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A Bayesian Approach To Unit Lindley Mixed Model, Nirajan Bam

Dissertations

In the applied filed of many areas such as Business and Economics, Physical, Biological, Medical, Environmental, and Social Sciences, Psychology, and Educations outcome measurements like rates, proportions, and fractions are common. Researchers have proven that using normal linear regression to analyze the relationship between outcome measurements such as rates and proportions and a set of independent variables can violates key assumptions of the method. Transformation techniques are usually applied to correct the assumptions, but this practice can violate the probability property of bounded nature of outcome variables. Even though beta regression was one of the popular methods to analyze bounded …

Multivariate Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model For Intensive Longitudinal Data With Incorporation Of Outcome Variability As A Predictor, Maryam Skafyan

Dissertations

In classical statistical problems, variability is often considered a nuisance parameter in both the technical and the practical sense. However, emerging evidence suggests that in certain settings, the underlying variability of subject measures may play an equally important role as other covariates in predicting future outcomes of interest. Intensive longitudinal data has become increasingly popular in many scientific applications, providing opportunities to explore the variability of predictors within subjects to address a wide range of research questions. Despite its potential, there remains a dearth of research on models that incorporate variation as a predictor in the mean model. Furthermore, there …

Self-Care, Stress, And School Burnout Among Graduate Students Preparing To Become Mental Health Practitioners, Melissa Rodriquez Estrada

Dissertations

Students in graduate school assume countless responsibilities that range from school-related work to personal commitments (e.g., El-Ghoroury et al., 2012; Myers et al., 2012), resulting in high levels of stress. In addition, those graduate students enrolled in applied psychology programs that focus on working with client populations must navigate clinical and field placement stressors. Dealing with high levels of stress over time paired with ineffective coping strategies can lead to a feeling of burnout. A growing body of research has indicated that appropriate self-care may effectively reduce high levels of stress and burnout (e.g., Kim et al., 2018; Rico & …

Effect Of Implementing Psychosocial Interventions As Pen Pals In General Chemistry, Kristofer Felix Kintner Reiser

Dissertations

General Chemistry has a high DFWI rate, disproportionately impacting students of marginalized identities (Anderson & Kim, 2006). This research investigates the hypothesis that the impacts of stereotype threat and imposter syndrome could be moderated by sharing with others through a pen pal activity. This embedded mixed method study recruited participants who were general chemistry students at a public university in the Rocky Mountain region over two years (n= 264). Participant affect was measured using the Measure of Chemistry Identity (Hosbein & Barbera, 2020), Theories of Intelligence Scale (Dweck, 2000), Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences-Self Efficacy (Dalgety et al., 2003), and general …

Intercultural Competence For Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Kathryn Mcclintock

Dissertations

The present study examined the lived experiences of in-service kindergarten–12 (K–12) teachers participating in Intercultural Competence for Educators professional development. Intercultural Competence for Educators is a curriculum designed to foster intercultural friendship development and grow educators’ intercultural competence (IC). The study aimed to explore the stories of eight K–12 teacher participants’ experiences in IC activities and investigated four research questions: Q1 What generic skills do in-service K–12 teacher participants assert are needed to grow interculturally competent? Q2 What cultural knowledge do in-service K–12 teacher participants gain from experiencing intercultural competence professional development? Q3 What self-knowledge do in-service K–12 teacher participants …

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 …

Latinx Mothers’ Experience During Their Children’S First Individualized Education Program Process, Briceida Guerrero

Dissertations

As the current number of special education students continues to increase throughout the United States, so does the number of students who currently identify as Latinx. With this increase, it is important to consider what the experiences are for these students’ families as they learn that their children qualify for special education services as well as what this implies for their educational progress and futures. This study used a qualitative research methods approach to examine the experiences of Latinx mothers of students recently qualified for special education services. This study involved a phenomenological approach to study what their experiences were …

Exploring The Effects Of Cannabidiol On Psychological Health, Cognitive Function, Neural Health, And Natural Killer Cells, Arjun Ramani

Dissertations

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic cannabis sativa derivative, is gaining attention as a potential promotor of neurological function and cognitive health and as a potential anti-inflammatory compound, although these claims lack evidence-based support from the scientific community. The purpose of this study was to determine whether 8 weeks of 2 doses, 40 mg (CB40) or 20 mg (CB20), of CBD containing beverages will improve psychological health, cognitive function, neural health as well as NK and NKT cell quantity and NK cell function when compared to a control vehicle beverage (CBDV) and a calorie-matched placebo beverage (PLAC) in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Reducing Stress And Burnout In Hospice And Palliative Care Through Education, Marvet Wint

