principle concerns are drowning and decompression sickness. Drowning can be caused by many factors, one of them being: running out of air. This thesis is concerned with implementing a dive computer with real time dive planning capability. This allows for more freedom for the diver, without incurring additional risk of decompression sickness. In this thesis, I plan to present my algorithm which is differs from other dive computers in the way it calculates multiple ascent routes, allowing divers to alter their precomputed …

The Impact Of High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation On Clinical Judgment Of Nursing Students: A Pilot Study, Timothy L. Boyd Jr.

Master's Theses and Capstones

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is encouraging their constituents to increase clinical judgment of nursing students to meet increased workplace demands and higher patient acuity. The literature suggests that human patient simulation (HPS) may be a teaching pedagogy to promote clinical judgment. However, few quantitative studies exist that measure clinical judgment as an outcome of HPS. A pilot study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design that randomly assigned subjects (n = 11) into one of three groups: control, traditional and experimental. Subjects completed pretests for three dimensions of clinical judgment: knowledge, confidence and skill. Following the intervention which …

Chronic Pain As The Result Of Traumatic Injury: A Group Counseling Model For Survivors, Corianne S. Woodard

Master's Theses and Capstones

Millions of Americans live with chronic pain as the result of traumatic injury. These individuals face countless challenges as they attempt to cope with daily pain and grieve the many losses caused by their injuries. The physical and emotional stresses associated with chronic pain and traumatic injury place these survivors at significant psychological risk and contribute to the perpetuation of their chronic pain. Group counseling with a grief model emphasis is a cost effective way to meet the specific needs of survivors living with chronic pain. These needs include: the establishment of a social support system, an opportunity to grieve …

The Effects Of Perceived Risk And Responsibility On The Acceptance Of A Human Papillomavirus Vaccine By College Men, Angela Marie Mitiguy

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the summer of 2006 the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine to prevent four types of the Human Papillomavirus believed to cause the majority of genital warts and cervical cancer in women. Since that time the vaccine has experienced considerable uptake among women while it has also been met by some criticism. Current medical research aims to understand if the vaccine, which has been approved only for women, could be used to prevent HPV in men.

Little empirical research has been conducted to understand whether or not men would be willing to receive a vaccine for a …

Centeredness: A Qualitative Study On The Mind-Body Connection, Tara Rousselle

Master's Theses and Capstones

Centeredness is the concept of living in a constant state of awareness of the physical, psychological and spiritual selves. Through this awareness, a person has the ability for greater connection to their self, health and the world around them, thus leading to the ability to seek optimal health.

The purpose of this study is to explore this concept and its experience from the perspective of those who claim to be experts on such a topic.

The Social Construction Of Disability And The Modern-Day Healer, Jennifer Anne Vanderminden

Master's Theses and Capstones

Ramon Cuevas is a physical therapist and the founder of Cuevas Medek therapy (CME), a physical therapy for children with severe physical impairments. Since creating CME he has taught and practiced throughout the world. Families bring their children to see Ramon in his Chile office and elsewhere around the world to see him for therapy. I have conducted in-depth interviews with parents and Ramon, more than five weeks of participant-observation, and analyzed various online materials related to CME. I found that the community that is formed around these families and Ramon provides an excellent example of how disability is constructed …

Differentially Expressed Genes In Aortic Cells From Atherosclerosis-Resistant And Atherosclerosis-Susceptible Pigeons, Janet Lynn Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed between White Carneau (WC) and Show Racer (SR) pigeon aortic smooth muscle cells. The gene(s) responsible for atherosclerotic resistance in cultured SR smooth muscle cells (SMC) were hypothesized to be silent or down regulated in the WC. In the reciprocal experiments, it was hypothesized that the gene(s) contributing to the spontaneous atherosclerotic phenotype in cultured WC SMC would not be expressed in the SR.

Total RNA was extracted from primary cultured cells of each breed, converted to cDNA, and compared in four reciprocal RDA experiments. Seventy-four transcripts …

Biomonitoring Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers In Lactating Women, Rebecca L. Dunn

Doctoral Dissertations

Breast milk is a valuable biological specimen for biomonitoring lipid-soluble polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The goal of this project was to determine the levels of PBDEs in breast milk of lactating women from the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and to examine potential relationships between PBDE levels in breast milk and stage of lactation, maternal characteristics, living environment and dietary intake. Forty women, ages 22 to 40, provided up to three breast milk samples at the end of their first, second and third month of breastfeeding for evaluation of day-to-day and month-to-month variation in PBDE levels. Participants were asked to …

