Digital Commons Network^™

Recovery From A Coronary Event: Understanding The Nature Of The Patient's Journey, Laura P. Rossi

Dissertations

As new technology has improved the diagnosis and treatments of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), our understanding of how patients recover and return to their daily life is limited. The fast pace with which individuals move through the health care system has produced a new set of patient experiences for which systems and providers are unprepared. Life after ACS and current treatment may be very different from prior understandings of recovery after a heart attack. This study explored the trajectories of recovery following ACS and identified implications for effective care planning.

Interactions Of Lewis Acids And Carbonyls In The Presence Of Ligands Or Additives: How Solution Behavior Differs And The Implication On Catalytic Systems, Sophi Rose Todtz

Dissertations

Lewis acids have proven extremely valuable to the field of organic synthesis. Their diverse application in reactions of carbonyl-containing substrates has caused a multitude of efforts towards characterization of solution interactions between Lewis bases and Lewis acids. Though Lewis initially described a 1:1 interaction between one acid and one base, our lab has previously employed in-situ IR spectroscopy to characterize 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1 solution structures under catalytic conditions. These insights have played a critical role in our understanding of catalyst behavior in carbonyl-containing systems, allowing us to describe byproduct inhibition in the carbonyl-olefin metathesis mechanism. The research presented in …

Institutional Experiences Of Justice-Involved Adolescents: Profiles, Predictors, And Post-Release Associations, Elizabeth Sargent

Dissertations

Experiences within juvenile justice placements have long been a topic of concern amongst researchers and policy makers, with institutional violence exposure and harsh treatment being two such reasons for concern. The majority of adolescents who enter the justice system already have extensive violence exposure, which can continue while they are detained through victimization and witnessed violence. One’s adjustment to justice settings is influenced by characteristics and experiences prior to placement, and institutional experiences may also have influences on mental health and behavior after release. In the current study, reports from justice-involved adolescents were used to 1) identify profiles of institutional …

Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons: How Millennial Black Women Teachers Navigate K-12 Educational Spaces, Janese L. Nolan

Dissertations

Research suggests that Millennial Black women teachers (MBWTs) are having experiences that are complex and contradictory. Research also suggests that those experiences continue to be underexamined and unexplained. To illuminate the unique socio-political positions of MBWTs, in this study, I examined their socio-political context and navigational tactics while also exploring whether Lemonade Navigational theory could illuminate the contradictory experiences of MBWTs given their generational epistemology.

The Way To Well-Being Through Safety, Trust And Freedom: A Youth-Driven Framework For Older Youth In Child Welfare, Bridget Marie Colacchio

Dissertations

The current study looks at the experience of well-being among young people who experienced foster care in the United States. The objective of the project was to seek a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of well-being from the perspective of those with most direct knowledge of it: youth in care themselves. Chapter 1 includes an overview of the social, historical, policy, and clinical landscape underpinning the study, starting with a summary of the current state of the child welfare system in the United States. This includes a look at two key contextual factors – structural racism and neoliberalism – that …

Identifying Factors Affecting Saudi Nurses’ Intentions To Report Medication Errors In Arar Hospitals, Ohoud Aldughmi

Dissertations

Background: Medication errors are the most common safety issues in Saudi Arabia. To avoid medication errors, Saudi hospitals need to identify the causes of errors by encouraging reporting errors. Most Saudi nurses do not report errors because of the blaming culture. Therefore, Saudi nurses need a psychological safe environment that encourages nurses to admit and report errors. Even if establishing a good error reporting system is helpful, Saudi health organizations need to discover nurses' perceptions, attitudes, norms, behaviors, and intentions regarding medication error reporting. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the intention of Saudi …

Pandemic Pedagogies: Fatalistic Or Black Feminist?, Sydney Marie Simone Curtis

Dissertations

The research question I pursued is: “How do Black feminist instructors who identify as spiritual define and embody pandemic pedagogy?” Pandemic pedagogy is a term used to describe the experiences of teachers and students at HEIs and K-12 schools as they navigate teaching and learning during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (Schwartzman, 2020). I identified two general approaches in the current literature on pandemic pedagogies in postsecondary education: “fatalistic” approaches that bemoan the challenges faced by teachers and students during the pandemic, and “responsive” approaches that describe attempted solutions to these challenges, without addressing root causes. Conversely, “transformative” pandemic pedagogies are …

Barriers And Facilitators To Library Social Work Practice In The United States: A Mixed-Methods Study, Margaret Ann Paauw

Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Library social work is an emerging field where libraries and social workers partner to meet the psychosocial needs of library patrons. With libraries being situated as the last truly public spaces, they are positioned as centers of communities and have called upon the field of social work to assist in navigating the changing landscape of their patrons. Library social work has been around for over ten years, yet research has struggled to keep up with practice. This study was the first nationwide study on library social work from the perspective of the people who are doing the …

A Descriptive Exploration Of Quality And Opportunities In Outdoor Urban Play Spaces: The Case Of Chicago Public Schools, Katherine Anne Varey

Dissertations

This study investigated the quality of children’s play spaces, both green and built, in and surrounding urban public schools in Chicago. Given children’s declining access to nature and the outdoors, especially in urban areas, the aim of the study was to both assess the current potential for high-quality outdoor experiences, as well as to uncover additional, low-cost, and low-burden opportunities that may exist for enhancing outdoor experiences. Based on a selected sample of 60 Chicago Public Schools, this mixed methods study employed quantitative ratings of play space and neighborhood quality, geographic information systems (GIS) mapping techniques to show distribution of …

Cancer Survivor Empowerment Through Patient-Reported Outcomes, Mary Patricia Johnston

Dissertations

Background: Conventional approaches for assessing and managing symptoms in cancer survivors are unlikely to be effective in cancer survivorship care because clinician-driven assessment limits the voice of the cancer survivor while the burden and complexity of cancer care increases. Yet, cancer survivors are not prepared for the shift from clinician-driven assessment and management of symptoms to cancer survivor self-report of symptoms and self-management of their own care. There are gaps in clinician assessment, and no studies describe how patient empowerment may facilitate the cancer survivor’s ability to assume the responsibilities of monitoring, reporting, and managing symptoms as the cancer survivor …

Warmth And Support: The Importance Of Parenting Behaviors On Child Symptoms Among Mexican Immigrant Families, Yvita Bustos

Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to expand research regarding warmth and support among low-income, Latino immigrant families, specifically families of Mexican-origin, and how these parenting behaviors impact child internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors. The first study titled, “Effects of Familism, Parenting, and Family Cohesion on Child Internalizing Symptoms among Mexican Immigrant Families” explored how familism may promote warmth and support, in addition to family cohesion, and how these factors may impact child internalizing symptoms during middle childhood among Mexican immigrant families. The second study, titled “Stress and Child Internalizing Symptoms: Examining the Moderating Role of Latino Fathers' Warmth and Support using Mixed …

Parenting And Psychosocial Functioning In Youth With Spina Bifida: Making Connections With Other Cns-Related Chronic Health Conditions, Adrien M. Winning

Dissertations

Parenting practices have been linked to psychosocial outcomes in children who have chronic health conditions that affect the central nervous system (CNS), such as spina bifida (SB). However, there remains a need for (1) more evidence-based assessments that capture parenting in SB, (2) additional research focused on parenting in early childhood in SB, as this is a critical developmental period that has been understudied, and (3) systematic reviews that synthesize parenting research across CNS-related conditions to guide future work. This dissertation includes three papers that aim to address each of these gaps in the current literature. Specifically, the first study …

Simple Wellness: Perceptions Of Health In Persons Who Practice Voluntary Simplicity, Maryanne C. Murray

Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation examines the lived experience and perceptions of health in seven Seattle residents who practiced voluntary simplicity in the late twentieth- and early twenty-first century. The overarching research questions addressed inquiry into the internal process that leads to deliberate lifestyle change (simplification) and the meaning of voluntary simplicity practice in the health and wellbeing of the individual within his/her community.

How Exemplary Female Executive Leaders In Higher Education Use Five Principles Of Grit—Courage, Conscientiousness, Long-Term Goals, Resilience, And Excellence Versus Perfection—To Accomplish Extraordinary Results In Their Organizations, Julie Pettitt

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary female leaders who hold executive roles in higher education use five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. It challenges the notion that academic credentials and intelligence alone drive leadership success, emphasizing the role of grit in extraordinary leadership. This study delves into the barriers women encounter in reaching executive roles, their strategies for overcoming challenges, and how they leverage gritty qualities to facilitate and sustain transformative change. Methodology: A phenomenological design was …

Lung Resident Memory B Cells Maintain Allergic Ige Responses In The Respiratory Tract, Alexander James Nelson

Dissertations

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the primary cause of allergic asthma. Allergen-specific IgE can be detected in the airway of allergic asthma patients even in the absence of circulating IgE, suggesting that IgE can be synthesized locally in the respiratory tract. However, the source of IgE-producing B cells, as well as how IgE responses arise and persist at mucosal sites are not fully understood. To address these questions, we modeled allergic asthma in mice by repeated intranasal administration of ragweed pollen and ovalbumin (OVA). We found that allergen exposure induced the production of local IgE in the airway and formation of …

The Perspective Of Mothers And Clinicians On The Information Needs, Information-Seeking Behavior, Communication Processes, And Information Resources Of First-Time Breastfeeding Latina Mothers, Maryelena Vargas

Dissertations

Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is recommended by major health organizations to promote the health of infants and mothers. Exclusive breastfeeding rates of Latinas at six months, however, are lower than those of White mothers, although Latinas initiate breastfeeding at a higher rate than do non-Latinas.

