Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of The Mother's Appraisal Of Her Employment Status On The Preterm Infant's Development At 3 Months, Joanne M. Youngblut

Dissertations

The issue of whether maternal employment has negative consequences for the child has been frequently studied, although with conflicting results. Only one study has been reported that examined the effects of maternal employment on preterm infants. With more mothers of children under 1 year of age in the labor force and with improvements in preterm infant care, it is important to examine the effects of maternal employment for this group. In addition, with the mixed results obtained in previous studies, it is important to explicate the process by which these effects might occur.

Outcome Evaluation Of An Interdisciplinary Care Model For Children With Cystic Fibrosis, Roberta P. Pawlak

Dissertations

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting, autosomal recessive inherited disease that affects approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States. Health problems of children with CF tend to be complex, requiring specialty health services. Often children with CF are cared for in CF Care Centers, where an interdisciplinary care team addresses these needs. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) recommends specific Clinical Practice Guidelines be applied to all patients with CF. A major gap in the CF literature is evidence of guideline application results on health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an interdisciplinary care model …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Development And Decision-Making Regarding Adolescent Sexual Activity: Instrument Development And Validation, Mary E. Auterman

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to develop and validate an instrument which measures decision making in situations which may lead to sexual activity in adolescents, and the impact of cognitive development on that process. Several potential intervening variables were identified. Piaget's theory of cognitive development provided the theoretical basis for the study (Inhelder & Piaget, 1958). The study consisted of three phases: (1) development of the instruments to measure decision, the intervening variables, and cognitive development, (2) pilot testing the instruments, and (3) a construct validity study.

Widowhood: The First Anniversary Spousal Bereavement-Related Stress, Coping, And Well-Being In Older Women, Mary Elizabeth Minton

Dissertations

By 2020 approximately one million individuals will experience spousal bereavement annually, primarily older women. However, little is known about the survivor's well-being around the first year death anniversary. This study examined spousal bereavement-related stress, coping, and well-being in widows 65 years and older at months 11, 12, and 13 following the death of the spouse based on Lazarus and Folkman's transactional approach and Schaefer and Moos' model of life crises and transitions. Using a prospective, longitudinal, correlational design, data were collected from 47 widows.

A Grounded Theory Approach To Explore The Experience Of Involuntary Childlessness In Couples With Infertility, Taylor L. Grube

Dissertations

Couples who experience involuntary childlessness as a result of infertility are challenged to manage the biological, sociological, and psychological implications of the situation. Furthermore, they are confronted with a variety of options regarding infertility management and resolution of involuntary childlessness. Nurses play a key role in supporting couples as they manage infertility and involuntary childlessness. Since infertility and subsequent involuntary childlessness is a couple's experience, nursing care should aim to meet the needs of both partners. However, there is a lack of evidence to suggest how couples experience and manage this phenomenon. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to …

An Investigation Of The Ability Of The Minnesota Early Childhood Screening Program To Predict Educational Achievement In Third Grade Children, Martha Dewey Bergren

Dissertations

The ecological model assumes school, community, family, and friends shape child outcomes. Minnesota mandates comprehensive Early Childhood Screening (ECS) for preschool children including vision and hearing, and cognitive, language, motor, growth and speech, with optional screening for health, behavior, and life stresses. Children meeting federal criteria for special education programs are recommended for interventions. Children with less serious health and/or behavior problems or who lack sufficient resources may also be at risk for academic difficulties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of family, health, development, behavior, and stress data collected at Minnesota ECS to predict grade …

An Analysis Of The Costs And Effects Of Three Levels Of Maternity Services In West Philadelphia, Ruth Ann Greenway Poliner

Dissertations

Due to high rates of low birthweight infants and inadequate prenatal care, two programs were implemented in West Philadelphia--Maternity Care Advocates and enriched Healthy Beginnings Plus (HBP). Using an observational design, an economic evaluation was performed comparing three groups of clients at two public health centers (N = 248): (a) basic maternity services (control), (b) basic services plus advocates (group A), and (c) basic services, advocates, and HBP (Group A+B; a midwifery practice).

Behavioral Indices Of Maternal Stress And Health Related Family Boundary Ambiguity In Pediatric Intensive Care, Bonnie L. Harbaugh

Dissertations

This study of mothers of children in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) created two measures, (a) Health Related Family Boundary Ambiguity (HRFBA:PICU), (b) Maternal Caretaking Behavior (MCOS:PICU), and explored relationships between Health Related Family Boundary Ambiguity (HRFBA), Caretaking Behaviors, and Stress (STAI; Spielberger, et al., 1983).