The Effect Of Peer And Parental Smoking On Adolescent Smoking Initiation: Exploring Potential Moderators, Jeffrey Allen Eaton

Doctoral Dissertations

The factors that contribute to smoking initiation among adolescents are poorly understood. The current approaches to smoking prevention may have achieved their maximum potential as evidenced by a stalling in the decline in smoking rates. To date, approaches to smoking prevention based on social and individual factors have previously met with limited success. A promising new approach will be to examine the interaction between social and individual factors and the effects of their interaction on smoking initiation. Parental and peer smoking behaviors are well-known risk factors for smoking initiation. Several theoretical models suggest that perceptual or interpretative processes may moderate …

The Interpretation Of Sarcasm By Typically Developing Children And Children With Lld In The School Age Population, Kristin D. Shepperd

Master's Theses and Capstones

The present study was conducted to obtain information about the interpretation of sarcasm by typically developing children and children with language learning disabilities in the school age population. Prior research indicates sarcasm comprehension is a difficult semantic task for typically developing children to acquire, and thus it is likely that children with language learning disabilities, who have been shown to have significant semantic difficulties, are at risk for delayed acquisition of sarcasm comprehension. Participating children took a 24 question multiple-choice sarcasm test. Results demonstrated significant differences in sarcasm comprehension between children with language learning disabilities and their typically developing peers. …

Social And Communication Patterns That Can Be Detected Early In 12-Month Old Infants Later Diagnosed With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carolyn C. Winters

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this project was to determine what social and communication patterns could be detected early in infants who are later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Investigators carried out a qualitative analysis collecting descriptive data through retrospective video analysis addressing two main areas of development in infants later diagnosed with ASD: (a) social interactions, and (b) communication and language development. The intent of this research project was to highlight specific social communication behaviors: (1) eye gaze, (2) response to name, (3) communicative forms (both vocalizations and gestures), and (4) communicative intent & function (behavior regulations, social interaction, …

Factors Related To The Rejection And/Or Abandonment Of Aac Devices, Alla A. Johnson

Master's Theses and Capstones

More than 3.5 million Americans have such significant communication disability that they cannot rely on their natural speech to meet their communication needs. As a result, these individuals are severely restricted in their participation in all aspects of life, including their education, employment, family, and community. Augmentative and alternative communication strategies offer great potential to enhance the communication of individuals with complex communication needs, and therefore improve their quality of life.

Fifty-two ISAAC members that responded to the online survey utilized a 5 point Likert-type scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) to rate the importance of factors as they relate …

Efficacy Of Available Treatments For Children And Adolescents With Behavioral Diagnosis As Measured By Resiliency And Cafas Scores, Laura Wickman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Many treatment options are available to children and adolescents with behavioral disorders who seek services from CMHCs. Little research addresses the efficacy of these services.

This researcher examined data from existing clinical records. ANOVA and MANOVA were calculated to determine effects of treatment setting on change in CAFAS and resiliency scores and to determine if any difference in treatment exists between those clients who improved on resiliency and CAFAS scores and those who didn't.

Clients receiving services in the office and natural setting showed greater improvement on BRC risk scores than clients receiving only office-based services. Clients who showed improvement …

The Relationship Between Autonomy And Job Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses, Morgan A. Taylor

Master's Theses and Capstones

With the state of health care today, it is essential to determine the level of job satisfaction among registered nurses as they are important members of the health care team. With the ongoing nursing shortage, identifying strategies to improve retention among nurses will help retain well qualified nurses and recruit the new generation of nurses. Autonomy is a factor that often plays a role in the quality of an individuals work environment, thus the current study was conducted to determine if a relationship exists between nursing job satisfaction and autonomy.

A quantitative, correlational study was conducted with 100 registered nurses …

Correlating Health Locus Of Control And Risk For Postpartum Depression, Alyssa Jane Abraham

Master's Theses and Capstones

The potential risk factors and the symptoms of postpartum depression have been identified in the healthcare literature. Literature shows that there is a relationship between perceived self-efficacy and risk for postpartum depression. The identification of health locus of control and self-efficacy in new mothers will allow nurses to create individualized patient care interventions for women at risk of developing postpartum depression, thus potentially improving outcomes. This study sought to determine if a correlation exists between risk for depression, as identified by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and health locus of control, as identified by the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control …

Communication/Educational Programs For Students With Angelman Syndrome In Inclusive Classrooms: A Look At Best Practices, Tibbany N. Black

Master's Theses and Capstones

This project examined the communication and overall education programs of 36 students with Angelman Syndrome (AS) whom are being educated in both inclusive and segregated classrooms. The purposes of the this study are to: (1) compile a list of best practices regarding the communication and educational instruction of children with Angelman Syndrome and more generally, children with significant disabilities, (2) to validate these practices with an expert panel, and (3) to socially validate these practices with the subjects' parents. An exhaustive review of the current literature in the areas of inclusive education, Angelman Syndrome Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and …

Identifying Issues In Acquired Brain Injury Recovery That Lead To A Productive And Fulfilling Life, Margaret Calvert

Master's Theses and Capstones

Primary objective. To establish and report the shared characteristics of survivors who have demonstrated successful recovery from ABI and who indicate that they live productive lives.

