Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Shared Decision-Making And School Climate, Sara Bardwell

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to determine the extent of the relationship between shared decision-making and school climate. In order to explore these constructs, a quantitative survey included SEDS-R, OCI, and demographic items. The 109-item survey questionnaire was made available to K-6 elementary teachers in Mississippi.

Two hundred twenty-nine teachers responded to the questionnaire using Qualtrics. Survey results from SEDS-R and OCI were downloaded into Excel and cleaned of incomplete data sets and participants who did not meet the specifications set by the researcher. SPSS was then used to average the results from SEDS-R and OCI. Demographic information gathered …

Psychological Distress During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Mayantoinette Watson

Dissertations

During such an unprecedented time of the largest public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students are of the utmost concern regarding their psychological and physical well-being. Questions are emerging and circulating about what will happen to the nursing students and the long-term effects of the pandemic, especially now that hospitals are being overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and patients as well as a significant need for nursing staff (Jividen, 2020). Expectations, demands, change, and the fear of the unknown during this unprecedented time can only contribute to the many stressors that accompany nursing students through laborious clinical and didactic courses …

Covid-19 & University Stakeholders: A Faculty Perspective, Torie Fowler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty member perceptions of job satisfaction, response efficacy, organizational communication efforts, along with organizational trust and goodwill in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, using faculty members employed at their institution of higher education during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years. A total of 285 responses were analyzed.

Results of this study suggest faculty member perceptions of job satisfaction and response efficacy were significant in predicting perceptions of trust and goodwill. The most significant predictor of organizational trust and goodwill was perceptions of organizational communication efforts. Also, this …

An Exploration Of Black Church Leaders' Intentions To Develop Critical Consciousness Among African-American Students, Taheesha Quarells

Dissertations

African-American students experience human capital opportunity and achievement gaps. Researchers have called for culturally relevant strategies to help close the gaps. The historic Black Church, a part of many African-American students’ culture and community, is a historic and current source of social capital for positive human capital development outcomes. Critical consciousness develops positive human capital outcomes, such as academic achievement, in African-American and other minority students. Much of the literature on critical consciousness is quantitative in nature and therefore does not include the intentions or the willingness of organizations to develop critical consciousness. Therefore, there is a need to understand …

Personal And Organizational Characteristics Impacting Employee Self-Efficacy, Justin Chandler

Dissertations

COVID-19 forced organizational shutdowns across the globe in 2020, sending unemployment levels in the United States to nearly 15%, with approximately 20.5 million Americans unemployed by May 2020 (Falk et al., 2021; Kochhar, 2020). Virtual business meetings became the norm, while some employees experienced job loss and salary cuts (Prochazka et al., 2020). Many employees worldwide became unsatisfied with their work situation and less confident of their capabilities (Ragheb et al., 2020) and have experienced career shock due to the pandemic. Career shock can lead to many adverse effects on individual employees and organizations, including low self-efficacy, and COVID-19 has …

The Relationship Between Social Isolation, Telecommuting Intensity Levels, Autonomy, And Job Satisfaction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristy Williams

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced workplaces to social distance, and millions of workers began telecommuting or working from home (Kniffin et al., 2021). Becker (2002) stated, “How well companies manage their human capital is a crucial factor in their success (p. 8).” The pandemic has profoundly affected human capital (Ballotpedia, 2021; Collings et al., 2021; Jesuthasan et al., 2020; Kniffin et al., 2021). This study examined the relationship between social isolation, telecommuting intensity levels, autonomy, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher attempted to answer the research question and objectives by conducting a quantitative correlation study using a survey …

Conflict Management Strategies Among Nurses In Hospitals, Rita Nassuna

Dissertations

In the present study, participants described their conflict management strategies. After obtaining the participants form nursing associations, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted. The twenty-seven individuals responded to questions relating to the communication strategies they used in a conflict, the factors which affected their approaches to conflict management, the types of Emotional labor (EL) they performed, how deception could be correlated with EL and whether EL contributed to conflict between nurses. After analyzing and transcribing the data, the qualitative software program NVivo was utilized to discover themes and subthemes.

