Digital Commons Network^™

Caregivers Of A Child With Autism In South Florida: A Phenomenological Study, Marline Whigham

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now well known and is being diagnosed more frequently than years ago. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, the combined estimated prevalence of ASD is 14.6 per 1,000 (1 in 68). Estimated prevalence among children age 8 was significantly higher among boys (23.6 per 1,000). ASD is a complicated and challenging disorder for every caregiver, health care providers, schools, and the overall community. However, caregivers of children with ASD receive little support. Little is known about what support is available for caregivers; not much research is available on how to …

Examination Of Badges To Increase Nursing Student Engagement: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Sharon C. Moritz

Dissertations

Finding ways to help nursing students understand the application of didactic content can be challenging for faculty. One challenge faculty face is motivating students with thought provoking and memorable content using traditional methods. Educational games and gaming attributes have been shown to affect student motivation and support learning. The aim of this study was to gain knowledge, filling a knowledge gap, regarding which gaming attributes motivate nursing students to become engaged in course content that is not graded. Badges were used as a reward system to examine if nursing students would complete an increased number of non-graded case studies, and …

Designing And Delivering K-12 Education Professional Development: A Delphi Study, Christalle Hart

Dissertations

Purpose: This futures Delphi study aims to determine what experts in professional development predict the delivery and content of K-12 education and how K-12 educational organizations will need to structure themselves to deliver predicted professional development in 2026 and beyond. Also, the purpose was to have the experts rate the likelihood of the predictions made to be enacted by 2026 and beyond. Methodology: The research design for this study used a Delphi approach which allowed for data collection from a panel of experts in K-12 education leading professional development in a public school district. The Delphi study collected data during …

The Nursing Classroom Climate: Cooler For Traditional-Age Students Who Are Male, Marietta J. Bell-Scriber

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the nursing classroom climate and the perceptions and experiences of traditional-age student nurses who are male as they relate to the nursing classroom. A qualitative research procedure in the form of a case study was used to answer the descriptive research questions: (a) What is the classroom climate for traditional-age students who are male? (b) If an inequitable or sex-biased classroom environment is found to exist for traditional-age student nurses who are male, what are the nursing faculty behaviors that contributed to this environment? (c) If an inequitable or sex-biased classroom environment …

Development Of A Comprehensive Professional Development Program For Salem State College School Of Nursing Faculty With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Kathleen L. Skrabut

Dissertations

The purpose of this applied dissertation project was to identify the elements of a comprehensive professional development program and apply that knowledge to the development of an institutionally-specific program for Salem State College School of Nursing (SSCSON). On-going program evaluation at SSCSON indicated that professional development needs, accreditation requirements, and strategic planning goals related to faculty development were not currently being met at the school.

The Impact Of Academic Advisor Behaviors On Persistence Of Pregnant And Single Mothers At 4-Year Nontraditional Universities: A Mixed Methods Study, Kristina King

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential exploratory mixed methods study was to identify and describe academic advisor behaviors that had the greatest impact on persistence perceived through the lens of students who were both pregnant and single mothers while enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a 4-year nontraditional university. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify factors that pregnant and single mothers perceived to have impacted their persistence.

Methodology: The qualitative phase of this study consisted of one-on-one interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of single mothers who recently graduated from a 4-year …

Family Media Use Plan Implementation For School-Age Children, Mandy Kelly

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: This paper poses to discuss and examine the concern of unmonitored and excessive internet use by school-age children, ages eight years to 11 years old, along with the importance of employing a Family Media Use Plan, which is recommended by the American Family of Pediatrics (AAP). This issue, although not often studied, is a common occurrence today and is associated with physical and mental health concerns for this vulnerable population.

Method: This quality improvement project was accomplished through educating and surveying the parent population of the Intermediate building of a rural, Southeast Missouri Public School District. The involved …

Working For Justice: A Black Educators Journey Of Supporting Black Males In An Urban School District, Carey Cunningham

Dissertations

Abstract

This autoethnographic dissertation focuses on my journey as a Black male educator and administrator working in an urban school district. I highlight some of my accomplishments and challenges in dedicating my life to the field of education in the same urban school district that I attended from kindergarten to twelfth grade. This dissertation points out how my journey allowed me to support students, mainly Black boys, who faced challenges in a school district that I know very well. I have increased my, and hopefully others, understanding of the challenges Black male students and Black male administrators face in an …

Mentoring: The Factors That Contribute To Persistence To Graduation For African American Males In Predominantly White Institutions In Missouri, Paula Miller

Dissertations

Due to several decisions by the United States Supreme Court in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, African Americans were granted access to PWI’s of higher education. However, African Americans still face challenges in obtaining post-secondary education. For example, in 2019 – 2020, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2021), 13.1% of African Americans graduated with master’s degrees. Additionally, in 2020, 19% of African Americans attained a post-secondary degree in Missouri (Towncharts.com, 2021).

