Digital Commons Network^™

Biophilic Design Strategies In Healthcare: Using Nature To Promote Wellness In Small-Scale Mental And Behavioral Health Facilities, Skyler Peckham

University Honors Theses

Designing spaces that promote the health and well-being of the general public has been a highly debated topic for several centuries within the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, and other similar fields. As more research has been done throughout the years, the notion of utilizing nature to promote wellness has become a prominent design strategy. Through the examination of a wide range of scholarship regarding the benefits that nature has for human health and connecting this research to the biophilic evidence-based design strategies of healthcare facilities, I aim to highlight what design aspects truly promote wellness for patients in small-scale …

Guilty Pleasure: Women's Perception Of Health, Body Image, And Femininity, Irene *Yi-Han Chung

Masters Theses

.

Best Practices For Healthcare Providers When Communicating With Individuals With Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review, Ashley Mccaig

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature to gather information about strategies to use when communicating with people with hearing loss, specifically in healthcare settings or environments where face masks are frequently used. The compiled literature was used to establish the best practices for healthcare providers to use when communicating with their patients with hearing loss, especially when utilizing face masks.

Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using the Google Scholar, PubMed, and MEDLINE Complete databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used to …

Artistic Expression Of Medical Experiences Of Mothers Of Color: Perspectives Using Art Therapy, Lauren Barrett

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine perspectives of mothers of color living in the US and their experiences in the healthcare system through art therapy. The study aimed to further identify personal narrative experiences of mothers of color navigating the healthcare system, promote individual voices, and acknowledge disparities impacting those within marginalized communities. The participants in this study included a total of eight identified mothers of color (non-White) living in the US. Participants took part in four weeks of consecutive art therapy sessions either in 60-minute group or individual virtual meetings. One art therapy directive was provided …

The Development Of Culturally-Appropriate Educational Materials To Facilitate Comprehension And Adherence To Occupational Therapy Interventions, Tyler Friefeld

Occupational Therapy Capstone Projects

Title: The Development of Culturally-Appropriate Educational Materials to Facilitate Comprehension and Adherence to Occupational Therapy Interventions

Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project is to enhance the engagement of the Hispanic population with occupational therapy (OT) services by developing translated educational resources that will support their ability to understand and implement their plan of care in a hospital.

Methods: A literature review supported the need for improved access of culturally-appropriate healthcare material for the Hispanic community. A needs assessment served to interview staff members at the capstone facility to gain knowledge about the current practices and available …

Reconnecting Roots: The Role Of Nature And Culture In Community-Based Design, Ben Audinet

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Mental health is a growing challenge in today’s world despite being a critical component of well-being. One in five adults in the U.S. experience some form of mental health issues. Among that population, Native Americans suffer disproportionately with higher rates of depression, suicide, drug overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). These disparities faced by the Indigenous population stem from several factors—historical trauma, social and economic inequalities, and cultural disconnect. Despite modern treatments for mental health, many individuals—both indigenous and non-indigenous—continue to struggle.

Nature and the environment are a core part of Native American culture, bringing together communities. While exposure to …

Exploring The Impact Of Leadership Styles On Work Force Dynamics In The Healthcare Industry, Derek Marbell

Business Administration Dissertations

Organizations and leaders today face challenges related to strategically retaining critical employees. As such it is important to understand effective leadership styles practiced and their effect on employee turnover. This study explores the relationship between transformational leadership style, job satisfaction, and job turnover intention of equipment operators in the healthcare industry. The moderating effect of gender on this relationship is then examined. With the growing need and demand for diversity across healthcare organizations, understanding the moderating role of gender on these relationships is essential. Knowledge of how gender moderates these relationships can aid in developing and implementing targeted human resource …

Investigation Of Malaria-Related Information In Africa On Youtube, Benjamin Ombati Omwando

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the proliferation of the use of social media, the public—especially patients and their family or friends, try to seek answers from resources such as Facebook, Yahoo! Answers, YouTube, MedlinePlus, and other sites. This research study centered on investigating characteristics and the relationship between users’ online patterns while using and posting information on YouTube related to health-care—in this case malaria (a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease). This research study applied a mixed-methods approach. Subject analysis, multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) analysis, inferential analysis, and temporal analysis methods were employed to analyze and investigate users’ health information posts on YouTube in Africa. This …

