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Authentic And Unapologetic: Culturally Responsive Leadership Strategies Used By California Community College Senior-Level Leaders Of Color, Renee Craig-Marius

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how California Community College senior-level leaders of color are culturally responsive in their leadership strategies, based on Horsford, Grosland, and Gunn’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework.

Methodology: This qualitative ethnographic study identified and described the culturally responsive leadership practices utilized by 15 senior-level leaders of color within California Community Colleges and explored how their lived experiences and identities influence their ability to lead their institutions using the four dimensions of Horsford et al.’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework: political context, personal journey, pedagogical approach, and professional duty. …

Quasi-Experimental Study With The Undergraduate Nursing Program Using Simulation Learning To Reduce Medication Errors, Georgette R. Lohrman

Dissertations

Medication errors in the nursing practice are not only costly but may harm or kill a patient. The problem addressed in this study is the relationship that exists between the lack of medication administration skills taught to students in an undergraduate nursing program. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study with a two-group pretest-posttest design was to examine if the addition of medication-simulated learning was associated with improved medication administration knowledge compared to a traditional Pharmacology classroom setting.

Living As A Dying Child: A Gadamerian Analysis Of The Poetry Of Mattie J. T. Stepanek, Corinne A. Settecase-Wu

Dissertations

Yearly, approximately 500,000 children live with life-limiting conditions in the United States; 50,000 die. Yet, details regarding children's days of living as dying are unknown. The aim of this qualitative hermeneutic study is to gain understanding of the phenomenon of living as a dying child. A Gadamerian-inspired approach was implemented to underpin the study, and to analyze poetic text to address the research question: What is it to be living as a dying child? The text sample included 499 poems written by Mattie J. T. Stepanek, a dying child. The Settecase-Wu Conceptual Guide was developed and implemented to ensure …

Self-Management By Adolescents And Young Adults Following A Stem Cell Transplant, Caroline F. Morrison

Dissertations

A grounded theory study was conducted to better understand the process AYA use to manage their care following a SCT. Specific aims included: 1) to explore self-management facilitators, barriers, processes and behaviors within individual, family, community and healthcare system domains using the pediatric self-management framework to develop initial interview guides; 2) to describe how AYA manage their care regimen post HSCT; and 3) to describe rates of oral medication adherence for AYA post HSCT and how they relate to patterns of self-management.

Leading Change: Generating Cultural Responsiveness And Competence In Nursing, Kerstin G. Hudgins

Dissertations

Culturally responsive teachings prepare students to support social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in and beyond the classroom. Rising reports of culturally insensitive care and the reported challenges that nurses experience when caring for culturally diverse patients warrant the advancement of the intercultural readiness of nursing students. The study investigated the cultural content taught, encompassing LGBTQ+ health education, at the School of Nursing at a historically black college and university (HBCU) in the Southeastern United States. The participant selection involved purposeful sampling of various stakeholders engaged in interviews and focus groups, including faculty, nursing students, and nurse managers with …

Nursing Faculty Experiences With Interactive Learning In The Associate Degree Nursing Classroom, Katheryn M. Csonka

Dissertations

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore associate degree nurse faculty perceptions and experiences with the use of interactive learning in their classroom. Interactive learning is an approach to teaching and learning that promotes student learning with an active process. The implementation and continued use of interactive learning can be difficult for nurse educators who may be influenced by their previous perceptions and experience with use. There is a plethora of knowledge on the benefits of interactive learning with students, yet there is a gap in literature specific to nursing faculty experiences in the nursing classroom..

How Exemplary Directors Of Special Education Use The Five Principles Associated With Grit To Accomplish Extraordinary Results: A Phenomenological Study, Maria L. Moore

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary directors of special education use the five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study was part of a larger thematic research study conducted by nine peer researchers under the guidance of three University of Massachusetts Global faculty chairs. The qualitative research design encompassed a phenomenological model. Data for this study were gathered through a combination of eight semistructured interviews of exemplary directors of special education who met the predetermined …

Developing Clinical Judgment Through The Implementation Of Information And Communication Technology, Such As The Electronic Health Record (Ehr), Sherri Carter

