Digital Commons Network^™

Outside And In: Social Support's Relationship With Support While Incarcerated, Phillip Michael Galli

Dissertations

Positive social support acts as a barrier against life events. Related to crime, positive social support may improve prison institutional behavior, reentry outcomes, and reduce recidivism. Conversely, negative support may create deleterious effects for individuals as they navigate life’s challenges. This dissertation explores the relationships between indicators of positive pre-prison social support (living as a family unit, marriage, financial help) and pre-cursors to negative social support pre-prison (caregiver substance use, family criminal history, growing up in foster care, receiving welfare, living in public housing and physical/sexual abuse) and three forms of carceral social support (visitation, making/receiving phone calls, and religious …

Attachment Style And Teacher-Student Relationships Within Residential Treatment: A Mixed Methods Approach, John Paul Richardson

Dissertations

Little is known about the characteristics of special education teachers who work in residential treatment care facilities. The quality of relation between teachers and students beset with histories of abuse, neglect, trauma, or other mental health concerns is seen to be an important aspect to the success of this work. Understanding the attachment histories of teachers working in residential treatment may illuminate the factors that prompt these individuals to persist in this challenging environment. A mixed-methods, convergent-parallel design was conducted with 31 teachers working in residential treatment using the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR) and Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (TSRI) to …

Toeplitz Matrix-Based Goodness Of Fit Test Statistics For Vector Autoregressive Moving Average Models, Hanadi Yahia Alomari

Dissertations

In multivariate time series analysis, a Vector Autoregressive Moving Average model would be fitted to the data. Then, diagnostic checking methods are used to assess the goodness of fit for the fitted model. Different multivariate Portmanteau goodness of fit tests had been proposed for multivariate time series analysis. However, these previous tests suffer from low power in many situations, such as small sample sizes. To overcome this, a modified measure of autocorrelation was recently proposed by Fisher and Robbins (2018) using a logarithmic transformation of the determinant of a Toeplitz matrix that contains the multivariate correlations matrices. This new measure …

Exploring Perceptions Of Math Instructional Practices In Preparation For High-Stakes Testing, Rachel M. Green

Dissertations

In all things, I give my God glory; He is my strength and comforter. To my mom, thank you for giving me life and choosing to love me relentlessly. You are, to me, an inspiration and a warrior for Christ. To my mother-in-law, my first classroom teacher, completing this project could not have happened without you. Its success is just as much yours as it is mine. Thank you for giving me my best friend and biggest supporter. To my Joe, the wind beneath my wings and protector of my heart, you have been with me through every season of …

Evaluation Of The Proliferation Of Electromagnetic Radiation In Smart Indoor Environment And Subsequent Absorption On Human Head By Simulation And Factorial Analysis, Reshna Raveendran

Dissertations

Smart buildings using 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) acknowledge themselves as one of the undeniable byproducts occasioned from the fifth Industrial Revolution and are seen as the best solution adopted by the built environment. Smart buildings are publicized to carry a spectrum of benefits for building occupants ranging from actively saving electricity, ensuring operational efficiency to facilitating health support, wellness and productivity. Conversely, the negative aspects associated with smart buildings are often marginalized, and the limited research produced so far makes them seemingly non-existent. Literature review informs us that a smart building being subjected to external and artificial radiation …

Post-Secondary Education Influence: College Vs. Skilled Trades, Sidney Joseph

Dissertations

Vocational education is a learning process where individuals focus on manual training with a non-academic curriculum related to a specific trade or occupation where individuals seek careers without college. According to Merriam-Webster (2019), vocational education is a type of education or training directed at a particular field and its skills. A skilled trade is any occupation that requires a specific skill set, knowledge, or ability. It is usually a hands-on job, but skilled trades are found in every career cluster. Vocational education helps create future professionals who need education and training, leading to job opportunities for plumbers, mechanics, and factory …

A Quantitative Study On The Impact Of Adapted School Instruction As A Result Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Student Standardized Math Scores In A Midwest Public School District At The Middle School Level, Matthew Walker Buschman

Dissertations

The COVID-19 Pandemic has presented the educational system with challenges that have caused adaptive instruction techniques for all student populations in one way or another. The researcher chose to focus specifically on the impact of adaptive instruction as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the area of mathematics by evaluating student growth on STAR Math Assessments at the Middle School level for a Midwest Public School District. Through evaluating the data from pre-adaptive instruction to post-adaptive instruction as a result of COVID-19, the researcher aimed to identify possible declines in growth as a result of adaptive learning from the …

Native Hawaiian Caregivers' Cultural Perspectives Of Pediatric Asthma Management, Donna-Marie Palakiko

Dissertations

Asthma remains the leading cause of chronic respiratory illness among Native Hawaiian children 0 to 17 years in Hawai'i. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) established asthma management guidelines which includes medical assessment and monitoring, education in partnership with the caregiver, control of environmental triggers, and medication adherence (National Asthma Education Prevention Program [NAEPP], 2007).
However, these guidelines do not consider the worldview, health beliefs, and cultural practices of caregiver, child, and family.