Code For Care: Hypertension Prediction In Women Aged 18-39 Years, Kruti Sheth

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The longstanding prevalence of hypertension, often undiagnosed, poses significant risks of severe chronic and cardiovascular complications if left untreated. This study investigated the causes and underlying risks of hypertension in females aged between 18-39 years. The research questions were: (Q1.) What factors affect the occurrence of hypertension in females aged 18-39 years? (Q2.) What machine learning algorithms are suited for effectively predicting hypertension? (Q3.) How can SHAP values be leveraged to analyze the factors from model outputs? The findings are: (Q1.) Performing Feature selection using binary classification Logistic regression algorithm reveals an array of 30 most influential factors at an …

The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel

Honors Thesis

Are there specific roots that influence the introduction and incorporation of discriminatory medical policies? What are the sources of such stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, in what forms does such discrimination take place, and what negative impacts does such hatred have on health outcomes, quality of care, and health disparities? Through a review of existing literature on this topic, intertwining the examination of the evolution of discriminatory policies and other explanatory literature in the United States, this thesis aims to answer the questions above, and explain the roots of such homophobic discrimination and its prevalence in the United States. Through the …

Occupational Therapy Services In Pediatric Mental Health, Hallie Jerome

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Children and youth experiencing mental health concerns often have limited or decreased engagement in meaningful occupations. Additionally, children and youth who experience mental health concerns at an early age are more likely to experience negative health outcomes such as poor occupational engagement, academic achievement, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), maltreatment/abuse/neglect, family and peer conflict/rejection, low self-esteem, early substance use, and many others impacting their overall health and well-being. My capstone project aimed to administer occupation-based interventions in a pediatric mental health program while I advance my skills working with an interdisciplinary team. The literature and needs assessment indicated a need for …

Evaluating The Integration Of Traditional And Western Medicine In Rural Ghana: The Role Of Healers And The Government, T. Nicole Lemon

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

A question of pressing importance for the healthcare system in Ghana is the integration between biomedical physicians, who are unreachable for many rural citizens, and traditional healers, who fill in the gaps in access for rural and non-rural citizens seeking care, and are oftentimes the preferred choice. The care offered by each system is derived from differing paradigms, with the biomedical related to Westernized practices and the healing related to holistic, traditional approaches. Integration of these systems would allow for more acknowledgment and communication between these two different kinds of providers, which in turn would improve the quality of care …

The Perception Of Asthma Management Among Healthcare Student Programs At An Urban University, Yazeed Felemban

Respiratory Therapy Theses

Background: Asthma is a widespread chronic respiratory disease that affects a total of 339 million people of the global population in distinct countries reported by The Global Initiative for Asthma report. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases among children and is a noncommunicable disease (NCD) that affects both children and adults. It is necessary to evaluate healthcare students' perceptions to minimize asthma complications since they will play a significant role in diagnosing and controlling asthma in their future careers. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate and compare the perceptions of asthma management among healthcare students lacking clinical …

Animal-Assisted Therapy In An Outpatient Pediatric Occupational Therapy Setting, Peyton N. Stolle

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The use of animals to assist in the healthcare industry has been around for some time now, however, only recently have those in the occupational therapy industry begun looking at the effects that it would have on patients within their scope of practice. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has various uses, and recent studies have shown that the use of dogs within a healthcare setting can greatly increase patient motivation and well-being. However, prior literature shows that there are limited studies on the effects of AAT in a pediatric occupational therapy (OT) setting, specifically an outpatient setting. My capstone project aimed to …

Depression And Anxiety: Investigating The Impacts Of Scheduling On The Mental Health Of Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christofer Gonzaga

All Theses

Depression is a growing problem in the United States and has ballooned into a globally recognized mental health issue that affects shift workers in various fields (Lee et al., 2017). Rates of depression and anxiety have been shown to be substantially increasing and the COVID-19 pandemic amplified this prevalence of depression and anxiety. In the United States, the prevalence of depression symptoms was more than 3- fold higher during COVID-19 compared to before the pandemic (Ettman et al., 2020). The delivery of healthcare services is an ongoing and dynamic process, requiring clinicians to work in various shifts to ensure the …

The Impact Of Healthcare Interprofessional Education On Collaboration., Mya Winjum

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Interprofessional relationships are important to the productivity of healthcare teams, especially as collaborative approaches become increasingly common in the healthcare setting. This paper focuses on the impacts of interprofessionalism and interprofessional education on healthcare teams collaborations. Drawing from a mixed-methods approach, data was gathered through an online survey and interviews conducted at the UNMC GOODLIFE Clinic, a student-run clinic. Findings reveal differences in perceptions between post-graduate professionals and students regarding the role and importance of interprofessionalism. While professionals demonstrate an understanding of IP collaboration, students express a need for more comprehensive IPE. Barriers to effective teamwork, such as professional hierarchies …

