Digital Commons Network^™

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resiliency In Adolescent Population, Vanessa Tahe

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common, potentially traumatic events that impact one's health and well-being. These harmful experiences increase the risk of chronic comorbidities, mental health problems, and substance use disorders; this risk exponentially increases in children and adolescents with four or more ACEs. They are associated with socially disadvantaged populations and structural violence in communities. ACEs are categorized into abuse, neglect, and household challenges, which are proven to contribute to the longevity of health, behavioral, social problems, and even premature death through an accretion of studies. A steady rise in ACEs in New Mexico ranked in the top five …

High Altitude Exposures And Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction, Zachary J. Mckenna

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Gastrointestinal complaints are often reported during high altitude ascent (>2500m), though their etiology is unknown. One explanation is hypoxia-mediated intestinal barrier dysfunction. High altitude exposures can result in splanchnic hypoperfusion and hypoxemia causing hypoxic and oxidative stress. Exertion may worsen hypoxia-induced intestinal injury via greater splanchnic hypoperfusion and hypoxemia. We propose that these stressors injure the intestinal barrier leading to increased permeability, bacterial translocation, and local/systemic inflammation which may contribute to gastrointestinal complications or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). To test this, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on exercise-induced gastrointestinal symptoms and markers of intestinal injury. Next, we determined …

“For All You Know, I Might Be A Black Panther”: How The News Media Cultivated White Anxiety In The United States And Became A Modern Panopticon For Black Power, Caitlin Grace Leishman

History ETDs

Building upon French philosopher Michel Foucault’s analysis of Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon, I argue that throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, the news media and resulting culture nurtured and reinforced the postcolonial narratives that associated Blackness with criminality. I analyze the national newspaper coverage for their narrative portrayal of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP). The national media and U.S. government targeted the BPP and Black Power politics to discredit them and the overall movement for Black Liberation. I argue that this media-state project only intensified during the 1970s and into the 1980s with the country’s turn to …

Examining Parental Perceptions And Experiences Regarding Social Skills Interventions For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mary Jimerson

Special Education ETDs

ABSTRACT

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families often engage in various interventions to address social skills as this is a core area of development and often described as a challenge for individuals with ASD. Although interventions may vary in service delivery and the interventionists’ training and background, all encompass social skills interventions. The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative investigation to explore the experiences and perceptions family members had while their child participated in social skills interventions. Five family members participated in this study which included a questionnaire and an individual interview. Qualitative analyses …

The Value Of An Education - An Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between Cultural And Institutional Values And First-Generation Native American Student Success, Michelle L. Lee

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to explore the value and meaning that first-generation American Indian students place on higher education. Are these values different from those of the institution and how does that impact their educational journey? Finding purpose and meaning in your education encourages continued commitment to your educational goals. I conducted a single-site qualitative study at a Southwestern Non-Tribal Community University (SWNTCU), collecting data through an arts-based inquiry methodology employing photovoice narrative as a tool. To situate these narratives, I utilized an Indigenous paradigm interweaving Tribal Critical Race Theory, Relationality, and an Indigenous Wellness Model (Brayboy, 2006; …

Does Nurses Confidence Improve After Attending A Training For Teaching Home Infusion Patients?, Carol Menorah Young Dnp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Discharge can be a difficult step for patients and their families and a challenging task for nurses. Poor instructions have a negative impact on the patient population. In addition, improper and incomplete discharge information negatively affects the posthospital recovery period and may cause the patient to return to the hospital for the same episode of care. Returning to the hospital emergency room or readmission for the same episode of care will increase the dangers to the patient’s health and recovery plan and increase the cost of individual healthcare. The patient population ranks the quality of discharge information via their responses …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Preferred Learning Environments For Ethical Development Of Graduate Students In Research Ethics Education, Sue Wilder