Main outcomes and results. Four major themes emerged from the interviews: (a) development of support networks, (b) learning strategies to cope with emotional issues, (c) acceptance of injury and redefinition of self, and (d) empowerment.

Conclusions. The issues raised in these interviews may serve to inspire other survivors and provide them with hope and motivation as they progress through the recovery process. Suggestions on how clinicians can help to facilitate this process are discussed.

The Effect Of Preoperative Stoma Site Marking On Quality Of Life In Patients Undergoing Ostomy Surgery, Susan L. Cantara

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if preoperative stoma site marking by a Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) nurse affects patient quality of life. This study used a descriptive design with a convenience sample of 25 ostomy patients. Sixty-three surveys were mailed to study participants and the response rate was 40%.

Ten subjects (40%) had their stoma site marked by a WOC nurse preoperatively and fifteen subjects did not. Eleven participants reported that their ostomy was permanent (44%), while fourteen of the participants (56%) state they had a temporary stoma. Thirteen of the subjects had elective ostomy surgery (52%) …

The Effectiveness Of An Adventure Travel Summer Camp Program On The Life Effectiveness Of Adolescents, Jeffrey Lane

Master's Theses and Capstones

The field of positive youth development encompasses a broad spectrum of youth programs and organizations. Outdoor and adventure education programs are well-positioned to be a part of the movement toward a positive developmental approach to youth programming. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an adventure-travel summer camp program (Longacre Expeditions) had positive effects on the life effectiveness of adolescent participants. The study measured attributes of Life Effectiveness of participants using the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire Version-H (LEQ-H). The instrument was administered at the commencement, conclusion, and six months following the program. Composite LEQ data and subscale data were …

Educating The General Public About Brain Injuries, Jesse Edwards Williams

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this investigation is to determine if exposure to educational materials regarding acquired brain injuries (ABI) can have a positive impact on the attitudes and beliefs of the general public. The findings of this research will help determine the values of educating the general public and help determine future methods for educating the public about ABI.

Misconceptions about ABI are still present today. The results of this investigation demonstrate that responses significantly differed depending on what methods of instruction respondents received.

How Nurses Perceive Patient Suffering, Sandra J. Tanis

Master's Theses and Capstones

Suffering is a complex and multidimensional experience that is individual in nature and deeply personal. Effecting all aspects of being---physical, psychological/emotional, sociocultural, spiritual---suffering may impact all dimensions of a patient's life. The purpose of this study is to explore nurses' perception of patients who suffer. The study aims to raise the level of awareness of patient suffering for nurses, and thereby serve as a basis for reflecting on the impact of their nursing care on the health of the individual and patient outcomes. A qualitative study explores how a group of eight nurses described suffering in their patients. Themes, which …

Structural And Functional Pulmonary Imaging Using Hyperpolzarized Xenon-129, Iga Muradyan

Doctoral Dissertations

We describe applications of hyperpolarized 129 Xe to pulmonary imaging. Unique characteristics of this gas such as its polarizability and diffusibility in tissue allow probing important properties of the lungs. Three methods that study structure and function of the lungs, Chemical Shift Saturation Recovery (CSSR), Xenon polarization Transfer Contrast (XTC) and Dixon, and their application to human studies for the first time are the focus of this work.

CSSR measures the global fractional gas transport, F(t) in the lungs. Using this method the dynamics of gas exchange were studied. A model describing this process was derived and used to interpret …

The Male Perspective: The Psychological Experience Of A Male Whose Wife Is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Heather Roy

Master's Theses and Capstones

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women in the United States. Breast cancer does not only affect the individual diagnosed, but also her family. Research has shown that spouses are the most commonly reported support people for married women with the diagnosis. The impact of the diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment for women is well studied and documented, but the psychological effects on spouses have received less attention. This phenomenological study was designed to enhance understanding of the psychological experiences of a male whose wife is diagnosed with breast cancer Participants in this study were six Caucasian males …