Dissertations

Graduate nurses are expected to enter a technology-rich workforce with an understanding of the electronic health record (EHR) and how it is used to guide patient care. Limited access to EHRs in clinical settings may result in students entering professional practice with limited ability to understand the full potential of the EHR. Over a seven-week term, students enrolled in the Patient-Centered Care I course, during the 2018 Spring I term, participated in high-fidelity simulation and seminar activities that included an educational electronic healthcare record (EEHR). These activities were integrated into the course to guide students when making clinical decisions regarding …

Impact Of High-Fidelity Simulation On Confidence Level Of Nursing Students In The Care Of Covid-19 Patients, Faith A. Paine

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the education of nursing students across the world. Nursing students were unable to care for patients with COVID-19 at the beginning and potentially throughout nursing school depending on the facility and nursing school restrictions. It was not known how the participation in a high-fidelity simulation will impact the confidence level of nursing students in the care of patients with COVID-19. A mixed methods phenomenological qualitative and survey design was utilized to determine the confidence level of nursing students after participation in a high-fidelity simulation of a patient diagnosed with COVID-19.

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

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 …

The Superintendent Mindset, Marc Patterson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe how exemplary leaders perceive the practices of Sinek’s (2020) infinite mindset framework are embedded in their organization to inspire the achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary leaders perceive affect the development of an infinite mindset.

Methodology: The thematic team concluded a phenomenological methodology was the most appropriate approach to identify and describe the superintendents’ perceived importance of the practices of Sinek’s (2020) infinite mindset to achieve exemplary results. Identifying and describing the unique lived experiences of superintendents is best …

Strategies For The Improvement Of Healthcare Through Simulation, Roger C. Lankheet

Dissertations

Medical errors continue to plague the healthcare industry. The annual rates of morbidity are approximately 2.69 million (AHRQ, 2019), while mortality rates exceed 400,000 per annum (Makary & Daniel, 2016). There may be no panacea to combat these egregious rates. However, simulation of patient care events may better prepare healthcare professionals to prevent medical errors as it has been proven to be an effective learning strategy (Kirkham, 2018), enhancing skills while gaining experiential knowledge, without risk to actual patients.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of factors that impede or foster the frequent utilization …

Persistence Factors Described By Nursing Students Of African Descent: A Narrative Inquiry, Claudette R. Spencer

Dissertations

High attrition rates among nursing students of African descent have resulted in a nursing workforce that lacks diversity. Research has largely focused on the obstacles facing students who dropped out of their nursing programs, including financial constraints, academic issues, and personal challenges. Few studies have considered the students who persisted. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study was to examine the factors that contributed to the persistence of students of African descent enrolled in nursing programs in community colleges as described in the stories and reflections of recently graduated alumni. Data was obtained with the use of two research questions …

Clinical Faculty Strategies To Decrease Nursing Students' Anxiety During Clinical Practice: A Qualitative Study, Elijah Z. Yarpah

Dissertations

Stress in the clinical learning environment is a psychological and physiological element that affects nursing students' learning outcomes and health. In clinical settings, nursing students encounter stressors that are critical to their academic success as well as their future professional performance. Nursing educators struggle to assist students in developing strategies to manage clinical stress. A review of relevant literature did not identify coping strategies clinical educators and nursing staff can promote to help learners deal with stressors. Therefore, to provide robust ideas to help nursing students manage stress in the clinical learning environment, this study was designed to answer one …

Examining The Effects Of A Rater Training Program On Interrater Reliability With The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric, Deborah A. Halliday

Dissertations

There is high demand for competent graduate nurses as they begin working in healthcare. However, the transition from classroom to professional practice can be difficult. Students and newly licensed entry-level practitioners must develop and possess suitable clinical judgments in order to demonstrate clinical competency in the delivery of safe patient care. Currently, there is a call for nursing education to provide increased rigor in performance evaluation of students' clinical judgment prior to graduation.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if rater training had an effect on interrater reliability among raters with the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) …

Reconstruction Of The Professional Identity: The Mature Ad Nurse After Bsn Completion, Constance G. Demmery

Dissertations

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) announced a key initiative to increase the number of registered nurses (RN) at the bedside prepared at the baccalaureate of science in nursing (BSN) level. For decades, the RN entry level into the profession has been debated, often lying dormant during nursing shortages. The profile of today's RN is age 50, has many years of clinical experience, and holds an associate degree in nursing (ADN). Many ADN-prepared nurses are returning to academia to earn their BSN. However, there is little research on how the mature, experienced ADN integrates years of clinical experience with …