Baccalaureate Reentry Students: Effects Of Professional Support On Role Conflict And Role Transition, Ruth Naomi Grendell

Dissertations

An increasing number of registered nurses and other health care providers are entering upper division academic nursing programs to obtain the baccalaureate nursing degree. A path analytic model was developed to examine the interrelationships of multiple roles and focal role commitments, previous education, work experience, and role conflicts perceived by reentry adult students, and the influence of professional support in the subsequent transition to the professional role. Group differences between Registered Nurses (RNs) and military corpsmen were also investigated for the variables of importance.

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Retention Issues In A 3-Year Baccalaureate-Level Nursing Program, Rebecca L. Taulbee

Dissertations

The nursing shortage, a major concern for the United States, has a multitude of causative factors. Nursing education has been tasked with helping to decrease the shortage of qualified registered nurses. Poor retention of nursing students in higher education is impacting the number of qualified nurses entering the workforce. Nursing education has historically been a high attrition area due to the stress and rigor of the curriculum. The general problem is that a severe and worsening shortage of registered nurses is increasingly putting the health and well-being of society at risk. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study was to …

Comparison Of Two Methods For Measuring The Tangible Outcomes Of An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Denise Hooper Elliott

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (a) to describe and measure the tangible outcomes of an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program for the graduate, the community, and cooperating clinical agencies; and (b) to propose a methodology that explicates the tangible outcomes of an ADN program. Using a descriptive design, tangible outcomes of one ADN program at a North Central Alabama community college were measured, collection methods were evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency, and the need for training of data collection staff was evaluated.

Talk And Backtalk: Negotiating Cervical Cancer Screening Among Appalachian Women In West Virginia, Wendy D. Grube

Dissertations

Cervical cancer, once a major killer of women, still remains a quiet threat to the lives of discreet populations within the United States. Women living in Appalachia are among those most vulnerable to this disease primarily due to lack of participation in screening programs. Despite efforts of government subsidized programs to educate, enroll and provide screening facilities throughout high-risk areas, unacceptable rates of inadequately screened women persist. Little is known about the reasons Appalachian women do not seek screening. The literature identifies sociodemographic data related to screening, and suggests that healthcare providers play a significant role in women's participation in …

Health Locus Of Control And Learned Helplessness In Cardiac Pacemaker Recipients, Janice V. Chandler

Dissertations

Having lost control of heart rate and rhythm, pacemaker recipients depend on battery-driven mechanical devices for life support. They rely on health professionals for complex care. This loss of control and dependence may influence control beliefs. The relationships among, and the individual effects of health locus of control (HLC), age, and length of time paced on learned helplessness (LH) in cardiac pacemaker recipients were investigated. HLC refers to beliefs about origins of health control, including (a) internal control by personal causation (IHLC), (b) external control by chance (CHLC), and (c) external control by powerful others (PHLC). The Multidimensional Health Locus …

Access To Care Of Adults With Chronic Illness, Constance F. Mullinix

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship of chronic illness and access to health care in adults responding to the 1986 National Access to Health Care Survey. Access to care was defined as actually entering the health system as evidenced by having an ambulatory visit, a hospitalization, or an emergency visit within the previous year.

Menopausal Stage, Current Life Change, Attitude Toward Women's Roles, And Perceived Health Status In Middle-Aged Women, Nancy C. Sharts-Hopko

Dissertations

A sample of 249 premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women was studied in order to explore the relationships of menopausal stage, current life change and attitude toward women's roles to perceived health status. The dependent variable was operationally defined as the sum of scores on the Health Perceptions Questionnaire, the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index. Hypotheses included that menopausal stage would be positively related to perceived health status, which was not supported; that current life change would be inversely related to perceived health status, which was supported (p < .05); and that non-traditional attitude toward women's roles is positively related to perceived health status, which was not supported.

The Relationship Between Spouses' Strength Of Identification And Their Patterns Of Change In Perceived Body Space And Articulation Of Body Concept During And After Pregnancy, Jacqueline M. Fawcett

Dissertations

The family is a living open system characterized by pattern and organization. While the rate of change in pattern and organization varies throughout the life cycle of the family, few periods involve the rapid and extensive repatterning and reorganization present in pregnancy. Empirical evidence suggests that changes in body image occur during and after pregnancy in both wives and husbands. The study designed to test the hypotheses used a sample of fifty married couples who attended Lamaze preparation for childbirth classes.

