Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Adaptations And Transformations: Perceptions Of Change In Academic Motivation, Resilience, And Covid-19 Stress, Ella V. Gregorio

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Of concern to educators, post-COVID-19 assessments have revealed significant achievement gaps in student performance, as well as significant decreases in adolescent mental health. Less is known about changes in achievement motivation. Here we ask how students perceive their own motivation and whether it changed between “before” the pandemic to the present (Fall 2022 - Spring 2023), about three years after the beginning of the pandemic when many school routines were returning to “normal.” To understand how variance in these perceived changes might be related to pandemic-related stressors, trait resilience, and current mental health, we conducted a large survey study (N …

Analyzing The Cognitive Complexity Of The Questions On The Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles Exam, Lauren Zirpoli

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This convergent parallel mixed methods study with qualitative and quantitative content analysis was conducted to analyze and describe the cognitive complexity of the publicly released Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles Exam questions compared to the language of higher-order thinking found in research literature. Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix was used to determine the frequency and percentage of questions categorized as higher-order thinking within each cell of the matrix. The qualitative method consisted of content analysis of the language of each question analyzed, followed by deductive coding, and culminated with categorizing the depth and type of thinking required on Hess’ Cognitive Rigor …

A Comparative Analysis Of Japan And United States School Lunch Programs, Julie Phillips

Honors Theses

Question: Are school lunch policies and programs in Japan beneficial and applicable to the United States?

Main points: Japan has a certification program that allows dietitians to teach nutrition. Japan also includes agricultural experiences as part of its academic curriculum to promote holistic development in students.

Conclusion: The School Lunch program in the United States would benefit from providing an avenue through which dietitians are able to teach students nutrition and from increasing the number of schools involved in Farm to School so that more students have experiences with nature.

Evidence Based Practice Change To Incorporate A Standardized Process Checklist For Fecal Microbiota Therapy (Fmt) To Increase Staff Adherence, Alicia Gomez

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Staff adherence to new procedures is crucial for ensuring patient safety, maintaining quality care, reducing risks and liabilities, and fostering a positive organizational culture that supports continuous improvement. Having a procedure done safely for patients infected with C.diff provides an overall benefit to the healthcare system.

PICOT: In an endoscopy lab staffed with nurses and surgical technicians (P), does the implementation of a new standardized process of administering FDA approved Fecal Microbiota Transplant Therapy (I) compared to the current process (C), increase staff adherence to the process (O) over 12 weeks(T)?

Evidence: Leadership, supervision, and organizational culture are …

A Multiple-Site Case Inquiry To Identify The Attributes Of Socio-Academic Culture In Successful Entry-To-Practice Respiratory Therapy Programs, Thomas D. Jones

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Background: Organizational structure and culture have been explored extensively in higher education. Nonacademic factors influence student engagement, motivation, and success. Research describing socio-academic culture in health professions programs is limited. Achievement of fundamental social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies empowers students to learn and achieve educational goals. SEL has not been established as a theoretical framework in health professions education. SEL competencies closely align with respiratory therapy (RT) learner needs and essential professional skills. Attributes of socio-academic culture in successful RT programs and their impact on student success are unknown. Objective: To identify the attributes of socio-academic culture in successful entry-to-practice respiratory …

Coping Strategies And Stress Of The Undergraduate Nursing Student In The Clinical Setting: An Evidence Based Practice Quantitative Study, Ashley Calverley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of perceived stress and coping behaviors related to first-semester clinical might benefit students in nursing education. The assessment of most common coping behaviors and perceived stress related to the clinical setting is essential due to difference in personalities, learning abilities, and coping behaviors among nursing students today. Previous research has suggested the initial clinical period results in adverse outcomes, such as poor academic performance, elevated burnout levels, and diminished personal well-being. These factors are detrimental to academic success in nursing programs. Evidence supports that helping students develop positive stress/coping abilities will aid in adapting in both the academic …

