Higher Education Commons^™

Minoritized Medical Students' Integration Of Professional Identities: A Phenomenological Study, Travis Erickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study fills a gap in the extant literature by exploring how medical students with minoritized identities make meaning about sense of self-definition and emerging professional identities while enrolled in medical school. More specifically, the focus of this study explored how minoritized medical students perceived their sense of self and dimensions of identity were shaped during their medical education, and what perceptions these medical students had about how they manage their professional identity development. Emergent themes included: (a) making connections between self-definition and professional identities, (b) past experience of difference shaping identities, (c) self-definition with complexity, (d) fluidity as …

Exploring Nursing Faculty Perceived Individual And Organizational Readiness To Use Online Simulation As A Teaching Strategy, Luz-Patricia Torres

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Problem: Academic institutions have employed online simulations in nursing education to meet the needs of the growing nursing student population and demands for distance learning. While some nursing educators have been trained to use simulation learning experiences, few have specific training in applying online simulation as a teaching strategy. With a dearth of evidence in the literature specific to the use of online simulation in nursing education, exploring nursing faculty's perceived individual and organizational readiness to do so is warranted to optimize the use of this innovation.

Purpose: This study explored the nursing faculty's perceived individual and organizational readiness …

Transformational Leadership Approach For Encouraging Historically Marginalized Communities To Access Admission To Naturopathic Medicine, Baljit Khamba

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Many healthcare training institutions lack cultural diversity, including naturopathic medicine. One potential reason is a lack of historically marginalized individuals applying to these medical schools. Attracting communities of colour to healthcare professions, like naturopathic medicine is important for improving healthcare access and delivery across all individuals within North America. This OIP explores the lack of diversity in applicants to the naturopathic medical program at a large multi-centre institution. The role that education and mentorship of faculty members can play to improve implicit biases and eventually encourage historically marginalized individuals to apply to the program is explored. Moreover, the OIP presents …

About Dying And Death: Thanatology's Place In Medical Curriculum, Jill Dombroski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explored how healthcare providers engage in advance care planning and end-of-life care conversations. The research explored what shapes their understanding and the extent to which concepts from thanatology they intuitively bring in, explicitly bring in, and maybe fail to recognize. To achieve this, constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology guided the design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the findings, which allowed for iteration across interviews and analysis with existing theories and data in the literature. The CGT design encouraged further engagement with the literature in an ongoing iterative fashion as well as with the analysis of the data. …

The Dynamics Of A Full-Time Academician: Teaching, Scholarship & Service, Jalissa Nicole Black

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

Academia by definition is “an environment or community concerned with pursuing research, education, and scholarship” (Oxford Languages, n.d.). In higher education, such as graduate-level studies, academia is a system fostering the growth in knowledge and practicality of students aiming to be of professional standing, however, academia from a full-time faculty member standpoint is to also be a life-long learner and pursuer of knowledge as well. My doctoral capstone experience (DCE) took place under the guidance of Christina Kane, EdD, MS, OTR/L, a full-time faculty member at Nova Southeastern University where she acts as Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, Academic Professor, and Advisor …

Hidden In Plain Sight: Finding A Balance Between Assessment And Learning In Competency-Based Education In Canadian Health Care, Scott Murray

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Due to its emphasis on skill development and alignment with workforce demands, competency-based education (CBE) has garnered considerable attention in recent years. My organizational improvement plan (OIP) focuses on the potential benefits of incorporating learners’ voices into CBE in Canadian medical education and proposes a corresponding implementation framework. The traditional CBE model often lacks a critical component: the learner’s voice. My OIP reviews the literature and outlines its theoretical underpinnings (e.g., systems theory, adult education theory) within the scope of authentic leadership. The findings suggest incorporating learners’ voices into CBE to boost engagement, motivation, and agency. In response to such …

Exploring The Experiences Of Underrepresented Students Pursuing Health-Related Graduate Or Professional Programs, Alison Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many years graduate and professional education programs for the health professions have sought to increase the diversity of their student body to include students from a wider variety of backgrounds. Increasing the diversity of healthcare providers is an essential component of addressing inequities in healthcare. However, despite initiatives to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the health professions, these professions remain largely White and female. Previous researchers have sought to identify the reasons that racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in healthcare, and the barriers to persistence and success. Little research exists explaining why men are underrepresented in the …

Neurodiagnostic Program Director Perceptions On Low Enrollments, Daniella Krantz

Student Dissertations

Higher education enrollments have trended downward over the last several years and fallen further due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem addressed in this study was low student enrollment in neurodiagnostic programs in the United States, resulting in an increasing shortage of neurodiagnostic professionals working in the field. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of neurodiagnostic program directors and their views on the low enrollments in neurodiagnostic programs in the United States. A descriptive qualitative design was used to understand the perspectives of these program directors. Human capital theory, the theory …

Exploring Methods To Reduce Stress In College Students: Dog-Assisted Therapy, Ashley A. Green