The purpose of this study was to describe how Native Hawaiian caregivers manage pediatric asthma, to understand which strategies are considered cultural practices, and to …

Team Dynamics And Learning Behavior In Hospitals: A Study Of Error Reporting By Nurses, Lindsay Thompson Munn

Dissertations

Error reporting is the primary way that hospitals identify errors and near misses, and it is essential for organizational learning and improvement to occur. However, it is widely recognized that errors in hospitals are significantly underreported. As a result, there are numerous lost opportunities for health care organizations to learn from errors and improve the care delivered to patients.

The purpose of this study was to use the model of work-team learning as the theoretical foundation to examine the error reporting behaviors of nurses. The study examined the team factors of safety climate, leader inclusiveness, and psychological safety and their …

Female African American Deans’ Rise To Success: Navigating And Conquering Self-Sabotaging Behaviors By Taking Back Their Power, Davina Bailey

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female African American Deans in higher education and to explore the impact these behaviors had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by female African American Deans in higher education to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed-method study explored the lived experiences of nine female African American deans who acknowledged they had experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their careers. The researcher distributed an electronic Likert scale survey to the participants to identify the most …

Trauma And Alcohol/Substance Use: The Role Of Self-Regulation Flexibility, Saankari Anusha Challa

Dissertations

Despite a high comorbidity rate between trauma/PTSD and problematic alcohol/substance use, there is only a small body of work investigating moderators and mediators in this relationship. Few studies have examined the role of self-regulation, composed of coping and emotion regulation, in the context of PTSD and problematic substance use. Prior work has generally measured self-regulation categorically, with strategies labeled as maladaptive or adaptive, and therefore failing to account for the adaptiveness of the strategy in particular contexts. The present study is the only one to date to examine self-regulation flexibility in the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms (PTSS) and problematic alcohol/substance …

Promoting Safe Sleep Education For At Risk Mothers, Breanna James

Dissertations

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is an unexplained scary phenomenon that has plagued parents for years until research determined there was a link between the infants sleeping position and sudden death. Local community leaders in health and advocacy review fetal and infant deaths on an annual basis to identify ways that infant mortality may be prevented. Barriers related to social determinants of health and lack of knowledge specific to safe sleep were identified root causes. Evidence-based recommendations for safe sleep set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing mortality. The purpose of the quality improvement …

Improving Clinical Alarm Fatigue And Alarm Management Competency Among Critical Care Nurses By Implementing A Unit Based Alarm Management Bundle, Stephanie Bosma

Dissertations

Clinical alarms are designed to signal an unsatisfactory patient physiological state, alert staff to malfunctioning medical equipment or systems, and warn the operator of potential hazards to the patient. While alarms interrupt the patients healing process, alarms also induce a crippling fatigue among nurses, known as alarm fatigue. The concept of alarm fatigue and clinical alarm management competency remains a common problem among nurses who work in the acute care setting. In the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at a teaching hospital in Northeast Florida, alarm fatigue, consistent alarm management skills, and competency surrounding the use of the Philips physiologic …

Interspecific Pollen Transfer, Gene Flow, And Speciation In Bat-Pollinated Burmeistera H. Karst. & Triana (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), Juan Moreira-Hernandez

Dissertations

The evolutionary success of angiosperms has been largely influenced by their interactions with animal pollinators, which provide pollen and gene transport between individuals, populations, and young diverging species. Here, I examine the interplay between interspecific pollen transfer (IPT) by shared pollinators, gene flow, and the evolution of reproductive isolation in the young rapid radiation of Neotropical bat-pollinated bellflowers in the genus Burmeistera (Campanulaeae: Lobelioideae). In Chapter 1, I conducted an extensive review of the pollination and plant speciation literature to highlight the evolutionary consequences of IPT in angiosperms and showed that it has profound consequences for the evolution of floral …

Intimate Partner Violence Education For Pregnant And Postpartum Adolescents And Young Adults, Tatiana Filajdic

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem The commencement of intimate partner violence (IPV) often begins with relationships during adolescence and young adulthood; hence, young age is a risk factor. Young adult females, pregnant and post-partum adolescents are at high risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV).

Methods A prospective, descriptive design evaluating the impact of three IPV education sessions offered over a three-month period at a non-profit shelter specific for young adult, pregnant and post-partum adolescents.