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine graduate student preferences for the types of learning environments that support ethical development in research ethics education. The initial quantitative phase of this study used the Learning Environment Preferences (LEP) survey to provide a baseline measure of intellectual development up to position 5 of the Perry scheme (Moore, 2000; Perry, 1970). Quantitative results highlighted preferences for the role of student/peers and classroom atmosphere, and significant findings were found relative to international students, older students, and women in terms of their preferences for learning environments that support higher level, relativistic thinking. …

Neurobiology Of Human Navigation Strategies In The Virtual Morris Water Task, Monica Goncalves-Garcia

Psychology ETDs

Strategies of navigation is a topic that has been investigated for decades and is still not well-understood. Organisms learn to navigate by using self-generated cues, distal cues, and proximal cues, however, how the different frames of reference are interpreted by different areas of the brain and translated into behavior is not clear. Animal studies have provided evidence for a preference for navigation by following a direction in the environment over place learning. This study investigated the performance of adolescents (mean age: 13.89) in a virtual version of the Morris Water Task with a probe trial manipulation attempting to categorize people …

Adults Perspectives Of Friendships And Social Interaction Between Students With And Without Complex Support Needs During A Pandemic, Jorden Morales

Special Education ETDs

Social interactions and friendships are important for all individuals including those with complex support needs (CSN). The voices of adults including parents/guardians, primary caregivers, teachers, and related service providers who responded to a survey provided insight into supporting social interactions and friendships for children with CSN during the Covid-19 pandemic This mixed methods study used thematic analysis to explore participants’ responses to open-ended questions while multiple choice questions were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Additionally, this study included a research narrative to speak to the various roles I hold related to this study (i.e., parent, educator, researcher). Three themes emerged from …

The Use Of Appreciative Inquiry In Identifying Pueblo Core Values, Kristyn N. Yepa

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

This study used appreciative inquiry to identify core values or concepts essential to the Jemez Pueblo community to inform an evaluation framework used by community strength-based programs in Jemez Pueblo. Key informant interviews and a focus group were conducted in Jemez Pueblo with key program staff and tribal leaders. The audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using inductive reasoning to identify core values. In addition, grounded theory was used to develop a conceptual model from the themes generated from the analysis. The PICOT question was, "Can the Appreciative Inquiry method help uncover core values of a Pueblo community?"

'Ahora Estamos Más Unidos': Claiming Resilience In The Musical And Visual Aftermath Of The El Paso Mass Shooting, Eduardo Garcia

Music ETDs

The El Paso Wal-Mart Mass Shooting on August 3, 2019, prompted swift response from the local community to create artistic spaces of remembrance. This study examines the musical (mariachi and corrido) and visual (altares, murals, and memorials) manifestations present at makeshift and formal memorials for the victims. I analyze how members of the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez borderland situated their artistic work in the aftermath of the shooting. I argue that these artists responded to the attack with symbolic acts of resilience rooted in cultural and collective memory, embodiment of trauma, and the lived experience of corporeal …

Nurses In New Mexico: Their Awareness Of Safe Harbor As Reflected In A Survey During A Time Of Covid-19, Ashley R. Gonzales

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The healthcare industry is highly regulated to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality, patient-centered care. Even with these regulations, patient outcomes remain poor, given the high expenditure and percentage of the gross domestic product that healthcare comprises in the United States. Nurses make up the largest proportion of the healthcare field and are often overlooked when it comes to policies to ensure their practice remains safe and licenses protected. Nurses are the eyes and ears of their board-certified providers and detect subtle changes in a patient’s condition. However, such attention to detail can be executed only when the nurses can care …

Nurse Job Satisfaction In The Midst Of A Pandemic, Reynaldo Gonzales

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Strategies and intervention for nursing recruitment and retention are critical needs at the hospital unit management level especially during this time of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Research Question: What are the unit-levels of nurse job satisfaction among eight satisfaction dimensions (i.e., satisfaction with extrinsic rewards, scheduling, family/work balance, co-workers, interaction, professional opportunities, praise/recognition, and control/responsibility) in an acute medical-surgical unit?

