Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Tiered System Of Support In California Rural School Settings, John P. Schilling

Dissertations

Rural schools face a different set of challenges that most urban school do not,

such as geographical proximity to qualified staffing, educational and student resources, budgets based upon a smaller student population, access technology and isolation. The purpose of the research was to examine how rural schools and rural school leaders are confronting the challenge of implementing MTSS with limited resources. The researcher used the lens of implementation science as a methodological framework for examining the implementation of MTSS. The researcher used a mixed method design to collect survey data from thirty-eight rural school educators and to collect data from …

Cultivating Civic Engagement At The Intersection Of Community College And Asian American Pacific Islanders: Understanding And Supporting Aapi Students’ Civic Learning At The Two-Year Institutions, Hyon Chu Chu Yi-Baker

Dissertations

Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) students are considered the fastest growing segment of college participants in the United States. AAPI students represent the majority racial demographic population in the California Community College campuses (Chang et al., 2007). Studies on youth and civic learning points to the benefits of early engagement as it can lead to greater participation in future civic activity well beyond their college years. However, literature on AAPI community college students and civic engagement is mostly absent. This single institutional study examined AAPI student’s civic engagement experience and investigated the factors that both support and hinder their motivation …

Superintendent Recruitment: Effects Of Superintendent Job Status, School Councils (Principal Selection Models), District Wealth, And Signing Bonus On Applicant Rating Of The Job, Mark Jeffery Martin

Dissertations

This nearly perfect replicated study (Millay, 2003) was a superintendent recruitment simulation with the purpose of investigating factors that influence recruiting qualified individuals to serve as district superintendents of public schools. The study was a factorial experiment involving a four-way 2 x 2 x 2 x (3 x S) fixed-factor betweenwithin analysis of variance (ANOVA) which yielded 24 cells. The participants in the study were Kentucky Superintendents (N = 72) and individuals in Kentucky certified to be a school superintendent (N = 72) but employed in another position.

The between-groups variables were superintendent job status (superintendent, certified), district wealth (high, …

Baseline Trauma Symptoms: Residential And Non-Residential Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Brooke R. Jacobs

Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a preventable public health problem that’s literature has documented the clinical presentations of those who have experienced IPV. These presentations include what is generally consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a wide range of other symptoms including different medical comorbidities, defensiveness, difficulties in self-regulation, externalizing behavior, difficulties in relationships, withdrawal, and somatic preoccupations. These presentations are typically assumed to be symptoms of IPV but some argue that some of these, such as insecure attachment or trauma exposure, may be precursors to experiencing IPV. This has been discussed with great caution to avoid victim …

The Big Five Inventory, Substance Abuse History, And Academic Success Among Students Majoring In Substance Abuse Counseling, Christi D. Myers

Dissertations

Students pursuing careers in substance abuse counseling may have higher rates of substance abuse histories than the general student body Previous research has shown that substance abuse is negatively correlated with Conscientiousness, yet academic success is positively correlated with Conscientiousness. This may put them at risk for academic difficulties. There is no previous research that has investigated the links betwe en personality traits, substance abuse history, and academic success. This study investigated the correlations between personality, substance abuse history, and academic success with 103 participants from an addict ion counseling program at a community college in South Texas. The Big …

Adjustment Issues Of Saudi Arabian Students And Their Spouses In The U.S., Saleh Saeed Alshihri

Dissertations

A significant proportion of Saudi Arabians seek further studies in western countries, including the United States. The benefits of an international education come with the challenges of relationship stress for Saudi s tudents and their spouses that increase during their stay in the United States. The purpose of this study was to understand the adjustment issues of Saudi Arabian students and their spouses in the U.S. This study u sed a sample of 320 Saudi Arabian students and student spouses, 65 of which could be matched with their spouse, in the U.S. The couples were sampled from different areas in …

Factors Influencing Hispanic Soldiers Seeking Treatment For Alcohol Abuse : Secondary Analysis Of The Army Study To Assess Risk And Resilience Of Servicemembers (Starrs), Karina L. Bocanegra

Dissertations

This study examined factors that influenced whether Hispanic soldiers will elect to seek treatment for alcohol abuse. The data for this study were collected using archival data from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS) survey conducted between the years 2011 and 2013. The STARRS dataset consisted over 21,000 surveys but for this study the sample size was specific to Hispanic soldiers wi th alcohol abuse (n= 917). The impact of seven independent variables on the dependent variable of treatment seeking was examined in the final statistical model. The seven independent variables examined were pri mary …