Evaluating A High School Mrsa Prevention Program: A Case Study, Jamie Henning

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

MRSA poses a significant health risk to athletes nationwide. This case study examines the application of an online training module to address knowledge gaps regarding Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among key decision-makers for high school athletes. It reviews the development and initial evaluation of a web-based training program designed to empower decision-makers with the knowledge to prevent MRSA infection and respond to suspected cases. Program evaluation recommended expanding the training module to wrestling staff with improved evaluation methods while continuing implementation and effectiveness assessment for the football staff. Despite initial data quality limitations, the online training module evaluation offered valuable …

Improving Nutrition Screening Practice In The Hospitalized Heart Failure Patient Population, Amanda J. Bourgeois

DNP Projects

Background: Heart Failure is a disease known to affect nearly 6.5 million adults in the United States. Characterized by recurrent hospitalizations, heart failure significantly contributes to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the United States and worldwide. Because malnutrition is prevalent in the heart failure population, healthcare providers must perform nutritional assessments on admission to intervene in the case of malnutrition, prevent deterioration, and improve patient prognosis. Without intervention and early identification of malnutrition, heart failure hospitalizations will remain a significant problem.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based educational program for cardiac …

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 …

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 …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Recent Educational Foundations Requirements By The Commission On Accreditation In Physical Therapy Education For Program Directors Of Physical Therapist Assistant Programs, Sharan Dawn Zirges

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

On November 2015, the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) published position papers for the 2016 changes to the CAPTE standards. One of these position papers discussed the changes in the 2016 standards related to the qualifications for the position of a program director (PD) for a physical therapist assistant. A specific qualification requirement was added stating “experience in educational theory and methodology, instructional design, student evaluation and outcome assessment, including the equivalent of nine academic (semester) credits of coursework in educational foundations.” The effectiveness of this additional requirement has to date not been assessed. The purpose of …

Allied Health Faculty Members’ Perspective On Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Prajakta Khare-Ranade, Margaret Newsham Beckley, Mary Geders Falcetti

Dissertations

A framework for interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) (WHO, 2010) in response to the need to address the complicated conditions that exist in today’s health systems. Much of the focus of today’s health service delivery is predicated on the social determinants of health (Barzansky et al., 2019), which refer to the environmental conditions associated with where people are born, live, go to school, work, play, age, and worship that have an impact on health, function, quality of life, and risks (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). IPCP is thought to be the only approach effective …

Special Education: Inclusion And Exclusion In The K-12 U.S. Educational System, Erik Brault

Dissertations

The U.S. Department of Education defines students with disabilities as those having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities. Previous research has found that students with disabilities placed in inclusive environments perform better academically and socially compared to students with disabilities who are placed in segregated environments. Yet, we know that inclusion in K-12 general education classrooms across the country is not consistently implemented.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the effects, if any, of general education high school teachers’ personal and professional experiences and knowledge on their attitudes toward educating …

Educating Medical-Surgical Nurses In A Large Hospital Organization On Sepsis Bundle Elements, Christopher N. Guinto

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Results from a voluntarily anonymous pre-survey about sepsis revealed that a majority of the seventeen nurses assessed themselves below an "expert knowledge '' level. The survey results present an opportunity to improve the nurses’ knowledge and confidence in nursing response and improve patient outcomes with sepsis.

Context: The quality improvement (QI) project was conducted on a medical-surgical unit in a large Northern California hospital.

Intervention: A QI team initiated evidenced-based practice research and created an educational sepsis handout for nurses to increase sepsis knowledge and confidence.

Measures: The self-assessment pre-survey would be compared to the responses from the post-survey. …

Implementation Of A Nurse-Led Clinical Algorithm For Pressure Injury Prevention Associated With Non-Invasive Ventilation Medical Device Use, Capri Steinkuhler, Kaitlin Rogge

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Purpose and Aims

Medical device related pressure injuries (PI) account for as much as 61-81% of all hospital reported wound incidents (Gefen et al., 2020) and are frequently caused by respiratory devices such as non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Use of NIV in critically ill patients dramatically increased during the pandemic. PI are one of the leading causes of injury to hospitalized patients and lengthens hospital stays (National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel [NPIAP], 2019). The NPIAP recommends routine skin assessment under devices, proper mask fit, protective barrier, moisture reduction, and interdisciplinary collaboration to prevent PIs from NIV masks. This feasibility study’s purpose …