A Quantitative Study Examining Project Lead The Way Gateway Program Outcomes In A Suburban School District, Patrick Joseph Bellinger

Dissertations

Within the confines of this study, the Researcher investigated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway program outcomes at a Midwest suburban school district. The study examined specific academic achievement outcomes and attitudes regarding STEAM courses and STEAM careers among students who completed at least one semester in a middle school PLTW Gateway program. The Researcher attempted to determine if there was a difference in student attitudes related to STEAM between students who enrolled in a PLTW Gateway course and students who never enrolled in PLTW Gateway, as determined in an online survey. The Researcher also attempted to determine if there …

A Quantitative Case Study On School Climate, Student Behavior, Student Achievement, And Classroom Facility Factors In An Urban Midwest High School, Shamonda Owens

Dissertations

This research was a quantitative case study on the possible relationship between school climate, student behavior, student achievement, and classroom facility factors in an urban Midwest high school. Specific variables included lighting, wall color, classroom temperature, school climate, student behavior, and student academic achievement. The researcher collected the following data: student behavior, number of out of school suspensions (OSS) students received in 2014 through 2017, End of Course data, 2014-2017, in the areas of Biology, American Government, English I, and English II. To measure school climate, the researcher used the district’s annual climate survey. School climate survey data measured student …

Alternative Education Program Best Practices: A Comparative Analysis Of Three Mid-Missouri High School Alternative Education Programs, Elizabeth Christine Nelson

Dissertations

School districts in the state of Missouri are required to provide an education to all students, including those on suspension, and many other states have similar requirements. The number of alternative programs has grown over the last 50 years, and most districts provide some type of alternative program for at-risk students. With few state regulations for evaluation of these programs, researchers in alternative education recommended districts perform internal evaluations to ensure program quality. The research identified six research-based best practices domains critical to the success of an alternative program. The six domains were curriculum, assessment, engagement, instruction, leadership, and structures. …

The Development Of Newspaper Restaurant Criticism In Ireland, 1988–2008, Claire O'Mahony

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the development of newspaper restaurant criticism in Ireland from 1988 to 2008. This era was a time of considerable economic change in Ireland. It was also a period that saw changing attitudes to food and dining out, as well as a more varied restaurant landscape. This study aimed to determine how the format and focus of newspaper restaurant reviews changed over this time frame. It also explored the role of the restaurant critic, and how reviews reflected developments in Irish food culture and the economy. Using a mixed methods research design, a sample of reviews from the …

Supervisor-Subordinate Conflict Negotiation: Examining The Core Concerns In Light Of Communication Accommodation And Gender Roles, Piyawan Charoensap-Kelly

Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study examined a supervisor-subordinate negotiation of an emotion-laden conflict from the lens of the core concerns framework, communication accommodation theory, and gender roles research. Results empirically support CCF that, by accommodating or attending to the employees’ core concerns, managers can stimulate employees’ positive emotion and integrative intention. However, under- and overaccommodating the core concerns can lead to distributive intention. Additionally, the employees’ perception of manager goodwill can strengthen or attenuate the positive effect of core concerns accommodativeness on outcome variables especially for male managers. Thus, moderate accommodation is recommended for male managers. For female managers, the results show …

Modifying Inhibited Primer Performance Via Control Of Epoxy-Amine Matrix Structure And Composition, Steven Wand

Dissertations

This research represents an effort to deliver a new fundamental understanding of how polymer matrix characteristics influence corrosion protection of organic coatings, in particular the performance of corrosion inhibitor-containing primers. By modifying the structure and composition features of epoxy-amine matrices which commonly serves as the binder for protective coatings, the thermal/mechanical, adhesion, and transport properties which govern coating performance and inhibitor release were altered in such a way that directly influenced protection efficacy. This research is composed of three distinct approaches towards systematically varying thermoset network characteristics and observing the resulting impact on transport behaviors and corrosion prevention, with an …

Validation Of A Scale To Measure Phonological And Morphological Knowledge And Skill Of Speech-Language Pathologists And Elementary Teachers, Susan S. Perry

Dissertations

Phonological and morphological skills are crucial to the process of reading. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have received advanced trained in these basic foundations of language and could be an untapped resource in our school systems for teaching beginning reading skills. The purposes of this research were to examine SLPs’ and general education elementary (K-6) teachers’ attitudes toward SLPs taking part in reading instruction, to compare the differences in phonological and morphological knowledge and skill among SLPs and teachers, and to assess the performance of the Revised Basic Language Constructs Surveywhen administered to SLPs and teachers.