Law Enforcement Officers' Romantic Relationships Strengths : A Mixed Methods Analysis, Mary Telisak

Dissertations

This study explores the diversity of personal and interpersonal features associated with relationship quality for law enforcement officers and their romantic partners. A concurrent, embedded, mixed methods design was used to address the central research question, "What interpersonal characteristics and work- and home-based contextual factors are associated with relationship quality for law enforcement officers and their romantic partners?" Specific efforts were made to account for the gaps left by existing literature on the romantic relationships of law enforcement officers. Participants were recruited from four Midwestern communities of similar size and demographic composition in the winter of 2018-2019. One hundred ten …

Implementation Of The Focus Act In Tennessee: A Case Study, Carol Byrd Clark

Dissertations

The purpose of this single-case holistic descriptive case study was to document and describe the implementation of the FOCUS Act from the perspective of presidents and senior leaders at the Tennessee universities that transitioned from system-level governance by the Tennessee Board of Regents to governance by institutional boards of trustees. The decentralization of governance mandated by the FOCUS Act is an infrequent occurrence in higher education and presented a unique opportunity to examine how the universities prepared for the governance change and how university leaders viewed the governance change after implementation.

The central research question of this study was: What …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Emiratization Strategies In The Quasi-Private Sector: Multiple Case Studies From The Manufacturing Sector In The Uae., Hana Mohamed Al Mahri

Dissertations

A central aspect of the United Arab Emirates’ strategic vision for a post-oil future is to make better use of its indigenous human capital, thus securing a return on the substantial investment the government has made in education, and reducing the reliance on a largely non-national labour force. While Emiratization (a policy to replace expatriate workers with citizens) has been successful in the public sector, the private sector is still largely staffed by expatriates with citizens representing less than 5 per cent of the total workforce in this sector. Therefore, Emiratization efforts have recently been focusing on enhancing employment opportunities …

The Effects Of Historical Alcohol Use On Neuropsychological Functioning In Older Adults Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Ryan Sever

Dissertations

The present study aimed to determine the effects of alcohol abuse and dependence in long term functioning of older adults who have experienced a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. The research question being answered in the current study was if a history of alcohol abuse or dependence would worsen neuropsychological functioning in older adults who experienced at least one moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Participants of the study were selected from the more extensive database provided by the Brain Aging in Vietnam War Veterans (DOD-ADNI) database. All participants were Vietnam War veterans between the ages of 61 and …

Breast Cancer Risk Perception, Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs And Screening Behaviors Of Chamorro Women In Guam, Teofila P. Cruz

Dissertations

Breast cancer is a serious public health issue in Guam and in the world. Chamorro women in Guam have the highest incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer among other ethnic groups of women living in Guam. Early detection reduces breast cancer morbidity and mortality. Little is known regarding factors associated with Chamorro women's breast cancer screening behaviors.

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to obtain a straight forward description of perspectives and insights of Chamorro women in Guam ages 45 - 65 years, about their breast cancer risk perception, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and breast cancer screening behaviors.

The Risks Of Methemoglobinemia With The Use Of Two Antimicrobials In Low Birth Weight Infants, Denise J. Poirier Maguire

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of risk of methemoglobinemia and extent of skin breakdown when 0.5% chlorhexidine was used as a topical antimicrobial in a population of low birth weight (LBW) infants.

Collaborative Practice By Nurse Practitioners And Physicians In Long-Term Care Homes: A Mixed Methods Study, Faith C. Donald

Dissertations

To understand how nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians (MDs) collaborate with one another to provide resident care in Ontario long-term care homes (LTCHs).

Predictors Of Distress During The Breast Diagnostic Period, Mariann Mayhew Harding

Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide (Warner, 2011). Mortality from breast cancer in the United States has been decreasing in part due to advances in therapy and the detection of the disease at earlier stages. As a result, more than 1.6 million U.S. women will undergo a breast biopsy in 2013 with approximately 232,340 of these being diagnosed with cancer. Although distress in women undergoing a breast diagnostic evaluation has been recognized as having the potential to alter treatment outcomes in those diagnosed with cancer, few …

Correlates Of Desire For Children Among Black Women With And Without Hiv Infection, Yvonne Wesley

Dissertations

HIV infection poses a threat to women, children and society in general. Public health officials recommend that women with HIV avoid pregnancy, however these recommendations do not consider women's desire to bear children. Many authors suggest that desire for children, especially among Black women with HIV, is related to sense of self. This study examined whether there is a relationship among self-esteem, self-efficacy and desire for children, and compared these relationships between 52 Black women with HIV infection (mean age 34) and 46 Black women without HIV infection (mean age 31).

