Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Loneliness In An Older Adult Population, Kelli Rowland

Dissertations

Problem: Loneliness and social isolation are severe burdens on global public health and can impair overall health outcomes. Unfortunately, both loneliness and social isolation are prevalent in the older adult population. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate loneliness in older adults enrolled in a weekly socialization program and its impact on loneliness.

Methods: A descriptive cohort design was utilized to analyze surveys completed three months apart. A convenience sample was used with older adults already enrolled in a weekly socialization program. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice was applied to evaluate and promote quality …

The Experiences Of Internationally Educated Nurses While Preparing For The Nclex-Rn, Jhordin James C. Montegrico

Dissertations

About 5.6% of the U.S. nursing workforce is composed of internationally educated nurses (IEN). Nurses from the Philippines comprise the majority of IEN applying for the National Council Licensure Examination Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) but more than half of them fail the NCLEX-RN the first time. There is paucity of research on IEN and the NCLEX-RN, in general, and there are no published studies on IEN experiences while preparing for the NCLEX-RN.

This research described the experiences of IEN while preparing for the NCLEX-RN. It explored the facilitating and hindering factors of IEN NCLEX-RN preparatory experiences. Strategies were identified to overcome …

Managing Ambiguity: Nurses Caring For The Mother Of A Stillborn Baby, Natasha J. Nurse-Clarke

Dissertations

The aim of this study was to describe and conceptualize the experiences and processes involved when labor and delivery nurses provide care to women experiencing a stillbirth.

Measurement And Regulation Of Workplace Violence In Healthcare Setting, Rachel Odes

Dissertations

Workplace violence in healthcare settings has been recognized globally as a major barrier to the provision of safe and effective health care services. In California, the Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care standard (Title 8, Section 3342) requires hospitals to develop violence prevention plans and report incidents where force was used against workers to the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CalOSHA) through the web-based Workplace Violent Incident Reporting System for Hospitals (WVIRS).

Healthcare Providers' And Community Leaders' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Neurocysticercosis In Rural Bolivia, Amy J. Alberts

Dissertations

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a preventable infectious disease that is considered a major cause of epilepsy in developing nations. Bolivia is one of the least developed nations in Latin America and in rural Bolivia persons with epilepsy (PWE) go largely without treatment. Epilepsy is a devastating disease that has the capacity to significantly decrease the quality of life, not only for PWE, but for their families as well. The development and implementation of a self-sustainable program for the prevention and treatment of NCC and the consistent treatment of epilepsy is essential. However, research on epilepsy and NCC in Bolivia, whether in …

Young Adult Nurse Work-Related Well-Being, Contemporary Practice Worldview, Resilience, And Co-Worker Support During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chloe Olivia Rose Littzen-Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to describe and examine the type and significance of factors significantly related to young adult nurse work-related well-being.

Weight Status Among Prescription Opioid Users With Chronic Pain, Teresa Louise Bigand

Dissertations

Greater than 70% of the United States (US) adult population is overweight as defined by body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2. Adults who are overweight are more likely to report chronic pain than those with recommended weight status. Additionally, higher BMI is correlated with poorer pain outcomes. Patients with chronic pain and overweight status report difficulty self-managing pain and weight and are commonly prescribed opioid medications to treat pain. Long-term use of prescription opioids is associated with negative health outcomes, especially among adults with overweight status. Adults with chronic pain report many health symptoms that hinder pain and …

Simultaneous Experiences Of Type 2 Diabetes And Symptoms Of Depression And/Or Anxiety Among Latina Women 60 And Older, Adrienne S. Martinez-Hollingsworth

Dissertations

Latina older adult women disproportionately suffer from type 2 diabetes (diabetes) and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. These disease states are associated with serious declines in health outcomes and a three-fold reduction in treatment compliance. Few studies have examined this phenomenon exclusively among Latina older adult women or have captured the impact of intersectional identity on their experiences, values or problem-solving methods related to self-management.

The purpose of this study was to examine how Latina women, 60 and over, emotionally experience both diabetes and interactions with care providers during help-seeking and care engagement.