Despite access, the number of African Americans obtaining degrees remains low. And, when the lens is focused on African American males, the numbers are …

Palliative Care Services On An Adult Inpatient Oncology Unit, Heather E. Barger

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Palliative care (PC) services are widely underutilized for patients with cancer, partly due to the shortage of PC specialists. Additionally, many Americans have not filled out advance directive (AD) paperwork which is commonly addressed in PC. In the absence of an AD, cancer patients are at risk of receiving undesired aggressive treatments in the event they are unable to make decisions independently.

Methods: This quality improvement pilot initiative utilized a descriptive observational design to evaluate the number of ADs documented in the electronic health record (EHR) on an inpatient oncology unit. A retrospective EHR review was used to …

Where Are The Black Teachers? There Should Be More To Make It Even, Harolyn Harris

Dissertations

For years, Black teachers lived and worked in the communities that they served. I was one of those teachers who lived and worked in my community, but I noticed that there were not many of us. As a Black woman, mother and teacher, I was fully aware of the numbers of Black teachers declining. I wanted to know why.

In this study, I utilized my experience as a Black student, a Black teacher, and a Black administrator to reflect my feelings. I used Critical Race Theory as the theoretical lens on my stories using autoethnography as the research method. I …

Nursing Patterns Of Knowing In Assessment Of Newborn Sepsis, Lorraine B. Rubarth

Dissertations

Sepsis is a devastating, life-threatening disease and a major problem for many newborns; it develops rapidly and requires expertise to identify the early, subtle signs to prevent death or disability. Evidence from nursing practice and philosophic inquiry indicates that nurses use diverse ways of knowing in their assessments. The purpose of this research was to address research questions concerning two areas: 1) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses' patterns of knowing in the assessment of infants with sepsis as related to dimensions of nursing practice; and 2) Test the psychometric properties of the Newborn Scale of Sepsis (SOS) as a …

The Effects Of Segmenting Worksheets And Behavior Specific Praise On Independent Seatwork With Elementary Students, Lauren Peak

Dissertations

While the education system has seen many changes over the years due to COVID-19, one constant is that students must complete independent seatwork at certain times throughout the day. As teachers accommodate the many students in their classroom, an intervention that could increase students’ amount of academic production when doing independent seatwork would be mutually beneficial. For students, the increased contact with learning opportunities would provide the students means to increase fluency for that skill. Examining the effects of segmented and whole worksheets on production would, therefore, create additional learning opportunities.

This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the …

The Experience Of Transitioning To The Caregiving Role For A Family Member With Alzheimer's Disease Or A Related Dementia, Kathleen E. Czekanski

Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is a chronic, debilitating disease that currently affects approximately 5.1 million Americans (Alzheimer's Association 2007). The majority of these individuals are being cared for at home by family caregivers who are known to suffer from more depression and burden than any other group of caregivers. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of transitioning to the role of caregiver for a family member with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.

Fall Prevention Among Older Adult Behavioral Health Patients, Jodie Shipley

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Inpatient falls are a major patient safety issue. Behavioral health units experience higher rates of falls among elderly patients with between 13.1 to 25 falls per 1,000 occupied bed days (OBD). The risk of falls for the aged population is increased on a psychiatric unit due to a myriad of issues including psychotropic medications, over-activity on the unit, and confusion (Wong & Pang, 2019).

Methods: This QI project is an observational descriptive pilot intervention evaluation of a redesigned fall prevention program with the aim to reduce falls on a midsized suburban Midwestern inpatient geriatric behavior health …

Parent Perceptions Of Adolescent Technology Use: Implications For The Parent-Child Relationship, Tiffany Somerville

Dissertations

Technology and social media use are now more popular than ever with adolescents. Problematic technology use has often been associated with decreased mental health and relationship quality. Researchers have typically identified problematic technology use by time spent on a device rather than in an interpersonal context. Phubbing and technoference are two constructs that describe how technology use can potentially be disruptive to in-person interactions. Little research has investigated technology use in the context of the parent-child relationship despite reports from parents that technology use is a frequent source of conflict. Through the theoretical frameworks of Bronfenbrenner’s neo-ecological model and structural …

Program Effectiveness Of A New Nurse Mentorship, Jennifer Malig

Dissertations

Nurses are leaving the bedside at alarming rates impacting healthcare organizations. It is well documented the need will surpass demands increasing strain and stress for already struggling healthcare facilities and team members. After reviewing literature for reasons for increases and ideas to decrease nursing turnover, it was discovered new nurses leave the profession within their first year. According to the 2021 NSI National Health Care Retentions and RN Staffing Report, since the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of nurses leaving the bedside has increased to 19.5%.

