Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of The Language Of Instruction On Second-Grade Latinx Emergent Bilinguals’ Understanding Of Place Value In Two Spanish-English Transitional Bilingual Classrooms: An Exploratory Study, Angela Maria Rengifo

Dissertations

The relationship between mathematics learning and the language of instruction in bilingual settings has been observed and analyzed widely in educational research. As Latinx Emergent Bilingual students start developing their mathematics knowledge and skills in elementary classrooms, the role that language plays in the process has been studied as a key aspect of classroom practice. A convergent parallel mixed-method approach was used to examine fourteen second-grade Latinx Emergent Bilingual students’ understanding of the concept of place value and whether this process was related to the language of instruction chosen in each of the two Spanish-English transitional bilingual classrooms. Findings from …

Developing Teachers Technological, Pedagogical, And Content Knowledge (Tpack) Through Design Thinking And Community Of Practice, Jennifer Gee Huei Wang

Dissertations

Current professional development programs have been ineffective in developing teachers’ technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPaCK). Development of teachers’ TPaCK is fundamental for 21st-century student-learning. After a series of professional development workshops with the design thinking process, this study examined whether and how the self-selected K-5 teachers in a suburban elementary school in California demonstrated TPaCK in the integration of instructional technologies when they engage in a community of practice (CoP) structured around design thinking. Data was collected by online TPaCK surveys, exit slips after the CoP, audio recordings and field notes from the CoP and focus group interview. This …

Understanding The Barriers, Bridges And Bases To Inclusion Instruction For Secondary Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities, Angela Renee Lyte Crowther

Dissertations

Inclusion is the practice of educating students with disabilities and students without disabilities in the same learning environment. For secondary students with mild/moderate disabilities, inclusion is rooted in the philosophical mindset of social justice, equity, and legislation. Inclusion is a complex and sometimes controversial topic few educational systems want to tackle. The purpose of this multi-method research was to gather and analyze secondary site administrators' and teachers’ opinions on the barriers, bridges, and bases needed for the furtherance of inclusion practices and the elimination of the segregated classrooms for students with mild-moderate disabilities. A plethora of research on this topic …

Expanding And Improving High-Quality Early Care And Education In California: Is There Alignment Between Policymakers And The Public?, Heidi Schmidt Emberling

Dissertations

Although there is widespread agreement about the life-long benefits of high-quality childcare and preschool, access for all children in California is limited. The negative effects of this inadequate landscape are borne predominantly by children living in poverty, and middle-income families who do not qualify for subsidies and cannot afford full-fee care. This mixed-methods study examines specific factors that impede expansion and improvement of childcare/preschool in California, from the perspective of five diverse policymakers. Findings reveal a variety of policy solutions in the areas of funding, teacher workforce, quality of care, policy development, and public perception of the importance of high-quality …

A Mixed Methods Study Identifying And Describing Factors To Promote Psychological Safety In Middle School Professional Learning Communities: Making The Bread Rise, William Cloo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods explanatory study was to identify and describe factors of risk-taking behavior among Riverside County Professional Learning Community (PLC) middle school teachers. It elicited teacher perspectives of a psychologically safe PLC that promotes risk-taking. Additionally, it sought to identify factors that increase psychological safety in a PLC.

Methodology: This mixed methods study uses a sequential explanatory 2-step process to produce results. The quantitative-qualitative study started with a quantitative survey that collected and analyzed numerical data on levels of risk among the population. Qualitative interviews provided context and further explanation on the methods to foster …

Perceived Ease Of Use And Usefulness Of Podcasting In Nursing Skills Competence, Lisa Mesmer Barnes

Dissertations

This capstone project examined nursing students' technology acceptance of podcasting as a tool for nursing skill acquisition. Technology acceptance was determined by measuring the students' perceived competence of the skill along with the perceived usefulness and ease of use of the provided podcasts. A convenience sample of 49 first semester nursing students from an associate degree and practical nursing program participated in the project. Perceived competence of the three nursing skills: obtaining vital signs, inserting a Foley catheter, and performing a sterile dressing change was examined and compared from pre-podcast availability to post-podcast availability. The overall means of the nursing …

The Effect Of The Rapid Assessment For Adolescent Preventive Services (Raaps) In Improving The Style Of The Exchange Of Information And Balance Of Power During A Health Care Visit In A Pediatric Primary Care Setting, Brandi Snyder

