Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Booster Training Using Video Modeling With Foster Parents, Anna Katherine Caravello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order for foster parents to be prepared to manage problem behavior and develop a positive relationship with a child in their home, local foster care agencies require these parents to attend parent training classes. Unfortunately, even foster care agencies that offer empirically validated parent training courses are unable to prevent the parents' performance from decreasing over time (Cowart, Iwata, & Poynter, 1984; Forehand & King, 1977; Mueller et al., 2003). However, researchers have created booster training sessions to counteract this issue. Booster training sessions allow participants to attend a brief refresher course on skills they have previously learned. Another …

Intrapsychic Predictors Of Professional Quality Of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, And Emotional Separation, Jacky T. Thomas

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A growing literature documents the inherently stressful nature of working with persons who are suffering or traumatized, and the potential for the development of stress disorders among social workers and other helpers. Previous studies of compassion fatigue and burnout have provided important information about professional and workplace variables that might influence risk, but little attention has been given to studying intrapersonal skills/abilities that might reduce risk and/or increase resilience and work satisfaction among helping professionals. This exploratory study asked whether levels of mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation would influence professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. …

Psychometric Testing Of The Children's Resourcefulness Scale, Jaclene A. Zauszniewski, Abir K. Bekhet, Elizabeth Bonham

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

PROBLEM: Resourcefulness is known to reduce depression in adults, but its effects on children are less well known, possibly for lack of a psychometrically sound measure.

METHODS: This study examined the reliability and validity of the 32-item Children's Self-Control Scale (C-SCS), which measures resourcefulness, in 122 school-aged children.

FINDINGS: Standard scale refinement methods produced a 10-item scale with α = .72 and correlations with the C-SCS (r = .86), positive thoughts (r = .38), and depressive symptoms (r = –.32). Factor analysis revealed two factors: problem-solving and delay of gratification.

CONCLUSIONS: The 10-item scale may be …

Evolution Of Physical Therapy At The Medical College Of Virginia And Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Snyder Shall

VCU University History Books

The Physical Therapy Department at Virginia Commonwealth University was founded in 1931 as part of the College of William and Mary’s Richmond division, becoming Virginia’s first program in the field of physical therapy. Through archived files, yearbooks and interviews with faculty and alumni, this book describes important events of the department’s first 80 years and highlights the faculty members and alumni who influenced the local and national development of the profession.

The Cultural Context Of Alzheimer’S Disease: The Impact Of Perception And Knowledge On Willingness To Seek Medcial [I.E., Medical] Help Among Ghanaian Immigrants In The United States., Olivia Owusu-Boakyewaah

Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study explored the knowledge, perceived seriousness, and willingness to seek medical help for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) among Ghanaian Immigrants currently residing in the Unites States. Study participants were 163 Ghanaian Immigrants between the ages of 45 and 90, attending Ghanaian community churches in Virginia and Maryland. Significant results include a positive correlation between knowledge and perceived seriousness of the disease, perceived seriousness of the disease was negatively correlated with caregiving experience. These results as well as several seemingly counterintuitive findings are discussed in terms of the Health Disparities and Psychometric challenges. Specifically, these results points to the necessity …

Work Interrupted: A Questionnaire Assessing The Relationship Between Work-Related Distress And Psychological Adjustment To Cancer, Betsy A. Bates Freed

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Cancer is an increasingly survivable disease that significantly impacts the ability of individuals to negotiate successfully the developmental task most distinctly affiliated with middle adulthood: creating meaning through achievement, creativity, and service. For many adults, these goals are accomplished through employment. When cancer intrudes, patients may be deprived of the ability to participate fully in the “generativity” that developmental psychologist Erik Erikson deemed essential to a healthy adulthood. In qualitative studies, patients’ narratives speak of many work-related losses — of routine, normality, economic stability, social connection, purpose, and identity. While psychosocial issues and quality of life are viewed with increasing …

Associate Degrees In Health Related Occupations As Predictors Of Success In Physician Assistant Programs, David E. Kotun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if applicants who had an associate degree in the health sciences prior to acceptance to a physician assistant program would do better than those applicants without an associate degree in the health sciences on three measures of success of physician assistant education. The three measures of success used were graduation rates, scores on the Physician Assistant Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PACKRAT), and performance on the national certifying exam, the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE). Data used for this dissertation were taken from original source documents and raw data sent …

