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Virtual Reality: The Future Of Didactic And Experiential Education For Nutrition And Dietetics, Michael Holik, Dexter Richardson

Journal of Dietetic Education

The integration of virtual reality (VR) into nutrition and dietetics education provides an innovative answer to challenges in accessing experiential learning. This study examined student perceptions of immersive VR experiences designed to simulate hospital foodservice operations and nutrition counseling sessions, guided by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI). A quasi-experimental design involved 55 participants who engaged with 360° VR modules featuring interactive elements, avatars representing key healthcare roles, and embedded critical-thinking questions. Results demonstrated strong support for VR’s educational value across DOI’s five key attributes: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Participants reported enhanced understanding of registered dietitian roles, …

Cover, Table Of Contents, About The Journal

Journal of Dietetic Education

No abstract provided.

From Overwhelmed To Empowered: An Emotional Regulation Program To Enhance Social Participation In Young Women With Autism And Adhd, Daisy Lee, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr, Jessica Hale

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

From Overwhelmed to Empowered is a program developed an occupation-based emotional regulation program for young adult women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the transition to adulthood. The purpose of the project was to address the need for interventions that support emotional regulation as a foundation for meaningful social participation, independence, and successful role engagement.

The project involved the development and pilot implementation of an eight-week program consisting of weekly 60-minute group sessions and individualized coaching sessions. Program content focused on emotional awareness, mood and motivation, cognitive strategies, anxiety management, sensory regulation, communication, healthy boundaries, and …

Fraction-Seq: An Integrated Experimental And Computational Workflow For Determining The Localization And Abundance Of Small Non-Coding Rnas In Subcellular Compartments, Siddhartha Shah, Tess Cherlin, Yi Jing, Stepan Nersisyan, Benjamin E. Leiby, Isidore Rigoutsos

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) have garnered considerable attention in recent years, following accumulating evidence of their critical roles in many cellular processes. Among sncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) and their isoforms (isomiRs), tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), rRNA-derived fragments (rRFs), and Y RNA-derived fragments (yRFs) account for more than 95% of all sncRNAs found in cells. Despite their critical regulatory roles, most sncRNAs remain uncharacterized because their functionalization is a lengthy and challenging undertaking. Knowing an sncRNA's abundance helps prioritize among the various choices, while knowing where it localizes in the cell greatly limits the number and identity of its potential targets and helps …

Integrating Matrescence Into Birth Worker Practice: A Practice Improvement Project, Kelsey B. Green

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect 20–25% of mothers worldwide and are a leading cause of maternal complications. Stigma, fragmented care, and limited provider training leave families vulnerable, while birth workers offer trusted, continuous support.

Problem: Birth workers' maternal mental health (MMH) training is minimal and often excludes matrescence, the developmental transition to motherhood, limiting their ability to distinguish normal adjustment from clinical PMADs and delaying intervention.

Methods: A single-group, pre-/post-test design evaluated a matrescence-informed workshop at Roots Community Health's 2nd Annual Symposium. Anonymous surveys measured knowledge, attitudes, and confidence, analyzed with Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and …

An Online Epilepsy Self-Management Tool For Patients With Epilepsy: A Formative Usability Study, Katarzyna Czerniak, Ross Shegog, Refugio Sepulveda, Robert Addy, Youngran Kim, Sahiti Myneni, Alejandra Garcia-Quintana, Kimberly Martin, David M Labiner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Epilepsy is a serious chronic neurological condition with no permanent cure. Continual self-management is important to mitigate seizure frequency and optimize quality of life in people with epilepsy who have greater disparities in accessing epilepsy care. The Management Information & Decision Support Epilepsy Tool (MINDSET [UTHealth, University of Arizona, and Radiant Digital]) was developed to enhance accessibility to epilepsy self-management (ESM) assessment and treatment. The purpose of this formative usability pilot study was to assess the user experience and functionality of MINDSET 2.0, an enhanced cross-platform online version of MINDSET, among a sample of patients with epilepsy prior to …

Prescription Opioid Misuse Among High School Athletes During The Opioid Prescribing Limit Law Era: Yrbss 2017-2023, Francine R Vega, Andrea J Yatsco, Audrey Sarah Cohen, James R Langabeer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Rakshitha Vijendra, Christine Bakos-Block