Preventing Healthcare Workplace Violence Through Legislation, Erika Cunningham-Regis

Dissertations

Workplace violence against nursing professionals is an unacknowledged crisis. The repercussions of workplace violence are harmful to the nursing profession, as well as the healthcare industry. Unfortunately, there has been a dearth of protective mechanisms and standardized prevention plans. Only through mandated legislation will sustainable change be achieved for nurses. The United States House of Representatives bill number 1309, under Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act was developed to provide a concise prevention plan to healthcare facilities across the nation. The bill died in Congress, but through continued advocacy efforts, it can be reintroduced for …

Autonomic Nervous System Reactivity In Early Childhood: Developmental Patterns And Sociodemographic Predictors, Michelle Stephens

Dissertations

Cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) measurements, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and preejection period (PEP), are valid and reliable indicators of children's sensitivity to stressors in their environment; however, there are few studies of RSA and PEP measures in children younger than three years of age and no known studies of children at 18-months of age. This was a cohort study of racially- and ethnically-diverse, low-income children studied from birth through five years of age. At 18-months (n = 134) and 36-months (n = 102) of age, children completed a developmentally challenging protocol that simultaneously assessed their RSA and PEP under …

Development And Evaluation Of A Sepsis Simulation With Undergraduate Nursing Students, Kelly Martinez

Dissertations

This study evaluated if undergraduate nursing students in their final academic year can appropriately recognize and respond to a patient displaying signs of deterioration in a response to rescue simulation. Participants were senior level baccalaureate nursing students in a Northeast university. The student nurses' ability to recognize and respond to patient deterioration due to sepsis according to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) definitions were examined. Participating students reviewed preparation materials and resource components followed by a simulation-based learning experience which followed the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) Standards of Best Practice: SimulationSM. The simulation experience was …

Evaluating The Impact Of Innovative Teaching Strategies To Improve Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Competence And Confidence In Providing Spiritual And Emotional Care, Palmira A. Good

Dissertations

Nurses are expected to respond to the spiritual and emotional needs of patients with compassionate care. Patients yearn for a connection with their nurse that assures them they are safe and will be provided with holistic care. A healing environment can be established for the patient by providing spiritual and emotional care. Many practicing nurses state they are uncomfortable addressing the spiritual and emotional needs of their patients. A gap exists between what is taught to nursing students and the expectations of nurses in the clinical setting. Students' perceptions of their confidence and competence in providing spiritual care to patients …

Exemplary Leadership During Turbulent Times: A Study Of Wartime Navy Submarine Commanders From 2001 To 2009, Rodney Lee Perryman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe behaviors that exemplary Navy submarine commanders practice to lead their command through turbulent times using the leadership attributes of personal temperament, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and moral purpose.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the specific leadership behaviors of personal temperament, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and moral purpose that occur during turbulent times by analyzing in-depth interviews with exemplary United States Navy Submarine Commanding Officers. The study sample for this research is ten Groton, Connecticut area United States Navy submarine commanding officers who have at least fifteen …

Learning To Educate: A Basic Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Training From Professional Nurses, Shanda J. Clark

Dissertations

The basic qualitative research design allowed for the discovery of how professional nurse participants interpret their experiences about learning how to educate students in the clinical setting. The population studied were professional nurses who teach students in the clinical setting in a Southwestern state. Research findings indicated the experiences regarding their preparation to instruct students in the clinical learning environment were significantly lacking. Professional nurses may be considered experts in the application of patient care; however, they continue to lack formal training preparing them to educate nursing students. The experiences of professional nurses indicated little communication occurs between them and …

Examining Nursing Faculty Credentials And Nclex-Rn Pass Rates In Pre-Licensure Nursing Programs, Tiffany N. Cole

Dissertations

The healthcare industry has registered nurses from various academic and clinical backgrounds. With nurses accounting for a significant number of healthcare professionals, there is a continued need for nursing students to be successful on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). One role of nursing faculty members is to promote student success on the NCLEX. Nursing faculty members may have varied educational backgrounds, with the most common being master's and doctoral degrees. There is a gap in nursing education literature regarding if specific faculty credentials are predictive of NCLEX-RN® pass rates in pre-licensure nursing programs. A cross-sectional correlational retrospective quantitative study …

Undergraduate Nurse Educator Perceptions Of Preparation To Teach Interprofessional Collaboration, Tamara Berghout