Exploring The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Intent To Remain Within An Organization Among Millenial Nursing Faculty, Kristie E. Davis-Collins

Dissertations

The nursing faculty shortage continues to grow with time with impending detrimental effects. Several factors influence the nursing faculty shortage, including inadequate compensation to clinical areas, low pool of potential nurse educators in graduate programs, and a faculty wave of retirements. Based on this information, it is vital for nursing institutions to improve job satisfaction and the intent to remain among millennial nursing faculty. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between job satisfaction and intent to remain within an organization among millennial nursing faculty. A cross-sectional, correlational research design was used to test the hypotheses of …

Grounded Roots Research Synthesis: A Meta-Analysis/Meta-Synthesis Of Strategies Used By Exemplary Leaders, Robert Allen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative meta-synthesis was to conduct an analysis of five thematic research studies to aggregate and integrate findings to form new interpretations of the research field of grounded leadership.

Methodology: This quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted as a secondary analysis of five thematic research studies to aggregate and integrate findings to form new interpretations of the research field of grounded leadership. The sample was composed of 79 exemplary leaders from five different fields.

Findings: Examination of 79 participants found that that aggregated population of exemplary leaders maintain grounded leadership by (a) …

Impact Of Standardized Skin-To-Skin Protocol In The Operating Room On Breastfeeding Rates, Simone M. James

Dissertations

Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is an evidence-based practice with many benefits for mothers and their newborns. The separation of mothers from their babies after cesarean birth delays SSC, which can adversely affect the initiation and the success of breastfeeding. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental project was to determine if or to what degree the implementation of Hung and Berg's evidence-based protocol for skin-to-skin in the operating room (OR) would increase exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge for adult women status post a cesarean delivery in a rural Arizona hospital over four-weeks. The Iowa model and Lewin's planned change theory were utilized …

The Relationship Among Spirituality, Self-Efficacy, And Quality Of Life In Adults With Sickle Cell Disease, Maxine A. Adegbola

Dissertations

For the individual with sickle cell disease (SCD), the lifespan is increasing but adults report decreased quality of life (QOL), low self-efficacy, and ineffective coping skills. The care of adult patients with SCD requires a complex multidisciplinary team approach with focus not only on physiological, psychological, and social needs, but also on spiritual needs. Quality of life, spirituality, and self-efficacy have been sparsely and separately studied in individuals with SCD. These three constructs have never been combined in one study in the adult SCD population.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the relationships among spirituality, self-efficacy, …

A Delphi Study Of The Strategies Necessary For Successful Improvement Of Student Emotional Intelligence Within K-8 Public School Classrooms, Megan Ybarra

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi Study was to identify classroom strategies that expert K-8 teachers use to support and promote the development of student emotional intelligence, as defined by Bradberry and Greaves (2009), within K-8 classrooms, to rate the importance of the identified strategies, and to identify specific activities to implement the four most highly rated strategies identified in Round 2.

Methodology: This study utilized the Delphi method, which is an iterative process used to collect and distill the judgments of experts using a series of questionnaires interspersed with feedback. Twenty-one expert K-8 teachers identified strategies to develop student …

Exploring Grit In Exemplary School Superintendents, Denise Jaramillo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary superintendents use five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study was part of a larger thematic study conducted by nine doctoral candidates under the supervision of three University of Massachusetts Global faculty. The study used a phenomenological design to identify and describe how exemplary superintendents use five principles associated with grit to accomplish extraordinary results. Data were gathered through a combination of eight semistructured interviews, related observations, and a …

K-12 Principals And Special Education: A Study Of Mississippi Principals’ Knowledge Of Special Education Policies And Procedures, Jodi Cameron-Polk

Dissertations

This study sought to assess the knowledge of Mississippi K-12 public school principals and assistant principals in special education law, policies, and procedures concerning the six principles (i.e., zero reject, non-discriminatory evaluation, least restrictive environment, free appropriate public education, due process, and parent participation) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. This study also sought to establish by which method (i.e., university coursework, administrative trainings, on-the-job experiences, self-taught research, or did not learn this) they acquired their knowledge of special education law, policies, and procedures. The researcher adapted Jesteadt’s survey tool to ascertain participants’ special education teaching …

Chaos Is Not Rational: Nursing Leadership And Intuition In Disaster Preparedness And Response, Sarah Banks