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: School-age athletes occupy a paradoxical position in the adolescent opioid crisis, combining health-oriented activity with elevated risk of sports-related injury and prescription opioid exposure. In response to the opioid epidemic, states enacted opioid prescribing limit laws (OPLLs) beginning in 2016-2017, yet whether these supply-side policies reached high-risk youth subgroups remains unclear. This study evaluated national temporal trends in prescription opioid misuse among U.S. high school students during the period of OPLL implementation and examined differences across athletic participation, concussion history, sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and substance-use profiles.

Methods: Using four biennial waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System with …

Reducing Primary Cesarean Births Among Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex (Ntsv) Patients Through Structured Multidisciplinary Communication, Toyin Ajani

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Primary cesarean birth among nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) patients remained a persistent quality and safety concern in obstetric care. Unnecessary cesarean birth was associated with increased maternal morbidity, neonatal complications, prolonged recovery, higher healthcare costs, and adverse outcomes in subsequent pregnancies. Problem: A Northern California labor and delivery unit identified an elevated NTSV cesarean birth rate of 26.8%, exceeding the national benchmark of approximately 23%. Variability in provider communication, inconsistent labor management practices, and lack of standardized interdisciplinary collaboration contributed to this quality gap. Context: The project was conducted in a high-volume labor and delivery microsystem serving a …

Improving Peer Feedback Participation Through Psychological Safety Interventions In Labor & Delivery Nurses, Lindsey C. Hora

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract 

Background: Labor and Delivery (L&D) units require effective communication, speaking up, and team learning to support safe care. Psychological safety informed this quality improvement project as a contextual strategy to strengthen peer feedback engagement.  

Problem: Peer feedback participation among eligible L&D registered nurses at a large acute care hospital in Santa Clara, California, was 14.29% (N = 112) below the 30% project target and 80% organizational target. Low participation limited routine feedback for professional development, recognition, and team learning.

Interventions: Interventions included psychological safety education, peer feedback reinforcement, workflow integration, platform navigation support, dedicated completion time, and unit champions. …

Optimizing Life Care Planning For Palliative Home Health Care Patients, Lilian Muraya

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: In this home health palliative microsystem, many seriously ill patients begin care without timely goals‑of‑care conversations or documented advance directives, leading to fragmented communication and potentially avoidable emergency visits and rehospitalizations.

Context: This quality improvement project took place in a hospital-based home health palliative care program in Northern California, where an interdisciplinary team identified inconsistent Life Care Planning (LCP) practices and variable staff comfort with conducting goals‑of‑care discussions.

Intervention: A structured LCP workflow was developed so that newly admitted palliative home health patients receive a goals‑of‑care discussion and advance directive review within 7 days of start …

Same-Day Cancellation Reduction In An Ambulatory Surgery Unit, Anthone Dalit Vengersammy

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Same-day surgical cancellations in the outpatient surgery setting remain a significant operational and patient care challenge. Preventable cancellations negatively affect patient experience, operating room efficiency, staff productivity, and healthcare costs. 

Context: A microsystem and organizational culture assessment identified several factors contributing to same-day cancellations, including unclear preoperative instructions, incomplete medical clearance, inconsistent patient education, lack of standardized workflows, unclear staff responsibilities, and communication gaps among interdisciplinary teams. SWOT and gap analyses were used to identify opportunities for improvement and guide intervention planning.

Interventions: Quality improvement interventions were implemented through iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Strategies included revising preoperative patient instructions, …

Staff Education To Improve Mindfulness Knowledge Among Rns, Nps, And Mas In A Behavioral Health Setting, Barbara Buxton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout is a recurrent problem for healthcare workers and is associated with staff turnover, a decline in the quality of care, emotional fatigue, and risks to patient safety. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education initiative created a mindfulness-based training program to expand the knowledge of registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants on mindfulness practices in a behavioral health setting. Baseline assessment data identified a need for support to address emotional fatigue, absenteeism, and staff disengagement, with a mean pre‑education knowledge score of 66%. A structured, in‑person educational program addressing burnout awareness, stress reactivity, and helpful mindfulness methods …