Dissertations

If nurse educators do not teach students to function in interprofessional teams, students may lack communication and teamwork skills, which can result in patient harm; however, nurse educators do not always understand the concept of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and may, therefore, fail to teach it to students. The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand how undergraduate nurse educators prepared to teach IPC and how their preparation informed their teaching. The theory of transformative learning and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies of IPC framed this study. Data included semistructured interviews and associated documents from 9 nurse educators …

Clinical Judgment And Cue Recognition Of Patient Deterioration Among Novice Nurses, Patricia K. Schmehl

Dissertations

Experiential learning deficits in newly licensed registered nurses (RNs) may extend to deficits in clinical judgment, particularly in recognizing cues of patient deterioration. The purpose of this quantitative, pretest posttest quality improvement project was to determine if and to what degree the implementation of QSEN education with simulation for nurses impacts clinical judgment and frequency of documentation of deterioration parameters in an acute care hospital in southeastern Pennsylvania. Benner's novice to expert theory and Tanner's clinical judgment model supported the framework for this project. Thirty-three nurses in residency participated in a didactic session on the QSEN competencies and an unfolding …

Developing New Prognostic Models For Predicting Outcomes In Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Kwankaew Wongchareon

Dissertations

Globally, the annual incidence rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in all ages is 349 per 100,000 person-years. The incidence of TBI varies across regions, populations, regulations, and health systems; but in general, the rate is expected to be higher in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). As LMICs usually have poor pre-hospital care, delays in patient transfer, lack of facilities and well-trained staff; these make the burden of TBI more devastating and a pressing public health issue. In this dissertation, we focused on several approaches to determine the value of prognostic research in adult patients with severe TBI, test model …

An Exploration Of Perceived Learning Activities And Assignments Preferred By Millennial Nursing Students In An Online Rn-Bsn Nursing Program, Holly R. Farley

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to explore millennial nursing student preferences of activities and assignments that may facilitate learning (preferred) as well as perceptions of those that may hinder learning (not preferred). This qualitative exploratory single case study sought to understand the perceived preferences of millennial online registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing (RN-BSN) students for online activities and assignments. Three questions were posed: How do millennial nursing students develop preferences for learning activities and assignments in online RN-BSN programs? How and why do millennial nursing students believe certain learning activities and assignments …

Preparation Of Clinical Nurse Educators Using Simulation: Developing Competencies In Providing Feedback, Julie S. Fitzwater

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation learning in the development of clinical teaching competencies in clinical nurse educators transitioning from the role of nurse clinician to nurse educator. The study intervention was a simulation learning experience for clinical nurse educators to learn effective formative feedback techniques.

Incorporating Social Determinants Of Health In Associate Degree Nursing Education, Lisa J. Bagdan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to integrate assessment of SDH using a Patient Centered Assessment Method (PCAM) during patient care transitions into associate degree nursing education. It will evaluate student learning, suitability, and application of the PCAM assessment tools use in associate degree nursing education.

A Mixed Methods Analysis Of The Relationship Between Independent Study Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence And At-Risk Students Academic Success, Stephanie Niemeyer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to determine the relationship between independent study charter schoolteachers’ emotional intelligence (EQ) scores, as measured by the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), and the number of credits earned in a learning period by their students. An additional purpose was to describe how independent study high school teachers perceive their ability to model the EQ attributes of self-awareness, self-regulation, internal motivation, empathy, and social skill (Goleman, 2006) influences student credit completion.

Methodology: This study used a mixed methods approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data from highly qualified independent …

Safe And Brave Spaces: What Comprises A Fruitful Multicultural Supervision Learning Environment?, Monica Becerra

Dissertations

Researchers continue to emphasize the important role supervisors have in creating a safe space for supervisees to effectively navigate and engage in honest multicultural conversations while also addressing potential biases (e.g., Ancis & Marshall, 2010). However, much of the literature on multicultural supervision provides limited guidance on what characteristics define a safe space. The purpose of this study was to examine accounts of counseling psychology graduate students to learn about their understanding and definitions of safe space and brave space within multicultural supervision, using grounded theory methodology (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). Specifically, the purpose of the study was threefold: (a) …

Mothers' Perceptions Of Ability In Children With Intellectual Disability And Mother-Child Connectedness, Nikhita Moolayil