The results indicated that nurses adhered to the Code of conduct’s mandate …

Organizational Context, Shared Governance Structure, And Outcomes In Veterans Affairs Hospitals, Bonnie J. Charland

Dissertations

For decades nurse executives have implemented shared governance structures as a nursing management innovation to transform the nursing organization from a bureaucratic hierarchy to a more organic, relational partnership. However, there is little generalizable evaluation of the effects of shared governance on nurse and patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine organizational context and quality outcomes in relation to shared governance structures at VA hospitals. Structural contingency theory guided this ex post facto descriptive correlational study of the relationships between organizational context, nursing shared governance, and outcomes in VA hospitals in the United States.

A Comparison Of Evaluation Methods Of Intravenous Catheter Insertion Skills In Third-Term Associate Degree Nursing Students, Dara Jones Murray

Dissertations

Nursing programs are responsible for ensuring student nurses are competent in performing psychomotor skills before clinical experience to ensure patient safety. Traditional, face-to-face methods of evaluating skills are time-consuming for nursing faculty. However, online video recording tools provide a potential solution to provide a quality evaluation while creating a more efficient process. The purpose of this study was to compare faculty work hours, the number of student errors identified by the faculty, and the number of students achieving a passing score when using an online video recording tool versus the traditional face-to-face approach in the evaluation of peripheral intravenous catheter …

Exploratory Study Of Nursing Leadership: An Inquiry Of Leadership Attributes Of Nurse Managers In Acute Care Hospitals And The Professional Practice Environment, Janet Henriksen

Dissertations

This study explored the perceived leadership attributes of nurse managers who enable the creation of positive professional practice environments for registered nurses in acute care hospitals. A general qualitative approach was used to explore the perceptions of ten acute care registered nurses using a three-interview method of inquiry. Three major categories emerged from the data analysis: nurse manager attributes, positive professional practice environment characteristics, and nurse retention, recruitment and job satisfaction. Eight themes emerged in the nurse manager attributes category: expert, mentor, participant, communicator/listener, problem-solver/critical thinker, supporter, arbitrator, and advocate. Seven themes emerged in the characteristics of a positive professional …

Modernizing The School Calendar To Fit The Needs Of The 21st-Century Student, David K. Baker

Dissertations

Ever since the 1983 landmark study, A Nation at Risk, was released, educators have been examining the effectiveness of instructional time in American schools (Pedersen, 2012). However, school calendars have remained stagnant and seemingly a product of society and economy, tied to agriculture, for over 100 years (Turner & Finch, 2018). In Missouri, a growing number of schools are reevaluating the five-day school week and implementing a four-day school week in response (Turner & Finch, 2018). As stated by Thompson (2020), the impact of the four-day school week on student achievement requires more study. This study involved investigating the impact …

The Impact Of Organizational Citizenship And School Culture And Climate Behaviors Of Small Elementary School Principals, Teresa Cowan-Fayter

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine whether there was a relationship between the small school elementary principal organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) as measured by the Principal School OCB Survey and the student academic achievement on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in California small school districts. An additional purpose was to determine how small school elementary principals identify and describe the impact of their personal behaviors on school culture and climate.

Methodology: This is a mixed methods study. Archival data were collected from the California Department of Education (CDE) Dashboard, and additional …

The Relationship Between Perceived Academic Self-Efficacy, Remediation, And Academic Performance In Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Debra Jean Wilson

Dissertations

Nurse educators are faced with the daunting task of preparing students for professional practice as registered nurses. Students who are academically underprepared are often at risk for nursing course failure. There is a lack of consensus in the literature about predictors of success in nursing education. Most nursing education research has focused on the nursing licensure examination as the outcome measure. This focus occurs late in the curriculum and fails to address at-risk students who don't make it to graduation.

Information Literacy: Correlation Of Self-Efficacy And Proficiency, Camille M. Wendekier

Dissertations

Information literacy (IL) is a vital component in evidenced-based practice (EBP) due to its role in research utilization. The literature review indicated that undergraduate college students could harbor negative perceptions regarding IL and compartmentalize IL to classroom activities and assignments. These negative perceptions can influence students' IL self-efficacy, which refers to their belief they can successfully complete IL related tasks. Weiner's attributional theory of motivation suggests IL self-efficacy can motivate people to engage in IL related behavior. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it intended to investigate if a relationship was present between IL self-efficacy and knowledge. Second, …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Patient-Centered Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program, Sharie Blythe

Dissertations

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 34.2 million adults or 10.5% of the population had diabetes (ADA, 2018). In 2015, 88 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes (ADA, 2018). Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.). The "Prevent T2 Program" is an example of an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address the increasing burden of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in the U.S. The program aims to prevent diabetes and complications associated with the disease through diabetes self-management education (DSME) and peer support.

