Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Influencing Outcomes Of Undergraduate Nursing Student's Education, Patricia Jenkins Barnard

Dissertations

In 2021, approximately 509,000 undergraduate nursing students graduated from baccalaureate nursing educational programs. These new registered nurses (RNs) faced the same adversities as prior generations, including feeling unprepared to practice nursing, personal expectations did not match the reality of the situation, and working in an unwelcoming environment exacerbated by COVID-19 changes. During the time of COVID-19 changes in classroom delivery and settings brought these issues to the forefront (Dewart, 2020; IOM, 2010; NLN, 2015). There is a lack of information about nursing education modalities and their efficacy. Preliminary review documented that there was no clear evidence of which teaching modalities …

Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Internalized Heterosexist Racism Measure For Sexual Minorities Of Color, Juan Pantoja-Patino

Dissertations

Research on intersectional internalized oppression among sexual minorities of color is scant. One of the reasons as to why such oppression is understudied amongst such population is the lack of psychological measures. At the same time, sexual minorities of color are faced with the negative impact of living in a racist and heterosexist society. Therefore, this study is one of first to develop and preliminarily validate the Internalized Heterosexist Racism Measure (IHRM) that evaluates internalized heterosexist racism in sexual minorities of color. By applying an intersectionality framework, the IHRM was generated from an extensive literature review and then reviewed by …

Evaluation Of A Clincally-Integrated Community Health Worker Program To Support Adults With Cardiovascular Conditions: Guided By The Prism Framework, Cynthia Orofo

Dissertations

Chronically ill individuals with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been extensively challenged by the complexities of disease management. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. Although clinically integrated community health worker (cCHW) support interventions have been increasingly implemented to help manage CVDs, a comprehensive analysis of interventions implemented in real-world settings is lacking. The purpose of this study was to observe and evaluate a cCHW support intervention in a real clinical setting serving adults with CVD using an implementation science perspective, guided by the PRISM Framework.

Diagnosing Silent Forgiveness At The Dialogical Limit In Endō Shūsaku’S Novel Silence, Catherine Buescher

Dissertations

I situate this dissertation within the context of the rightly noted deficiencies of dialogue and dialogical hermeneutics, deficiencies that prevent dialogue from effectively addressing the pathological nature of many of today's social issues, e.g., white supremacy, sexual and gender inequality, and climate change. Using the lens and limits of Western dialogical hermeneutics as noted by David Tracy, I conduct a case study of the dialogues of the main characters - Rodrigues, Ferreira, Kichijiro, God—in Endō Shūsaku’s novel Silence, noting the silence active in each of the dialogues at the end of the novel. I then argue that the nature and …

Daring Dames And Dirty Deeds: Chicago Burlesque, Drag, And Censorship Politics, 1850-1980, Lucas Andrew Bensley

Dissertations

"Daring Dames and Dirty Deeds" is a history of burlesque, drag and censorship politics in Chicago from 1850 to 1980. In this period, burlesque and drag entertainers and shows adapted to changes in the tastes and sensibilities of the public. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, burlesque was primarily a form of parody of "higher culture" entertainment featuring circus performers, comedians, and female dancers in elaborate costume. In Chicago, burlesque gradually changed to become an art form that pushed the boundaries of how women could perform on stage while challenging laws and cultural norms of decency and chastity. …

Implementation Of Tai Chi Fall Prevention Program In A Community-Based Setting, Shabnampreet Kaur

Dissertations

The increasing rate of falls among older adults is a health concern that may lead to injuries and reduced quality of life. At the project site there was no systematic process to impact fall rates, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the translation of Li et al.'s research regarding the Tai Chi fall prevention program would impact the rate of falls among adults 65 years and older. The project was piloted over 12 weeks in a community-based setting in urban New York. Imogene King's goal attainment theory and Kurt …

Liberating Bioethics Through Agape: A Feminist Perspective From The Periphery, Kimberly Vargas Barreto

Dissertations

Despite the vast number of cultures and peoples that reside in the West, ethical action in bioethics is determined through the perspective of la Totalidad, which does not include the Other or individuals from the periphery. In my dissertation, I argue that the universalization of U.S. clinical bioethics (la bioética estadounidense) and the coloniality of knowledge that extends from it are, at its core, imperialistic in nature and result in the exclusion of patients with intersectional identities. While clinical bioethics was first conceived as a critical tool for medicine, the acceptance of principlism as the central theory in the field …

Gender Diversity In U.S. Adolescents: An Exploration Of Multidimensional Survey Measures Of Gender And Their Associations With Health And Social Outcomes Using A National Sample Of Adolescent-Parent Dyads, Christopher Hansen

