Digital Commons Network^™

Patterns Of Cannabis Use And Impacts On Communication And Relationship Satisfaction, Johni Mitchell

Dissertations

This dissertation looked at patterns of cannabis use and impacts on communication and relationship satisfaction in couples that have been co-habitating for at least a year. A sample of 299 individual participants aged 21-69 were split into groups to look at concordant (where both partners either used or abstained from cannabis use) and discordant (where one partner used and the other abstained) relationship dynamics. The research revealed significant differences in communication and relationship satisfaction across these groups. Individuals in concordantabstaining partnerships reported higher levels of communication and relationship satisfaction compared to concordant-using couples. The lowest satisfaction levels were observed in …

Exploring The Motivations And Aspirations Of High School Senior Latinas: A Phenomenological Constructivist Study Of Advancement Via Individual Determination And Non-Advancement Via Individual Determination Student Experiences, Marina Rodriguez

Dissertations

While student support programs aim to offer guidance on college information and resources, not all student support programs offer a class curriculum targeted toward college and career readiness. The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program offers AVID as an elective class in a student’s academic schedule. Similar programs that support students include the Migrant Education Program, TRIO, and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. The purpose of this study was to establish a greater understanding of the motives and aspirations to attend a higher education institution of Latina high school seniors who have participated in an AVID program …

After The Bullets: Managing A Mass Shooting Resource Center Explored Through Autoethnography, Karen Allene Schweihs

Dissertations

The rate of mass shootings has more than doubled over the past 10 years in the United States (Gun Violence Archive, 2024). The focus of this study was a thorough exploration of my personal experiences in designing a response center after a mass shooting occurred in Boulder, Colorado. This study utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry form of research methodology called autoethnography. Autoethnography has been utilized to capture more than the raw data collected, but to offer a more expansive and detailed description of a unique experience. The following research questions were studied:

• Q1 What might I learn about my own …

The Unconscious At Work: A Psychosocial Study Of Leaders' Unconscious Processes Impacting Participatory Change Leadership, Vanessa Hills

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the varied dynamics impacting how organizational leaders conceptualize and enact their roles in participatory change processes. To that end, a multiple-case study informed by a psycho-social approach and using Free Association Narrative Interview (FANI) methods was conducted. Each case was comprised of a single business leader. The findings, presented through individual case analyses and cross-case comparisons, reveal a discrepancy between leaders’ rhetoric and the reality of their change leadership behaviors. While leaders express support for collaborative change, factors such as a desire for control, fear of failure, and bias toward their own capabilities lead them to adopt …

Journey Of Decisions: Understanding Parental Perspectives On Vaccine Hesitancy And Decision-Making Approaches In Childhood Vaccinations, Carlene Joy Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of parental attitudes toward childhood vaccinations and decision-making styles. Overall, this study worked to comprehensively examine the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among parents of children under 18 utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies and conducting qualitative analytic comparisons to enhance understanding for future research practices.

The study’s objective in the first phase was to quantitatively assess whether decision-making styles predict vaccine hesitancy, considering demographic factors. The contextual research question guiding this phase was, “Do general decision-making styles predict vaccine hesitancy controlling for age, gender, level of education, employment status, marital status, …

Does Mindset Matter: The Perceptions Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Have Regarding Mindset And Academic Success, Amanda Sue Schuster

Dissertations

Nursing programs need to graduate more students to increase the potential number of practicing nurses and help the nursing shortage. However, with high attrition rates, nursing programs are looking for ways to promote student success. Many factors lead to students not finishing a nursing program and nurse educators need to develop innovative ways to help students succeed. Identifying characteristics that make students successful is key to reducing attrition rates. One characteristic that a nurse educator can identify in students is a growth mindset. Mindset is formed by students’ beliefs and experiences, by having a growth mindset, one believes their intelligence …

Portraiture Of Four Reservation Community College Graduates, Ray Andrew Jade Talley

Dissertations

This qualitative study used portraiture to explore the experiences of four Native American, or sometimes referred to as American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), college students who attended Reservation Community College (RCC), a Tribal College and University (TCU). Interviews, focus groups, and detailed notes captured the encounters that conceptualized the perspectives of four Native American students at this TCU. Participants included individuals who are members of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and graduated from RCC with a bachelor's degree. The texts incorporated the direct voices and stories of the participants to allow for direct and authentic quotes and phrases used during the interviews. …

Exploring Subclinical Delusional Ideation Within The Psychological Flexibility Model, Caleb Spencer Fogle

