Digital Commons Network^™

Transportation Managers’ Perceptions Of The Diffusion Of Innovation Within Logistics Clusters, Stephen Mcdonald Puryear

Dissertations

The human capital capacity for innovation is crucial for business success. Cluster theory posits that this capacity for innovation is enhanced by industrial clustering geographic proximity. The innovative capacity is expected to be facilitated by institutions for collaboration, informal knowledge flow, short feedback loops, and collective action regimes. Research on logistics clustering has supported this supposition. Still, no research has explicitly examined whether being physically located in a logistics cluster enhances a company’s human capital capacity for innovation.

This study uses the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to determine the innovative operational processes involved in the diffusion of innovation within …

Perceived Gender Norm Adherence In Women As Function Of Sex-Typical Facial Features And Surname Decisions, Kelsey Drea

Dissertations

Women’s retention of their surname following marriage has become increasingly common despite pervasive stereotypes of this stereotype as leading to relational failure. It could be possible that women’s physical appearance could buffer them from these stereotypes, particularly if that appearance is sex-typical. This study investigated how feminized facial structures could buffer women from negative perceptions of their abilities in relationships. Participants assessed a woman described as having changed or kept her surname. This woman’s face varied in her sex typicality (i.e., feminized, masculinized, unaltered). Feminine women appeared more modest when they kept their surname. Hostile sexism predicted less relational success …

Medical Floor Confusion Assessment Method: Implementation And Assessment Of Risk Factors, Michaelynn R. Paul

Dissertations

An estimated 50% of older hospitalized patients experience delirium. This has created significant complications costing an estimated $164 billion or more per year worldwide. The ability to identify patients developing delirium would allow the implementation of specific interventions to decrease or eliminate the adverse effects of delirium. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to provide high quality delirium education to determine if medical unit nursing staff could successful implement the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) screening tool to identify patients experiencing delirium as the first phase of an overall plan. Implementation of the project followed Roger's diffusion of innovations …

Nursing Students Strengthening Resiliency Through Educator Relationships: A Basic Qualitative Study, Sandra Mcdade

Dissertations

Nursing school attrition rates are steadily on the rise. Attrition rates are related to high course failure, program drop-out, and burnout. Resiliency is a critical quality that baccalaureate nursing students must attain to cope with nursing school stressors successfully. Nursing student resiliency is in the infancy stage of research investigation; however, literature shows the nurse educator-nursing student's influence on student resiliency; how do senior-level baccalaureate nursing students strengthen resiliency through the nurse educator-nursing student (NE-NS) relationship? The nursing student perspective is often overlooked; therefore, this dissertation focused on bringing forth the perspective of nursing students. Senior-level nursing students have 2 …

A Quality Improvement Project On Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Fall Intervention Checklist During End Of Shift Report On A Post-Operative Unit, Victoria Hogans

Dissertations

Introduction: Falls are a current issue affecting our senior citizens within the hospital setting. A fall may result in patient injuries, increased length of stay, and hospital costs. To prevent patient falls and fall-related injuries, hospitals have implemented fall bundles. The bundles consist of assessment tools to identify those at risk for a fall and the interventions that should be implemented to prevent them from falling.

Methods: A quality improvement project was implemented based on the DMAIC Six Sigma concept model to assess if implementing a fall intervention checklist at shift change combined with a fall bundle already in place …

Action-Logics Of Veterans Health Administration Magnet Nurse Executives And Their Practice Of Supporting Nurses To Speak Up, Bonnie R. Pierce

Dissertations

Health care organizations typically have a hierarchical structure, with physicians dominant and nurses subordinate. The challenge to open and honest communication between doctors and nurses is real, and communication errors contribute significantly to undesirable patient outcomes. Nurse executives (NEs) have a responsibility to help lead transformation of health care organizations to support nurses to speak up and communicate all critical information.

NEs are challenged to improve safety and quality, decrease costs and increase access to care. Combining health care expertise with business ability can support these goals. Rooke and Torbert found correlations between successful business leaders and postconventional action-logics, or …

Nurses' Experiences Of The Traditional Clinical Learning Environment For Nursing Students, April Rowe Neal

Dissertations

Nursing education is unique in its integration of theoretical and experiential learning and yet this integrated approach presents a number of challenges. One nuanced challenge in nursing education is the overlap of the students' clinical learning environment (CLE) with the clinical nurses' work environment. It is believed that the clinical nurse plays an important role in clinical learning, but it is not well understood how the clinical nurse understands and contributes to the CLE. The framework for this study was based on Benner's (1982) Novice to Expert model, transformative learning theory, and the AACN (2005) Healthy Work Environment framework. The …