Dissertations

It is estimated that more than 70% of illnesses, disabilities, and deaths among the adolescent population are related to adolescent high-risk behaviors. Adolescent high-risk behaviors include those that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence, sexual behaviors related to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, alcohol and other drug use, tobacco use, unhealthy dietary behavior, and inadequate physical activity. Despite national recommendations, many providers remain reluctant to implement standardized screening tools that have been created to prevent and identify these behaviors. Studies have shown that a comprehensive preventative risk assessment, such as the Rapid Assessment of Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS) used …

Engagement Of Primary Stakeholders To Tailor A Comprehensive Transitional Care Model For Persons Who Have Experienced A Stroke And Their Caregivers, Lorre Laws

Dissertations

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US, affecting approximately 795,000 persons annually. Stroke care is delivered across multiple settings from hyperacute care in a hospital through chronic stroke management in the community. Considerable advancements have been made in the delivery of hyperacute and acute stroke care. Science and practice gaps exist in providing stroke transitional care across multiple providers and settings once an individual is discharged from an in-patient care facility to home.

Using a qualitative descriptive design, this study engaged and elicited descriptions from stroke survivors and caregivers affected by stroke to inform the refinement and …

Dimensions Of Racial Identity As Predictors Of Physical Activity In Midlife African American Women, Elaine Clarista Hardy

Dissertations

Physical inactivity leads to serious health consequences, particularly for midlife African American (AA) women. Midlife African American (AA) women are less physically active and have higher obesity-related morbidity and mortality than midlife White women. Studies to examine these disparities typically view AAs as a homogeneous group, despite evidence of important within-group variance. Using a culturally-adapted identity-based motivational model, the purpose of this study was to determine whether dimensions of racial identity have differential influence on physical activity in midlife AA women.

Distress After Preterm Birth: A Discourse Analysis Of Parents' Accounts And Photographs, Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon

Dissertations

Preterm birth is a distressing experience for parents. This distress may continue into early childhood, with negative consequences for parents' mental health and child development. The purpose of this study was to take an in-depth look at how parents formed their accounts of premature birth, postpartum distress, and lives as parents and partners. Discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation assignments were used to analyze the parents' experiences in the context of the couple relationship.

Development Of A Clinical Nurse Leadership Orientation Program, Sunita Waddell

Dissertations

Nurses are often promoted or hired into leadership positions without the benefit of a formal orientation to their new leadership positions. The challenge of navigating the various expectations of the role of clinical nurse leader (CNL) such as fiscal ownership, staffing patterns, payroll, and disciplinary action process can be overwhelming. The lack of a formalized orientation process and an identified nurse leader to function as a mentor can contribute to the novice CNL feeling unsupported and overwhelmed. The purpose of this project was to identify, develop, and evaluate a CNL orientation manual, outline, and program for newly appointed CNLs. The …

Bone Health Education For Osteoporosis Risk Reduction In Premenopausal Women: A Quality Improvement Project, Gloria Jean Nichols

Dissertations

In the United States, about 8.5 million women live with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a debilitating systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and reduced bone mineral density that occurs with the loss of estrogen. The mortality rate for this group is about 3 to 4 times higher than other women and as many as 1 in 3 experience a fracture. Guided by the Health Belief Model, this project evaluated how a bone health fact sheet impacts knowledge about osteoporosis and self-efficacy for preventative behavioral change in premenopausal women (age 40-58 years). The project also evaluated if an electronic medical …

Exploring Intergenerational Value Changes Across Three Generations Of Emirati Women Using Focused Ethnography, Ebtesam Ali Alteneiji

Dissertations

Intergenerational value change, influenced by technological advancements, economic development, formal education, and urbanization, becomes especially complex when it occurs in times of rapid changes, as in the case of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Through the lens of social change and human development theory, heavily constructed in the Gemeinschaft/Gesellschaft paradigm, this focused ethnography explored the push and pull of traditional boundaries within a collectivist society and the necessary navigation of infused Westernized philosophies promoting individualism and autonomy. Participants in this study (N = 24) were members of 8 family triads of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who represented 8 different …

La Maestra’S Circle Of Care: Studying The Impact Of An Integrated Service Model On The Health And Well-Being Of Vulnerable Populations, Zara Marselian

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need to reform the health care delivery system in the United States, as recognized through current bipartisan efforts. Society’s vulnerable populations especially need health care reform as health care outcomes are the poorest among disadvantaged populations. Moreover, vulnerable populations are twice as likely to develop chronic diseases than the general population and they remain ill due to other contextual, societal factors affecting their ability to achieve health and well-being. This population is subjected to adverse life events that suggest a more comprehensive approach to health and well-being is called for.