Dissertations

The mother-child relationship is important in the development of children, especially for children with intellectual disabilities who may have specific needs. Understanding the nuances, such as the closeness of the mother-child relationship for children with intellectual disabilities, is often overlooked even though more than 3 million children under 18 were reported to have an intellectual disability in 2019. Still, very few studies have focused on the relationship between mothers with children with an intellectual disability. With the rise in services provided due to developmental disabilities in children, there was a need to examine mothers’ perceptions of the ability level in …

Prestige Vs Practicality: Transition Of Dual Enrollment Secondary Students To Post-Secondary Options: A Case Study, Robin Dakers Lynch

Dissertations

This qualitative research study investigated the perceptions of support during the college choice process of former CTE dual-enrollment students at one technical college campus. In addition, it examined the types of support participants received as they progressed through the three-stage college choice process (predisposition, search, and choice). Interviews were conducted with eight former CTE dual-enrollment students from a technical college campus. Each participant completed a demographic survey and was asked 15 interview questions that coincide with the three stages of the college choice process. Finally, the data was analyzed and coded to develop a thematic findings structure.

The study resulted …

Generations Of Pain: A Transgenerational Examination Of Trauma, Parenting Styles, And Attachment Of Black Women, Latoya Hampton

Dissertations

Historically, Black women have experienced horrendous acts of violence throughout the centuries and generations. The transmission of transgenerational trauma has impacted this community’s mental health, physical well-being, educational performance, and interpersonal interactions. Prior research has focused on general trauma and its effect on Black women; however, this review sought to explore transgenerational trauma and the implications of attachment and parenting styles of Black women. Previous studies have examined the majority population’s attachment, trauma, and parenting styles consecutively, though not simultaneously. With limitations found in the research of diverse populations, it is imperative that clinicians are culturally competent to implement effective …

A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Black African International Students’ Racial Identity Development, Maame Coleman

Dissertations

This study was designed to explore how Black African international students develop an understanding of their racial identity within the U.S. context. Although there has been considerable previous theoretical and empirical work examining the process of racial identity development (e.g. Cross, 1971; Sellers et al.1998), which has provided foundation for how we continue to understand how U.S. racial minorities develop their racial identities. However, there is a paucity of research on the racial identity development process of non-U.S. born Black people (Hocoy, 1999; Asante, 2012). Even less is known about the role that intersectionality of other identities plays in the …

A Behavior Genetic Study Of Activity Levels And Internalizing Problems Across Childhood, Matthew Jamnik

Dissertations

This study used a twin and triplet sample to investigate the influence of preschoolers’ physical activity levels and internalizing problems on subsequent health outcomes (body-mass index, internalizing behavior problems, household health behaviors) in middle childhood. The potential influence of stressors salient in childhood (household chaos, socioeconomic status, stressful life events) on the hypothesized relationship between physical activity and internalizing on health was also explored. A specific focus was placed on examining the underlying genetic and environmental influences of children’s physical activity levels, as assessed by both temperamental (parent-reported) activity levels and observed (in-lab) motor behavior, using a behavioral genetic approach. …

Use Of Live And Robotic Assistance Animals For Psychological And Cognitive Health In Military Populations, Rachelle M. Cross

Dissertations

This literature review addresses the use of live and robotic animal-assisted therapy for psychological and cognitive health in military populations. More specifically, this literature review aims to address the benefits and limitations of the use of live animal-assisted therapy, complementary and alternative techniques (i.e., Combat and Emotional Stress Control Dogs and social robots) for military personnel, and possible attitudinal barriers regarding active duty and veteran soldiers, while utilizing literature conducted with the civilian population to augment. A systematic review of peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative publications and book chapters was utilized to accomplish this. Results of the literature review indicated that …

Gender Differences In The Clinical Presentation Of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review, Kimberly Glover

Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder is diagnosed in women three times more than men and represents a significant gender disparity amid considerable stigmatization compared to other psychological disorders. Empirical studies have investigated the gender prevalence for borderline personality disorder and further determined that findings may be due to differences in how borderline personality disorder clinically manifests in men and women. Common areas of investigation have included developmental features, diagnostic symptomology, psychiatric comorbidities, and the level of functional impairment for individuals with borderline personality disorder. An analysis of existing data was indicative of shortcomings in methods that include small samples of men, a …