Digital Commons Network^™

Be Resilient: Examining The Relationship Between Staff Nurse Incivility And Undergraduate Nursing Students' Sense Of Belonging To The Nursing Profession, Sarah E. Patel

Dissertations

Sense of belonging is essential for nursing students to develop and grow within the nursing profession. Unfortunately, incivility threatens the sense of belonging in nursing students.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to determine the relationship between staff nurse incivility and undergraduate nursing students' sense of belonging in nursing school, describe the presence of incivility in minority undergraduate nursing students, and determine how semester in the nursing program and weight are associated with incivility and sense of belonging. Baumeister and Leary's (1995) need to belong theory was chosen as the framework for this study.

National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses (Nclex-Rn®) Success: Perceptions Of Accelerated Second-Degree Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students, Vicki L. Brzoza

Dissertations

Most of the 50 states in the United States (U.S.) will experience a significant nursing shortage by the year 2030. Research finds that a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) workforce is associated with better outcomes, fewer adverse events, and lower patient mortality than associate or diploma prepared nurses. BSN-prepared nurses are in great demand, and the accelerated second-degree bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) programs may meet this need. This study investigates how to be successful in these ABSN programs. The purpose of this study was to describe the ABSN students' perceptions and experiences of what they believe to …

The Impact Of Cancer Caregiving On Cancer Caregivers: Stories Of Lives In Transition, Cynthia M. Steinwedel

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of cancer caregiving on primary caregivers, exploring their personal narratives looking back on the entire experience from diagnosis, through treatment, and beyond. Caregiving is associated with exacerbation of stress-related disorders such as hypertension and heart disease and may also be associated with increased mortality rates. Transitions theory served as the conceptual framework for the study.

Experiencing Narrative Pedagogy, Wendy S. Bowles

Dissertations

The role of the nurse has changed dramatically in the past twenty years with increasing complexity of patient care and a rapidly changing health care environment. In addition to the challenges noted regarding patient care, problems with increasing medical errors were noted in the literature specific to graduates in their first year as a nurse. Research in particular to nursing education provides a way for nurse educators to become more astute at addressing problems pervading the role of the new nursing graduate. Narrative Pedagogy was identified as a research-based nursing pedagogy and has been researched and enacted for more than …

Phenomenological Study Of Nurses' Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Quality And Safety, Conchita Sunico Freitag

Dissertations

Maintaining quality and safety has become one of the major problems of healthcare organizations affecting patient satisfaction scores. Nurses are essential in promoting quality and safety. To achieve quality and safety, nurses tend to focus on clinical aspects of care and place personal needs of patients as least priorities. However, literature showed that patients perceive quality care as meeting their personal needs and demands rather than their clinical conditions. There were limited studies that considered nurses' perceptions of quality and safety, most studies were patients' perceptions and satisfactions focused. Conflicting opinions from nurses' and patients' perspectives as well as limited …

Teaching The Esl Nursing Student: The Relationship Between Nurse Educator Background Attributes, Beliefs Concerning The Esl Nursing Student And Instructional Strategies Used By Nurse Educators, Bonnie L. Fuller

Dissertations

As the U.S. population quickly moves toward linguistic diversity, it is essential that sufficient numbers of linguistically diverse nurses be available to provide care, and nurse educators play a significant role in the preparation of these nurses. Little information was found in the literature about factors that influence the practices of the nurse educator related to teaching the nursing student who has English as a second language (ESL). The purpose of this research study was to investigate the factors related to teaching ESL nursing students from the perspective of the nurse educator. A pilot study was conducted to validate the …

Experiences Of African American Students In Pre-Licensure Schools Of Nursing: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Barbara Jean White

Dissertations

Despite more than 40 years of research and governmental support, African Americans continue to be underrepresented in the nursing profession compared to the population it serves. Though some progress has been made over the past 20 years, the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) continue to identify increasing diversity as a disciplinary priority. Further understanding of the experiences of African American nursing students is needed to inform decisions about recruitment, retention and successful matriculation of these students. This qualitative descriptive study focused on understanding the …

Social Work Junior Faculty Perceptions Of Their Doctoral Level Teaching Preparation, Marissa Hardwrict

Dissertations

Each year, hundreds of students graduate with a terminal degree. Many have aspirations to teach at a college or university. This includes graduates of social work programs. However, little information is known about the experiences of teaching readiness of social work Ph.D. graduates. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of social work junior faculty and their perceptions of readiness to teach. Literature reporting on the curriculum in Social Work Ph.D. Programs are linked to students being developed and heavily engulfed in research activities (Acquavita & Tice, 2015; Dinerman et al., 1999; Reneau, 2011). Since many programs …

