Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Nurse Educators' Stages Of Concern About The Teaching Innovation Of Simulation As Clinical Experience, Lynnette Marie Schreiner

Dissertations

There exists a critical need to boost the overall number of baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses to accomplish goals for providing high-quality healthcare for all United States citizens (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Given the limited number of sites needed to facilitate clinical learning experiences for pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students, using simulation as a technologically modern innovation in nursing instruction is an approach to help overcome the lack of traditional clinical opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine the nurse educators' concerns about using simulation by determining 1) the intensity of nurse educators' stages of concern about using simulation as clinical …

An Evaluation Of A Shared Leadership Training Program, Lavonda Ann Allen

Dissertations

The purpose of the quantitative quasi-experimental equivalent time series study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a work based shared leadership training program in a less than 200 bed hospital in rural, south-central United States. Nursing shortages and the current emphasis on quality are factors that make recruitment and retention of nurses important to healthcare organizations. Organizational support for bed side decision making can improve staff nurse satisfaction, thereby facilitating recruitment and retention of nursing staff. Work based action learning training programs are a mechanism to improve team members' use of shared leadership and decision making. A review of literature …

Drawing My Story: Children's Experiences In The Hospital, Christy Marguerite Gifford Solorio

Dissertations

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Crossing the Quality Chasm recommended an increased focus on patient-centered care to improve patients' experience in health care; however, patient-centered care aimed directly at children remains elusive. While the IOM report states that health care cannot be improved without the direct engagement of patients, few studies directly engage children, as patients, to better understand children's experiences in health care from the child's point of view.

The Changing Of Ambulatory Care: Provision And Utilizations As Influenced By The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Heather Marie Brom

Dissertations

Nurse practitioners (NPs) represent a growing healthcare provider workforce, which is poised to assist with the shortages of physicians and growing demand for healthcare services driven by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Restrictions to NP scope of practice may present a barrier to meeting this need. This research sought to determine if NP scope of practice laws were altered in response to passage of the ACA and to examine changes in the number of NPs, to test for differences in the delivery of ambulatory care in the United States, and to characterize ambulatory practice by state-level NP scope of practice …

Educational Priorities For The Future Of Emergency Nursing, Anna Maria Valdez

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how and to what extent current societal and healthcare trends will impact the educational needs of the emergency nurse. Additionally, this study sought to draw upon that information to facilitate the development of expert consensus about the major educational priorities for emergency nurses during the time period of 2008-2018. While there is a limited amount of current research related to the societal and healthcare trends that are impacting emergency nursing, an extensive literature review produced no studies that identified educational priorities in emergency nursing. A mixed methodology, qualitative-then-quantitative study design using a …

How Persons With Schizophrenia Experience Connecting With Mental Health Professionals, Susan V. Brammer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory that explains how persons with schizophrenia (PWS) experience connecting with mental health professionals (MHPs). Nine PWS, clients from two community mental health centers, were asked to recount their interactions with MHPs. The interview transcripts were analyzed through the grounded theory methodology of Strauss and Corbin (1998). The interactional problem between PWS and MHPs stems from the stigma associated with schizophrenia. The central concept emerged from the data analysis as Connecting Through Humanness. Connecting Through Humanness is a three-part process where PWS identify whether MHPs stereotype them as schizophrenics or …

Can An Expert Opinion Mitigate Racially Biased Diversion Decisions? An Empirical Examination In The Context Of Reoffense Risk Assessment, Riley Davis

Dissertations

This study aimed to better understand the circumstances in which the racial identity of a justice impacted person can extraneously influence post-conviction placement decisions based on specialized re-offense prediction tools, specifically decisions at the crux of community supervision and jail time. Participants (N = 448) were exposed to one of nine conditions (3 descriptors of racial identities 3 levels of risk information) in which they were asked to rate their agreement with risk findings, rank the categorical risk of a hypothetical justice-involved person, and make management decisions (i.e., incarceration or community supervision; mandated treatment). It was hypothesized that participants …

The Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Length Of Employment, And Mentoring Of Nursing Faculty, Zelda Suzan