Dissertations

Delusional thoughts are defined as stable beliefs that are not amenable to change when conflicting evidence is presented. Like psychosis broadly, endorsement of delusional ideation appears to exist on a continuum ranging from severe to common endorsement in non-clinical samples. Delusional ideation, particularly in a subclinical conceptualization, fails to receive adequate attention in psychological research despite potential connections to both negative (i.e., symptoms of psychopathology) and positive (i.e., quality of life) outcomes. The psychological flexibility model, a conceptualization of human wellness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), may explain delusional ideation. The current study aimed to fill these gaps in …

Incorporating Meditation, Yoga, And Reiki Interventions To Reduce Stress, Anxiety, And Mood Symptoms Among The College Population, Kelly Wills

Dissertations

The purpose of this clinical research project is to examine the efficacy of mindfulness techniques and alternative therapeutic practices, specifically, meditation, yoga, and Reiki, in decreasing symptoms of anxiety among college students. The increasing prevalence of anxiety disorders among the college population warrants the need for identifying effective interventions for enhancing mental health outcomes. This review integrates findings from published studies that focus on the impact of these practices on anxiety-related symptoms within college settings. Reviewing these studies reveals consistent evidence to support the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation as it relates to anxiety reduction as well as improvements in emotional …

An Exploration Of The Experiences That Influenced Black Males To Become Information Technology Professionals, Ronnie Mcmillian

Dissertations

Historically, the United States (U.S.) has led the world in the development of innovative high-tech solutions that increased employment opportunities, wages, productivity, and the economic growth of our nation. However, STEM workers are in great need to fill the millions of vacancies in the STEM workforce. Despite the increasing demand for STEM professionals, racial minorities, especially Blacks, continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in STEM. In order to adequately address the STEM workforce problem and remain competitive globally, the U.S. must motivate a much larger cross-section of its population to enter STEM fields. Since Blacks are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM, they …

Public Health Implications Of State-Level Public Health Organizational And System Structures, Cameron Ferguson Hays

Dissertations

Public health thought leaders such as the Institute of Medicine and National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have long been concerned about the lack of standardization among state-level public health systems (IOM, 1988; NASEM, 2023). However, little research studies these systems, their structures, and whether structural constructs affect population health outcomes.

This study attempted to examine the structural constructs that make up these systems and the impact of those constructs using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Variables from management science were qualitatively extracted from materials describing all 50 state-level public health systems. Those variables were then analyzed using a …

Intelligent Health Monitoring Systems Via Flexible Hybrid Electronics And Machine Learning, Masoud Panahi

Dissertations

Advanced data analytics approaches, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are increasingly being integrated into all aspects of patient care. This integration is paving the way for minimally invasive or non-invasive treatment modalities. By combining recent advancements in fabrication technology and computing ingenuity, wearable devices now enable continuous health monitoring and provide data for AI-driven analysis. These intelligent devices seamlessly integrate with the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling remote or “at-home” patient monitoring.

This dissertation study investigates the integration of recent advancements in flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) and machine learning (ML) to develop intelligent health monitoring systems. The developed FHE-based health …

The Challenges That Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education, Polixeni Pantelidou

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Challenges that Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education by Polixeni Pantelidou

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the challenges that non-traditional Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers face as they pursue higher education. The study aimed to identify key barriers, motivators, and strategies that influence their educational progression and completion. It aims to identify the motivators that drive these individuals to pursue further education, the challenges they encounter once enrolled, and the strategies they employ to overcome these barriers.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative descriptive method, engaging a select group …

Benefits Of Alternative Discipline Practices In Lieu Of Exclusionary Discipline Practices According To Exemplary Public-School Elementary Principals (K-5/6) In Merced County, California, Mary Andrews

Dissertations

Benefits of Alternative Discipline Practices in Lieu of Exclusionary Discipline Practices

According to Exemplary Public-School Elementary Principals (K-5/6) in Merced County, California by Mary Binion Andrews

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to identify and describe the school-wide structural, academic, and social–emotional strategies exemplary elementary public-school principals (K-5/6) have found effective for addressing defiant and disruptive student behaviors.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study identified and described 12 exemplary public-school elementary principals (K-5/6) in Merced County, California and their perceptions of alternative discipline practices used in lieu of exclusionary discipline practices. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific …

Disruptive Clinician Behavior: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Non-Native English-Speaking Nurses, Seyoung Baik

Dissertations

Background: Disruptive clinician behaviors among healthcare staff are an increasing concern, negatively affecting patient safety. In 2015, 16% of nurses in the U.S. were foreign-born (Shaffer et al., 2022), and 25% of New York and California nurses were immigrants (Shaffer et al., 2021). Nurses' migration to the U.S. has been exploding. Non-native English-speaking nurses experience complications, problems, and discord in their workplace with coworkers.