Objectives The objective of this project is to systematically obtain unit-level input to explore nurses’ views and experiences as it relates to job satisfaction.

Methodology: This is a descriptive cross-sectional convenience study measuring job satisfaction among Registered Nurses …

A Meta-Analysis And Investigation Of Attention Bias For Facial Expressions Of Emotion, Joshua W. Maxwell

Psychology ETDs

The progression of affective science in the last few decades has brought with it a sub-field concerned with whether task-irrelevant facial expressions of emotion guide selective attention against our will. Such attentional bias is intuitively plausible, yet numerous recent studies were unable to observe it, motivating a meta-analysis (Chapter 2). Although the overall effect of 2.4 ms from 152 cases (g = .0823) was significantly greater than zero, its small size indicates a barely detectable phenomenon with no practical significance. A plausible explanation for this lack of attentional bias for emotional faces was tested in Chapter 3; even infrequently …

Stroke Recovery During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Position Paper On Recommendations For Rehabilitation, Suzanne Perea Burns, Talya K. Fleming, Sam S. Webb, Alice Sau Han Kam, Jaimee D P Fielder, Grace J. Kim, Xiaolei Hu, Mary Thelander Hill, Emily A. Kringle

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Health care delivery shifted and adapted with the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Stroke care was negatively affected across the care continuum and may lead to poor community living outcomes in those who survived a stroke during the ongoing pandemic. For instance, delays in seeking care, changes in length of stays, and shifts in discharge patterns were observed during the pandemic. Those seeking care were younger and had more severe neurologic effects from stroke. Increased strain was placed on caregivers and public health efforts, and community-wide lockdowns, albeit necessary to reduce the spread …

Antagonizing Serotonin 2a (5-Ht2a) Receptors Does Not Attenuate Methamphetamine-Induced Expression Of Conditioned Place Preference In Female And Male Rats, Nicole C. Reyna

Psychology ETDs

Despite the need, there are currently no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments for methamphetamine use disorders. Cue-induced craving during drug withdrawal remains a significant contributor to high relapse rates. Thus, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of cue-induced drug-seeking behavior is critical. Previous research indicates that the selective 5-HT_2A antagonist M100907 attenuates the acquisition of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in male and female adult rats. The present study examines the effects of M100907 on expression of methamphetamine-induced drug-seeking behavior using a biased CPP design in adult male and female Long Evans rats (PND 95-112). During conditioning, rats were administered either saline or …

What Are Student And Staff Perspectives On The Influence Of Smaller Learning Communities On Sense Of Belonging And Academic Achievement?, Natalie A. Saiz

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT

In an era of educational reform, schools face the significant challenge of increasing academic achievement. Learning Communities have emerged as a method of school reform with some research suggesting their link to increasing academic achievement and personalizing learning environments. Using individual and focus group interviews, this qualitative case study examines the use of Learning Communities as a reform initiative at a high school in New Mexico to facilitate a stronger sense of belonging among students and to provide individualized guidance, tracking, and support. Findings on the influence of Learning Communities are presented: addition of Advisory/Advisor which provides academic assistance, …

Spinal Cord Injury (Sci), Roxana Sanchez, Katherine Misla, Jessica Galewsky

Client Educational Handouts

No abstract provided.