Dissertations

The measurement of gender is an evolving area of survey research. Extant research has assessed different approaches for measuring gender identity and expression among adults; however, comparatively less research has evaluated their use among adolescents who are developing their gender identity and expression. This dissertation uses data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. teens and their parents to evaluate multidimensional measures of gender in adolescents. Three research questions represent separate empirical chapters of the dissertation. The first research question examines the measurement of femininity and masculinity in adolescents based on a comparison of different survey scales. The second research …

Reconceiving Virtue: A Mengzian Adaptation Of Eudaimonic Virtue Ethics In Response To Contemporary Criticisms, Gina Elizabeth Lebkuecher

Dissertations

The primary question my dissertation aims to answer is: how might eudaimonic virtue ethics be reimagined to respond to contemporary criticisms from disability scholars, feminists, and empirical psychology? To answer this, I introduce the Eudaimonic View of Virtue, or EV, and propose a Mengzian adaptation of the EV (EV-M) in response to these criticisms. The EV captures the four core claims to which eudaimonic virtue ethical theories are committed: (i) virtues, in the sense of excellent character traits or dispositions, are the foundation of ethics or ethical action (i.e., aretaicism); (ii) virtue is at least partially constitutive of human well-being/flourishing …

Christotechtonics: Dildonic Prostheticity In Theological Formulation, Evan Taylor Marsolek

Dissertations

This dissertation asserts the following claim: Christ is a dildo. This project brings Paul B. Preciado into conversations with contemporary philosophies of religion and interrogates a hegemonic Christian theological political matrix. This project articulates a hermeneutic of christotechtonics, which studies appearance, formation, and utilization of Christ. This project is twofold. It begins with a transdisciplinary exploration that entangles queer and trans theories, religious studies, secular studies, and philosophy of religion to position reading queer and trans theories as forms of counter political theologies. The work then transitions into dildonic prostheticity in theological formulation. The 2019 Vatican document “Male and Female …

Factors Influencing Purpose In Life In Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Kelly Bergstrom

Dissertations

Purpose in life is an important dimension of psychological well-being with associated health benefits. The current study used a path analysis model to examine how perceived cognitive control, health locus of control- self, engagement in physical activity, and engagement in challenging cognitive activities relate to purpose in life longitudinally. Multimorbidity status was also examined as a potential moderator of paths in the model. Participants were middle-aged and older adults who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) longitudinal national study (n = 2,481). After controlling for relevant covariates, engagement in physical activity, engagement in challenging cognitive activities, …

High Risk Medication Regimens And Medication Related Predictors Of Hospital Readmission In Elderly Home Care Patients, Mary T. Dierich

Dissertations

Adverse drug events are a primary cause of hospitalization in the elderly. Nearly 70% of the $177.4 billion dollars spent on drug related morbidity and mortality in the U.S. is due to hospitalizations. Polypharmacy, inappropriate medications or medication regimen complexity have all been implicated as precursors to adverse drug events and as indicators of high risk medication regimens. Understanding the relationship between medication regimens and readmission is important when evaluating potential errors in administration, risk-benefit ratios, and readmission risk. However, due to definitional and measurement issues, the high risk medication regimen remains an elusive concept. This study characterizes medication regimens, …

Using Evidenced-Based Practice To Increase Knowledge And Awareness Of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Amanda M. Brickey

Dissertations

The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project is to increase the knowledge and intent to change practice through education on the importance in assessing sexual health history in patients at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in Western Washington State by providing continuing education to primary care providers.

Caring Behaviors Of Nursing Students And Their Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Jacquelyn D. Lambert-Davis

Dissertations

Caring is an emotion. It is a feeling of compassion and an understanding of the difficulties of others. Research indicates that caring behaviors and attitudes are an important part of the knowledge base for nursing students. Caring behaviors and attitudes are an important part of the knowledge base for nursing students in order to provide competent care for older adults. This descriptive cross-sectional study reports findings of caring attitudes and behaviors of nursing students using the Caring Dimensions Inventory (CDI). The purpose of this study was to examine the self reported attitudes and caring behaviors of nursing students toward older …

Development And Evaluation Of A Nurse Practitioner Directed Early Palliative Care Initiative And Its Impact On Goal-Concordant Care At A Cancer Center, Ashley V. Weinmann

Dissertations

Seriously ill patients often experience discordant care. Delivering high-quality healthcare requires effective communication to support goal-concordant care.

Pancreatic cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 12% with a high symptom burden. Pancreatic cancer patients often have unmet needs that lead to increased psychological, spiritual, social, and physical needs. Early integration of palliative care can provide high-quality communication and goal-concordant care. A retrospective analysis of MDACC's pancreatic patients found that 34% were referred to palliative care.