Aim: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore and understand non-native English-speaking nurses’ experiences with disruptive clinician behaviors in the U.S.

Specific aims were to 1) create a comprehensive description of the experiences …

Examining Mentoring As A Catalyst For Nurse Work Engagement And Professional Development, Cherryl A Rainey

Dissertations

Abstract

Research literature has identified mentoring as a strategic intervention for employee professional development. The Business and Psychology disciplines have used mentoring widely for employee development, but it has not been used extensively in nursing.

Nursing has unique challenges and is constantly changing with a need to meet some of those needs by advancing the development of nurses to serve as leaders and fill positions due to nurse shortages and high turnover rates. Mentoring has also been identified as a vehicle to promote work engagement.

The purpose of this study was to examine mentoring as a catalyst for nurses’ professional …

Organizational Characteristics As Drivers Of Employer Attraction, Naomi L. Akins-Osuma

Dissertations

This research study examined perceptions of attraction to different organizational characteristics based on an individual’s Career Stage in Super’s (1980) life-span model. Using a diverse sample of 230 participants in the U.S. workforce 18 years or older, the study manipulated the opposing Reputation and flexible working arrangement (FWA) conditions of a hypothetical hiring organization in the technology industry. The results indicated that the main effects of Reputation and FWAs on general attraction, intention to pursue, perceived economic citizenship, and perceived ethical citizenship were significant. Although the high levels of Reputation and FWA yielded the highest mean scores among the dependent …

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Secondary Instrumental Music Ensembles: A Qualitative Intrapersonal Inquiry, Christopher Sakowski

Dissertations

Executive function is deficient in individuals with ADHD. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to improve executive functions. This study examined if participants with ADHD perceived a connection between playing an instrument in a music ensemble and improved executive functioning, as well as improved ADHD presentations. The research design used for this study was a basic qualitative design, focusing on phenomenological intrapersonal inquiry. Data collection was done entirely through 60-120 minute semi-structured interviews with both music educators and non-music school personnel that participated in instrumental music ensembles as young students. Interviews were recorded using Zoom, transcribed using Microsoft Office …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing A Companion Dog Walking Intervention To An Attention Control Education Intervention On The Psychological Health Of Adult Intensive Care Unit Survivors: The Pooch Study, Lindsey Nelson

Dissertations

Intensive care unit (ICU) survivors are at risk for persistent anxiety and depression after hospital discharge that contribute to the psychological component of post intensive care syndrome (PICS). Quality evidence supporting innovative home and community-based interventions that improve psychological health in ICU survivors is needed. The use of companion dogs to improve the health and wellbeing of ICU survivors is a novel strategy not previously explored in the ICU survivor population. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a companion dog walking intervention compared to an attention control education intervention for …

Perceptions Of Novice Clinical Adjunct Nursing Faculty, Layna Himmelberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences and perceptions of novice clinical adjunct nursing faculty members who have less than two years teaching experience. The participants of the study included novice faculty members who provide direct supervision of pre-licensure nursing students and work in private nursing colleges and universities in the Midwest.

Iranian-American Older Adults' Attitudes And Proactive Actions Toward Planning Ahead For End-Of-Life Care, Zahra Rahemi

Dissertations

Ethnically diverse older adults are the fastest growing population in the U.S. This population may experience transitional processes associated with immigration, acculturation, aging, and end of life (EOL). Advances in technology lead to increases in care options, which can cause uncertainty to make decisions for EOL. Unmade decisions about care prior to becoming unable to communicate are associated with burdens of lastminute decisions at EOL, unwanted intensive EOL treatments for people who may die naturally of old age, financial and emotional costs, and decreased quality of life. In the U.S., a multicultural country with a variety of care options, advance …

Effect Of Activities, Social Environment, And Psychotropic Medication Use On Behavioral Symptoms Of Persons With Dementia In Nursing Homes, Ben R. Inventor

Dissertations

A secondary data analysis was conducted using existing clinical and observational data of a 3-year longitudinal study to describe associations of time-varying background factors (cognitive function, physical function, psychotropic medication use), and proximal factors (activities, social environment) with positive and negative behaviors of persons with dementia at 24 months. Participants included residents with Alzheimer's disease living in two nursing homes in Chicago. A Total 25,560 observation sessions, collected for all participants at baseline, 12-months and 24-months were used in analyses. Results showing that: 1) higher cognitive and physical functions, and being located in own bedroom and shower/tub/bathroom had the most …