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 …

Perceptions Of Preparedness Among New Graduate Nurses: Traditional Curriculum Versus Concept-Based Curriculum, Ashley A. Wheeler, Steven Busby, David Phillippi, Tammy Legge

DNP Scholarly Projects

Concept-based curriculum (CBC) is a newer trend in nursing education curriculum aimed at preparing new graduates to enter the workforce as generalist nurses better suited to care for a more medically complex population. Using CBC, students are introduced to concepts in order to build conceptual understandings as they engage in knowledge and skill learning, as opposed to a traditional nursing curriculum that is taught in sections grouped by patient population and medical complexity. At a nursing school housed within a private university in the southeast, the traditional nursing curriculum was replaced with CBC in 2016. To better understand the preparedness …

Nursing Faculty Perceptions Of Stress, Coping, And Intent To Leave The Profession In The Ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Study, Lynlee Morgan

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all of society to varying degrees; this impact was especially true in higher education due to an overnight transition to distance learning and incessant pivots to meet new guidelines and overcome obstacles. Nursing faculty were significantly impacted due to the responsibility of producing safe, qualified, competent practitioners to provide care in the clinical setting. The limitations in or exclusions from clinical experiences combined with the fact that faculty were managing personal concerns and had never encountered these unprecedented conditions exacerbated the challenge of preparing new nurses. This study was critical due to the faculty role and …

Well-Being In Graduate Health Professions Education: Exploration Of Programmatic Interventions, The Student Experience, And Students’ Support Preferences, Katherine Schultz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Healthcare provider well-being is a growing area of professional concern. Beyond the negative impacts on the clinicians’ health, stress, burnout, and other manifestations of decreased clinician well-being can directly affect the quality of patient care. Research suggests that well-being concerns begin in graduate health professions education programs, during which students undergo rigorous academic and clinical training for future careers as clinicians. The aim of this study was to explore programmatic interventions to promote well-being in graduate health professions education and the students’ experiences of well-being while enrolled in graduate health professions programs.

This study was conducted across three phases. Phase …

Evaluating Healthcare Student Learning Performance During The Initial Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study, Maria D. Garcia-Villarreal

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a mass interruption to daily life lasting almost an entire academic year. Return to normalcy was hard won and phased over the following academic year. Neither time-period offered “traditional” learning experiences in academic institutions. The extent to which the operational shut-down affected academic institutions and their learners is just now beginning to be elucidated. Human resource development (HRD) is uniquely positioned to apply established and newly developed theories and applications to the study of this phenomenon. One particular case lends itself to observation. A major academic medical center launched a technology-driven state-of-the-art simulation education center mere …

Overcoming Barriers To Private-Public Partnerships, Lavina Valentine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

SA is an organization that promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. As a small organization, it continues to look for partnerships that allow the expansion and development of this educational coursework. The organization faces barriers to receiving private and public partnerships. In this professional administrative study, barriers were identified and addressed. Opportunities to improve the availability of collaborations and effective partnerships for this organization were also addressed, expressing the significant benefit that the community receives. The evidence drawn from scholarly resources, quantitative research, and articles highlighted the importance of STEM subjects, and their role in their community. The …

Assessing 4-H And Its Circle Of Courage In A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility: A Case Study, Elizabeth Steering

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This 4-H case study takes place in a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) in Kentucky. The PRTF provides clinical services to youth that are not able to be safely maintained in their homes due to having demonstrated unsafe or harmful behaviors. Youth admitted to the PRTF stay for an average of three to six months while they receive intensive therapeutic and psychiatric care as well as medical treatment and public schooling. The current case study incorporates programming from 4-H, which is the youth development program of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), …