Results indicated that, although fewer …

Promoting Workplace Health Using Wearable Technology: A Mixed Methods Study In A Nonprofit Organization, Mitchell Tarver

Dissertations

Despite efforts to improve the designs and benefits of workplace wellness programs (WWPs), there are two major problems preventing employers from optimizing the human capital of their employees: (a) many WWPs are limited and do not include an exercise component, which increases the potential for chronic health conditions; and (b) more than 50% of employees are reluctant to participate in WWPs due to the common barriers of time, convenience, and location. A lack of physical activity is a problem because studies have shown that chronic conditions increase rates of absenteeism and presenteeism, both of which increase productivity loss. Additionally, low …

Resilience And Coping In Mothers Of Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Holly Carter

Dissertations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prominent chronic illness in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016) estimated that one child out of every 365 African-American births will have SCD, affecting approximately 100,000 Americans. Supporting and promoting the integrity of the family and its’ members when a child has SCD is important for each family member’s well-being. Specific family characteristics, such as resilience and coping are important to understand because they can mitigate stress and create positive family outcomes (Brown et al., 1993; Cousino & Hazen, 2013; Hildenbrand, Barakat, Alderfer, & Marsac, 2015; O’Hanlon, Camic, & …

Screening The Managerial Applicant: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Of Résumé Review And Evaluation, Gregory E. Higgins

Dissertations

Resume screening is among the most frequently used hiring methods in U.S.-based organizations (Behrenz, 2001; Wilk & Cappelli, 2003). While little research has been conducted to establish its validity (Russell, 2007), 90% of hiring personnel in the United States use some form of resume screening to eliminate job applicants during the hiring process (Boatman & Erker, 2012). Researchers have noted that the use of resume screening is a likely source of hiring errors (Robertson & Smith, 2001) that have a range of negative impacts on organizations including loss of revenue, damage to the organizational image, lowered employee morale, customer dissatisfaction, …

A Mixed Method Study: Assessing Critical Thinking, Metacognition, And Motivation In A Flipped Classroom Instructional Model, Phyllis Brown

Dissertations

Technology has changed pedagogical methods in higher education. Educators are using technology more and integrating more active learning techniques. One pedagogical method, the flipped classroom, is suitable for integrating technology and active learning techniques. The pedagogical efficacy of the flipped classroom has not been determined despite being a potential solution for technology savvy millennial students. This mixed method study assessed critical thinking, metacognition, and motivation in higher education flipped classrooms in the United States. Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) members teaching traditional and flipped format science courses were purposefully selected to participate in the study. A sample of 14 …

Attitudes Of New Graduate Rns Regarding Their Readiness For Practice Before And After Hospital Orientation, Diane Young

Dissertations

The acuity level of patients continues to increase making it more vital than ever that new graduate Registered Nurses (RNs) be prepared to give safe, quality care when leaving their hospital’s orientation program (Spector et al., 2015). Today, new graduate RNs need orientation programs that will ensure a smooth transition into nursing practice. This involves the ability to apply higher-level knowledge and skills in everyday practice situations, thereby, maintaining quality care (Henderson, Ossenberg, & Tyler, 2015).

The purpose of this study was to identify differences between new graduate RNs’ opinions on readiness for practice, as measured by the Casey-Fink Readiness …

Student Loan Default Prevention And Management Practices At Mississippi Community & Junior Colleges, Lashanda Chamberlain

Dissertations

Cohort default rates can impact an institution’s ability to participate in the Title IV aid programs. Title IV aid programs such as the federal Pell grant, federal work-study program, and the federal loan program is critical to student enrollment. If an institution loses its participation in the Title IV aid programs, this would be detrimental to both students and the institution. Cohort default rates at Mississippi community and junior colleges are currently above the national average. This qualitative study examines the default prevention and management practices at Mississippi community and junior colleges. Using an interview protocol, the researcher interviewed financial …

Factors Influencing Career And Technical Professionals’ Career Advancement, Deidra Minor

Dissertations

To remain globally competitive, the U.S. must address the need for a more technical- skilled workforce (United States Department of Labor, 2013). A technical-skilled has workforce occupations that require vocational associate’s degrees (Lewis, 2004). It is evident that the initiative to meet the demand for a highly competitive workforce for the 21st century requires a combination of progressive education, advanced skills and professional experience (Threeton, 2006). Historically, the technical worker gained skills without definite planned opportunities for higher education and career upward mobility (Skolnik, 2010). Further, some post-secondary institutions tend to dismiss the importance of recruiting the technical community college …