Dissertations

The shortage of faculty in nursing education programs has been well documented by the National League for Nursing. Job satisfaction is important in retaining nurse educators, and one New York nursing program was interested in examining the potential impact of mentoring on satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine job satisfaction, measured by the Job Descriptive Index/Job in General scale (JDI/JIG), between nurse faculty participants in formal mentoring programs compared to participants receiving an informal type of mentoring. In addition, the length of employment was examined as a possible factor in predicting job satisfaction. The theoretical framework …

Overcoming The Imposter Phenomenon: Exploring The Strategies Secondary Educators Used To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Barbra J.C. Bedwell

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this descriptive mixed-method study was to explore and describe the coping skills used by secondary teachers who identified as experiencing the impostor phenomenon (IP) by the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) (Clance, 1985) to overcome the nine behavioral characteristics of IP during the transition to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology. This descriptive mixed-methods research design used both quantitative and qualitative techniques to identify teachers with IP and explore the coping techniques they used during distance learning. First, a quantitative 20-question diagnostic survey, the CIPS, was used to identify teachers with IP. …

The Perceptions Of Educators On Transition Planning & The Postsecondary Transition Readiness Outcomes Of Students With Disabilities, Marisa Duarte

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative descriptive research was to gain the perspective of educators on transition planning for students with disabilities in two public school districts in the state of Kentucky. The Individual Disabilities Education Act and Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act are laws requiring students with disabilities to be transition ready upon their graduation from high school. A sample of 12 educators, representing two Kentucky districts, who participate in transitioning students with disabilities, completed The Secondary Educator Transition Questionnaire survey. Data from the districts’ state report cards indicated students with disabilities were not transition ready in comparison with students without …

Assessing The Relationship Between Mandatory Faculty Development For Online Career College Instructors And Transformative Learning, Tremayne Simpson

Dissertations

Online teaching and learning has become a primary focal point for higher education administrators. Institutions have focused their strategic plans to maximize opportunities to grow their campuses, through distance education. A consistent issue that has surfaced with distance education initiatives is teacher preparation for online education. The issue is further compounded in proprietary institutions that may have limited resources and guidance for structuring effective faculty development programs. It is beneficial for faculty program developers to implement adult learning concepts into their courses to improve the overall training transfer for instructors. Transformative learning is an adult learning theory that focuses on …

Components Of Effective Instructional Coaching: Examining Instructional Coach, Teacher, And Principal Perspectives, Becky Mathison

Dissertations

Instructional coaching has been shown to be an effective way to improve teacher practice through structured partnership and goal-oriented collaboration. This qualitative study examined the perspectives of instructional coaches, teachers, and principals on the presence of six key components of effective instructional coaching programs: building relationships, remaining connected to students, developing leadership skills, modeling for teachers, building in plan time, and remaining focused on the goal. An examination of the data collected via open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews indicated that the Aqua Valley School District may strengthen their instructional coaching program through addressing how coaches build relationships, remain connected to …

Special Education Teacher Burnout: Examining The Role Of Educator Preparation Programs In Prevention, Brittany L. Straub

Dissertations

Teacher burnout is increasingly problematic, especially for special education teachers who have a unique set of job responsibilities. Survey and interview data was used in this phenomenological study to examine how the educator preparation program (EPP) experience and self-authorship journey of early career special education teachers impact their potential to experience burnout. Data findings regarding level of self-perceived burnout, recollections of being or not being taught stress management and coping strategies in their EPPs, recollections of the self-authorship journey, and intentions for remaining in the career are shared in this dissertation. The essence of this phenomenon can be summed up …

Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bath Project: A Program Evaluation, Yavesh Crawford

Dissertations

Patients' safety outcomes are a reliable measure of how well a unit performs within any hospital. One of the most impactful patient safety factors is bloodline infections within the hospital. Blood line infections are associated with over 28,000 fatalities in the United States. The cost of central line bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in the United States is over $2 billion annually. Therefore, there is a need for a way to reduce CLABSI rates within care facilities. Considering the possible interventions, this program evaluation chose chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing to reduce infections. To establish the efficacy of the proposed solution, the program …

Radar Remote Sensing For Land Surface Studies Over The United Arab Emirates, Muhagir Hisham Elkamali

Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the land surface deformations related to anthropogenic activities and how a monitoring strategy can be established for nationwide studies. The main objective of this dissertation is to study land surface fluctuations in regional and local scales over the dry semi-arid climate of the United Arab Emirates with the relation to subsurface layers mechanisms and groundwater dynamics. Radar Interferometry techniques have been developed to detect and monitor land surface movement from space with very high accuracy. This dissertation investigates the implementation of these techniques over highly decorrelated surfaces. The detected land surface movements have been correlated …

Participation In An Online Faculty Development Program To Support Novice Nursing Faculty, Janis Kay Mcmillan

Dissertations

The lack of nursing faculty is negatively impacting the much-needed growth in the number of registered nurses needed in the United States, which is projected to increase alarmingly in the next five to six years. There are fewer programs that exist today to prepare nurses specifically to become nursing faculty so that the Registered Nurses (RNs) who may choose to become nursing faculty are doing so without specific training in education. There is a lack of support and preparation that could assist in the initial transition period, leaving new nursing faculty to struggle. Faculty development via online modules would go …

Life Histories Of Blackqueer Adults: Why And How They Support Blackqueer Youth, Javania Michelle Webb

Dissertations

To set the tone for this qualitative study and the enriched data discovered, bell hooks (2001) says, “if we love each other and embrace our diverse sexualities, we create an environment where there is no sexuality that cannot speak its name” (p. 207). This critical narrative analysis portrays the reasons why BlackQueer adults choose to mentor and embolden BlackQueer youth. Life History methodology brought their experiences to life. Lesbian, Gay, and Gender Nonconforming (LGGNC) youth learn to conceal certain attributes associated with being Queer. They are compelled to consider and give context to their family, K-12 school personnel, and community …

A Study Of The Socialization Of Accelerated Bsn Graduates, Linda Eileen Wolf

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the socialization of accelerated BSN graduates who had been employed in the workforce for 2 to 3 years. Socialization was examined as a calling, not in terms of job socialization, which is the focus of research on socialization in the literature. Eight interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with graduates of a school of nursing at an urban university in Northeast Ohio. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's (1978) procedural steps. The following assertions emerged: Assertion 1: The feeling of being a nurse, an attribute of professional identity, coincided with the occurrence …

The Lived Experience Of Aging: Listening To The Oldest-Old, Julia A. Pusztai

Dissertations

Although embraced as desirable by most, living into very old age is largely unexplored as a distinct season of life, with increased, varied, and cumulative changes during a unique time of vulnerability and frailty. The purpose of this study was to listen to the oldest-old, and to explore their lived experience of growing old. This hermeneutic phenomenology study examines the experience of finding meaning and living with losses and gains in advanced old age.

This study design included three separate interviews one month apart with participants over 85 years of age. Purposive sampling resulted in 13 participants, 5 being male …

The Balance We Seek: A Sequential Narrative Analysis Of Childhood Cancer Blogs, Catherine Mcgeehin Heilferty

Dissertations

The research aimed to identify the narratives and themes about the experience of parenting a child with cancer, analyze the social interaction present in illness blogs created by parents of children with cancer and identify the reasons expressed by parents in the blogs for writing and publishing online.

Voices Of Associate Degree Nursing Rns About The Pursuit Of The Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Degree, Christie M. Candelaria

Dissertations

New developments in health care delivery, changes in the demographics, and the increasing complexity of health problems of the general population require baccalaureate prepared nurses. However, the educational preparation of the majority of nurses in the workforce is the diploma and associate degree level. This project study explored the reasons that hindered the graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program of a community college in South Texas from pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. ADN-prepared nurses will have to go through a transformation process as they pursue the BSN. Mezirow‟s transformational learning theory served as the …

Re-Linkage To Hiv Care Among Persons Living With Hiv (Plwh) With A Gap In Care Of Six Months Or More, Jamie Lynn Mignano

Dissertations

Despite widespread attention to the HIV care continuum over the past several years, little attention has focused on the 45% of PLWH that are not retained in care who are responsible for more than 60% of new HIV infections. The gaps in the HIV care continuum are further compounded by the disproportionate burden of HIV among individuals affected by social and economic disparities. The purpose of the study was to identify potential community level and individual level characteristics of re-linkage to HIV care among out of care people living with HIV (PLWH). Andersen's Behavioral Model (ABM), a health services research …

A Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Study On The Experience Of Coping During High-Risk Pregnancy And Prescribed Bed Rest, Ellen Boyd

Dissertations

Antepartum bed rest and hospitalization is frequently prescribed for high-risk women experiencing pregnancy complications. Bed rest may result in problems for the high-risk mother including isolation, boredom, anxiety, depression, and separation from their families. The aim of this study is to analyze the coping behaviors of high-risk pregnant women hospitalized and prescribed bed rest. Also, to describe the lived experience of high-risk pregnant women hospitalized and prescribed bed rest. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to analyze the coping behaviors of 40 high-risk pregnant women. A secondary analysis of data from the Brief Cope Scale (Carver, 1997) was …

Correlation Of Personal Finance Class And Credit Scores, Betty W. Fagan

Dissertations

It is has become a concern: the number of people struggling with personal finance and credit scores. It is for this reason that this study scrutinizes the possible influence of one factor on the other. It is undeniable that personal finance influences some futuristic financial decisions and goals, but has the relationship been proven? This study aims to evaluate the correlation between personal finance and financial literacy, using a sample of 15 to 30 high-school students and teachers. The study collected data through interviews and surveys. The data collected were used to formulate the correlation between the course’s success and …

The Meaning For Elders Of Receiving Family Care, Janice D. Crist

Dissertations

This dissertation reports findings from an interpretive phenomenological study which addressed the question, ";How central, for elders, in their everyday concerns and practices, is the experience of receiving family care?"; The investigator collected data using interviews, observations and questionnaires with a purposive sample of nine elders in their. homes. Data were collected from each elder two to five times.

Findings were that eight of nine elders (1) incorporated both their illness and help from family members comfortably into their lives while still viewing themselves as autonomous; (2) had positive relationships with their family carers; (3) viewed the acceptability of receiving …

Stigmatization Experiences Of Hiv Infected Women: A Focused Ethnography, Marsha J. Bennett

Dissertations

Few studies address the multiplicity of psychological, social, and cultural influences on women's behavior as a result of their HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to analyze: (a) women's experiences of living with HIV disease from the perspective of the women's stigmatized status, and (b) a subculture of HIV infected women with a set of relationships, behaviors, events, and rituals that imparted meaning into being a woman infected with HIV in this society. Adult women were referred from their primary care providers and nurses, and consented for participation. A focused ethnography using individual interviews, group interviews, and participant …

The Attraction Of Nursing Academia To Practicing Nurses: A Phenomenological Study, Edna R. Magpantay-Monroe

Dissertations

Nursing faculty shortage is a critical issue that required investigating because the demand for producing nurses is increasing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the phenomenon of why nursing academia is attractive to practicing nurses. Using a phenomenological research design, the study focused on exploring the lived experiences of 20 practicing nurses in the teaching profession. Written reflections and semi-structured interviews were used to gather the data. The major findings of the study provided insights into the participants' passion for teaching and continuous learning. The themes that emerged as viable and sustainable recruitment and retention strategies are: …

A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Study Examining Resilience And Transitioning To Adulthood Among Emerging Adults With Disabilities, Jennifer Emilie Mannino

Dissertations

Transitioning to adulthood is not without challenges. The move away from family influence towards independence and self-determination is filled with uncertainty. Increased challenges and vulnerabilities in transitioning are evident among emerging adults with disabilities because they face additional challenges related to their disability over and above what others of this developmental stage experience.

A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary Corporate Learning And Development Leaders Leading From The Heart, Randa Jad-Moussa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how corporate learning and development leaders lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s (2011) 4 principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This study followed a qualitative phenomenological research study to describe the lived experiences of exemplary corporate learning and development leaders. Eight corporate learning and development leaders were selected from the target population in publicly traded technology companies in the state of California. Each of the corporate learning and …

Annotation In Nurse Education: Towards A Hermeneutic Understanding, Paul J. Regan

Dissertations

To explore the meaning of annotation in nurse education within higher education.

Annotation is a common practice in higher education pedagogy aimed at communicating the lecturer's comments about an assignment back to the student. A literature review identified a dearth of research available to inform annotation and its use in nurse education was generally inductive and learnt from experiences of giving and receiving annotation feedback.