A Multifaceted Surgical Suite Quality Improvement Initiative, George Tazvitya Mhosira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project focuses on modernizing an acute care hospital’s surgical suite, enhancing environmental safety, and supporting the growing complexity of surgical care. As surgical procedures become more advanced, the physical environment must evolve to maintain sterile technique and reduce microbial presence. Current operating room configuration, characterized by overcrowding and outdated ventilation systems, introduces environmental risks that compromise patient safety and limit perioperative efficiency. Modernization is essential to align the surgical environment with contemporary safety expectations and organizational performance goals. The proposed initiative includes a comprehensive renovation and expansion of surgical spaces, integrating advanced air decontamination technologies, …

Improving Adolescent Antidepressant Medication Adherence In An Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic Through Teach-Back And Motivational Interviewing, Sandra Ajao

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antidepressant medication adherence among adolescents is a significant concern in outpatient psychiatric care. Adolescents may miss doses because of stigma, forgetfulness, side effects, limited understanding of medication instructions, or inconsistent caregiver support. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to improve antidepressant medication adherence and adherence-focused communication among adolescents in an outpatient psychiatric clinic through staff education on teach-back and motivational interviewing. The practice-focused question examined how teach-back combined with motivational interviewing, compared with usual care, affected medication adherence and depressive symptoms during the implementation period. Staff education included use of a previsit questionnaire, structured visit script, …

Staff Education To Improve Whiteboard Utilization To Focus On Nurse Communication And Patient Experience On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Charline J. Bethea

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inconsistent use of standardized whiteboards in patient rooms may contribute to ineffective nurse communication and lower patient experience scores. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluated whether an evidence-based staff education program improved nursing knowledge, intent to use standardized whiteboards, and whiteboard utilization on a medical-surgical unit. Guided by the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model, the intervention included a standardized educational presentation, pre- and post-education knowledge assessments, a workflow integration guide, competency validation, and weekly compliance audits. Thirty-five staff members, including registered nurses and patient care technicians, participated in the project. Following …

Addressing Obesity In Rural Health Clinics, Morgan P. Trusley

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2 in 5 adults in the United States are obese (CDC, 2024a). In a rural primary care clinic in South Carolina, approximately 70% of patients are obese and there is no current intervention in place to help educate and guide these patients in weight loss strategies.

PICOT: In obese adults over the age of 18 at a rural health clinic with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30, does implementing weekly virtual and in person multicomponent behavioral intervention educational sessions compared to …

Improving Fluoride Varnish Application Rates In A Pediatric Primary Care Microsystem, Roman G. Roxas

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem

Childhood caries is a preventable public health issue disproportionately affecting the underserved. National guidelines recommend fluoride varnish (FV) application during well‑child visits. In California, fewer than 15% of children under age six received FV. In a pediatric primary care clinic, baseline performance was 11% in 2025.

Context

A six‑month quality improvement project was implemented. Key barriers included reduced team cohesion, workflow variability, unclear roles, and underutilized electronic health record (EHR) prompts.

Interventions

The change package standardized medical assistant–led workflows, activated EHR prompts, and provided targeted education. Leadership reinforcement through regular huddles supported adoption, consistency, and team engagement.

Measures

Outcome …

Public Perceptions Regarding Surveillance Of Lyme Disease In Tennessee, Shaheena Yasmin Asad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lyme disease (LD), a tick-borne illness, has been a growing concern in the state of Tennessee. Studies have established environmental concerns regarding a growing tick population and identified a gap between reported cases and disease burden in Tennessee. Despite this information, it remains classified as a low-incidence reporting state, raising concerns about underreporting that indicate an ineffective current surveillance system. Because the public perception regarding surveillance of LD is unknown, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how adults in Tennessee perceived LD as a credible public health threat within the context of the current surveillance system. Guided …

Conceptual Framework And Key Considerations For Field-Based Infrastructure In Food Is Medicine Research, Shreela V Sharma, Colleen Tewksbury, Christopher R Long, Colleen Spees, Ronit A Ridberg, Reshma Gupta, Erin P Ferranti, Naomi Tice, Eric Peterson, Brian Levine