A new nurse mentorship began July 2022. The goal of the program was to increase new …

Factors Affecting Self-Efficacy In Caregivers Of Latina Breast Cancer Survivors, Megan C. Hebdon

Dissertations

Informal caregivers provide the bulk of care to individuals with chronic diseases, including cancer. There were 2.8 million informal caregivers of cancer survivors in the United States in 2015. Informal caregivers are vulnerable to poor physical and emotional consequences related to their caregiving role. Caregivers of Latina breast cancer survivors have additional risks related to social determinants of health, which may be attenuated through increased caregiver self-efficacy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate a moderating model of self-efficacy in caregivers of Latina breast cancer survivors between acculturation, spiritual wellbeing, and social support and global health and depression.

Exploration Of Two Methodologies For Measuring Clinical Judgment In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Marlene W. Call

Dissertations

Senior nursing students need a requisite level of preparedness to safely care for an acutely ill, complex patient once they graduate and become independent clinicians. This level of preparedness may be evaluated by measuring clinical judgment (CJ) with the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). The LCJR contains 11 indicators that represent the actions and behaviors necessary for demonstrating CJ. Two methods of simulation, high fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), replicate the healthcare environment so students may safely demonstrate clinical skills without harming an actual patient. The purposes of this study were to 1) explore the …

The Relationship Among Maternal Characteristics, Maternal Dietary Self-Regulation, And The Dietary Intake And Body Weight Status Of Two To Five-Year-Old Children, Andrea Bushaw

Dissertations

Eating preferences and practices are established early in life, yet we have little knowledge about how mothers make food decisions on behalf of their children. These decisions, however, lay the foundation for their child's lifelong food preferences and eating behaviors. Almost one-third of all children in the U.S. are overweight or obese putting them at high risk for becoming an overweight or obese adult. To make a difference in the ongoing obesity epidemic, we must better understand the relationship among characteristics of the mother who controls the young child's access to food, food choices, and feeding practices. This knowledge will …

Nursing Students' Self-Efficacy To Care For Older Adults In Acute Care Settings In Ghana: A Mixed Method Study, Diana Abudu-Birresborn

Dissertations

Self-efficacy has been reported to serve as a motivator for goal achievement and to impact care quality and career development choices. Understanding nursing students' self-efficacy to care for older adults can provide an opportunity to identify gaps and develop strategies to shape nursing students' interest in caring for older adults. This study sought to identify the relationship between nursing students' knowledge about, attitudes towards, and self-efficacy to care for older adults and explored nursing students' understanding of their self-efficacy to care for older adults. The study also examined stakeholders' perceptions about nursing students' self-efficacy to care for older adults and …

Cell Size Control Mechanisms In The Multiple Fission Cell Cycle Of Chlamydomonas, Dianyi Liu

Dissertations

Size homeostasis is achieved by a balance between cell growth and cell division, but the underlying mechanisms are yet fully understood. Green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) is a unique model for size control. Instead of the canonical binary fission cell cycle, Chlamydomonas uses a multiple fission cell cycle where a prolonged G1 phase is followed by rapid alternative n rounds of S/M (DNA synthesis and mitosis) cycles to produce 2ⁿ daughter cells. Two size checkpoints show size-dependence: the Commitment checkpoint governs a minimum size for a cell to divide at least once, and the S/M checkpoint governs the division …

A Mixed Methods Study Regarding The Impact Virtual Education Had On Teachers During Covid-19, Brandon Richard Foley

Dissertations

Virtual learning and COVID-19 drastically changed the landscape of education. School districts were forced to think about education differently, and COVID-19 led schools and communities into unfamiliar territory with daunting trials and tasks (Pressley & Ha, 2021). The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to add to existing research and examine how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted teachers and school districts during their transition to virtual learning. The social cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory were utilized as the conceptional framework of the study. Phase one of the study included a quantitative survey from one Southwest Missouri school district. A focus group …