(Un)Matched: Racialized Narratives Of U.S.-Based Japanese Men, Masculinity, And Heterosexuality In Online Dating Apps, Keisuke Kimura

Communication ETDs

In this study, I documented and examined U.S.-based Japanese men’s narratives about their day-to-day experiences in and across online dating contexts. Through the analysis of narratives, I critiqued how multilayered differences (i.e., race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and more) working with dominant social structures affect their everyday experiences within the spectrum of power, privilege, and marginalization in the transnational space. Specifically, the overarching purposes and goals of this study were to better understand U.S.-based Japanese men’s online dating experiences and to critique the relationalities of how Japanese men’s narratives (i.e., micro-level context) and their beliefs/attitudes within and between cultural communities …

Protocol For The Impact Trial: Improving Healthcare Outcomes In American Transplant Recipients Using Culturally-Tailored Novel Technology, Claudia M. Rice, Pooja P Singh, Nila S. Judd, Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez, Cindy K. Blair, Amy Washburn, Christine Calvin, Alison Steiber, Yiliang Zhu, Christos Argyropoulos, Mark Unruh, Mary Amanda Dew, Larissa Myaskovsky

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Kidney transplant (KT) recipients face post-transplant health issues. Immunosuppressive agents can cause hyperlipidemia, hypertension, post-transplant diabetes, and glomerulopathy. Post-transplant weight gain and decreased activity are associated with poor quality of life, sleep, and cardiometabolic outcomes. This study will test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally tailored diet and exercise intervention for KT patients delivered immediately post-transplant using novel technology. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and physical rehabilitation therapist will examine participants' cultural background, preferences, and health-related obstacles (with consultation from the transplant team) to create an individualized exercise and meal plan. The RDN will provide medical nutrition therapy via …

An Empirical And Theoretical Analysis Of Leadership In Two Egalitarian Horticultural Societies, Edmond Seabright

Anthropology ETDs

Leadership is a central subject of interest in anthropology and the evolutionary social sciences more generally because of its ubiquity in human societies as well as its role in the evolution of cooperation, social complexity, and social hierarchy. Explaining the variation in the form and functions of leadership across different societies and settings remains a major challenge for social scientists. Although it is often associated with social hierarchy, here I argue that leadership can and does evolve even in egalitarian settings where leaders cannot hope to fully make up the burdens and expenses associated with their service. I further show …

Lived Experiences Of Parents With Transgender And Gender Expansive Children, Mary Kathryn Brammer

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Parents of transgender and gender expansive (TGE) children can be recognized as a marginalized community often not represented or visible in the context of Westernized society. They experience significant challenges that impact their job as primary caregivers and burden their ability to raise healthy and happy TGE people. This research, guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology and Queer theory, aimed to discern parents of TGE children’s subjective and collective experience raising a TGE child in New Mexico, understand how they experience a support group each participant has attended at least one time, and recognize the significance of these experiences for …

Multiple Sclerosis, Rachel Marie Wainwright, Terryn Dyche

Client Educational Handouts

Multiple Sclerosis is a long lasting disease where the immune system attacks parts of the nerves, which result in slowing down of signals from the brain to various parts of the body. It is hard to predict one’s journey with MS, but can decrease life expectancy up to 14 years. Symptoms vary from person to person and can include heat sensitivity, fatigue, pain, cognitive dysfunction, and tremors. Unfortunately we do not know the cause of MS however genetics, infectious agents like viruses, and environments with lower Vitamin D levels can be contributing factors (Files et al., 2015; Forwell et al., …

Electroconvulsive Therapy Safety Biomarkers, Jeremy Duvall Miller

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Objective: The two studies presented utilize neuroimaging data to evaluate potential therapeutic and safety biomarkers in depressed patients receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).

Method: The first study enrolled 41 depressed subjects receiving ECT from two independent sites and evaluated gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA+) in the anterior cingulate cortex with proton-spectroscopy contrasted with healthy controls and therapeutic and cognitive outcomes. The second study investigated 17 subjects receiving ECT and evaluated ictal theta power during ECT to electric dose measured by E-field modeling, therapeutic and cognitive outcomes.

