Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Attitudes Toward And Utilization Of Mental Health App(Lication)S For Mental Health Service Delivery Among Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color (Bipoc), Kalani A. Gates

Dissertations

The prevalence of mental health conditions among Americans has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has been found to disproportionately affect communities of color and has contributed to elevated rates of mortality, morbidity, and mental illness. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are less likely to utilize or have access to conventional mental health services due to several access-related barriers including inadequate resources, cultural factors, lack of awareness and knowledge about mental health, mistrust of the health and mental health field and providers, and provider biases. Mental health applications (MHAs; software apps that delivery mental health …

Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment: Examining The Perspectives Of Survivors And Speech-Language Pathologists, Patricia Lynn Geels

Dissertations

Scientific advancements have led to significant improvements in cancer treatment and increased survival rates. However, cancer survivors often experience long-term effects, including cognitive impairments known as cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). CRCI is a common and distressing side effect that affects affected individuals’ quality of life. The discipline of speech-language pathology (SLP) is well-positioned to assess and treat CRCI. Still, there is a gap in determining the most effective support for cancer survivors with CRCI. This mixed methods, three-paper dissertation implements exploratory, cross-sectional survey design to examine how speech-language pathologists and survivors view CRCI symptoms, its impact on daily functioning, and …

The Impact Of Gendered Racial And Bisexual Microaggressions On The Access To Decent Work For Black Bisexual Women: An Examination Of The Moderation And Mediation Effects Of Work Volition And Proactive Personality, Angela Chloe Lewis

Dissertations

This purpose of this research was to examine the impact on gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions on the ability to access decent work for Black bisexual women. The mediation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study. The moderation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study as well. Gendered racial microaggressions was measured using the Gendered Racial Microaggression Scale (GRMS; Lewis & Neville, 2015). Bisexual microaggressions was measured by the …

Evaluation Of A Brief Act Intervention For Reducing Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Sexual And Gender Minority Adults, Allie Mann

Dissertations

Sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) are at increased risk for psychological disorders compared to the general population. Despite this well-documented disparity in mental health outcomes, there is a stark lack of treatment studies examining SGM mental health. An accumulation of research has demonstrated that the source of this disparity is increased exposure of SGM individuals to stigma-related minority stress. It is necessary to examine psychological pathways that are impacted by stigma and the treatments that can reduce psychological distress in this population. Currently, we do not have the research evidence to answer the questions of if current evidence-based treatments …

An Exploratory Case Study Of Leadership Practices That Enable International Schools To Become Highly Effective And Learning Progressive Environments, Santha Kumar Sankara Narayanan

Dissertations

Highly effective learning progressive (HELP) environments can prepare students to be future-ready with the needed knowledge and skills to thrive in an ever-changing world. This case study captured the characteristics and measured the effectiveness of an international school working to become a HELP environment using the high-reliability schools (HRS) framework and the leadership practices that enabled them.

This mixed-method study used an explanatory sequential design, beginning with a survey of 122 teachers based on the HRS model (Marzano et al., 2014), where teachers were asked to respond to a series of statements designed to measure the case-study school’s effectiveness and …

Experiences Of Middle School Students With Visual Impairments Accessing Technologies In Inclusive Classrooms, Anitha Muthukumaran

Dissertations

As the educational environment is moving more towards a technology-rich system, students with visual impairments (VI) educated in general education classrooms must be guaranteed equitable access to content curricula. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of middle school students with VI when accessing and using technologies in general education classrooms. In this multiple case study, three middle school students with VI were observed in general education settings for two school days. In addition to the students, general education teachers and teachers of students with VI (TVI) also participated in the study to understand how best they …

Impact Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 On Secondary Market Ticket Price, Attendance Demand, And Fan’S Willingness To Pay: National Football League (Nfl), Yo Han Lee

Dissertations

This study explores how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected secondary market ticket prices, the number of attendees, and fans’ willingness to pay in the National Football League (NFL). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the sport industry, affecting everything from the scheduling and delivery of games to the financial health of teams, leagues, and related businesses. One of the most visible impacts of the pandemic has been the suspension, delay, and cancellation of many sporting events, including entire seasons of some professional sport leagues. Sporting events require large gatherings of people in close proximity, which is precisely the opposite of …

The Inevitabilities Of Activist Teaching: Exploring The Experiences Of An Activist Latinx Teacher In United States Public Schools After The Coronavirus Disease Of 2019 Pandemic, Simon Lewis Cropp

Dissertations

United States public schools post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 are experiencing a crisis as teachers leave the profession in record numbers, and enrollments in teacher preparation programs across the country continue to decline (Pelika, 2022). Simultaneously, Latinx students’ populations continue to grow while Latinx educators struggle to stay in the teaching profession and for the first time in decades, the achievement gap between Latinx students and their White peers has begun to grow (Amos, 2020; Bailey et al., 2021). Latinx teachers play a crucial role in helping Latinx students experience success in public schools, but a growing sub-population of resentful White Americans …