Overcoming The Impostor Phenomenon: Exploring The Strategies Special Education Charter School Leaders Used To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Damaris Ocasio Owens

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive mixed method study was to explore and describe the coping skills used to overcome the nine behavioral characteristics by special education charter school leaders who identified as experiencing impostor phenomenon (IP) by the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance,1985), while leading the transition to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This descriptive mixed-methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data to identify special education leaders with IP and explore the coping skills they used during distance learning. The first phase of the study was a quantitative 20-question survey, the CIPS, used to …

Student Success Navigators: The Keys To Intrusive Advising, Student Supportive Services, And Academic Success, Kathryn Joyce Stanley-Dietzman

Dissertations

This study investigated the connections between intrusive academic advising, student success and retention, and growth within an institution. The study was conducted to demonstrate that intrusive advising is beneficial to students, especially to students who are considered to be at-risk. Student Success Navigators, and the Director of Student Success and Retention were interviewed and data were collected from the institution’s internal research department. These interviews and data demonstrated that intrusive advising was critical to student success. The presented data also demonstrated that the institution was able to generate additional funding to create new employment opportunities and increase student success and …

An Historic Analysis Of The Operation Of A Truancy Court Conducted In An Urban Middle School, Lisa Gray

Dissertations

Truancy is a concern that most school districts around the country are familiar with. This study was to examine the development of a truancy court established in an effort to conquer this problem. There were several school districts, from inner city to rural, that believed truancy courts helped to reduce attendance issues. Data were collected and assessed from the observations of the existing truancy courts. It was determined from the data that truancy courts were only productive if the judge had the support from the parents. Some were repeat offenders, whereas some just needed a little guidance to get back …

Exploring Attitudes Of Four Groups Of Stakeholders Toward Family Childcare And Recommending Best Practices To Promote Positive Experiences, Yvonne S. Williams

Dissertations

This research aimed to increase the awareness of licensed family childcare programs and use the viewpoints of four stakeholder groups to construct recommended best practices. These best practices are crucial for supporting effective business practices and providing high-quality services to their stakeholders. Online surveys and virtual interviews were used to acquire the stakeholders' perspectives. The collected data revealed three principal thematic codes: family childcare provider, family childcare business, and family childcare environment. Within these three codes, the family childcare program's areas of improvement, inconsistencies, and strengths were identified and evaluated to construct recommended professional and business best practices. Some of …

Predicting Bear Trend In The Uae Stock Markets Using Macro-Financial Variables, Hamood Abdulla Alyasi

Dissertations

Understanding the effects of macroeconomic and financial variables on stock market trends, especially bear markets, can help different stakeholders and concerned parties to react according to their goals and tasks. Investors can make better investment decisions and allocate assets in their portfolios based on trend expectations. Regulators and decision-makers can adopt adequate precautious regulations to protect the stock market and economy in general from any negative consequences in the case of a stock market recession.
/="/">The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to predict UAE stock market bear states through the use of macro-financial …

Improving Interventions On Cardiovascular Disease And Diet: A Policy Incentive Analysis, Sandra Hurst

Dissertations

Introduction: Various cardiovascular diseases (CVD) can be catastrophic and can lead to irreversible outcomes. There are limited, improved regulations on awareness of primordial and primary preventions that may decrease CVD progression and mortality. Before policies and recommendations can be set, policymakers should understand CVD and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet to decrease the risk of CVDs and improve patient adherence. Therefore, this project aims to analyze federal healthy food incentive policies to promote healthy diet behaviors that reduce CVD risk.

Method: The method used was existing data for a comparative policy analysis that included a policy proposal process: …

Internet Pornography Use, Loneliness, And Adult Attachment Patterns Among Asian Indian Young Adults: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Anish Baby

Dissertations

Internet pornography consumption among Asian Indian Americans, an ethnic minority group, is largely underrepresented in current scholarly literature despite their growing population in the United States. The purpose of this research was threefold: (a) to measure the prevalence of internet pornography use among Asian Indian American young adults and adults; (b) to explore the relationship between internet pornography use, loneliness, and attachment patterns; and (c) to describe the lived experience of problematic porn consumers. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, I conducted this study in two distinct phases: quantitative followed by qualitative. In the quantitative phase, I employed an …

Interdependence Of Spirituality And Well-Being Among Korean Elders And Family Caregivers, Suk-Sun Kim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of family spiritual interdependence to the well-being of elders and their family caregivers within Korean family caregiving situations. The correlation of spirituality and well-being between elders and caregivers and the actor and partner effect of spirituality on well-being were examined in terms of how family members' spirituality influences their own and partners' well-being.