A Training Curriculum For Assessing And Treating Sex Offenders With Mental Illnesses, Shawna Elizabeth Walker Boles

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this paper was to develop a continuing education program to teach sex offender-specific treatment providers (SOSTP) in the community how to appropriately assess, treat and manage adults with severe mental illness who are also sex offenders (SMISOs) in an outpatient setting. This paper begins with an overview of the most relevant literature associated with the treatment of sex offenders and a presentation of some of the current programs developed to treat sex offenders with severe and persistent mental illnesses. This review also outlines the paucity of resources and the need for SOSTPs to receive expanded training to …

The Impact Of Assessment On Repeat Deliberate Self-Harm, Kellie Jones

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Deliberate self-harm is a pervasive issue that is the topic of worldwide clinical and research focus. Among the extensive research findings two salient issues emerge that provide the foundation for this study. The first is that a deliberate self-harm attempt is a significant risk factor for future attempts. The second is that a comprehensive assessment of a person presenting with an incident of deliberate self-harm can reduce further deliberate self-harming behaviour. A limitation of existing research is that no study has clearly identified the nature of assessments that impact on the likelihood of future self-harm attempts. The initial aim of …

School To Post-School Transition Programs For Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review, And; The Meaning Of Well-Being From The Perspective Of Young Adults With Down Syndrome, Melissa Scott

Theses : Honours

OBJECTIVE: To review the effectiveness of school to post-school transition programs for young adults with intellectual disability and their impact on community participation, friendships and quality of life. METHODS: Electronic searches of six databases and manual searches of reference lists were conducted to obtain evidence of programs supporting the transition of young adults with intellectual disability from school to post-school. Transition programs or services and postsecondary education programs targeted at increasing participation and peer interaction were included. Two reviewers undertook data extraction and quality assessment. A systematic review was possible. RESULTS: All eight articles reviewed, with a total of 573 …

Walking For Leisure Among Adults From Three Brazilian Cities And Its Association With Perceived Environment Attributes And Personal Factors, Grace Ao Gomes, Rodrigo S. Reis, Diana C. Parra, Isabela Ribiero, Adriano Af Hino, Pedro C. Hallal, Deborah C. Malta, Ross C. Brownson

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Resilience As A Protective Factor Against Compassion Fatigue In Trauma Therapists, Daniel P. David

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many adults in the United States experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within their lifetimes. Researchers have identified compassion fatigue (CF), which debilitates mental health providers as a result of being exposed to their clients' traumatic experiences, as an occupational hazard. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a correlation exists between the presence of CF and the level of resilience. A confidential survey using the Connors-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5, and a demographic questionnaire were given to graduate-level mental health clinicians who self-identified as routinely working with and/or treating trauma victims in …

The Relationship Of Self-Care To Burnout Among Social Workers In Health Care Settings, Jennifer D. Weekes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout among human services professionals, but specific information on the role of self-care among social workers in healthcare settings is limited. This correlational study was designed provide a fuller understanding of this relationship. Orem's theory of self-care and the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior served as the theoretical foundations of this study. The sample included 185 members of the National Association of Social Workers, who volunteered to participate in this study. Participants completed online versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Self-Care Assessment Work Sheet. Correlation and analysis of variance …

Assessment Of Admission Criteria And Selection Process For Nurse Education Programs, Mary Ann Jarmulowicz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Qualified student enrollment to nurse education program is limited by admission criteria predetermined by faculty; however, little is known regarding the development and consistency of selection criteria. The purpose of this study was to examine the admission requirements of nursing programs to better understand the philosophical underpinnings and complexity of selection criteria. The conceptual frameworks of teaching philosophy, complexity, and gatekeeping guided this research. This descriptive correlational study used a cross-sectional design to survey a purposeful sample of full-time faculty teaching in nurse education programs in a southeastern state. Descriptive analyses, independent t test, and a Lambda analyses were employed …