Men’S Feminist Identity Development: The Process And Critical Influences, Tiana Alexandria Kioko Johnson

Dissertations

Research has historically focused on feminist women, leaving a gap in the literature for exploring men’s feminist identity development. Given that feminist identity is a strong predictor for engaging in gender-justice activism, more research is needed on the experiences of feminist men and how they come to identify as feminists. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory of men’s feminist identity development process, as no widely accepted model currently exists. Additionally, the study sought to investigate feminist men’s experiences of privilege as well as guilt in shame in their feminist identity development, as these factors …

Impacts Of Internship Experiences On Professional Identity Development For Undergraduate Women Of Color In Engineering, Kathleen Victoria Armstrong

Dissertations

Women of color are historically underrepresented in STEM, specifically the field of engineering (National Science Board, National Science Foundation, 2019). In considering ways to assist in women of color’s retention and persistence in engineering, it is necessary to recognize the role internships, a form of experiential education, at the undergraduate level impact professional identity development. The purpose of this study was to understand how internship experiences shape professional identity development for undergraduate women of color in engineering. Using a constructivist epistemology, a theoretical framework integrating social cognitive theory and intersectionality, and an interpretive methodology; the researcher utilized semi-structured interviews and …

On Phishing: Proposing A Host-Based Multi-Layer Passive/Active Anti-Phishing Approach Combating Counterfeit Websites, Wesam Harbi Fadheel

Dissertations

Phishing is the starting point of most cyberattacks, mainly categorized as Email, Websites, Social Networks, Phone calls (Vishing), and SMS messaging (Smishing). Phishing refers to an attempt to collect sensitive data, typically in the form of usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information, etc., or other crucial facts, intending to use or sell the information obtained. Similar to how a fisherman uses bait to catch a fish, an attacker will pose as a trustworthy source to attract and deceive the victim.

This study explores the efficacy of host-side APT (Anti-Phishing Techniques) based onWebsite features like Lexical, Host-Based, or Content-Based …

What Covid-19 Tweets Reveal About Risk Perception And Safety Preventative Measures And Behaviors Two Years Into A Pandemic, Elizabeth Vargas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine individuals Covid-19 risk perceptions two years into a long running pandemic. Data was collected analyzing risk perception and safety preventative measures to understand how individuals communicated risk in a health crisis that lasts more than two years. 116,401 tweets were collected from March 7-18, 2022, and analyzed utilizing a qualitative content analysis design. Four main classes were identified from the data which looked at how individuals perceived risk, how individuals determined risk from information that was shared, what preventative measures individuals were utilizing, and how individuals were living after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic …

Kukama Radio: The Politics And Aesthetics Of Indigenous Media In Peruvian Amazonia, Gabriel Torrealba Alfonzo

Dissertations

This dissertation is about the political and aesthetic dimensions of Indigenous media in Peruvian Amazonia. It explores how Kukama media-makers use aesthetic mastery to engage in three key political fields in Amazonia: indigeneity, historicity, and environmentalism. I specifically examine the audiovisual discourses and media-making practices coming from an Indigenous radio station called Radio Ucamara, located in the town of Nauta in Northeastern Peru (Loreto region). Drawing on place-based ethnography and digital research methods, I analyze the way this radio station instrumentalizes multiple digital and non-digital media forms to make visible (and also audible) their identities, violent histories, and cosmological worlds …

Acting Locally: Vegetable Gardening In Southern Illinois, Aimee L. Trojnar

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the everyday practice of home and community vegetable gardening in a small southern Illinois city. The project engages with questions of how diverse elements of practice interact over time in the development of both gardens and gardeners, dwelling particularly on how the material agency of nonhumans contributes to what emerges. Combining a broad investigation of societal influences and constraints involved in gardening practices with a granular focus on material interactions in the garden, I consider the kinds of relationships individuals forge with the nonhuman environment in a modern, Western context and how they do so. Understanding such …

Predictors Of Relational Aggression In Women Across Adulthood, Alison Poor

Dissertations

Relational aggression involves behavior intended to harm victims’ social status or reputation through acts like manipulation, gossip, exclusion, and blackmail. Most of the research on relational aggression has focused on children and early adolescents, with college students receiving some attention in recent years. A smaller body of work supports the relevance of relational aggression among adults in workplace settings, marital relationships, and assisted-living facilities. While few studies with adults have been integrated into the literature on relational aggression, they provide evidence that these behaviors continue into adulthood. The current study explored relational aggression among women between the ages of 18 …

A Rudimental Drumming Vocabulary Applied To The Folk Music Of Argentina, Justin Sherrod