Results Twelve participants attended the sessions (N=12), and seven (n=7, 61.5%) of shelter residents attended at least one IPV education session. A two-proportion z …

Factors Associated With Household Contacts' Tuberculosis Testing And Evaluation, Elvy G. Barroso

Dissertations

Contact investigation (CI) is one of the core elements of tuberculosis (TB) control. It is intended to achieve early identification of contacts who may have been exposed to a patient with infectious active TB and contacts who may benefit from treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). LTBI is an infection in which the Mycobacterium tuberculosis organisms cause no signs and symptoms but the infection can be reactivated and develop into full-blown active TB disease. Failure to be identified as a contact is the primary reason for disease development in more than half of TB patients, thus a complete and timely …

How Are Intrapreneurs Successful In Product Development? A Study Of Intrapreneurs In Established Firms, Christopher Johnson

Dissertations

The term Intrapreneur dates to the 1980s and refers to an entrepreneurial thinking employee within an established organization who thinks across the boundaries of organization units. Due to business competition and the pace of innovation, large firms rely on intrapreneurs to lead process improvements, incremental innovations, new product development, or vertical technology development. These individuals often lead activities positioning the firm to innovate and differentiate from the business competition. Despite the need for firms to turn to the front-line intrapreneurs to reinvigorate the business, it is still unclear what separates the successful intrapreneurs from the unsuccessful. This study contributes to …

Sexual Minority Thriving: Bouncing Beyond Adversity, Debra Crawford

Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals continue to face prejudice and discrimination due to their sexual minority identity. However, despite these negative experiences, many sexual minority individuals display resilience and thrive. Most of the literature on sexual minorities focuses on negative aspects of identifying as a sexual minority, rather than the positive qualities that these individuals possess that allow them to persevere. In a sample of 303 sexual minorities, this dissertation contained two studies. Study one investigated if posttraumatic growth mediated the relationship between resilience and thriving and if identity pride and existential anxiety moderated the relationship between resilience and thriving in a …

Determinants Of Police Department Change: An Institutional Theory Approach, Colby Dolly

Dissertations

This research examines the change in police practices after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Immediately after his death and throughout the following years, police departments in St. Louis County faced immense pressure to change. The pressure originated from numerous fronts, including the media, local community groups, and politicians. This research evaluates the change in policing using institutional theory with data from surveys and interviews of police chiefs. The findings indicate changes in policies after 2014. The most significant change occurred in departments strongly influenced by the mimetic dimension of institutional theory. The research adds to …

Conceptualization Of Factors That Have Meaning For Newly Licensed Registered Nurses Completing Nurse Residency Programs In Acute Care Settings, Beverly Dianne Rowland

Dissertations

Nurse residency programs (NRPs) have been identified as a means to promote transitioning of new nurses into the professional nursing role. Questions have arisen related to which elements within those programs are most meaningful to the development of new nurses. As the nursing shortage drives the need for quick transition and development of nurses to meet workforce needs, nursing must identify what is meaningful to nurses in their transition to practice. The purpose of this multi-site study was to explicate meaning from the experiences of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) who have just completed NRPs. The research question was ";What …

The Relationship Between Nursing Unit Culture And The Use Of Evidence-Based Practice Among Nurses In Hospitals, Jin Jun

Dissertations

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been the gold standard for clinical practice. However, the use of EBP by healthcare providers, including nurses, has remained at suboptimal rates. Though researchers have examined various factors that influence nurses' use of EBP, studies of more complex organizational factors are limited. Nursing unit culture, which encompasses unique shared values, beliefs, and assumptions, may be one of the driving forces in determining nurses' behavior, leading to variation in the use of EBP. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between nursing unit culture and the use of EBP among nurses in hospitals under …

Improving Postpartum Hypertension Discharge Education: A Pilot Project, Kathryn Barth

Dissertations

Problem: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of maternal morbidity, mortality, and postpartum readmission. Several evidence-based algorithms and protocols have been implemented in the inpatient setting to treat severe blood pressure and prevent complications. However, there remains an opportunity to improve the postpartum care transition and discharge education for patients with these conditions in an attempt to decrease 30-day postpartum hypertension readmissions.