Evalution Of Peripheral Neuropathy Among Childhood Cancer Patients, Deborah R. Lee

Dissertations

The principal toxicity for children who receive vincristine for the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is peripheral neuropathy, with symptoms that negatively affect physical function and may require the reduction or withdrawal of chemotherapy; even though cumulative dosing has not been shown to increase peripheral neuropathy. This population not only has to deal with the physical challenges of cancer but also can have psychosocial and cognitive effects from treatment. Utilizing secondary analysis, the purpose of this dissertation is to examine peripheral neuropathy (PN) trajectory during the second year of ALL treatment which has not been investigated in children receiving …

Beliefs About Homework, Elizabeth Rose Taylor Smith

Dissertations

This mixed-methods research study aimed to learn the perspectives regarding homework of parents and teachers of students in grades two, three, and four. The definition used to define homework was based on Simplicio’s (2005) definition of homework as a period set aside to put in a plan to expand learning skills and support information that the student gained while in the classroom. There were three research questions that guided this mixed-methods research study; What are the parents’ perceptions of second, third, and fourth-grade students regarding homework? What are the perceptions of second, third, and fourth-grade teachers regarding homework? What are …

A Longitudinal Study On The Impact Of Occupational Health And Safety Practices On Employee Productivity At Sibca Llc, Maryam Ibrahim Mohamed Hussain Lari

Dissertations

Occupational health and safety (OHS) refer to practices that businesses use to proactively ensure the health and safety of employees. OHS scholars believe companies can use such practices to improve the health and safety of their organization and employee productivity. This study assesses how OHS practices can impact employee productivity at SIBCA LLC, a UAE-based company. It employed a longitudinal research design with pre- and post-intervention data collection to determine the effect of OHS practices on employee productivity. The study sample comprised 293 SIBCA LLC employees. Participants completed the same questionnaire twice, and productivity data were collected twice, 13 months …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Satellite-Based Precipitation Products And Their Performance In Arid And Temperate Climates, Mohammed Tarig Mahmoud

Dissertations

Accurate and continuous precipitation monitoring is critical to enable effective water resources management; the challenge arises from the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation. The recently launched Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite has the capability to detect and measure all types of precipitation using advanced instruments. Being at its early stages of development, the products of the GPM IMERG (early, late, and final-run-products) need to be validated using multiple spatial and temporal assessment techniques. Several studies have emerged over the past few years evaluating GPM IMERG results over areas of limited size. These areas were set by hydrologic interest (e.g., …

The Influence Of Social Capital On First-Generation African American Gradaute Students: A Grounded Theory, Janeisha Anderson

Dissertations

First-generation African American/Black graduate students face challenges that must be overcome if they are to persist to degree completion. However, literature on factors contributing to their success and circumstances that hinder their academic outcomes is sparse. This qualitative grounded theory study investigated social capital and its influence on first-generation African American/Black graduate students' success. Participants (n = 17) were purposefully selected and included students who were enrolled or had already graduated, and others who had withdrawn from their graduate program. Thematic analysis of 17 interviews identified three primary themes: support within an academic setting, external support outside of an educational …

Learning By Design: The Transformative Pedagogical Experience Of College Students In Extending Monomodal Texts Into Multimodal, Najah Asaad Al Mohammedi

Dissertations

The architectonic shift in the semiotic, technology, and social environment paves the way to new perspectives of transformative pedagogies in multiliteracies and multimodal literacy for meaning-making through the configuration of gesture, space, image, sound, action, and various modes. Through a mixed-method explanatory sequential design, this study explores college students’ critical reading comprehension by changing a monomodal text into a multimodal one. In the redesigning process, a group of college students (n=4) were oriented to change a provided monomodal text into a multimodal text for the sake of understanding how the enactment of two different modes of a reading text contributes …

The Noise, The Resistance, And The Message” Inconstruing The Construction Of Arab Bilinguals-Biliterates’ Trans-Identity Space: A Grounded Theory Approach, Maha Omar Alhabbash

Dissertations

This study explored the construing of the construction of trans-identity space for Arab high schoolers, undergraduates, and graduate students who are bilinguals and biliterates. To that end, the study fathomed the trajectories and the process of trans-identity space construction along with the translanguaging space of bilingual-biliterate Arabs. Employing a grounded theory approach enabled the researcher to understand the nature of trans-identity space and how it functions in tandem with the confluence of translanguaging practices that leads to language identity reproduction. To validate the results, two means were used: a semi-structured interview with the participants (n=36) from high schoolers, …