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the methods and approaches used by Argentine percussionist Mr. Sebastian Hoyos to incorporate rudimental drumming into the composition Soy de Salta: Suite para percusión criolla y orquesta. The study demonstrates the steps taken to employ Argentinian folk music content through four folk styles: Baguala, Zamba, Chacarera, and Carnavalito. The bombo legüero, one of Argentina's most well-known and essential folk percussion instruments, plays a supportive and dominant role in Soy de Salta, introducing rudimental components into the music. This original research therefore addresses rudiments, variations of rudiments, and simple and complex writing styles for the snare drum …

Losing Face-To-Face Selling In A Digital World: An Empirical Investigation Of Relationship Selling In The Independent Insurance Agency, Casey Bell

Dissertations

Over the past 20 years, our economy has transformed into a service-based economy as opposed to the previous industrial-based economy. The service industry is growing and rapidly becoming one of the primary sectors of the economy. Relationship selling is crucial to the service industry, especially the property and casualty insurance market—because it involves complex, highly intangible services. Even though consumers use the internet before reaching out to an insurance agent, this does not mean relationship selling is unnecessary. With complex products like property and casualty insurance, relationship selling is crucial to grasp what consumers truly need and understand. The purpose …

Predictors Of Nurse Practitioners' End-Of-Life Communication Behaviors With Adults Who Have End-Stage Renal Disease, Joanne V. Payongayong

Dissertations

The scope of end-of-life (EOL) communication is not well known among advanced practice nurses (APNs) who care for adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the aims of the study were to examine the independent effects of knowledge, attitude, and perceived behavioral control on APNs' engagement in EOL communication and the mediating and moderating effects of attitude and perceived behavioral control between knowledge and EOL communication. A theoretically derived 17-item survey measuring the concepts of interest was developed and administered to a convenience sample of 127 APNs.

Technology In Nursing Classrooms: A Qualitative Phenomenological Interpretative Study, Ose G. Martinez

Dissertations

Nursing students have to learn how to critically think and pass a licensure examination to practice their profession. Current students seem to be bored by lecture strategies most commonly applied by seasoned nurse educators. A gap in the literature regarding lived experiences of seasoned nursing faculty members applying technological applications when teaching nursing topics. The purpose of this phenomenological interpretative study was to understand the lived experiences of seasoned nursing educators using technology in nursing classrooms. Seventeen seasoned nurse educators participated in semistructured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with the NVIVO 11™ software. During the interpretative analysis, eight …

The Perception Of Army Counselors On The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence Training On Army Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Decision-Making Effectiveness, Geraldine Turituri

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perception of Army counselors in the Military Family and Life Counselor (MFLC) program about the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) training on Army non-commissioned officer (NCO) leadership decision-making effectiveness in their supervision of the soldiers they are responsible for. This study also researched the perception of these counselors about the benefits and challenges of incorporating EI leadership preparation with traditional Army training for NCOs.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored Army counselors’ perceptions about the need for EI training for Army NCOs to perform as effective decision-makers. Since …

Up The Bayou Without A Paddle: A Historical Case Study Of Black Catholic Education In New Orleans Post-Katrina, Anisha Morrell

Dissertations

By concentrating on one of the tenets of Critical Race Theory (Harper et al., 2009), counter-narrative, this study focused on: (1) the history of New Orleans prior to the Louisiana Purchase; (2) the inception, history, and advancements of Black Catholic education prior to Brown v. Board of Education; and (3) controversies in Black Catholic education post-Katrina.

By delving into the history of New Orleans, I will assert that The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans struggled with whiteness as property and an ardent desire to present a narrative embodied by interest convergence in historically-Black Catholic secondary schools since each school’s …

Effect Of An Education Intervention On Nursing Students' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Caring For Transgender And Gender Nonconforming People, Tanya N. Carmichael

Dissertations

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience inequities in accessing health care, quality of care, and health outcomes. Rates of stress, depression, suicidal ideation/attempts, smoking, alcohol and substance use, and certain sexually transmitted infections are higher among TGNC people. Barriers to accessing care for TGNC people include social and economic marginalization; fear, stigma, and discrimination; and health care professionals (HCPs) with limited experience and knowledge about caring for TGNC people. Lack of knowledge and biased attitudes toward gender minorities within health care contribute to care that is substandard, delayed or refused outright; non-use of existing evidence-based guidelines for TGNC-related care; …

High Resolution Intracavity Laser Absorption Spectroscopy Of Transition Metal-Containing Diatomic Molecules, Kristin Bales