Improving Elementary Nutrition Education Curriculum In San Francisco - A Program Analysis Of The Food Education Project, Audrey N. Chang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Childhood obesity and food insecurity are problems within San Francisco, California. The purpose of this program analysis is to assess the Food Education Project (FEP), which is one of many projects addressing nutrition education and the long-term public health impact is to solve the problems of food insecurity and childhood obesity. Through primary data collection, students shared their honest feelings about food and were able to openly discuss what they know and do not know about food. A literature review was conducted through research from various databases from the University of San Francisco to identify not only current interventions but …

Using The Social-Ecological Model To Better Understand Sexual Assertiveness Among Undergraduate Women At An Institution Of Higher Education In The Southeastern United States, Lisa Wright

Dissertations

This study examined sexual assertiveness among female undergraduate students at an institution of higher education in the southeastern United States from the context of the social-ecological model. An online survey instrument examined sexual assertiveness, sexual communication self-efficacy, campus climate, and sexual scripts. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between these variables and all variables significantly predicted sexual assertiveness individually, but when examining the relationships collectively, only sexual communication self-efficacy and campus climate remained significant predictors of sexual assertiveness.

Indirectly And Directly Involved Students' Perspectives On Multi-Modal Communication Treatment In Persons With Aphasia, Emily Lewis

Honors Theses

Our study investigated the perspectives of students who were either directly or indirectly involved in the Multi-modal communication treatment (MCT) sessions for persons with aphasia. Two undergraduate and two graduate students were recruited from the University of Mississippi who participated in the MCT sessions. We collected their perspectives through semi-structured interviews and used thematic qualitative analysis to analyze our data. We reported themes from the indirectly involved students and the directly involved students and compared how the themes were similar and different between the indirectly and directly involved students. We discussed that both direct and indirect experience for clinical therapy …

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Education: A New Mexico Case Study For Equity And Inclusion, Kimberly A. Scheerer

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This research addresses how student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) education activities encourages underrepresented minority student achievement in STEM career field trajectories. Seven New Mexico high school counselors and 12 STEM organization personnel were interviewed during this study. Their responses represent the nuanced professional voices where New Mexico public education intersects with STEM student interest and cultural influence.

For students, STEM PBL can foster deep integration across educational disciplines and enhance STEM career trajectory interest and readiness. STEM education converged with PBL methodologies has the ability to leverage community support while broadening student networks. …

Use Of The Prepare Tool To Increase Completion Rates Of Advance Care Planning Documentation, Janella Thompson

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: One in three adults aged 55 and older admitted to the hospital lack advance care planning. Patients without advance care planning may not receive treatment that reflects their personal values, wishes, and preferences

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was in adults 65 years or older (P), how does the implementation of a patient-centered web-based advance planning tool kit (I) compared to the usual practice of addressing advance care planning (C), affect the completion rate of advance care planning documentation (O) within 10 weeks (T).

Evidence: The current evidence has demonstrated that advanced care …

Implementing A Pressure Injury Prevention Bundle To Decrease Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries In An Adult Medical-Surgical Unit, Laura Brock

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Pressure injuries affect approximately 2.5 million people in the United States and cost the American healthcare system more than $11.6 billion annually. Healthcare organizations have sanctions placed on them by government agencies to minimize the occurrence of pressure injuries to reduce financial burdens and poor patient outcomes.

Purpose: The project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired pressure injuries after implementing a pressure injury prevention bundle over eight weeks in a medical-surgical unit in a rural hospital in Alabama.

Methods: This quality improvement project consisted of three key components: educating nurses to …

Effect Of The Virtual Simulation Paired Prebriefing-Debriefing Strategy On Nursing Students’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions And Virtual Simulation Performance In The Care Of Patients Experiencing A Myocardial Infarction, Laura M. Penalo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Through the use of virtual simulations (VS) in nursing education, nursing students are exposed to a variety of clinical scenarios that may potentially improve their learning of competencies, increase their self-efficacy, and enhance their future clinical performance. Despite limited quantitative research incorporating evidence-based strategies such as prebriefing and debriefing as part of the VS experience, this educational technology continues to gain popularity. In 2020, the use of VS in the nursing curriculum exponentially increased when the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted traditional in-person clinicals, laboratory, and human patient simulation (HPS) experiences. Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs have benefited from the use …