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In 2023, the American Heart Association launched the Healthcare by Food (HCXF) initiative to establish a rigorous evidence base for Food Is Medicine (FIM) programs, so that patients with acute or chronic disease could access FIM programs as a covered benefit under their health insurance. The HCXF initiative is engaging in research, advocacy, and education to support the development and testing of interventions that improve health outcomes. The HCXF initiative launched 9 task forces aligned with research progress, including the Field-Based Infrastructure task force designed to examine broader questions to help support either earlier or later stages of the HCXF …

Emergency Nurses' Perceptions Of Interpersonal Empathy When Caring For Department Superusers, Makeba K. Cavette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a significant challenge for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses in the emergency department (ED), due to the demanding, high-pressure nature of their work environment and their increased exposure to human suffering. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological descriptive study, guided by Nursing Theory of Personal Empathy, was to describe the meaning of ED nurses' interactions with superuser patients and how these interactions affect ED nurses' empathy and susceptibility to developing CFS. A purposive sample of 8 ED nurses with at least 3 years of experience as ED staff nurses working with superuser patients participated in semistructured …

Improving Suicide Risk Identification Through Standardized Implementation Of The Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-Ssrs) In An Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Setting, Mirabel Ngwe Boma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide risk may fluctuate throughout treatment, making ongoing assessment essential for timely identification and intervention. At the project site, an adult outpatient behavioral health practice, the Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) was administered consistently at intake but inconsistently at follow-up visits, creating gaps in suicide risk reassessment and documentation. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the effect of standardized implementation of the C-SSRS during intake and follow-up visits on suicide risk screening compliance over a 9-week period. The practice-focused question asked how standardized implementation of the C-SSRS, compared with current practice, affected suicide risk screening compliance …

Implementation Of Standardized Suicide Risk Screening With Staff Education In An Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic, Gwendoline Nfotiog

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a quality improvement staff education initiative focused on improving suicide risk screening and documentation in an outpatient psychiatric clinic. Inconsistent use of validated screening tools and documentation practices created risks for missed identification of patients at risk for suicide. Addressing this gap was essential to improve patient safety and support evidence-based behavioral healthcare. In the project, I examined whether implementing standardized suicide risk screening with staff education would improve screening and documentation consistency over 12 weeks. The purpose was to increase staff knowledge, screening compliance, and documentation accuracy. Pre- and postimplementation chart audits, …

Implementation Of Visual Bed Indicator Lights To Improve Fall Prevention Processes, Andrea Leffew

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Inpatient falls remain a significant patient safety concern associated with preventable patient harm, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs. Routine fall bundle validations identified inconsistent adherence to safe bed configuration practices, such as beds left raised and bed alarms turned off.

Context: A 3-month quality improvement project was implemented on a 20-bed medical-surgical telemetry unit within an integrated healthcare delivery system at a 130-bed community hospital in Northern California, which was experiencing an increase in inpatient falls and fall-related sentinel events.

Interventions: Implementation of bed-monitoring technology with visual indicator lights that provided real-time feedback on bed configuration.

Measures: The …

Effectiveness Of The Smart Me-De Digital Program On Health Literacy And Glycemic Control In Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes, Nongnaphat Rungnoei, Siriporn Kruttakart, Natthapan Phianthanyakam, Pakaporn Klinhom, Umaporn Nokpaet, Jintipa Sirikunwiwat, Burong Jaitham

Journal of Health Research

Background: Individuals newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes often have limited knowledge and self-management skills, leading to poor glycemic control and increased complications. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Smart ME-DE Digital Program in improving health literacy and glycated hemoglobin levels among newly diagnosed individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with seventy participants recruited from diabetes clinics at three hospitals in a central province of Thailand. They were selected using simple random sampling and matched by gender, age, and baseline HbA1c levels, and allocated to an experimental or comparison group. The experimental group received …

Quality Improvement Project: Advancing Personalized Depression Care In Outpatient Psychiatry, Jillian K. Benoit