The Circle of Care is …

The Relationship Between Race And Ethnicity And Serious Safety Events In Hospitalized Patients, Samantha Crandall

Dissertations

Purpose. This study explored the association between patient sociodemographic characteristics and the occurrence of serious safety events (SSE) in hospitalized patients. Specific aims were to describe among patients who have experienced an SSE: 1) patient sociodemographic variables (age, gender, race, ethnicity and language spoken), health insurance coverage, patient zip code, payer mix, site of care location, and severity of event; 2) the relationships between the select patient sociodemographic variables, health insurance coverage, patient zip code, payer mix, site of care location and SSE level of harm; and 3) what factors increase or decrease the odds of experiencing higher levels of …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study To Discover The Attitudes And Perceptions Of Police Officers On The Legalization Of Recreational Cannabis And Crime, Izedomi Ayeni

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to discover the attitudes and perceptions of police officers on the legalization of recreational cannabis and crime.

Methodology: This qualitative, phenomenological methodology employed the use of semi-structured interview questions consisting of open-ended questions to understand the lived experiences of Colorado Police and Sheriff Officers and their perspectives on the experiences with the legalization of cannabis and crime. The sample size of 16 officers was selected from the sampling frame, which included Denver Police officers and Larimer County Sheriff officers.

Findings: Analysis of the data from interviews resulted in the identification of …

Evidence Based Practice Improvement Project To Improve Influenza Vaccination Rate In Intercollegiate Athletes, Clifford W. Fawcett Iii

Dissertations

Influenza is a highly contagious, respiratory infection that affects between 19-26 million people in the United States annually and is associated with morbidity and mortality. Influenza spreads easily with rapid transmission especially in crowded areas. The Centers for Disease Control recommends the best prevention against influenza is the influenza vaccination. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual influenza vaccination for all individuals greater than six months who do not have contraindications. Strong evidence supports the safety and efficacy of the influenza vaccine, yet the uptake of the vaccine is low across many populations, especially college students. Healthy People 2020 …

Women’S Sexual Satisfaction In The Context Of Midlife Relationships: Examining An Ecological Model And Intergenerational Caregiving, Katherine M. Arenella

Dissertations

This study examined an ecological model of sexual satisfaction in midlife women in relationships, and paid particular attention to the role of intergenerational caregiving in predicting satisfaction. Participants were 1,411 midlife women in relationships who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) national study. Using split samples for replication purposes, data from this survey were examined to test the hypothesis that an ecological model - including the macrosystem level variable of religiosity, the exosystem level variables of SES, social support, and parenthood, the mesosystem level variables of relationship satisfaction, affectual solidarity, relationship length, and sexual functioning, and the …

Older Adults' Implementation Of Discharge Instructions Following An Acute Care Hospital Stay, Brenda Miller

Dissertations

Discharge instructions are a self-care guide for patients after discharge from an acute care hospitalization. The discharge process starts on admission to the hospital and continues until discharged. Many patients rely on informal caregivers to provide support after a discharge. However, it is often unclear whether the patients or caregivers completely understand instructions provided during the discharge process. Key concepts related to how discharge instructions were implemented following discharge to home have been understudied from the patient's and informal caregivers' perspectives. Developing effective discharge instructions based on study findings may assist in reducing 30-day hospital readmission rates. This study was …

Emergence Delirium In U.S. Military Combat Veterans, Jason M. Mcguire

Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the phenomenon of emergence delirium in U.S. military combat veterans. Emergence delirium is a post-anesthetic phenomenon that occurs immediately following emergence from general anesthesia and is characterized by agitation, confusion, and violent physical and/or verbal behavior. Clinical evidence suggests that emergence delirium is occurring with greater frequency among military personnel returning from conflict in the Middle East. This body of work is a culmination of three distinctive phases and is presented in three individual manuscripts.

Moral Development And Public Health Nursing, Margaret Avila

Dissertations

Public health nurses (PHNs) have the opportunity and professional obligation to be at the forefront of the fight to eliminate health disparities based on the practice principle of social justice. The overall purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the stage of the moral development in a convenience sample of practicing public health nurses (PHNs) and the differences in moral development stage across selected demographic variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, level of entry into professional nursing, highest level of education, years practicing as an RN, years practicing in a public health department, self-identified political views, primary language, and region of …

The Relationships Between Patients' Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors, Nurses' Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors And Patient Satisfaction In The Emergency Department, Theresa Bucco

Dissertations

Approximately 100 million people seek care in Emergency Departments yearly, which can be overwhelming for many Emergency Department (ED) nurses. Thus, caring for these patients and meeting their needs is challenging for ED nurses. It is the patients' perceptions of the first caring encounters in the ED that can have a significant impact on patient satisfaction.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, nurses' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, and patient satisfaction in the ED.