Surfing Without Water: College Students Who Experience Homelessness, Melissa Scheer, Deidra C. Thomas-Murray

Dissertations

This study explores the educational experiences and needs of college students experiencing homelessness from the St. Louis metropolitan area. Research has shown that youth experiencing homelessness have difficulties entering college, remaining in college, and graduating from college (School House Connections, 2020). Difficulty accessing services and support coupled with prejudice, discrimination, and lack of knowledge can be detrimental to the homeless students’ academic performance (Svokos, 2015). The purpose of this study is to investigate issues of homelessness in higher education as experienced by independent college students identified as homeless in high school and explore the types of support universities offer via …

The Leader In Me And Its Effects On School Culture And Leadership, Amber J. Sainz

Dissertations

The Leader in Me is a school transformation process that focuses on teaching and embedding Stephen Covey’s (2004) seven habits into the school day. The seven habits are a framework and process for transforming school culture but are not taught as a scripted curriculum (Covey et al., 2014). This mixed-methods study was designed to analyze the perceptions of elementary teachers, counselors, and principals regarding the Leader in Me process and to look at its effects on school culture and leadership. Surveys were sent to teachers and counselors in three Missouri elementary schools who had implemented the Leader in Me for …

The Response Of A Rural Missouri Middle School To The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study Of Instruction, Communication, And Access To Technology, Christian Scott Meier

Dissertations

The doors of a rural Missouri middle school were closed in mid-March for what turned out to be the remainder of the 2019‒2020 school year (Schremp Hahn, 2020). Many schools were unprepared for the swift nature with which the shutdowns occurred (Bernhard, 2020a). The purpose of this case study was to examine the opinions and perceptions of parents, teachers, and the principal at a Missouri middle school regarding the school’s response to the COVID-19 closure to determine the best possible strategies for mitigating learning loss during future extended closures. The summer slide was the lens through which the study was …

The Relationship Between Number Of Instructional Minutes And Science And Mathematics Achievement In Elementary Schools, Gwendolyn Randolph

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core Mathematics Standards were created to assist U.S.A. school districts in providing the rigorous instruction needed to equip all students for college and career readiness and citizenship. Many minority students in the U.S.A. specifically, those in disadvantaged communities are still showing deficits in mathematics and science. The relationship between the number of instructional minutes and science and mathematics achievement of fourth grade students on the Northwest Education Association (NWEA) assessment was explored. Research questions addressed the degree of mathematics and science integration in school programming, number of minutes allocated to science …

Cognitive Ecology Of Color Vision In Orchid Bees, Andreia Queiroz Santos A Figueiredo

Dissertations

Animals interact with their environment and acquire information from it. Information can be processed by their sensory systems and influence behavior, often mediated through mechanisms of decision-making and learning. Animal pollinators acquire information from flowers and use this information to make decisions about the flowers they visit. My research aimed to understand the role of color vision in a tropical pollinator, the orchid bee Euglossa dilemma. Chapter 1 is a review exploring pollination through the lens of prepared learning. Prepared learning proposes that animals learn some associations better than others due to an evolved match with the environment. I …

The Formation Of Proxy Force And External State Relationships: Prospect Theory And Proxy Force Decision Making, Brandon Temple

Dissertations

Proxy war is a common tactic employed by great powers as a safer alternative to direct conflict, especially in the era of nuclear weapons. While proxy war is common, there is a lack of research on the formation of proxy-external state relationships. Previous research has typically examined the phenomena of proxy war through the perspective of the external state power, leaving a gap in the literature. This dissertation fills that gap by assessing the conditions under which armed groups enter into proxy relationships with external states. Using prospect theory as a framework for understanding more clearly armed group decision making …

Evaluation Of Lifestyle Modification Program For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In Infertile Women, Kelly Batton

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects a large proportion of the female population worldwide. PCOS can have a wide variety of health implications for the woman including difficulty achieving pregnancy.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 368 patient records were assessed for inclusion criteria yielding 163 patients with PCOS suffering from infertility. Demographic and health data were gathered for each patient to provide a baseline comparison between the first two quarters of 2019 and the first two quarters of 2020.