Hospital Discharge Preparation For Homeward Bound Elderly, Diane Storer Brown

Dissertations

Hospital discharge planning (DCP) for the elderly is a research priority. Within the cost conscious healthcare environment, there is concern about short hospitalizations and responsibility shifts to patients for continued health care. While Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) provide care for many elderly, there is no research on DCP outcomes for elderly HMO patients. The purpose of this study was to explore outcomes of DCP for elderly medical patients, satisfaction, service utilization, and relationships among the hospital environment, patients, and discharge outcomes. This study utilized a descriptive correlational design within an HMO hospital.

The Perspectives Of The Woman/Nurse/Executive Working In The Managed Care Environment Of Southern California, Cheryl L. Brandi

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of the woman/nurse/executive working in the managed care environment of Southern California. This research was extremely timely because (a) Southern California leads the nation in managed care market penetration, (b) changes in health care financing have resulted in a prolific expansion of nurse executive responsibilities, and (c) nurse executive experiences regarding increased responsibilities have not been researched. Role expansion impacts both male and female nurse executives, but female nurse executives must confront the dilemma of functioning in administrative domains which have been largely dominated by men. Knowledge about their experiences …

A Comparison Of The Nursing Costs Associated With The Implementation Of The Mandated Nurse-To-Patient Ratios In California, Shelly C. Wells

Dissertations

Nurse executives are challenged to provide adequate nurse staffing to prevent adverse patient outcomes, promote patient satisfaction and enhance nurses' job satisfaction. Historically, nurse staffing strategies have involved the use of patient classification systems, the use of time studies to predict staffing numbers and the best guesses of the nurse administrators. Collective bargaining units moved to include staffing ceilings or nurse-to-patient ratios to address staffing needs in hospitals. In 1999, the state of California signed AB394 into law requiring the implementation of mandated minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. The California Department of Health Services estimated that the mandated nurse-to-patient ratios would cost …

Managing Personal Integrity: A Grounded Theory Of Elderly People Surviving Hospitalization, Cynthia S. Jacelon

Dissertations

The goal of this grounded theory research was to develop a substantive theory of the social processes engaged in by elderly people while in the hospital. The derived theory is entitled Managing Personal Integrity. Within the theory, Personal Integrity is defined as a dynamic, intrinsic quality of the self which has properties composed of physical and psychological attributes.

Congruence Of Illness Representation Between Older Adult Heart Failure Patients And Their Spouses Or Partners And Its Relationship To Adherence Behavior, Ola H. Fox

Dissertations

Intentional nonadherence to prescribed treatment has been documented as a leading contributor to the deleterious outcomes observed for many heart failure patients. Investigation of adherence from the perspective of the patient and spouse/partner offers a different approach to the complexities of intentional nonadherence. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between patients' and spouse/partners' illness representations or perceptions of the symptoms, cause, time-line, consequences, and control of heart failure and the patients' adherence behavior.

Predictors Of Glove Use By Health Care Workers, Pamela F. Levin

Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to identify predictors of health care workers' glove use related to protective behavior. The self-protection model, an adaptation of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, investigated the health care workers' intention to wear gloves and glove use behavior when there was potential for blood exposure. This study also ascertained if glove use varied by field of employment, geographical region, or type of work setting. A cross-sectional survey approach was used with a stratified-random sample of nurses and laboratory workers from a large midwestern state.