The Experience Of Being Discharged From Hospice Alive As Perceived By Patients, Their Spouses, And Adult Children, Rebeka Bianca Campbell

Dissertations

Approximately 1.56 million patients received hospice care in 2009, and 243,000 individuals were discharged alive (NHPCO, 2010). There is a paucity of research describing the experiences of individuals discharged from hospice alive. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of adult individuals with a life-limiting condition who were discharged from a hospice program due to decertification related to ineligibility or extended prognosis from the perspective of the individual and his or her adult family members. The study's research questions were: (a) how do participants perceive and describe the experience of being discharged alive from hospice, …

Older Adult Caregiving In An Amish Community, Helen Mavis Farrar

Dissertations

The focus of this study is Amish experiences of older adult caregiving. As an ethnic and religious minority group, the population of Amish in North America is doubling every 18 to 20 years, increasing from an estimated 235,000 in 2008, to 282,000 in 2013 (Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, 2013). Cultural values of the Amish include separation from mainstream society, avoidance of modern technology and an adherence to a rural, agrarian lifestyle according to scripture (Hurst & McConnell, 2010). In spite of sequestration from mainstream society, there is growing evidence that the Amish communities are increasingly seeking healthcare …

Assessment And Strategic Planning To Determine The Growth Feasibility Of A Distance-Based Rural Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Amber Proctor Williams

Dissertations

A greater supply of nurses who are prepared at the BSN level minimally, are needed to address the increasingly complex healthcare and community needs in rural counties. An innovative partnership between a rural regional campus and a university based college of nursing has extended access to baccalaureate education to those based in that rural area. The purpose of this work sought to assess the feasibility of expanding the current distance-based rural BSN program from a systems level. This project illustrated how the organizational assessment can be used as a starting point to deconstruct the complexity surrounding the feasibility of expansion. …

Evidence-Based Practice Preparation In Nursing Education: Recent Bsn Graduates And Their Experience With Applying Evidence-Based Practice, Claudia Werner-Rutledge

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the level of knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP) among registered nurses (RNs) who have joined the profession within the last 5 years. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services PARIHS framework provided the appropriate lens through which to discover the experiences of nurses and their use of EBP.

Perceived Risk For Cardiovascular Disease Among Japanese Adults, Satomi Hayashi

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary artery disease and stroke is a significant health problem in Japan regardless of well established health care and insurance system and various public campaigns and exhibitions in the contemporary Japanese society. Higher and increasing prevalence and incidence of well-known risk factor of CVD may contribute to increasing mortality and morbidity of CVD in the future. However, limited knowledge was available for understanding perceptions of risk for CVD among Japanese adults. This grounded theory study aimed to explore social psychological process in perception of risk for CVD among Japanese adults.

The Experience Of African Students Studying Nursing In The United States In Relation To Their Use Of Critical Thinking, Donald L. Tyson

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the critical thinking experiences of African nursing students enrolled in several universities in the U.S. Using a semi-structured interview approach, twelve African students discussed their experiences using and learning a western critical thinking approach, as well as described their educational experiences in Africa. Three major frameworks guided the study including van Manen's interpretive hermeneutical approach to qualitative research, the conceptual models of critical thinking described by Scheffer and Rubenfeld's (2000) nursing consensus statement and Barnett's (1997) description of criticality, and the African concept of Ubuntu.

Qualitative Study: Understanding Mexican American Women's Experience In Intimate Partner Violence, Nora Montalvo-Liendo

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of Mexican American women living with intimate partner abuse relevant to the process of disclosure of abuse. Limited research exists on the experiences of women who are of Mexican descent living with intimate partner abuse and their disclosure of abuse. Factors that influence disclosure for other populations are well articulated in the literature however, these factors have not been adequately verified in persons of Mexican descent.

Patient/Provider Concordance: Instrument Development, Amanda Jane Flagg

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was the establishment of a reliable and valid tool, the R-USLATCon scale that reflects degrees of concordance attitudes of both patients and health care providers established during a specific patient care episode that may or may not lead to planned adherence. Secondly, the purpose was to undertake a partial testing of a conceptual model, the patient and healthcare provider concordance model developed to specify concepts that are linked with concordance to predict adherence.

The design of this study was a descriptive correlational study used to assess the R-USLATCon scale's preliminary reliability …