Results: The results of the study were mixed. Patients who lost weight did have a higher positive pregnancy rate. …

Meaningful Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities In Jewish Supplementary Schools, Zeena Goldenberg

Dissertations

This basic qualitative research study describes how Jewish supplementary school directors and educators define inclusion, include students with disabilities in their religious school education programs, identify different components of the schools that benefit inclusion, and understand barriers that impede inclusion. Through in-depth interviews with Jewish supplementary school directors and educators, the study explored three important goals. The study first explored how Jewish supplementary school directors and educators define meaningful inclusion, and how they perceive their inclusive classrooms enable students with disabilities to have meaningful access to both academic information and socialization with their same-age peers who do not have disabilities. …

Exploring The Influence Of Industry 4.0 Technology On Buyer-Supplier Relationships (Supplier Transparency) And Supply Chain Agility, Honey Zimmerman

Dissertations

Constantly evolving technologies enable supply chains around the world to thrive and become progressively more sophisticated and responsive. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies connect supply chain networks like never before. Still, anecdotal evidence suggests that few firms have implemented such technologies enterprise-wide. Therefore, to investigate the value created from the implementation of such technology, the focus of this study was on buyer-supplier relationships (BSR) and firm supply chain agility (FSCA) in the context of I4.0 technologies. Using mixed methodologies within a single-case study, we set out to answer the research question: Does I4.0 technology influence buyer-supplier relationships and firm supply chain …

Equitable Obstetrical Care For The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Community, Chinazo E. Echezona-Johnson

Dissertations

Research has indicated that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) patients are not always satisfied with their health-care experiences due to the limited training received by the nursing professionals caring for them. The purpose of this study, using critical-theory principles, was to examine how the LGBT population was represented and portrayed in mainstream obstetrical-nursing courses, curricula, textbook, and syllabi. The guiding research question was based on the exploration of how nursing schools in a metropolitan city incorporate LGBT health-care topics in their obstetrical-nursing education. A qualitative, intrinsic case study research method was employed. A purposeful, criterion sample of faculty at …

Emotional Intelligence Levels In Baccalaureate-Prepared Early Career Registered Nurses, Glenda Schooler Reemts

Dissertations

The increasing complexity of the healthcare environment calls for increasing emotional intelligence (EI) competence in nurses so as to establish effective relationships that facilitate positive patient outcomes. Because nurses need to be competent in EI, it is important to determine if professional nursing programs prepare graduates in emotional intelligence and whether years of professional experience contribute to development of emotional intelligence.

This study assessed the emotional intelligence competence of 164 baccalaureate nursing alumni who graduated during the years 2007-2010 from three Benedictine institutions in the Midwest to see if there was growth of EI with experience as a registered nurse, …

Experiencing Narrative Pedagogy: Conversations With Nurse Educators, Ruth A. Stoltzfus

Dissertations

The increasingly complex nature of health care requires nursing graduates, upon completion of their formal education, to be fully capable of providing safe and competent patient care. Accrediting bodies for schools of nursing have challenged nursing education to develop and implement innovative, research-based pedagogies that engage students in learning. Narrative Pedagogy is an innovative approach to teaching and learning developed by Nancy Diekelmann after many years of researching nursing education using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology.

Plus 50 Students And Their Experiences With Technology In Undergraduate Classes, Jamillah L. Boyd, Nykea T. Watts-Edwards

Dissertations

As adult learners over 50 continue to pursue higher education, postsecondary institutions should have resources and services available to support this demographic. Previous research often combines Plus 50 students with all nontraditional students 24 years and older, making it difficult to understand the unique needs and learning experiences of older adult students in the academic environment. The use of technology for curriculum has increased significantly over the years and may present challenges for Plus 50 learners as they are introduced to it and learn to navigate it. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Plus 50 …

Teacher Efficacy, Burnout, And Retention: An Examination Of Instructional Coaching And The Implications As Measured By The Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patricia Jeanette Rodriguez

Dissertations

Instructional coaching is implemented by school districts for the professional development of staff (Knight, 2007). The purpose of this quantitative study was to gain information regarding the effectiveness of an instructional coaching program to limit teacher burnout and increase teacher retention. Non-tenured teachers from two rural school districts were surveyed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory to determine levels of burnout in teachers who participated in an instructional coaching program versus teachers in a school district that did not offer instructional coaching. Retention data gathered from district administrators were analyzed to determine how instructional coaching impacts teacher retention. A purposive sample …

The Predictors Of Cultural Competence In The Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Curriculum: Implications For Nursing Education, Angela E. Silvestri-Elmore