The primary aim of this descriptive, interpretative study was to explore first-time breast-feeding Latina mothers' met and unmet information needs, information-seeking behavior, communication processes, and resources used related to breast-feeding initiation, adherence, and weaning. The secondary aim examined these concepts from the perspective of clinicians. A convenience sample of 28 Latina mothers and 12 …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Pain Assessment Tool In A Dementia Care Facility: A Quality Improvement Project, Cynthia A. Carbo

Dissertations

Pain has been under-detected and under-treated in patients with dementia. Signs of distress can be misinterpreted in this population, and patients can be inappropriately given psychotropic medication. Various pain assessment tools for patients with moderate to severe dementia have been devised, and all require further study.

The purpose of this evidence-based project was the selection of a pain assessment tool, training of staff in pain management and tool use in a dementia care facility, and monitoring of pain assessment to comply with regulatory guidelines. Benzodiazepine and neuroleptic doses per patient were monitored before and after the training intervention in an …

Disaster Movies And The Perception Of Human Behavior Myths In Disasters, John Carr

Dissertations

This study explored if disaster movies change the perceptions viewers hold regarding human behavior in disasters, and if so, whether these effects are observable six weeks after watching the disaster movie. The study documented the anticipation of disaster myths in human behavior for 121 respondents, providing data that can better inform the discussion of disaster myths and realities. The study found changes to anticipation of disaster myths in human behavior and realities across multiple categories, with statistically significant results related to the factor of Looting Myth. Limitations for this study include a small sample size, and the external influence of …

Administrator Perspectives On Teacher Recruitment And Retention During A Pandemic, Matthew Aaron Carr

Dissertations

The global COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed education across the United States leaving a shortage of highly qualified teachers to fill positions in classrooms (Nguyen et al., 2022; Schmitt & deCourcy, 2022). This research study utilized the theoretical framework of the Four-Capital Theoretical Model of Teacher Retention and Attrition (Mason & Matas, 2015). This qualitative study utilized open-ended survey questions and follow-up interviews to elicit the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine effective strategies to the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers. Sixty-two public school administrators shared their perspectives through the survey, while eight administrators participated in follow-up interviews. …

Using Industry Sector Entropy To Predict Economic Community Disaster Resilience: Real-World Verification From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thomas Brindle

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity for disaster science researchers to gain insight into the underlying nature of community resilience through comparing the socioeconomic effects of government action to a common threat across urban population centers of varying economic compositions. For example, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment related to public health mitigation efforts in the leisure and hospitality sector of Las Vegas, NV, during the onset of the pandemic were well publicized. In comparison, other population centers of similar size but with different economic sector composition varied in the degree to which employment were affected, …

Identification Of A Potential Pr50gag Binding Site Critical For Selective Encapsidation Of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Fiv) Genomic Rna, Anjana Krishnan

Dissertations

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is an important lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in cats, making FIV a potential small animal model for studying the pathogenesis of human AIDS. Furthermore, due to its phylogenetic distance from primate retroviruses like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its ability to infect non-dividing cells, FIV is also being exploited for the development of vectors for human gene therapy. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that pertinent steps in the life cycle of FIV, such as genomic RNA (gRNA) packaging, are delineated at the molecular level. The process of retroviral gRNA packaging relies on …

Student Experiences With Faculty Mentorship During The Dnp Final Project, Lori Prol

Dissertations

The basic qualitative research study was conducted to understand the experiences of DNP graduates with faculty mentorship during the final project phase of the DNP program. Using a sampling service from a nurse practitioner organization, 14 qualified participants were recruited. Participants were telephonically interviewed. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded into segments then consolidated into categories. From the organization of categories, themes emerged. One-hundred and seventy-seven data segments informed the identification of 9 themes. A dominant theme of a mentor being there for the student was identified. Accessibility and availability of the DNP mentor represents the …

Critical Care Registered Nurses' Perceptions Of Nurse-To-Nurse Incivility And Professional Comportment, Kenneth J. Oja