Gaining A Voice: A Study Of The Breastfeeding Experiences Of A Select Group Of Educated, Low-Income, Minority Women Supported By Peer Counselors, Maryanne Phyllis Locklin

Dissertations

This grounded theory study describes the experiences of a small select group of educated, low-income, culturally diverse women who were supported by peer counselors/breastfeeding advocates in their communities as they attempted to breastfeed. The study explores their issues and concerns. In-depth interview data from seventeen women (ten African-American and seven Latina) were analyzed, using constant comparative analysis. Findings from the study indicated that the perception of successful breastfeeding can have an empowering effect on women when support for their endeavors are gender--and culturally--appropriate, The five themes that emerged as primary descriptors of the experience were Making the Discovering, Seeking a …

Development And Testing Of A Scale To Measure Self-Efficacy For Pelvic Muscle Exercises In Women With Urinary Incontinence, Barbara S. Broome

Dissertations

The purpose of this methodological study was to: (1) develop a scale that can be used to measure perceived self-efficacy for pelvic muscle exercises; and, (2) test the scale for reliability and validity in a group of women with incontinence. The 23 item scale incorporated items from self-efficacy expectation and outcome expectation, the two domains of self-efficacy theory as they relate to urinary incontinence.

Community Nursing Support For Schizophrenic Clients, Lora Humphrey-Beebe

Dissertations

Decreasing hospital stays necessitate various community supports for persons with schizophrenia. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of community-based nursing interventions for this population. A true experimental, post test only design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone nursing intervention in increasing community survival, and decreasing the number and length of stay of rehospitalizations for persons with schizophrenia.

Self-Efficacy, Social Support, Therapeutic Support And The Initiation And Duration Of Breastfeeding In Adolescent Mothers, Deborah L. Birk

Dissertations

This longitudinal investigation examines self-efficacy, social support and therapeutic support as predictors of initiation and duration of breastfeeding in adolescent mothers. It proposes that prenatal levels of self-efficacy, social support and therapeutic support are significant predictors of breastfeeding initiation in adolescent mothers. It also proposes that postpartum levels of these variables are significant predictors of the number of days breastfeeding after delivery in adolescent mothers.

Collective Self-Esteem And Attitudes Toward Collaboration As Predictors To Collaborative Practice Behaviors Used By Registered Nurses And Physicians In Acute Care Hospitals, Karen D. Bankston

Dissertations

Beginning in 2000, the Institute of Medicine clearly established the importance of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork with regard to improving patient care quality and safety in acute care hospitals. IOM documents also presented evidence of the positive impact that interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork can have on other key dimensions of organizational performance. Interdisciplinary collaboration represents a significant issue confronting hospital and nursing executives, deans of colleges of nursing and medicine and practicing nurses and physicians. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which collective self-esteem and attitudes toward collaboration were predictors to nurse-to-nurse, nurse-to-physician and …

Sex, Drugs, And Religion: A Multi-Ethnic Analysis Of Health Behaviors, Attitudes, And Perceptions Of Childbearing Women, Robin L. Page

Dissertations

Maternal health behaviors such as substance use and sexual promiscuity can put the health of mothers and their offspring at risk. Sociodemographic factors such as low socioeconomic status are also found to correlate with health risks for childbearing women. Hispanic women—especially those less-acculturated—often have sociodemographic risk factors present, but have paradoxically positive pregnancy outcomes. Healthy behaviors in addition to religiosity have been hypothesized to contribute to such positive outcomes. Past studies offer support for the positive influence of religion on healthy behaviors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and predictors of healthy behaviors and well-being of …

Understanding Reflection From The Perspective Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Deborah A. Greenawald

Dissertations

Across the nation, nurse educators are seeking to meet the needs of students with diverse learning characteristics within increasingly complex academic and clinical environments. One teaching-learning strategy that has been used is reflection; however, there is a notable lack of consensus among educators and researchers about the specific nature of reflection. The purpose of this study was to describe reflection from the perspective of baccalaureate nursing students. A review of the literature provided the context for the study, and was organized into four sections: Historical Perspectives, Models and Definitions of Reflection; Reflection in Nursing Practice; Reflection in Nursing Education; and …

Factors That Contribute To Anticipated Turnover Among Civilian Registered Nurses Employed In United States Army Hospitals, Carol Ann Huebner

Dissertations

In this study, selected factors believed to influence anticipated turnover among civilian registered nurses employed in Army hospitals were examined. Based on a theoretical model developed from existing models of nursing turnover, independent variables were clustered into three groups: individual factors (age, education, tenure, kinship responsibility); growth need strength, initial expectations of tenure, and career intentions; and perceptions of contextual factors (workload, group cohesion, instrumental communication, job characteristics, external and internal labor market, and pay satisfaction). The theoretical model proposed that independent variables influenced the dependent variable which was anticipated turnover, either directly or indirectly through job satisfaction.