Evidence-Based Practice Sustainability And Nursing Professional Governance, Melora D. Ferren

Dissertations

Patient care that is not based on evidence-based practice (EBP) could be considered malpractice, and it threatens patient safety, quality, and fiscal performance. EBP implementation is complex, and sustainment of these practices is such a persistent challenge that up to 70% of organizational change fails to be sustained. Sustainment of EBP decreases healthcare costs and improves patient outcomes. Professional attributes that influence sustainability are not well understood. Nursing professional governance (PG) is a framework of professional attributes that includes accountability, professional obligation, collateral relationships, and decision-making. This framework includes attributes that are necessary for professionals to effectively govern their profession …

Nurse Educators' Consensus Opinion On Using An Academic Electronic Health Record: A Delphi Study, Darlene S. Hanson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the opinions of nurse educators in the state of North Dakota (ND) who were using the academic Electronic Health Record (EHR) known as SimChart. In this dissertation research study, factors that either hindered or facilitated the introduction of SimChart in nursing programs in ND were examined. Additionally, opinions were sought from nurse educators regarding whether or not SimChart contributed to student learning.

Comparing The Efficacy Of Two Inclusivity Interventions On Willingness To Invest In Female- Versus Male-Led Stem And Non-Stem Companies, Alicia Macchione

Dissertations

A notable gender asymmetry has been historically prevalent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Recent work has shown how gender-inclusive advertisements can increase women’s interest in pursuing these fields as indexed by college course enrollment, which could occur through reminders of moral and pragmatic utilities of gender inclusivity. This dissertation extended prior work by determining if inclusivity priming can be leveraged to facilitate financial investment in hypothetical STEM and non-STEM companies led by either a male or female CEO. Participants were first primed with a statement describing the pragmatic utility of gender inclusivity in STEM, a moral statement …

Clinical Reasoning In Experienced Nurses, Barbara Simmons

Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to explore the cognitive strategies used by experienced nurses as they think about assessment findings on their assigned patients. As an essential component of nursing practice, clinical reasoning is used to assimilate information, analyze data, and make decisions regarding patient care. Changes in health care settings and patient acuity challenge nurses to make complex decisions under conditions of uncertainty and risk. With fewer expert nurses available to act as mentors, experienced nurses who are not yet experts must utilize varied reasoning strategies to care for acutely ill patients. Few studies of nurses' clinical reasoning …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Conflict Transformational Strategies Used By Exemplar Student Support Service Leaders In K-12 Public Education To Achieve Common Ground And Breakthrough Results, Amber Ramirez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological conceptual replication study was to discover and describe how exemplary student support service leaders establish common ground and produce breakthrough results by using the six domains of conflict transformation.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological conceptual replication study discovered and described the use of conflict transformation domains to resolve conflict, establish common ground, and produce breakthrough results as perceived by student support service leaders in K-12 public schools in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. The research was part of a thematic team of six peer researchers and five faculty advisors who developed a semistructured …

Reactive Additive Manufacturing Of Polyurethanes: Simultaneous Polymerization And 3d Printing, Aynslie Fritz

Dissertations

Relationships between polyurethane (PU) design and chemorheological properties were correlated with ambient reactive extrusion (ARE) additive manufacturing (AM) processing conditions. PUs synthesized from varying monomeric and polymeric isocyanates, hard segment concentrations, crosslinkers, and additives were systematically designed to elicit differences in chemorheological properties and efficacy. Variations in PU composition and experimental procedures were evaluated to establish a baseline of PUs for ARE. PUs were synthesized and monitored throughout polymerization by rheological and real-time infrared spectroscopy techniques to observe moduli development and functional group conversion, respectively. Observed experimental properties were correlated with critical ARE parameters, such as dimensional stability at deposition …

Gottman Processes And Couple Outcomes While Navigating Infertility, Clayton Brigance

Dissertations

Infertility remains one of the most difficult relational contexts for couples. However, some research suggests that some couples actually increase their overall satisfaction in their relationship through infertility due to a deeply shared emotional experience. To the knowledge of the author of this dissertation, no studies exist which explain how couples arrive at their relational outcomes through the experience of infertility. These studies within this dissertation add to the present literature by explaining how couples may arrive at their relational outcome through the lens of Gottman Method Couple Therapy (GMCT). For both studies presented here, 902 participants were recruited through …

Level 2 And Level 3 Patients In A 5-Level Triage System: Factors Related To Acuity Assignment And Trajectory Of The Emergency Department Experience, Roxanne O. Garbez

Dissertations

Clinical decision making in the emergency department (ED) can have a significant impact on patient safety and health care outcomes. One type of clinical decision making is the process of emergency department triage. Within the context of the 5-level Emergency Severity Index triage system, it is not known what factors influence patient assignment by the triage nurse to ESI acuity levels 2 and 3. To increase the validity of patient assignment to levels 2 and 3, more explicit criteria are needed.