Framework For Clinical And Non-Clinical Best Practices For Care For Transgender Individuals, Sundeep Singh Boparai

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This framework studies the gap in healthcare transgender individuals experience and aims to provide competent clinical and non-clinical best practices for care within a clinical setting. The literature indicates the challenges transgender individuals face when accessing appropriate care. Amid the current political climate and rise of anti-transgender healthcare bills, clinical settings need to be inclusive of gender diverse communication and language to ensure equitable care. Therefore, this framework addresses the clinical and administrative gaps that exist through the development of two case scenarios. Furthermore, the case scenarios indicate the need for core competencies within a clinical setting. The framework recommends …

Medicine Men: Medicine Match A Program To Increase Male Participation In Targeted Areas Of The Healthcare Field, Anthony Paul Huffman

Honors Projects

The Medicine Men program addresses the imbalance in gender representation in low and middle-level healthcare careers. The program uses a website named Medicine Match to achieve this goal, which offers shadowing, talking, and additional resources with verified medical professionals. Medicine Match provides an engaging platform for individuals interested in exploring healthcare careers. The program's methodology involves creating connections between aspiring professionals, following the path of role models, fostering a sense of community, and educating and empowering target populations. Through a theoretical test and analysis, Medicine Men seeks to demonstrate its efficacy in increasing interest, knowledge, and comfort among male students …

Otherization And Healthcare: A Philosophical Analysis Of Gender-Based Discrimination In Medicine, Rachel M. Beare

Honors Thesis

Healthcare interactions are a core feature of medical practice and medicine cannot function without these relationships. Moreover, the physician-patient relationship within healthcare have revealed varying problems that arise within the interpersonal interactions. These problems were even more concerning when they showed gender discrimination occurring within medical interactions, such as workplace discrimination of female physicians, higher risk of misdiagnosing and mortality of female patients, and an overall medical culture that invalidated women. Understanding the extent of these problems was achieved through analyzing philosophical structures presented within the philosophical writings of G. W. F. Hegel and Simone de Beauvoir. Application of Hegel’s …

Culture Education Program To Improve Work Culture In Healthcare, Ngufor Fube Divine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of a culture educational intervention program in addressing toxic work culture within healthcare settings. The prevalence of toxic work environments in healthcare has been linked to adverse outcomes for both employees and patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a targeted culture educational intervention on shifting organizational culture towards more positive dimensions, specifically focusing on Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy cultures. Utilizing a quantitative quasi-experimental design, this study employed repeated measures to assess participants' perceptions of organizational culture before, immediately after, and preferred following the intervention. The sample consisted …

Cybersecurity Strategies Information Technology Leaders Use To Protect Healthcare Information Systems From Ransomware, Alejandro Ruiz-Caino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare organizations’ (HCOs’) information systems (IS) are prone to increasing ransomware cyberattacks. For HCO information technology (IT) leaders, protecting IS from ransomware attacks is vital because these systems manage large amounts of confidential and sensitive data. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore strategies used by IT leaders in HCOs to protect IS from ransomware attacks. Participants included eight IT leaders from HCOs in the United States responsible for IS protection against ransomware cyberattacks. Data sources included semistructured interviews conducted with the participants via videoconferencing, the researcher’s field notes, and 10 …

U.S. Health Care Leaders' Perceptions Of A $15 Living Wage And Its Influence On Organizational Outcomes, Mary Trenice Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, paying employees a living wage has been a salient topic for organizations, social advocacy groups, and politicians in recent years. Advocates have introduced a $15 per hour wage as an appropriate living wage. There is existing research on living wages; however, research is limited on perceptions of living wages among leadership in the health care industry. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore leaders' perceptions of a $15 living wage and its influence on organizational outcomes in the health care industry. The efficiency wage theory provided the theoretical framework for the investigation. A …

Challenges Of Cameroonian Immigrants When Accessing Mental Health Services In Los Angeles, Christiana Bibish Onjeme Elad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The California Pan- Ethnic Health Network has been undertaking community-driven research projects aimed at evaluating the immigrant communities’ barriers to accessing mental health care. The Department of Healthcare Services in Los Angeles County provides healthcare services to anyone and everyone in Los Angeles irrespective of their immigration status. My Health LA provides free healthcare services to immigrants 26 years and older who do not qualify for public health insurance like medical. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the challenges of Cameroonian immigrants when accessing mental health services in Los Angeles. The theoretical foundation of this study …