Dissertations

Health care providers are members of a helping profession and need to provide quality care to all members of society. As a result of current and projected demographic changes within the United States (U.S.), health care professionals are faced with the challenges of providing culturally competent care and fulfilling the role as the ";helping profession."; From 2000 to 2010, the Asian population increased by 43.3%, the Hispanic population grew by 43%, the Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population increased by 35.4%, the American Indian or Alaskan Native population increased by 18.4%, and the African American population increased by 12.3%. …

Expanding Boards: A Study Of The Experience Of Former National Student Nurses' Association Board Of Directors Members From 2010-2020, Kenya D. Williams

Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to examine how student nurses experience and understand their role as National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) Board of Directors members and how that experience shapes their career trajectories as registered nurses (RNs). More specifically, this study's research objectives were to describe and discuss (a) the professional culture and value of board governance education to the nursing profession, and (b) the importance of board governance education for nursing curriculums. Seventeen nurses who served in different capacities as NSNA Board of Directors while they were student nurses were interviewed individually regarding their experience. NVIVO qualitative data analysis …

The Lived Professional Experiences And Potential Impact Of Generation Z Registered Nurses, Sarah E. Abalos

Dissertations

The profession of nursing is evolving as a result of the changes in the characteristics of practicing nurses. There are currently five generations of nurses in practice: Silent Generation, Baby Boomer, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. Each generation of nurses possess unique characteristics as a result of the time frame in which they were born and matured, and their differing worldviews are influencing how they view and practice nursing. Although there is a significant amount of research documenting how the different generations of nurses have influenced the profession, Generation Z has yet to be studied over time because …

A Comparison Of First And Continuing-Generation Student Success And Engagement In An Online General Education English Course, Maya Scruggs Hicks, Tchule S. Moore

Dissertations

Online learning has become a significant part of the strategic plan to increase enrollment and college access (Crawley, 2012). Allen & Seaman (2013) noted that more than 65% of U.S. higher education institutions believe that online education is necessary to sustain and continue progress toward their strategic planning goals to increase enrollment. The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods study was to examine the difference between first-generation and continuing-generation undergraduate student engagement and success in a 100% online Jr. Level English course at a university located in the Midwest region. The researchers conducted independent samples (two-tailed) t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and one-way …

Reducing No-Show Appointments In The Outpatient Rheumatology Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Callie Soltero

Dissertations

Introduction: Missed appointments, or no-show appointments, can be detrimental to the patient and office alike in the outpatient setting. No-show appointments decrease patient satisfaction, increase acute episodic visits, and decrease office revenue.

Method: This project aims to reduce no-show appointments by two percent in an outpatient rheumatology office through utilizing an existing phone call reminder system and implementing a text message reminder system.

Results: After the implementation of the text messaging reminder system, contrary to the project's aim of decreasing no-show appointments by two percent, no-show appointments were decreased by 1.1%.

Conclusion: The findings of this quality improvement project show …

Resuscitation Quality Improvement Mortality Rates, Jordan Priest

Dissertations

This paper explores and answers the question: What is the impact of Resuscitation Quality Improvement on survival at discharge rates after suffering an IHCA when compared to every two-year BLS/ACLS training? Articles are explored that identify positive patients’ outcomes when resuscitation training is repetitively learned. The design consists of a BLS/ACLS and RQI evaluation of quarterly survival to discharge rates prior to the initiation of the new RQI program and after the initiation of the new RQI program. The setting of the study is the east region of a midwestern faith-based health care system, that includes four hospitals in one …

The Impact Of Advisory Programs On Student Achievement, Attendance, And Behavior, Joshua Colby Flora

Dissertations

The impact of advisory programs on student achievement, attendance, and behavior was explored in this study. The study was conducted to contribute to existing research and to gain insight as to whether or not advisory programs promote positive academic outcomes in schools. Four schools with advisory programs and four schools with academic homerooms participated in the study. Each school provided student achievement, attendance, and behavior data from the 2015‒2016, 2016‒2017, 2017‒2018, and 2018‒ 2019 school years. In addition, advisory teachers responded to a survey regarding outcomes of advisory and their perceptions of advisory programs. The data were analyzed using an …

Effect Of Implementation Of Simulation On Critical Thinking Skills In Undergraduate Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Joanne M. Knoesel

Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effect of simulation implementation on nursing students' critical thinking skills, as measured by Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) exit exam critical thinking sub-scores from cohorts of baccalaureate nursing graduates, in an undergraduate nursing education program. Benner's (1984), model From Novice to Expert, provides a theoretical framework for identifying knowledge acquisition and level of clinical expertise based on skill competency, knowledge, and experience, and underpins this study.