Estimating And Applying Parameters Necessary To Plan Cluster Randomized Trials (Crts) And Multisite Cluster Randomized Trials (Mscrts), Dea Mulolli

Dissertations

Cluster randomized trials (CRTs) are commonly used to study the effectiveness of educational interventions. During the design phase of a study, it is critical for researchers to ensure their studies are adequately powered to detect meaningful treatment effects, including both main and moderator effects. Designing CRTs with adequate power to detect main and moderator effects requires accurate estimates of design parameters. This research aims to advance the literature on design parameters for power analyses, specifically focusing on empirical estimates of intraclass correlations (ICCs). The work consists of three research papers that examine the role of including the teacher level in …

An Experimental Study Of Supervised Machine Learning Techniques For Minor Class Prediction Utilizing Kernel Density Estimation: Factors Impacting Model Performance, Abdullah Mana Alfarwan

Dissertations

This dissertation examined classification outcome differences among four popular individual supervised machine learning (ISML) models (logistic regression, decision tree, support vector machine, and multilayer perceptron) when predicting minor class membership within imbalanced datasets. The study context and the theoretical population sampled focus on one aspect of the larger problem of student retention and dropout prediction in higher education (HE): identification.

This study differs from current literature by implementing an experimental design approach with simulated student data that closely mirrors HE situational and student data. Specifically, this study tested the predictive ability of the four ISML classification models (CLS) under experimentally …

Addressing The Importance Of Recruitment And Retention Of Black And Latinx Teachers: Strategies Designed To Diversify The Teacher Pipeline, Shavon Pittman

Dissertations

The United States student demographic has shifted significantly, with minorities, particularly Black and Latinx students, now constituting almost half. However, the diversity of the teaching profession, historically led by White females, lags behind, with Black and Latinx teachers comprising less than 30%. This lack of representation poses challenges for students without culturally similar educators. My research explores the impact of teacher diversity on Black and Latinx students' success, revealing positive outcomes. Yet, attracting and retaining minority teachers faces obstacles, including feelings of isolation and financial concerns. Recommendations include educational pathways, scholarships, mentoring programs, salary incentives, and professional learning communities to …

Exploring Secondary Teachers' Digital Curricular Autobiographies As A Path Towards Digital Equity: A Currere Journey, Douglas S. Vandyke

Dissertations

Combining a narrative approach with portraiture and theoretically framed by reconceptualism and critical digital pedagogy, this study explores participants’ beliefs about and experiences using information and communication technologies (ICT) for learning. It also explores participants’ understanding of digital learning as essential to educational equity in a postdigital society. Participants were secondary teachers serving socio-economically marginalized Black and Latinx students across four public high schools in Chicago. Through a series of semi-structured interviews each constructed a version of their digital curricular autobiography (currere). Through this reflection, participants recalled their own experiences being excluded from learning which contributed to their …

Encendiendo La Intuición/Igniting Intuition: A Bilingual Reading Specialist's Lived Experiences And Reclaiming Of Literacies, Dora M. Guzmån

Dissertations

This autoethnography explores the researcher’s lived experiences as a first-generation Latina, bilingual reading specialist who developed biliteracy in English/Spanish from childhood through adulthood and how this ignited her cultural intuition. Framed by a critical, Chicana feminist lens, she analyzed her personal and professional biliteracy practices and cultural intuition to understand how she supported young bilingual readers. Qualitative data were collected retroactively and in-the-moment (e.g., voice/written reflective memos, journals). The study research focused on how her cultural intuition guided: a) her role and practice as a bilingual reading specialist; b) her role and practice as a bilingual literacy practitioner of bilingual …

A Quantitative Analysis Of University Counselors And Student Affairs Personnel's Knowledge And Confidence In Working With Students With Autism Spectrum, Sandra Araiza Salazar

Dissertations

University counselors and student affairs personnel often find themselves unprepared to address the needs of undergraduate students with autism spectrum disorder. Many of these professionals are not receiving the proper training or education to prepare for the unique social, emotional, and academic needs of these neurodiverse students. Due to this trend, many university counselors and student affairs personnel may lack the necessary knowledge and confidence in serving this neurodiverse population. In this first-of-its-kind study, university counselors and student affairs personnel’s knowledge and confidence in working with undergraduate students with autism spectrum was analyzed. A nonrandom sample of university counselors and …

Effects Of A Taekwondo-Inspired Intervention Program On Children With Adhd, Zubaida Fares Shraim

Dissertations

Exercise and physical activity are beneficial for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a Taekwondo-inspired intervention program on children with ADHD in the UAE context. The research utilized a mixed methods/quasi-experimental design approach, consisting of two phases. Within the first phase, a promising intensive intervention for children with ADHD has been implemented for five weeks, four sessions weekly. The sample of the first phase consisted of four children aged 8-10 years diagnosed with ADHD. Three assessment instruments were used to collect data in phase one and explore …

The Role Of Work-Based Learning In Developing Future Skills And Competencies For The Workforce In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Dorith Johnson