The Lived Experiences Of Nurses Caring For Dying Pediatric Patients, Danna L. Curcio

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the lived experiences of nurses caring for dying pediatric patients. Nurses and health care professionals may at times have difficulty adjusting and processing when life ends and this may have the potential to interfere with patient care. Reflection on past events and actions enable critical discovery of strategies to benefit both nurses and patients. The method for conducting this research study was from a qualitative phenomenological perspective exploring the lived experiences of nurses caring for dying pediatric patients. The philosophical underpinning of Merleau-Ponty (2008), in combination with the research method of …

The Relationship Between The Perception Of Nurse Caring, And The Phase Ii Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients' Depression, Anxiety, And Adherence, Jo Ann Kim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between perception of nurse caring and Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participant's depression, anxiety, and adherence. Duffy and Hoskins (2003) Quality-caring model © was used as a theoretical framework to guide the descriptive correlational study. A convenience sample of 109 outpatients lived in the mid-Atlantic portion of the United States. The four data collection instruments included the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory- Y-1 (STAI-Y-1), Caring Assessment Tool-IV (CAT-IV), and a Phase II CR Patient's Program Data Sheet. Pearson's product-moment correlational analysis was used …

Learning To Respond To Thought-Disordered Speech - Nursing Students' Experiences: A Mixed Methods Study, Denise E. Mcgarry

Dissertations

The aim of this research study was to explore how pre-registration nursing students were prepared to respond to people experiencing thought-disorder according to students, recent graduates and mental health nursing academics.

The Lived Experience Of The English As A Second Language Rn-Bsn Degree Completion Student Integrating To An Online Learning Environment, Sonique Sailsman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of RN-BSN ESL nursing students who are engaged in learning online and understanding their process of cultural integration.

Development And Evaluation Of A Nurse Leader-Led Acuity-Based Nursing Assignment Program And Its Outcome On Peripheral Intravenous Infiltrations And Extravasations In Pediatric Patients, Cassandra D. Dike

Dissertations

In this evidence-based project, the team developed a model of patient assignments for nurses in a pediatric acute care setting based on workload and acuity as opposed to hours per patient day (HPPD). The team used a plan-do-study-act, or PDSA, cycle of quality improvement methodology to demonstrate that assignments based on acuity as opposed to ratios would improve patient outcomes. The outcome measure was peripheral intravenous infiltrations and extravasations (PIVIEs). In the 6-week time frame only two PIVIEs were identified, and they occurred on shifts in which the ideal acuity score was not met for the nursing assignments due to …

Genital Hair Removal And Sexually Transmitted Infections: A History And A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Alison O. Marshall

Dissertations

Background: Genital hair removal is a popular practice in Westernized cultures and has been associated with the belief that removal is necessary for hygiene. A body of literature exists that has found that genital hair removal is associated with adverse health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This dissertation aims to detail the history of the practice, why the hygiene belief exists, and to systematically review the existing literature that assesses genital hair removal and STIs.

Methods: Historical, socio-cultural analysis from the feminist perspective was performed on the literature to outline why genital hair removal was adopted at a population …

The Impact Of Disaster Tabletop Exercise On The Nursing Knowledge Of Emergency Preparedness And The Influence On Professional Quality Of Life, Vivian Fuentes

Dissertations

It is widely reported that nurses are underprepared to respond to a disaster event, despite the available resources for emergency preparedness education. The purpose of this project was to measure the impact of disaster tabletop exercises on emergency preparedness knowledge of the emergency department (ED) nurses and its influence on the professional quality of life. Twentynine nurses from a south Florida hospital participated in the evaluation of this evidence-based project. The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) and adapted Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) were implemented before and after disaster tabletop exercises. The EPIQ findings included an overall 20% increase in …

A Focused Ethnography Of Healthcare Transition Among Persistent Asthmatic/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Adult Pennsylvania Medicaid Beneficiaries, Agnes Marie M. Cummings

Dissertations

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) (2010) provided for the largest reform of Medicaid since its 1965 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid implementation, providing funding for both low-income and disabled citizens. The additional amount of Medicaid beneficiaries increased the complexity and effectiveness of an already struggling, massive and bureaucratic government program. From a beneficiary perspective (emic perspective), Medicaid as a federal agency, is far from "user-friendly." This problematic complexity remains despite ACA-induced Medicaid reform. Thus despite new eligibility for Medicaid services, a client may still face unresolved health concerns due to system-based or client-based obstacles to effective Medicaid utilization. Failure to …