Development Of A Positive Psychology Intervention For Patients With Acute Cardiovascular Disease, Jeff C. Huffman, Carol A. Mastromauro, Julia K. Boehm, Rita Seabrook, Gregory L. Fricchione, John W. Denninger, Sonja Lyubomirsky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The management of depression and other negative psychological states in cardiac patients has been a focus of multiple treatment trials, though such trials have not led to substantial improvements in cardiac outcomes. In contrast, there has been minimal focus on interventions to increase positive psychological states in cardiac patients, despite the fact that optimism and other positive states have been associated with superior cardiovascular outcomes. Our objective was to develop an 8-week, phone-based positive psychology intervention for patients hospitalized with acute cardiac disease (acute coronary syndrome or decompensated heart failure). Such an intervention would consist of positive psychology exercises adapted …

Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growing media attention and a high diagnosis rate of autism places significant demand on the service industry to provide qualified staff to work with individuals who have autism. Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is one of the most sought-after treatment approaches for those individuals. However, there is a gap in research regarding the efficacy of training methods for those who train direct staff to implement DTI. This quantitative study used an applied behavior analysis basis, deriving from foundations of behavior theory, to compare the abbreviated feedback form (AFF) to the lecture test model (LTM) to understand which will improve direct staff's …

Knowledge Sharing And Competitiveness Of Professional Service Firms: A Case Study, Albert P. Cruz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study is that little action is taken to create the social aspects and social value of knowledge-sharing culture within organizations. There is a need for increased understanding of the behavioral side of knowledge management. The purpose of this study was to focus on knowledge sharing from a behavioral perspective. Knowledge management is defined as the accumulation, protection, and leverage of knowledge. This research study investigated the relationship between knowledge sharing and competitiveness and approached the field of knowledge management from the organizational, cultural, and behavioral perspectives. The research questions examined how knowledge workers described the …

Factors Contributing To The Increase In Hiv/Aids And Late Diagnoses Of The Virus Among Older Adults, Lorraine C. Barnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that the incidence of HIV/AIDS among the American population aged 50 years and over would account for 50% of all HIV/AIDS cases in the United States by 2015. Yet there is little research available about the reason for the high prevalence or the availability of interventions available for this population. The purpose of this study was to explore factors related to HIV/AIDS awareness in a group of older recipients of health care and their health care providers. This study was intended to help fill the information gaps in this area by using …

Understanding Psychosocial Rehabilitation Workers' Perceptions Of Difficult Psychiatric Situations, James B. Arnold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) is a community-based service that addresses the challenges faced by people diagnosed as having psychiatric disabilities. While working with co workers and clients, PSR workers may harbor perceptions that could lower the effectiveness of their work and hinder recovery by their clients. Although cognitive-behavioral theory has suggested an association, research has not yet connected PSR worker attitudes about psychiatric situations to their feelings and behavior. In this nonexperimental factorial design, 196 PSR workers were surveyed about the frustrations presented by stressful interpersonal job situations using the Psychiatric Situations Scale to identify whether occupation (case workers, residential workers, …

Spirituality And Depression In Parents With Children In Oncology Or Hematology Treatment, Kurt D. Soell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The psychological burden of cancer treatment affects not only child patients but also their parents. There is extensive literature on the positive influence of spirituality on the cancer patient. But there is a gap in the literature on the potential healing influence of spirituality on the parent of the cancer or hematology patient. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality and parents' levels of depression and anxiety during their child's hematological or oncology treatment. Using the transtheoretical model of change, a purposive sample of 48 parents of children undergoing cancer or hematology treatment completed a …

The Relationship Between Depression And Cognitive Deterioration In Older Adults, Rakesh Chand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population structure of the United States is changing; the older age group is increasing in size relative to the younger generation. The trend is expected to continue, especially starting in 2020, when the baby boomer population---estimated at 80 million---will be reaching their 65 th birthday, a time associated with increasing health complications, including depression and dementia. The study employed a holistic paradigm as the conceptual framework to examine the association between depression and dementia in older adults, and generated a grounded theory to illuminate the relationship between depression and dementia. This theory was then used to assess the efficacy …

Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training And Its Impact On Attitudes Toward Help Seeking, John Angelo Cascamo Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Trainings such as Question Persuade and Refer (QPR) are used to increase suicide awareness and teach participants basic suicide intervention skills. Previous researchers showed that QPR training increases knowledge of suicide risk factors and increases participants' willingness to intervene with individuals at risk of suicide. It was hypothesized that completion of QPR would also increase positive attitudes toward the utilization of mental health services and that this outcome would be more pronounced among male participants. The examination of attitudes was rooted in the theoretical framework of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. The Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking …