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet inconsistent use of evidence-based assessment and treatment strategies contributes to gaps in the quality of psychiatric care. A needs assessment at a community outpatient psychiatric clinic identified inconsistent documentation of measurement-based care (MBC), shared decision-making (SDM), and patient education during depression treatment. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether implementation of MBC and SDM improved depression treatment documentation among psychiatric providers over a 4-week period. Guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and implemented using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice as the implementation framework, this quantitative one-group pretest-posttest …

Quality Improvement Project Simulating Ethics: Improving Ethical Decision-Making In Nursing Undergraduates Through Simulation And Faculty Training, Shannon Brown

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing faculty often report limited confidence in teaching ethical principles, despite the essential role ethics plays in preparing students for complex clinical decision-making. This quantitative, quasi-experimental pre/post quality improvement project evaluated whether a structured ethics education module incorporating simulation could impact faculty confidence in teaching ethical principles. Guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and the Jeffries Simulation Framework, the project examined how organizational readiness for change and structured simulation design influence faculty development outcomes. Nursing faculty in a baccalaureate program participated in a single simulation-enhanced ethics session. Data were collected through anonymous pre/post Qualtrics surveys, and faculty confidence was measured using …

Improving Exam Scores: Alternative Next Generation Questions In Curriculum, April Morgan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Evidence identifies clinical judgment deficits among newly licensed nurses, supporting the integration of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) and Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) strategies. Inconsistent NGN implementation and Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) Comprehensive Predictor performance established the local problem. This quality improvement project evaluated the impact of implementing NCJMM-aligned NGN instructional strategies, including unfolding case studies and bow-tie questions, on students’ first-attempt achievement of the ATI Comprehensive Predictor benchmark and faculty outcomes. The primary aim was to increase the percentage of students achieving the ATI Comprehensive Predictor benchmark of 76.2% on …

Standardizing Hypertension Care In An Occupational Medicine Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Carolyn Duncan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hypertension remains a leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and inconsistent implementation of evidence-based hypertension management may contribute to variability in patient education, documentation, and follow-up care. This quality improvement project evaluated an evidence-based educational program and a standardized hypertension management workflow, based on the 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) hypertension guidelines, in an occupational medicine clinic. Guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice, Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, the intervention aimed to impact staff self-efficacy, documentation of lifestyle education, and follow-up appointment scheduling. A quantitative quasi-experimental pre-post design was used with …

Non-Enzymatic Hepatic Abhd6 Interacts With Akt-Foxo1 Axis To Regulate Metabolic Health, Guannan Li, Laurence T Maeyens, Jiyuan Yin, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Chanmin Joung, Ruizhen Li, Ziying Xu, Ting Wu, Xin Li, Nisi Jiang, Mbolle Ekane, Maria Paula Lopez, Pengju Cao, Sijia He, Adam B Salmon, S R Murthy Madiraju, Marc Prentki, Juli Bai, James F Nelson, Xianlin Han, Yi Zhu, Shangang Zhao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The enzymatic role of ABHD6 in insulin secretion and resistance is well documented. However, its non-enzymatic function, especially its effects on metabolic health, including selective hepatic insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is poorly understood. To define the role of ABHD6 in liver physiology, we generated liver-specific ABHD6 knockout mice, as well as liver-specific native and enzymatically inactive mutant ABHD6 overexpression mouse models. We demonstrate that non-enzymatic ABHD6 contributes to the regulation of selective hepatic insulin resistance and MASLD progression. Mechanistically, we show that ABHD6 localizes to the nucleus and interacts with Akt/FoxO1 axis to regulate insulin …

Responsivity Education Reflection Packet For Multigenerational Caregivers, Natalie Holsky

Honors Projects

Caregivers play an essential role in supporting their child’s language development. Through everyday routines, caregivers have countless opportunities to foster strong language skills. Extensive research has examined the influence of caregiver input on language development. Comparatively little research has explored how historical trends in parenting advice across generations may shape caregivers’ use of language facilitation practices. The purpose of my honors project was to examine how generational parenting trends could inform the development of a clinic-to-home language facilitation resource. This resource was designed to help caregivers incorporate language facilitation strategies into everyday routines to increase language-rich interactions at home. A …