Education Commons^™

Factors Associated With Overall Experience In Advanced-Practice Doctoral Programs, Kristi Chipman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advanced-Practice Doctoral (APD) students are working professionals who are often returning to school after several years of practice. Multiple areas and concerns may affect overall experience as well as retention rates in doctoral programs.

This mixed-methods research study utilized both qualitative (interview) and quantitative (survey) methods. Students from three different APD programs (Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Nursing) were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. The interview was used to help guide the development of a survey. Students from the three groups (n=65) were asked to participate in a one-time, non-incentivized, survey. The survey …

Person-Centered Physical Training Programs For Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: Stimulating Motivation And Participation As Essential Components Of Program Development, Monica Bolaños-Boudreau

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of two individuals with intellectual disabilities who participated in a person-centered physical training program that identified factors of motivation and influences on self-determined physical choices. The findings of this study revealed five factors that seemed to motivate participants to exercise; (a) enjoyable activities, (b) personalized program, (c) exercises that promoted health and positive self-images, (d) exercise routines that were familiar and safe, and (e) an exercise partnership with the trainer. Considering these factors of motivation, community leaders, administrators, and practitioners may promote self-determination and ultimately, impact participation by individuals with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, …

Educating For Engagement: The Influence Of Physical Therapist Education On Lifelong Learning And Professional Engagement, Raine Osborne

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare professions educational programs have a responsibility to develop professionally engaged lifelong learners. Knowledge of the factors important to the development of these desirable characteristics may inform educational leaders’ decisions about program and curriculum design. This study aimed to investigate the relation between level of education and an orientation towards lifelong learning and future professional engagement. In addition, the influence of learners’ type of motivation for continued learning, and learning goal orientation on this relation was also assessed.

A cross-sectional survey of learners from a single healthcare profession, physical therapy was conducted to investigate these relations. Physical therapist learners from …

Unheard Voices: Black Adolescents' Perceptions Of Mental Health In Urban Communities, Brian James Ludden

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mental health in the United States is a rising concern. More concerning still is the growing number of children and adolescents with serious depression and other mental health disorders (SAMHSA, 2009; Merikangas et al., 2010). Despite a growing list of proven and best-practice prevention and intervention initiatives that have been made available to children and adolescents, 80 percent of children and adolescents with a diagnosable mental health disorder will not receive services for their associated mental health concerns (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999; Cummings 2014). Children and adolescents with mental health disorders are faced with an ever-increasing …

Stories Of Challenge And Resilience: The Impact Of Ecological Factors On The Lived Experiences Of Low Income, Urban Young Adults Living With Hiv/Aids, Kathleen Anne Thoma

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning to adulthood is a challenging experience for all young adults, but especially for those who are living with HIV/AIDS and residing in low income, urban areas. Young adults, particularly those who live in low income, urban areas, have the highest rate of new HIV cases among all age groups in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of a purposive sample of young adults living with HIV/AIDS who resided in a selected low income, urban area in order to better understand how ecological and health factors presented opportunities and challenges for resilience …

The Effect Of Moral Distress On Nursing Retention In The Acute Care Setting, Cynthia L. Cummings

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study explored the relationship between moral distress, professional stress and intent to stay in the hospital setting. The study involved 234 nursing participants and was conducted via an online survey over a 90 day period. The survey tool consisted of 51 items taken from known moral distress, professional stress and intent to stay tools. The items were divided into frequency and intensity of occurrence. Various statistical measures were utilized to conclude that moral distress and professional stress factors were significant (p

Frameworks For Patient Safety In The Nursing Curriculum, Theresa Maria Chenot

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patient safety (i.e., the degree to which patients are free from accidental injury) has received a great deal of media coverage during the past few years. Professional and regulatory agencies have indicated that patient safety education should be provided to healthcare workers to improve health outcomes. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to gain a better understanding of the current status of patient safety awareness among pre-licensure nursing students. To this end, six research questions guided the study:

1. Will interpretable item constructs be identified when responses to the Healthcare Professional Patient Safety Assessment Curriculum Survey (HPPSACS) are …

Relationship Between Extent Of Extracurricular Participation, Employment, And Substance Use Among Middle And High School Students, Lynn Hunt Long

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between student use of substances and extent of participation in school and/or community sponsored sport or nonsport activity. The study also examined student substance use and extent of participation in sport or nonsport activity together with extent of employment.

Data were provided by 24,699 public school youths who attended grades 6 through 12 and completed the 2001-2002 Duval Secondary Substance Use and Violence Survey: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors. Frequency tables, crosstabulation, chi-square tests, and loglinear analysis were used to analyze the data.

The study found: (a) a higher percentage of respondents who participated in 11 …

Decision-Making In Ryan White Care Act Planning Bodies: An Analysis Of The Decision-Making Process Of The Joint Committee Of The Jacksonville Hiv/Aids Planning Council And Consortium, Andrea Clarkson Davis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine which factors and the degree to which these factors influenced the Joint Committee when deciding how much money should be allocated to the different services funded by the Ryan White CARE Act. This study focused on the possible explicit and implicit factors influencing the decision-making process and interactions of the members of the HIV/AIDS Joint Prioritization & Allocation Committee in the decisions that were being made on behalf of the people who are infected and affected by this disease.

The methodology included a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, utilizing surveys, coding …

Nurse Practitioner Professional Autonomy: Relationship Between Structural Autonomy And Attitudinal Autonomy, Dolores C. Jones

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the possible components of structural autonomy that influence Nurse Practitioners' (NPs) perceptions of independence in practice. The components identified were NP state regulatory practices, educational background, and managed care environment. The study explored the relationship between NP structural autonomy as it relates to the above components and attitudinal autonomy as it relates to perceptions of independence in practice. A conceptual framework derived from a review of the literature demonstrated the possible relationships.

The investigator employed a mail survey to collect data from certified NPs in six eastern and mid-eastern states. …