Dissertations

Three transition metal-containing diatomic molecules have been studied using intracavity laser spectroscopy. Many of the transitions were recorded using a Fourier-transform spectrometer for detection, allowing collection at Doppler-limited resolution for the gas phase molecules. Several vibrational bands in two electronic transition systems of tantalum fluoride (TaF) have been analyzed, and new molecular constants provided. Transitions involving six electronic states of tungsten sulfide (WS) have been analyzed, with new and updated constants provided, including a deperturbation analysis of three vibrational bands in two of the states. Finally, a fresh perspective on two electronic states of tungsten oxide (WO) included a deperturbation …

Exploring The Development Process Of Undergraduate Nursing Students, Loretta J. Aller

Dissertations

Current healthcare trends such as greater technological advances, patients with higher acuity, and shorter employment orientation periods have impacted the work environment of newly graduated nurses entering the workforce. Evidence shows that these issues contribute to newly employed nurses leaving the workforce within 1-2 years of entering the profession (Cleary, Horsfall, Jackson, Muthulakshmi & Hunt, 2013; Flinkman & Salantera, 2015; Robert Wood Johnson, 2014; Tuckett, Winters-Chang, Bogossian & Wood, 2015). Current theoretical foundations for nursing education need updating within the context of a dynamic healthcare environment burdened by a nursing shortage that is already struggling to meet the demands of …

The Crisis Of Missouri’S Polity: How Privileged Interest Groups Influenced The Development Of Missouri’S 2014 Tax Reform Law, William Warren

Dissertations

Increasing wealth inequality has created a public discourse concerning its societal impact and the government’s role in its regulation. Should the government regulate and redistribute wealth through taxes and government programs, or should the market regulate it? To this end, one concern that has not been discussed is to what extent wealthy individuals have manipulated our government institutions to ensure their preference of market regulation of wealth distribution. Scholarly research has been conducted at the national level to determine the networks who are altering our political institutions to enable wealthy, minority interests’ access to our legislative process. Due to our …

Breaking Cultural Stigma Associated With Mental Health Among Black Immigrants, Chika Ijioma

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Immigrants are the fastest growing segment of the United States population with 10% identifying as black and all are widely affected by mental illness especially, during the immigration process. The lack of health insurance impacts access to health and mental health care. The study aims to decrease perceptions of mental health stigma and improve knowledge with relation to mental illness in the black immigrant population after an educational program.

Methods: The project used a descriptive, observational pre-post-test design with an educational program. It collected quantitative data in the pre-post-survey via paper and pencil, using coded data …

Vaccine Hesitancy, Provider Time, And Decision To Vaccinate, Kenneth Shackelford

Dissertations

Problem: To date, there is a significant gap in the literature involving studies evaluating the time healthcare providers spend educating vaccine-hesitant caregivers about the necessity for their child’s immunizations. Due to alarming resurgence rates of vaccine-preventable diseases in children, this project aimed to answer the following question: In vaccine-hesitant caregivers of newborns through six months of age, what is the effect of provider discussion time on vaccine administration (item) at well-child visits during the child’s first six months of life?

Methods: Using a descriptive observation design, pre-collected data on provider discussion time and vaccine administration was evaluated retrospectively from …

Pediatric Streptococcal Pharyngitis Testing And Treatment Practices, Amanda Welch

Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this pilot quality improvement study was to implement SmartPhrases and assess its impact on adherence to the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guideline for Group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis testing and treatment in pediatric patients ages 1-16 years old. The aim was to use SmartPhrases to improve adherence with the IDSA guideline by 30% for GAS pharyngitis swabbing and 10% for appropriate antibiotic prescribing in three months.

Methods: A retrospective data analysis approach was used, in reviewing SmartPhrases data from the electronic health records (EHR) in a metropolitan Urgent Care. This data were collected from …

Implementation Of A Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (Sbar) Patient Handoff Tool In The Electronic Medical Record (Emr), Kristen L. Chandler

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose and Problem: Handoffs that are poorly conducted are implicated in 80% of preventable adverse events in healthcare facilities. Within a Pediatric Rehabilitation Facility in Maryland Heights, Missouri it was observed that nurse handoffs were not conducted and lacked the use of a standardized evidence-based tool, resulting in nurse dissatisfaction with the handoff process and miscommunication. Recognized by the World Health Organization, The Joint Commission, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) evidence-based tool is effective in improving handoff communication, improving nurse satisfaction, reducing adverse events, and promoting patient safety. The purpose of …

Implementing Obesity Management Guidelines In Rural Primary Care, Taylor Bell

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: In the United States, obesity is one of the leading causes of death among Americans and rates of obesity continue to rise. Geographic location significantly affects the number of obesity cases, with rural areas being affected more than other locations. Despite this, obesity continues to be undertreated by rural primary care providers.

Method: This quality improvement (QI) pilot project utilized a descriptive, observational design to evaluate the implementation of an evidence-based clinical practice guideline algorithm for obesity management in a rural primary care clinic. An algorithm was implemented on patients aged 18-60 years and with a BMI of …