The Evaluation Of Service-Learning As An Innovative Strategy To Enhance Bsn Students' Transcultural Self-Efficacy, Theresa Mary Ann Adams

Dissertations

The purpose of this non-equivalent, multiple year, quasi-experimental study was to evaluate service-learning as an innovative teaching strategy to change pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students' perceived transcultural self-efficacy (TSE) in providing culturally competent nursing care to diverse populations.

The Significance Of Continuing Education On The Intention Of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses To Report Child Maltreatment, Adaorah N. U. Azotam

Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control have recognized child maltreatment as a national epidemic that calls for healthcare providers to focus on early identification and prevention of violence against children. Even though society has this expectation for healthcare professionals, research has shown that there is still a pervasive phenomenon of underreporting this societal ill. Current nursing research identifies education as a significant factor in determining the decision to report child maltreatment in the mandatory reporter role. Based on this conclusion, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) served as the research framework to understand the pertinent facilitating components of intended reporting behaviors …

Understanding The Undergraduate Experience Of The Baccalaureate Nursing Student With English As An Additional Language, Dolores R. Dzubaty

Dissertations

Disparities exist in healthcare related to language barriers and lack of cultural understanding between caregivers and recipients. Increasing the linguistic and cultural diversity of caregivers may decrease the healthcare disparities observed. The research study described in this manuscript was conducted to explore the undergraduate student experiences of nurses representing multiple cultural groups, speaking multiple languages, and representing a cross section of the population of interest. The challenge of speaking English as an additional language (EAL) and belonging to differing cultural groups presents difficulties while successfully completing a baccalaureate nursing program of study. The Theory of Margin was the theoretical framework …

Approaches To Studying And Study Tactics Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Lisa D. Brodersen

Dissertations

This research was designed to describe study approaches and study tactics used by baccalaureate nursing students. Previous inquiry indicates that students will take a Deep, Strategic, or Surface approach to studying and will use specific study tactics to meet the demands of their learning contexts.

Family Child Care (Fcc) Provider Perspectives Of Barriers To Obtaining Resources And Support Services For Quality Child Care Outcomes: A Qualitative Study, Kathleen Diane Tostado Kenshur

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore family child care (FCC) provider perspectives of barriers to obtain resources and support services for quality FCC outcomes. Methodology: This study used a phenomenological qualitative research method to identify and describe barriers that hinder FCC providers from obtaining resources and support for quality outcomes. Four open-ended and semistructured interview questions were administered to 12 participants online via the Zoom platform. This study analyzed data across three categories of barriers: (a) situational, (b) dispositional, and (c) institutional. Results of analysis guided the narrative by identifying and prioritizing themes. The population …

The Relationship Between Principal Support And First-Year Teacher Job Satisfaction, Beau Hannah

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between the four dimensions of principal support and first-year teacher job satisfaction. First-year teachers responded to an online questionnaire that collected demographic data and information regarding principal support importance and overall job satisfaction, using a Likert scale. This questionnaire was developed to measure principal support and first-year teacher job satisfaction. The researcher used a combination of the Principal Support, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and a collected of items addressing the importance of the principal supports, along with demographics of the respondents.

A multiple linear regression was used to predict to what …

Employee Engagement And The Role Of Time Perspective, Donna Valestro

Dissertations

Employee engagement is how employees think, feel, and form intentions to decide behavioral actions. A review of related literature indicated a central tension between employees and the work environment requires psychologically adapting and adjusting to cope with their perceptions of internal and external conditions. The employee’s goal is to stay as close to their authentic self as possible within the organizational environment to maintain their well-being. The psychological process comprises a temporal dimension represented as time perspective in this study. The purpose of this research is to determine if a relationship exists between employee engagement and time perspective.

This nonexperimental, …

Obstacles To The Implementation Of Criminal Justice Reform, Matt Allen

Dissertations

Mass incarceration or overincarceration has gained significant attention over the last two decades, and criminal justice reform seeks to address it. This study uses constructivist grounded theory to examine the implementation of criminal justice reform legislation in Mississippi. Mississippi was chosen as the study setting because the state has been recognized as a national leader in enacting reform legislation and it has one of the nation’s highest incarceration rates. It is well established that policy implementation affects outcomes. Therefore, if the policies Mississippi is implementing are effective and they are implemented correctly, it stands to reason the state could benefit …