Results: No significant difference was seen in GABA+ in depressed subjects receiving ECT compared to healthy …

How Would Jesus Watch This? An Investigation Into Dance Restrictions In American Protestantism, Rebecca Lynn Huppenthal

Theatre & Dance ETDs

In the United States there has been many disagreements concerning the place of dance within Protestant Christianity. Some denominations have banned dance entirely while other utilize dance as an essential element of worship. At the center of this argument is the understanding, treatment, and use of the physical body. Beginning in the sixteenth century through current times, I analyze specific Protestant denominations including the Puritans, Evangelical Fundamentalists, Southern Baptists, the Shakers, certain African American denominations, and Pentecostals. Additionally, I examine notable liturgical modern dancers, as well as my own choreographic work, a dance film titled Rebirth. This research displays …

Neonatal Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome In Covid-19: Are Hospitalized Infants With Nows Experiencing More Severe Clinical Illness Associated With Covid-19 Related Changes In Hospital Infection Control Policies And Practices?, Heather Pratt-Chavez, Lorena Galvan, Jessie R. Maxwell, Peggy C. Maclean, Chelsea L. Tarazi, Sofia Chavez

2022 Pediatric Research Forum Session

The SARS-CoV-2 (Covid19) pandemic is a disaster that has created stress and change at every level of society. Medical systems implemented increased infection control measures to prevent nosocomial disease. A group of infants who are experiencing this new hospital milieu are infants with neonatal opiate withdrawal syndrome (NOWS.) Infants with pre-natal opiate exposure may experience NOWS, characterized by fussiness, crying, poor feeding, sleep problems, increased muscle tone, and tremors. Newborns with NOWS need inpatient care, soften for as long as 2-3 weeks. Starting April of 2020, all caregivers for hospitalized newborns, including parents and nurses, are required to wear masks …

Eccentric: Writing Through The Lens Of Empathy, Steven M. Blacksmith

Theatre & Dance ETDs

In this essay, I detail my growth as a writer through different periods of empathic learning. I examine my childhood struggle to understand many common emotions and the ways in which I began to logically dissect and replicate them in life and in art. I further delve into this examination through my discovery of comedy and the lifelong process of understand the deep connections humans make with humor. I then discuss how my understanding of empathy allowed me to write my dissertation play, The Eccentrics, and create a world in which empathy among the characters can be a catalyst …

"For All You Know, I Might Be A Black Panther": How The News Media Cultivated White Anxiety In The United States And Became A Modern Panopticon For Black Power, Caitlin Grace Leishman

History ETDs

Building upon French philosopher Michel Foucault’s analysis of Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon, I argue that throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, the news media and resulting culture nurtured and reinforced the postcolonial narratives that associated Blackness with criminality. I analyze the national newspaper coverage for their narrative portrayal of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP). The national media and U.S. government targeted the BPP and Black Power politics to discredit them and the overall movement for Black Liberation. I argue that this media-state project only intensified during the 1970s and into the 1980s with the country’s turn to …

Mental Toughness And Athletic Performance: A Meta-Analysis, Dax Mitchell Crum

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

This investigation employed meta-analysis techniques to examine the relationship between mental toughness and athletic performance. A total of 76 studies were systematically analyzed with 470 correlation coefficients (r_xy) calculated to determine the mean effect. Fifty-five subject and study variables (age, gender, sport, psychometric instrument, and theoretical definition, etc.) were coded for each correlation to assess changes in the magnitude according to these key characteristics noted within the literature. Overall, the total average correlation produced a small effect size of r_xy =.218. However, the effect size varied significantly depending on the definition, measurement, quality of the investigation, …

What Is The Experience Of An International Collegiate Athletes That Play Ncaa Division I And Ii Basketball?, Daniel Gayle

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

This paper explores the complete journey of International Collegiate Athletes (ICAs) that play basketball at a Division I or II National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) school. This study uses Schlossberg’s (1981, 1984, 1995) transition theory to establish how these athletes navigate moving into college, moving through college, and moving out of college. Through semi structured interviews, the study gives insight into the unique experiences, obstacles, pressures, and successes of ICAs, and provides implications for how the experience of ICAs attending college in the U.S. might be improved. The most important aspect for the success of an ICA at their collegiate …