Methods: This pilot project utilized a descriptive design and took place on a postpartum unit at a Midwest metropolitan high-risk obstetrical teaching hospital. Interventions included patient-specific discharge education, distribution of a home blood pressure …

Liquid Biopsies For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Biomarkers For Disease Risk And Diagnosis, Stephanie Chidester

Dissertations

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. There is a critical need for earlier and more effective screening and diagnostic tools. Innovative liquid biopsy technologies may play a key role in meeting this need. Liquid biopsies are a non-invasive, adjunctive tool for determining diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response. This dissertation focuses on two potential applications of liquid biopsy technologies to T2DM: (1) epigenome-wide association studies to identify epigenetic markers of risk for T2DM, and (2) extracellular vesicle (EV)-based biomarker studies to identify and detect markers associated with T2DM development and progression. Dissertation studies: …

Heart Rate Variability Following Treatment For Ptsd: Testing The Polyvagal Theory, Brittany F. Goodman

Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to lower heart rate variability (HRV), including measures of vagal tone. Treatments targeting the autonomic nervous system (ANS) have demonstrated efficacy in improving vagal tone, but it is less clear whether similar effects can also be achieved with cognitive therapies. The polyvagal theory has suggested that symptoms of social dysfunction are linked to vagal tone through a phylogenetically organized response to stress. HRV was collected during rest, reactivity (exposure to personalized trauma scripts), and recovery using a scripted imagery paradigm in female PTSD positive physical and sexual assault survivors (N = 41) …

Quality Improvement: Improving Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management And A1c Levels In Older Adult Veterans Using An Automated Message System, Danielle Brunson

Dissertations

Background: Diabetes mellitus is prevalent among the US population; particularly type 2 diabetes. As the population ages, the number of adults 65 years of age or older with diabetes is increasing. Diabetes is also common among U.S. veterans. Approximately 25% of U.S. Department of VA patients have diabetes. Evidence demonstrated a prevalence of diabetes among older veterans. Innovative approaches to improve diabetes care and health outcomes for veterans are needed.

Aim: This quality improvement (QI) project examined the use of a unidirectional automated text message system (Annie) to improve self-management behaviors of veterans with Type 2 diabetes, as evidenced by …

Breastfeeding Intention And Initiation Among Rural, Low-Income Native Americans And African American Adolescent Mothers In North Carolina: Testing The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Cynthia H. Herndon

Dissertations

Infant feeding practices can greatly impact a child's life with far reaching implications based upon decisions a mother makes for her newborn. Breastfeeding is the preferred method of infant feeding because of its association with health benefits to both the mother and child. The prevalence of breastfeeding among rural, low income, disadvantaged groups to include Native American (NA) and African American (AA) adolescent mothers is low. NAs and AAs bear a disproportionate burden of illness and health risks compared to other races and ethnic groups in the United States. Breastfeeding is a targeted public health strategy to improve the health …

Which Attributes Separate Top-Performing Outside Salespeople From The Rest?, Paul Niemann

Dissertations

For decades, sales organizations have faced the ongoing challenge of attaining the maximum sales results from their salespeople. Whether a salesperson has plenty of skill but lacks the will to reach their potential or has the will to become a top salesperson but lacks the necessary skills to reach their potential, the failure of sales organizations to obtain maximum results from their salespeople is a problem. Some salespeople have plenty of skill but lack the will to reach their potential, while others have the will to become a top salesperson but have not yet acquired the necessary skills to reach …

Student Attitudes Towards Graduation: A Comparison Of Motivation Factors For Greek Life And Non-Greek Life Undergraduate Students, Crystal Sanders

Dissertations

Greek life is an activity that is part of student involvement on a college or university campus. Student involvement allows students to increase their knowledge outside of the classroom through interaction with their peers and faculty, which will hopefully lead to graduation. The creation of Greek life engaged students in activities outside of the classroom. Unfortunately, Greek life has carried negative references and has been associated with morally wrong activities. Colleges and universities received negative impacts from such activities and behaviors. Most research about Greek life conveyed dedication to focusing on hazing, academics, and graduation rates. Revealing the motivational influences …

The Knowledge And Attitudes Of Oncology Nurses On Advance Directives, Bailey Nettles

Dissertations

Advances in healthcare technology has changed how healthcare professionals care for patients, increasing the importance of Advance Directives (ADs). ADs are legal documents describing patient end-of-life care wishes. Despite the usefulness of ADs, particularly in oncology settings, most patients do not have one.

This qualitative content analysis study examined knowledge and attitudes of ADs among oncology nurses to obtain a better understanding of ADs. Literature on ADs and nurses is dominated by quantitative research. This study addresses knowledge gaps best filled by qualitative methods.

Ten experienced oncology nurses answered eleven open-ended questions using online video conference interviews. The eleven questions …

A Phenomenological Study To Describe How Hispanic Entrepreneur Women Use Mark Crowley’S Four Principles To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Elizabeth Vargas

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary Hispanic entrepreneur women lead from the heart using Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological research approach was used in this study to illuminate the lived experiences of exemplary Hispanic entrepreneur women. A sample of eight Hispanic entrepreneur women from the target population in Southern California was chosen. The sample of eight Hispanic entrepreneur women was chosen using predetermined criteria. Each participant was …