Is Testing A Laughing Matter? Achievement Effects Via Working Memory And Humor Relevance, Ivan Jay Wayne

Dissertations

The relevant literature concerning the relationship between humorous intervention and academic performance features conflicting evidence. Authors present evidence that humor is able to directly benefit student academic performance (Ford et al., 2012), while other authors suggest humorous distraction may actually worsen performance (Bieg et al., 2015). Among the issues contributing to these contradictory findings are two particularly important considerations: the mechanism by which humor may impact performance and the content of humor used in interventions. One mechanism by which humor could impact subsequent academic performance is working memory (Strick et al., 2009). The first study (n = 31) investigated if …

Effects Of Creatine Supplementation Protocols And Doxorubicin On Cardiac And Skeletal Muscle Phosphocreatine System, Salaheddin M. A. Sharif

Dissertations

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a highly effective anticancer drug used to treat several cancer types; however, its use is limited due to its cytotoxicity (cardiotoxicity and myotoxicity). Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity might occur within days and lead to congestive heart failure. Doxorubicin-induced myotoxicity involves fatigue, cachexia, and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Although the exact mechanisms causing Dox-induced cytotoxicity are not entirely understood, an alteration in the phosphocreatine system seems to be a central mechanism where studies showed Dox decreased phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine (Cr), impaired creatine kinase (CK) enzyme function, and decreased creatine transporter (CrT) expression in cultured cardiomyocytes. Ultimately, Dox-induced cytotoxicity might compromise quality …

New Experience: An Ethnographic Study Of Students Who Transfer From A Low-Performing Public School District To A Better-Performing Public School District In Missouri, Yolanda J. Campbell

Dissertations

School districts in Missouri are responsible for public K-12 education and must be accredited to educate children. As a result, there is an evoking interest, demanding attention in Missouri public schools' quality and the students who transfer from unaccredited, critically low-performing schools to accredited, significantly betterperforming schools. These students have a higher risk of failing academically or dropping out of school and transitioning successfully into adulthood. Therefore, through this study, students, parents/guardians, and teachers tell their stories to empower the public to work together to raise all students' achievement in school, close the poverty and opportunity gap in education, and …

An Investigation Of A Teacher Education Program And The Hiring Of Newly Certified Teachers In At-Risk And Non-At-Risk Schools, William Lancaster

Dissertations

Research has shown teachers are the most important factor when determining student success, even with the field of education in a constant state of uncertainty. Schools all over the nation are struggling to acquire quality teachers into their buildings, and teacher preparation programs are having a difficult time producing enough teacher candidates. This study investigated what initial jobs students choose to take in their first year after completing an educational degree from one study university’s teacher preparation program, through numerous secondary data points and a participant survey. The quantitative data suggests that recent graduates are just as likely to go …

Combatting Mental Illness In Schools: Are Teachers Ready?, Deshonda Payton

Dissertations

If ever there was a time school districts, principals and teachers had to worry about providing a quality education for students, it is now, at the time of this writing. Due to the Nation's current state in dealing with a worldwide pandemic, the education system as a whole has suffered traumatically, both mentally and emotionally. No longer will teachers be solely responsible for providing students with the essentials necessary to be academically, emotionally, and socially successful in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students suffer from some form of mental illness within our schools. And, the teachers who service and support …

The Impact Of Moral Injury And Moral Distress On Spirituality From A Military Perspective, Emily Sproule

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain greater insight and understanding of how moral injury, moral distress, and shame can influence spirituality and to determine ways to effectively improve treatment to support and serve those carrying these unspeakable wounds. The experience of loss, betrayal, uncertainty, and fractured spirits can affect an individual’s beliefs about the self. The primary aim of this study was to explore how veterans now view themselves in the eyes of God or their Higher Power or why they so choose not to partake in their spirituality. Results were based on aggregate analyses and summations of …

Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Pbis): Does Stronger Implementation Relate To More Equitable Student Outcomes In School Discipline?, Stephenie C. Bruce

Dissertations

For this study, I explored the degree of implementation of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework and the existence of disproportionality of formal school disciplinary responses to behavioral occurrences by race/ethnicity, sex, special education status (SPED), and socioeconomic status (SES) of students. Further, I investigated the relationship between a school’s degree of implementation of PBIS and the existence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity, sex, SPED, and SES, and investigated the differences in the existence of disproportionality in schools that fully implemented PBIS and schools that did not fully implement PBIS.

Literature exists on PBIS implementation and, separately, on the …