Dissertations

Nurses are looked upon as leaders in disaster preparedness and response. Charged with making life-altering decisions, experienced nurse leaders utilize analytical and intuitive strategies to manage crisis situations. Rarely recognized by upper-level management and educational institutions, intuition is our natural ability to know something without any evidence or validation. Intuition allows us to make decisions in ever-changing circumstances when solutions are not obvious. Though difficult to explain, intuition is a powerful skill that gives nurse leaders the confidence needed to make decisions based on their previous experience. Experienced nurse leaders utilize intuition to arrive at a solution without conscious awareness …

Development Of A Hospital Discharge Planning System Augmented With A Neural Clinical Decision Support Engine, David Mulqueen

Dissertations

The process of discharging patients from a tertiary care hospital, is one of the key activities to ensure the efficient and effective operation of a hospital. However, the decision to discharge a patient from a hospital is complex, as it requires multiple interactions with nurses, family, consultants, health information records and doctors, which can be very time consuming and prone to error. This thesis descries how a neural network based Clinical Decision Support system can be developed, to help in the decision making process and dramatically reduce the time and effort in running the discharge process in a hospital. A …

Transitioning To College: First-Generation African American College Students' Mental Health Beliefs And Coping Strategies, Kadija Polk

Dissertations

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are a growing concern on college campuses. However, college students typically underutilize mental health treatment (Ebert et al., 2019). First-generation African American college students are at an increased risk of developing mental health issues, but the research related to this population’s mental health is insufficient (Eakins & Eakins 2017; Gibbons et al., 2019 Williams et al., 2020). The transition to college is full of stressors that many first-generation students may feel unequipped to handle. However, there is limited research that focuses on how the transition to college affects first-generation African American college …

The "Othering" Of America: How The Strategic Use Of Crisis And Ressentiment Succeeded In The Trump Era, Laura J. Franklin

Dissertations

The establishment of a crisis theme through public rhetoric often triggers widespread attention, resulting in public concern and media coverage of an issue that could potentially be overblown or deceptive. In right-wing political discourse, this crisis warning is typically delivered by a White male leader with ready access to the powerful news media. An “us versus them” theme often occurs. Within this mode of a hegemonic exclusion, a culture of immigrants or an American minority are often depicted, perhaps aggressively, as a threat: A threat used to motivate, enrage and create the frustrations inherent in ressentiment. This dissertation explores the …

Cultivating Parental Participation And Community Engagement Through Building A Culinary Garden And Teaching Kitchen: Latinx Perspectives On Parental Participation In A Community School, Jaclynne Michelle Medina

Dissertations

This study researched how a school could increase parental participation and community engagement while building a new Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen project. This engagement was foundational for expanding parental participation opportunities and further developing the community school. The study explored ways to balance power relationships between the home and school to develop an implementation plan that better reflects the community being served. Theoretical lenses such as CRT and LatCrit were the basis for centering the voices of Latinx families and valuing their various forms of capital consistent with the Community Cultural Model. Participants influenced the design of the garden …

Variation In Organizational Factors Influencing The Implementation Of The Pediatric Annual Physical Therapy Visit, Katherine Anne M. Smith

Dissertations

Hypothesis and Research Question

The research hypothesis is “Organizational Factors influencing the implementation of the Pediatric Annual Physical Therapy Visit (PAPTV) vary by practice setting, geographic location, and experience implementing the PAPTV.” The related research question is “How do organizational factors influencing the implementation of the PAPTV vary by geographic location, practice setting, and therapists experience with the PAPTV?

Problem and Purpose of Research

While health promotion and wellness (HPW) initiatives are widely accepted as beneficial to both the patient and the healthcare system, the rollout of new initiatives is often challenging. The PAPTV has been a significant HPW initiative …

Hyperinsulinemic Lew.1wr1 Rats Develop Insulin Resistance And Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, Madushika M. Wimalarathne

Dissertations

The pathophysiological causes of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development are not fully understood but are often associated with hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and ectopic lipid accumulation. A subpopulation of type 1 diabetes patients develops the pathophysiological parameters to be termed “double diabetes,” which is associated with NASH. The objective of this work was to identify metabolic features of double diabetes and assess if LEW.1WR1 rats develop NASH. I assessed pathophysiologically relevant protein changes using proteomics and western blotting. I found that 17-week-old LEW.1WR1 rats showed protein changes related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a precursor to NASH. We tested a second population …