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many young adults find their college years to be highly stressful. The American College Health Association (2021) found 48% of college students reported moderate to severe levels of psychological stress. Research has found that chronic stress, commonly found in the college population, can adversely affect the health and academic performance of college students (Campbell & Svenson, 1992). Universities have begun experimenting with and adopting a variety of strategies to help students manage stressors associated with college attendance. These initiatives have included relatively well-researched procedures such as meditation and yoga as well as emerging practices. Recently, some colleges have begun testing …

Systemic, Institutional, And Teaching Factors In The Delivery Of Interprofessional Education Curriculum In Canada, Mohammad B. Azzam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Canadian federal and several provincial governments are currently collaborating to establish ‘team-based’ primary healthcare—or interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP), which can be effectively accomplished when interprofessional education (IPE) is sustainably delivered by health and social care (HASC) professional education programs. Indeed, achieving the intended patient/client-oriented outcomes of IPE and subsequent IPCP requires deliberate and purposeful considerations of several systemic, institutional, and teaching factors. Regrettably, the analyses of the extent to which these factors have influenced effective IPCP is currently under-researched. In this integrated-article dissertation, we took a purposeful and systematic approach to explore the extent to which these multi-tiered factors …

Transforming School-Based Mental Health To Heal The Collective Soul Wound, Andrea L. Holowka

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Pervasive well-being concerns of youth in Alberta are steadily contributing to society’s collective soul wound. In response to this growing need, K-12 systems are faced with increased demands for school-based mental health services. Public Prairie School Division (PPSD) provides student mental health intervention needs through onsite access to school-based teacher counsellors and referrals to centralized psychologists. However, decisions regarding mental health practitioner allocations or practice standards are often left to individuals and generally follow historical practice. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) problematizes PPSD’s lack of system-wide approaches to mental health interventions that can provide assurance of improved efficacy and equity …

The Effect Of Intercollegiate Athletic Departments Switching Conferences, Austin Fischer

Master of Science in Kinesiology

College conference realignment has been and will be an imposing threat to universities and colleges across all division levels. With significant money to be had in intercollegiate athletics, Athletic Directors (ADs) are looking to position themselves and their university in the most optimal position to elevate their schools’ athletic brands. The literature review for this study utilized Concordia’s online research library platform, as well as recent news articles regarding conference realignment. With college athletics media valuation continuing to increase, one can draw the conclusion that conference realignment is here to stay. This project was designed to ask Athletic Directors and …

Development Of Neuraxial Anesthesia Educational Videos For Nurse Anesthesia Students, Mackenzie Schutt, Kaylie Lajeunesse

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Development of Neuraxial Anesthesia Educational Videos for Nurse Anesthesia Students

Kaylie LaJeunesse, BSN, RN, SRNA & Mackenzie Schutt, BSN, RN, SRNA

Performance and evaluation of anesthetic procedures, specifically neuraxial anesthesia, are core components of nurse anesthesia curriculums. Teaching methods must provide nurse anesthesia students with the proper tools and knowledge to perform skills confidently and proficiently. Traditional teaching methods have fallen short of providing the necessary instruction for optimal student success. Incorporating video-learning resources on neuraxial anesthesia into course curriculums can significantly improve nurse anesthesia practice by better-preparing students for the clinical setting. Video learning increases student engagement and facilitates …

Facilitating Learner Engagement And Success Through Collaborative Study Guides In Online Nursing Graduate Courses, Yolany Lizzeth Lagos Ortiz

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

This mixed methods study sought to explore how graduate nursing students engaged with a study guide intervention to determine the relationship between the intervention and students' performance in the end-of-course assessment and their perceptions of cognitive presence and social presence in a fully online graduate evidence-based methods nursing course. This study used a quantitative-driven mixed-methods concurrent research design. The 371 students enrolled in the 28 course sections were invited to participate. 325 students were engaging with the study guide, and 192 responded to the questionnaire. In quantitative analysis, the independent variables in this study were students' responses and views to …

Therapeutic Approaches To Working With Perinatal Loss Clients: A Grounded Theory Study, Heather H. Olivier

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal loss (i.e., miscarriage, stillbirth, termination, and infant death) is commonly referred to in the literature as an invisible loss, non-loss, and even medical event. It is an ambiguous loss exhibiting the dialectical contradiction between the physical absence and psychological presence of the baby accompanied by disenfranchised grief, a reaction to a loss that is unacknowledged by society. Despite the likelihood of mental health clinicians working with clients who have experienced perinatal loss, there has yet to be a therapeutic model designed specifically for the unique grief and trauma reactions presented in this population. Existing grief models do not address …

Increasing College Students Awareness Of Technologies Impacts In Their Daily Lives, Melissa Gutierrez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many college students today may spend an excessive amount of time on technology. Excessive technology may leave an impact on their mental and physical health leading to poor eating habits or obesity, anxiety and can even have an impact on their academics. When college students learn about how to manage their technology use, it is likely they will focus more on the negative impacts to benefit their health and wellbeing. To address the overuse of technology, I created a one-day workshop for Theta Alpha Sigma sorority college students at Cal State Monterey Bay.