The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing Ratio Of Hospitals And Patient Satisfaction In Emergency Units, Ebele Okonkwo Onuigbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This completed quantitative research study explores the intricate relationship between nurse staffing ratios in emergency units and patient satisfaction, grounded in Donabedian's conceptual model. The primary objective was to examine the correlation between nursing staff?to-patient ratios and patient satisfaction, utilizing the Davis Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale. Employing a correlational analysis research design, the study utilized descriptive and inferential statistics, including analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), to control for factors such as nursing hours per patient day, nursing staff mix, and education/experience levels. The study's significance lies in informing healthcare managers about the pivotal role of nurse staffing in enhancing healthcare …

Be Still Method: A Mindful Intervention For Meaning-Making And Whole Person Care, Barbara O'Kelley Hock

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in promoting holistic health and well-being. Mindfulness supports whole person care by moving away from an allopathic approach to medicine, which treats only symptoms and disease, and considers the diverse physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of each patient. This paper examines the psychological and spiritual dimensions of whole person care in relationship to suffering and the transformative impact of integrating mindfulness practices to alleviate patient distress. Additionally, a mindfulness-based intervention supporting meaning-making and considering the needs of the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—will be introduced. Responding to the need for …

Lived Experiences Of People With Substance Use Disorder As Healthcare Education To Develop Empathy For This Population, Whitney Bynum

Nursing | Senior Theses

The negative attitudes and feelings of healthcare workers towards patients with substance use disorder are well documented. These include, but are not limited to, believing a person with this disease is “drug seeking”, “violent”, and “unmotivated”. While this population has challenging issues to address, these beliefs can decrease the quality of care provided and results in less people seeking out needed treatment. Reducing stigmas through alternative education methods, like learning the life story of a patient, can help health care workers develop feelings of empathy and compassion. Subsequently, this education can result in better care and outcomes for these patients. …

Expansion And Ineffectiveness: The Evolution Of The Mexican Healthcare System, Leslie Bejaran Solorio

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

In the 1917 Mexican Constitution, Article 123 Section Number 14, health became an occupational right in which the employer paid for sickness and injuries, a right advocated in the Mexican Revolution. Despite this, it was not until 1943, with the creation of Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute), that it became a reality. Following the creation of social security, other programs were established for federal workers (the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers), oil workers (Mexican Petroleum Company), and the armed forces (Ministry of National Defense and Secretariat of the Navy). Even then, the …

Bio-Bust: Investigating Biotech Stock Factors Contributing To Abnormal Returns In The Wake Of Silicon Valley Bank's Failure, Spencer Kent

CMC Senior Theses

Following the unprecedented collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in March 2023, this study explores abnormal stock price reactions within the biotechnology sector. As the chosen financial institution for countless Silicon Valley-type technology and healthcare firms, SVB's failure had a profound impact on small to mid-sized biotech companies. Analyzing a dataset of 180 biotech firms during a two-day event window over SVB’s collapse, I investigate whether exposure to SVB, or other factors, was the primary contributor to negative abnormal stock price reactions, considering variables such as the percentage of cash held at SVB, whether a firm maintained an active SVB …

Accessibility To Women’S Healthcare Services In Rural Vermont And The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leola F. Amblo

UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College Senior Theses

Closures of non-urgent healthcare services at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic greatly reduced accessibility to an already shrinking field of women’s healthcare in rural Vermont. This study aims to assess various barriers individuals currently face in accessing women’s healthcare services in rural areas of Vermont and how they are navigating a post-pandemic healthcare system. My research consisted of anonymous surveys for patients as well as interviews among healthcare providers asking about their experiences utilizing and providing services. Findings showed that there are considerable pre-existing barriers to accessing women’s healthcare in rural areas that were greatly exacerbated by the pandemic.

Sleep, Sleepiness, And Driving Performance In Healthcare Shiftworkers, Melissa Knott

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Almost half of Canadian healthcare workers are employed in rotating day/night shifts to provide essential 24-hour services. However, poor sleep quantity and quality are pervasive in shiftwork and may negatively impact cognitive functions required for driving. Furthermore, healthcare shiftworkers (HCSW) are under-represented in research examining shiftworkers’ sleep and driving performance. Thus, this dissertation examined sleep, sleepiness and driving performance in HCSW via three aims. First, chapter 2 aimed to quantify and describe HCSWs’ sleep-related driving experiences and advance the understanding of occupational adaptations used by HCSWs to meet driving demands. Second, chapter 3 aimed to quantify differences in sleep, sleepiness, …