Dissertations

The study investigated the impact of work-based learning on developing skills and competencies required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Educators must adapt to what students need to succeed in this era. In this study, seven participants who oversee or have overseen a portion of various work-based learning initiatives engaged in a semi-structured interview process. The interview questions inquired about teacher preparation, practical strategies, programs or models of work-based learning, challenges and limitations, sustainability, and the impacts of different work-based models on employability skill development. The results provide hope that work-based learning can play a crucial role in today’s more technologically …

Principals As Instructional Leaders: Supporting New Middle School Principals To Implement Systems Allowing For Instructional Leadership, Jason Kaiz

Dissertations

This study is a collection, interpretation, and, eventually, recommendations based on data collected through interviews with current middle school principals. The research questions examine how middle school principals can increase their effectiveness as an instructional leader within the building. The research begins by examining the factors contributing to the principal being an instructional leader and what systems can be implemented to support this goal. These systems should include the ability for principals to facilitate learning for staff, just as staff facilitate learning within their classroom. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the need to look at resources available for principals as …

Professional Learning Communities: Structures And Implementation For Small Middle Schools And Singleton Teachers, Gerrie Aulisa

Dissertations

Professional Learning Communities are essential to building interdependent collaborative teacher teams to elevate teaching and learning for students. One struggle with implementing PLCs comes about when you have singleton teachers who do not have a colleague who teaches the same grade and content as them. This study reviewed the research-based PLC implementation strategies used at one small middle school. The main research question was: How can PLCs work effectively for small middle schools and singleton teachers? Other related questions were:

● How can PLCs feel relevant to our elective area teachers?

● What determines a successful PLC?

● Should middle …

Undergraduate Student Sense Of Belonging And Edtech Tool Engagement: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Virtual Campus Experience, Veronica Wilson

Dissertations

The contemporary postsecondary learning experience is heavily mediated by educational technology (EdTech) tools and yet little is known about the ways in which these tools impact student engagement and sense of belonging, two indicators which are important to student persistence and graduation. Using Strayhorn’s (2023) critical socioecological sense of belonging framework, this convergent mixed methods study offers insights into these relationships by examining student engagement with EdTech and student sense of belonging and the impact of student traits on the relationship between EdTech and sense of belonging. This study was conducted at a private, broad access Hispanic-Serving Institution in the …

Implementing And Evaluating Social-Emotional Learning Through Inquiry Research And Best Practice, Nada Abid

Dissertations

Previous research has provided insight into the benefits of incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the classroom, such as in the area of academic performance. As Jones et al. (2018) explained, “Children who can effectively manage their thinking, attention, and behavior are also more likely to have better grades and higher standardized test scores” (p. 15). I designed this research to examine the implementation of an SEL program and evaluate its effectiveness. The school’s multi-tiered system of supports(MTSS) team worked to implement the SEL program in the classrooms and chose two classrooms in which to pilot the program. The evaluation involved …

First In My Family: Overcoming Obstacles And Utilizing Resources To Successfully Complete The Educational Journey, Milana Tarbuk Migic

Dissertations

First-generation college students encounter many hardships when trying to persist throughout their educational journey. They are expected to be successful in navigating their careers, family life, and school – all without anyone else’s experience to reference. When a student is the first in their family to go to college, they are expected to succeed with a lack of understanding the process. This qualitative study explores what assets first-generation students have and apply in their college experience that contribute to their persistence. This research is guided by Dr. Tara Yosso’s Cultural Wealth Model which examines many forms of cultural capital that …

Understanding Latino Students' Perspectives On Their High School Experiences And Post-Graduation Options, Rubi Ortiz

Dissertations

Projections from the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics indicate Latinos will constitute 30% of the school-aged population in the United States by the year 2030. Enhancing the quality of education for this demographic becomes increasingly crucial. Such improvements not only benefit Latino communities but also hold significant implications for the progress and future prosperity of our nation. The focus in this study was to understand Latino students’ perspectives on their high school experiences and post-graduation options, as well as to explore the influence of high school programming on their experiences. This qualitative study was conducted with …

Shake Ya Ass, But Watch Yourself: An Intersectional And Decolonial Approach To Exploring The Sexualization Of Female Recording Artists And The Empowerment Of Women In The United States, H.B. Rebeka

Dissertations

This dissertation, titled Shake Ya Ass, But Watch Yourself: An Intersectional and Decolonial Approach to Exploring the Sexualization of Female Recording Artists and the Empowerment of Women in the United States, critically examines the phenomenon of sexualization of women in the music industry and its impact on female empowerment. Through an intersectional and decolonial feminist lens, the study delves into the historical and socio-cultural contexts that shape the portrayal and perception of female recording artists in the United States.

The research traces the roots of feminism and the commodification of racial stereotypes through music, exploring how female empowerment has been …