Dissertations

This cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to examine critical care registered nurses' perceptions of nurse-to-nurse incivility and professional comportment, and the extent to which education, nurses' age, nursing degree, and years of nursing experience is related to their perceptions on these topics. Professional comportment is comprised of nurses' mutual respect, harmony in beliefs and actions, commitment, and collaboration. Yet, it was unknown whether a relationship existed between a civil or uncivil environment in the nursing profession and nurses' professional comportment. Correlational analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between perceptions of nurse-nurse incivility and professional comportment, and the relationships between …

A Magnet System Implementation Of The Hester Davis Fall Reduction Program, Debra A. Bauer

Dissertations

A Magnet-recognized academic hospital system experienced an increase in patient falls and patient falls with injury after transitioning to a new electronic health record. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a system-wide quality improvement practice change. The practice-focused question addressed a Magnet model implementation of a standardized, system-wide, evidence-based Hester Davis Scale (HDS) fall risk assessment and intervention tool and the impact on the nursing-sensitive indicators of patient fall rates and fall rates with injury. Successful implementation and sustained, correct use of the HDS fall risk assessment and targeted fall-prevention-intervention tools added to the evidence …

Factors Affecting The Success And Persistence Of Pre-Nursing Students, Leslie A. Jennings

Dissertations

This article-based dissertation consists of two manuscripts related to factors affecting the success and persistence of pre-nursing students. The first manuscript was a matched cohort study that compared selected academic variables between two groups of pre-nursing students admitted to a pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing program via two different routes. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in academic performance between these two groups of students in the first semester of a formal nursing program. Analyses of the data revealed a difference in semester grade point average (GPA), but no significant differences in the RN Fundamentals …

A Delphi Study Of Effective Strategies For Addressing The Most Significant Challenges To Creating Gender-Balanced High School Career Technical Education (Cte) Pathways, Jon Black

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify what expert high school Career Technical Education (CTE) administrators see as challenges to creating gender-balanced classes across all high school CTE pathways, to rate the significance of the identified challenges according to the experts, and to describe the most effective strategies for addressing the five most significant challenges identified in creating balanced CTE enrollment across all high school pathways. Methodology: This study used a three-round Delphi method to collect data from expert high school CTE administrators. In Round 1, the expert panel was asked to identify challenges to creating gender-balanced …

The Concept Of Home Care Nursing Workload: Analysis And Significance, Barbara L. Mildon

Dissertations

The concept of home care nursing workload has not been widely studied and no evidence was found that an analysis of the concept had been undertaken. Consequently, there was a knowledge gap regarding the definition and attributes for the concept of home care nursing workload as it is currently experienced. To address that gap, a descriptive, three-phase, mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) study was conducted.

With A Little Help At Home: The Impact Of Romantic Partner Support On Daily Burnout And Workplace Incivility, Matthew Aplin-Houtz

Dissertations

With rude and discourteous encounters in the workplace becoming more common, Workplace incivility (WI) is at an all-time high. As such, workers experience levels of burnout from these negative social interactions. The literature concedes that the results of these interactions lead to mounting burnout, causing negative physical and emotional outcomes at the individual and organizational levels. Considering that the literature also supports that employees have the potential to recover from burnout symptoms through rest, obtaining the perception of control of their circumstances, and cognitive reframing, the time and activities a worker spends at home carry the potential for minimizing burnout …

Assessment Of The Cultural Competence, Dementia Attitude, And Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Among Tertiary Healthcare Providers, Jo Ann Pelaez-Fisher

Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease has made a significant impact on healthcare delivery in the acute care facilities. Tertiary healthcare providers are challenged by the needs of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease while ensuring safe delivery of technical and specialized care in a fast-paced setting. There have been extensive research on informal caregivers and the consequences of providing care to patients with Alzheimer's disease. Few studies have queried tertiary healthcare providers and the influence of culture, attitude, or knowledge on Alzheimer's disease care. No study to date has investigated the elements of high quality Alzheimer's disease care which include cultural competence, positive attitudes, …

Impact Of Delirium Observation Screening Scale On Identifying Delirium In Hospice Patients, Elsie E. Glasu-Atunuwa

Dissertations

Delirium in the elderly can impact health outcomes, making it essential for healthcare workers to identify and manage delirium early. At the project site, there was no evidence based approach to the early identification of delirium. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if the translation of Neefjes et al.'s research using the Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOSS) would impact the identification of delirium with provider notification among adult patients in a hospice facility in South Texas over four weeks. Virginia Henderson's need theory and Kurt Lewin's change theory provided the theoretical foundations for the …