Prevention Of Obesity-Related Morbidity & Mortality In Adults, Rachelle Virgin

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Poster presentation on the prevention of obesity related morbidity and mortality in adults.

Hepatitis Screening, Kathryn Bland

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Project on hepatitis screening.

Older Adults And Opioids, Elba L. Scherer

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Elba L. Scherer on April 27, 2023.

From College To University: Nursing Students' Experience Of Transition, Mary Anne Krahn

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Increasingly complex healthcare systems require nurses to have a greater depth of knowledge and theory application to care for patients safely and competently. To prepare nurses for rapidly changing health care systems, the baccalaureate degree was accepted by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) as the standard for entry to Registered Nurse practice across Canada and became the entry-to-practice requirement starting in 2005 (Wood, 2011).

In Ontario, this entry-to-practice standard required the development of college and university collaborative partnerships to respond to the resulting implementation and capacity challenges in nursing education (MacMillan & Mallette, 2004). Although these partnerships have been in …

Developing A Pediatric Weight Management Program In Primary Care, Alyssa Bosse

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The practicum was completed at Central Ohio Primary Care Physicians (COPC), a large group of physician owned primary care practices. COPC would like to start a program for pediatric weight management utilizing their three pediatric Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). The first step was collecting data to see any improvements that are needed from the current nutrition program. The second step was reviewing the literature on pediatric weight management to ensure the new program is evidenced-based. All steps were evaluated by COPC leadership and collaborated with internal company resources.

Leadership, Policy Development And Emr Utilization In At Services At Heidelberg University, Matallyn Overmyer

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The practicum is being completed with Heidelberg University AT Services. I started January 2023 and plan to finish April 2023. I am working directly with Tyson Depinet, Coordinator of AT Services, to learn more about roles and responsibilities of a collegiate head athletic trainer. Emphasized areas of focus: - EMR Administrative Utilization - Policy Development - Leadership & Managemen

Acute Otitis Media, Allie Luther

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Learning about Acute Otitis Media

Nutritional Management: Head And Neck Cancer, Christina Eagle

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Nutritional management in head and neck cancer patients will help to promote treatment compliance and reduction of treatment-related co-morbidities.

Hypertension, Bethany Stemen

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Hypertension is dangerous and known as the silent killer. It can be managed with proper healthy life choices.

The Effect Of Fatigue On Lower Extremity Joint Kinematics And Performance, Sarah Alloto

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Within recent years there has been an increase in the number of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries within female athletes (Learning how ACL, 2022). The ACL is a ligamentous structure within the knee that connects the femur and the tibia (Mayo, 2022). Its primary function is to provide stability, prevent the tibia from excessive anterior translation, and provide proprioceptive input for the lower limb (Mayo, 2022). ACL injuries are multifactorial in nature, meaning they can be the result of faulty biomechanics, individual genetic predisposition, or environmental factors (Alentorn- Geli et al., 2009). ACL injuries can be classified into two categories: …

Lung Cancer Screening In Primary Care, Ellen Macdonald

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

A chart audit was completed in a central Ohio primary care office to evaluate the compliance of lung cancer screening according to guidelines set forth by the USPSTF.

Mir125a As Molecular Target Of Vitamin D Mediated Inhibition Of Cd4+ T Cell Differentiation Into Th17 Cells In Mrl/Lpr Lupus-Prone Mice, Miranda Hilt

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The dynamic function of vitamin D in an array of immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms and its implication in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases has been the topic of much recent scholarship. Here I attempt to elucidate the molecular mechanism of vitamin D-mediated inhibition of the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into pro-inflammatory Th17 cells in MRL/lpr lupus prone mice by investigating how miR-125a expression is affected by dietary modulation of cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃). MRL/MpJ and MRL/lpr mice were split into three experimental groups and fed specially formulated diets that varied in their concentrations of vitamin D. …

The Investigation Of First-Year Wellness Programming In College To Reduce Stress And Anxiety Levels, Charlotte Muriel

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The COVID-19 pandemic brought mental health to light, although college students have long been experiencing mental health struggles. First-year experience courses have been shown to relieve some of the stresses associated with the college transition (Holliday, 2014); however, the existing programming does not meet the needs of college students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the increased need for mental health services and counseling on college campuses, there is a need for additional support for students dealing with wellness concerns.

This action research study used a three-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods design. Phase One included two audio-recorded focus group …

Implications Of Lgbtq Identity On Help-Seeking In College Students, Matthew T. Allen

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

LGBTQ individuals find themselves experiencing both mental and physical health concerns at disproportionate rates than cisgender and heterosexual individuals. However, LGBTQ individuals have been shown to seek help for these concerns. Studies examining this phenomenon on college campuses have focused predominantly on mental health concerns. This study hoped to look at both physical and mental health concerns and determine the implications of an LGBTQ identity on help-seeking behavior in college students. The study utilized quantitative research methods through targeted snowball sampling on social media and email. At the conclusion of the collection period, 61 participants completed a survey that included …