Purposes: (1) Describe factors that influence triage nurse assignment of patients to level 2 and level 3; (2) Examine …

The Effect Of Student Perception Of Parent Involvement And Socioeconomic Status On Academic Intrinsic Motivation, Pallavi Aggarwal, Taylor Lawson Smith

Dissertations

Many teachers struggle to help students become intrinsically motivated in their school work. Research has shown that students who are intrinsically motivated tend to have higher academic achievement than students who are not (Mendoza, 2012). There are many factors that contribute to students’ intrinsic motivation. Building on existing research, the relationship between perceived parental involvement and students’ intrinsic motivation, as well as the relationship of perceived socioeconomic status and intrinsic motivation was investigated. A mixed methods research approach was used to determine a) the relationship between perceived parent involvement and students’ intrinsic motivation, b) the relationship between perceived socioeconomic status …

A Study Of Nurses' Experiences With Behaviors That Compromise A Healthy Work Environment In The Hospital Setting, Connie K. Schultz

Dissertations

The existence of disruptive behaviors in the hospital setting has been shown to affect the communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals. This study explored nurses' experiences with behaviors that compromise a healthy work environment. The data collection was accomplished through semi-structured interviews and review of organizational documents. The results of the analysis concluded that there existed a low incidence of disruptive behaviors in the selected organization. Themes were determined that reflected inconsistencies in the nurses' practice environment that contributed to the presence of disruptive behaviors. Inconsistency in communication and collaboration, in holding colleagues accountable, and the lack of visibility of …

The Experience Of The Expectant Mother Following A Diagnosis Of A Fetal Anomaly, Janet A. Tucker

Dissertations

The experience of pregnancy complicated by a fetal anomaly diagnosis is comprised of many concepts: uncertainty, information needs, stress and anxiety, waiting, decision-making dilemmas, isolation, fragmented health care, multiple losses and grief, foreknowledge, acceptance and adaptation. There is great variance in what is understood about each concept. The purpose of this study was to explore uncertainty and waiting among expectant mothers from the time period of a prenatal diagnosis of a fetal anomaly through the post-partum period.

The Neuroendovascular Procedures In The Cath Lab: An Educational Intervention, Jolly M. Kuruvilla

Dissertations

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a major cause of disability. Catheter-based therapies for acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke have emerged as the latest model of care for patients experiencing stroke. Catheterization laboratories are now performing neuroendovascular procedures such as thrombectomy and embolization for stroke; it is critical that nurses assist with cardiac catheterization be proficient in neuroendovascular procedures. The project began with a clinical question: Among nurses practicing in a cath lab, will there be a difference in knowledge level and clinical competencies in preparing and monitoring patients for thrombectomy and embolization (neuroendovascular procedures) before and …

Perceptions Of Undergraduate Nursing Students On Racism And Racial Disparities In Maternal Health, Monika Costa

Dissertations

The United States has persistent racial inequities in maternal health, with African American women experiencing the highest maternal mortality and morbidity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Structural inequities, racism, implicit and explicit biases, and discrimination contribute to disparities in maternal health outcomes in the United States (Alshusen et al., 2016; Davis, 2019; Institute of Medicine, 2003, Liese et al., 2019, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2020). In recent years, racial discrimination and bias have been important topics of discussion. However, very little research has been done about nursing curricular preparedness to address implicit bias and racism …

The Effects Of Simulation On Nursing Student Knowledge, Attitudes, And Clinical Preparedness In The Care Of Transgender Clients, Julie Cartney

Dissertations

Nationally, nursing education provides extremely limited coverage of LGBTQIA+ topics and as a result, nursing students lack clinical confidence and knowledge to assess and intervene effectively in this marginalized population. Despite national health goals and organizational calls for health equity, transgender persons continue to experience significant healthcare disparities and barriers in accessing quality health care.

The purpose of this project was to determine if the incorporation of a simulation scenario that features the care of transgender patient would have a positive effect on the knowledge, attitudes, and clinical preparedness of practical nursing students.

Predicting Heart Failure Readmission Using Home Health Clinical Indices, Jamie Murphy

Dissertations

Heart failure is the most rapidly growing cardiovascular disease in the U. S. (Boxer et al., 2010) and is the most common cause for hospital readmission (Fang et al., 2008; Heidenreich et al., 2013; Jencks et al., 2009) with a 30-day readmission rate of 24.8% (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, 2012). Currently, many heart failure patients are discharged quickly from the hospital without adequate skills and knowledge to perform self-care tasks. Moreover, home health nurses provide the same care for all heart failure patients and have limited knowledge on what clinical health indicators might affect readmission. As a result, home …