Measuring A Community-Based Mental Health Organization’S Culture And Climate Scores Stability, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Eugene Maguin Phd, Catherine N. Dulmus Phd, Bruce C. Nisbet

Brown School Faculty Publications

This project builds on the work of Glisson et al., (2008) and the knowledge learned from community-based mental health organization’s internal structures (e.g., culture and climate), which possibly impede the implantation and adoption of new technologies. The Organizational Social Context (OSC) Model measurement system is guided by a model of social context that composes both organizational and individual level constructs, including individual and shared perceptions that are believed to mediate the impact of the organization on the individual. Although the OSC has been developed and validated over time, the literature does not provide guidance on test-retest reliability of the scale.

A New Look At Successful Aging : Exploring A Mid-Range Nursing Theory Among Older Adults In A Low-Income Retirement Community., Valerie Lander Mccarthy

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The current view of successful aging excludes elders with disease or disability, limits the potential for success among disadvantaged populations, and fails to consider older adults’ own criteria for success, especially in the existential or spiritual domain. This cross-sectional study was a preliminary investigation of a mid-range nursing theory (Flood, 2005) of successful aging. A random, stratified sample (N= 112) was used. Questionnaires were administered to small groups of non-demented older adults. Relationships among study variables were examined using hierarchical multiple regression. Adaptation and transcendence explained 45.4% of the variance in successful aging, independent of age, income, function, and health. …

Speech-Language Pathologists' Reports Of Interprofessional Collaboration And Exposure During Graduate School, Carly Ruth Robalin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Although the importance and benefits of interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in healthcare have been well demonstrated, the majority of graduate programs in speech-language pathology (SLP) only offer discipline-specific coursework and related experiences. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore SLPs' perceptions of their graduate programs' success at preparing them to be interprofessional team-members in the medical work setting. Method: Medically-based SLPs in five Texas cities responded to a survey addressing IPE and IPC. Responses were collected regarding: 1. Interprofessional exposure to physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) during graduate school, 2. IPE opportunities …

Double The Outcomes: Employing Sensory Based Approaches To Improve The Quality Of Care And Reduce The Use Of Restraints On Inpatient Behavioral Health Units, Mary Ellen O'Connell Rn, Bsn, Msn, Mba, Jennifer P. Maloney Ms, Otr/L, Stephanie Lenhart Mba, Cphq

Administration & Leadership

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Evidence In Clinical Education; Barriers And Opportunities In Allied Health, Clare Delany, Andrea Bailocerkowski

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Clinical education is a key component of health professional education. Clinical educators, like clinicians, are increasingly expected to access and apply evidence from clinical education theories to inform their teaching methods and approaches. Purpose: This study evaluated personal and organizational factors that influenced the ability to access and apply clinical education research evidence into clinical teaching in a group of allied health practitioners at one large metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Method: A Cross-sectional survey based on a previously published survey of clinical physiotherapists was custom-designed to examine the factors that influence evidence based practices (EBP) of a range of …

Feasibility Study Among Military Personnel With Traumatic Amputation During Military Combat Or Training, Michele (Shelly) R. Burdette-Taylor Phd, Msn, Rn-Bc, Cwcn, Cfcn

Dissertations

Military operations have resulted in a significant number of mangled extremities leading to traumatic amputations. Extremity injuries predominate, representing 50% to 70% of all injuries treated (Melcer, 2010). The majority of injuries sustained in Operation Endearing Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) are combined penetrating, burn and blast injuries, traumatic amputation, and infections from the multi-drug resistant organism, Acinetobacter (Melcer, 2010). The purpose of this study was to measure the quality of well-being and impact of events in a group of adults who served in the U.S. armed forces and sustained the loss of one or more limbs during any combat or …

Chhs December/January E-Newsletter, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Stress Management On Learning In A Classroom Setting, Pankaj Mandale

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stress is an important feature of the lives of college students and can impact negatively on learning. The effectiveness of an in-class stress management intervention for improving course content retention was tested with a cross-over design in two introductory graduate biostatistics classes. Each class met one day per week for the duration of the semester, and was taught by the same instructor, following the same syllabus. A pretest duplicating items on the midterm and final exam was administered to all students at the first class meeting. Identical midterm and final exams were administered in both classes. During the first half …