Dissertations

Burnout, a syndrome described as a state of mental and or physical exhaustion, impacts the workforce of hospice and palliative nurses where employees' behaviors and professional efficacy reflect poorly on their work. The prevalence of burnout among hospice nurses led to the development of this project. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) served as a reference guide for developing the content, which addressed whether a staff education program at this Southeastern United States facility, would affect a change in knowledge among hospice nurses reduce burnout. Knowles's theory of adult learning framed this education program on self-care and stress management. Focus was …

The Effects Of Stepped Care On Burnout For University Counseling Center Clinicians, Madison Estrada

Dissertations

The ability of university counseling centers (UCCs) to meet the increased demand for service by students is becoming an increasing concern. While UCCs are seeing more students than ever, this increased demand has not been met with an increase in resources. As such, UCC clinicians are at a greater risk for developing burnout. However, according to the Demand – Control – Support Model, this risk could be reduced if UCC staff were afforded higher degrees of control over the resources they do have and received adequate support and acknowledgement for the work they accomplish. Through surveying 339 UCC clinicians in …

Neurodiverse Perceptions Of Inclusivity In The Workplace, Shannon Lively

Dissertations

The increase in neurodivergent professionals in the workplace has led to a significant need for researchers to examine neurodiversity inclusion in the workplace. Research has portrayed workplace inclusion as the perception that the individual is a valued member of a workgroup through satisfactory experiences of belongingness and uniqueness. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 neurodivergent professionals, this study examined how they view inclusion, exclusion, and cope with exclusion in the workplace. The neurodivergent participants identified six inclusion and six exclusion categories. Results were largely consistent with previous inclusion research, however, one novel category, flexible accommodations, suggests the importance of considerate accommodations …

Grief And Personal Growth Experiences Of Bereaved Spouses And Adult Child Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia, Melissa M. Romero

Dissertations

Caregivers of individual's with dementia are usually older spouses or middle aged children who provide long-term care in the home. Researchers have examined variables associated with poor adjustment in bereaved caregivers which include high levels of pre-death depression, high levels of caregiver burden, feeling unprepared for the death, and providing care for a cognitively impaired person. However, relatively little is known about variables that might predict positive adjustment in caregivers after the death of a family member with dementia. The meaning reconstruction theory of bereavement was used as the conceptual framework for this study which explored the relationship between pre-death …

Factors Affecting The Symptom Burden In Chronic Heart Failure, Gary M. Gusick

Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is a health problem of epidemic proportions and a clinical syndrome that leads to progressively severe symptoms, which contribute significantly to the burden of the disease. Several factors may affect the symptom burden of patients with HF, including physiological, psychological, and spiritual factors. This study was designed to examine the inter-relationship of physiological, psychological, and spiritual factors affecting symptoms for patients with HF.

The aims of this study were to examine symptom burden of heart failure patients related to: (1) the physiological factor of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP); (2) the psychological factor of depression; (3) the spiritual …

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 …

Advance Care Planning In Advanced Heart Failure: A Relational Exploration Of Autonomy, Tieghan Killackey

Dissertations

Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of understanding and sharing personal values and goals to ensure people with serious illnesses receive healthcare and treatment that is consistent with their goals and preferences. With the increasing number of treatment options available to patients living with advanced heart failure (HF), ACP is regarded as a means of preserving individual autonomy throughout the illness trajectory. Despite significant public awareness campaigns, research and interventions developed to increase participation in ACP, this practice remains severely under-utilized by those who are chronically ill. This gap in practice highlights the need for further exploration of how …

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Attachment Theory Among Field Grade Officers In The U.S. Army, Rebecca Ochs

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine what relationship exists between U.S. Army field grade officers’ self-reported scores on the five domains of the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2002) and their self-reported scores on the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) (Brennan et al., 1998). Methodology: This study used a correlational approach to collect quantitative data from U.S. Army field grade officers. Using the LPI, a self-report transformational leadership measurement tool developed by Kouzes and Posner (2002), that measures five domains that include: (a) model the way, (b) inspire a shared vision, (c) …

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 …

Tobacco Use And Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Women In Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia: An Exploratory Study Of Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs And Behaviors, Anne Berit Petersen

Dissertations

By 2030, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to be the epicenter of the tobacco epidemic. In Ethiopia there is an opportunity to avert an increase in tobacco-induced diseases; however, local data is needed to inform proactive contextualized tobacco control interventions. This cross-sectional community-base study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors (KABs) related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure of women in the Aleta Wondo region.

Allied Health Faculty Members’ Perspective On Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Prajakta Khare-Ranade, Margaret Newsham Beckley, Mary Geders Falcetti

Dissertations

A framework for interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) (WHO, 2010) in response to the need to address the complicated conditions that exist in today’s health systems. Much of the focus of today’s health service delivery is predicated on the social determinants of health (Barzansky et al., 2019), which refer to the environmental conditions associated with where people are born, live, go to school, work, play, age, and worship that have an impact on health, function, quality of life, and risks (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). IPCP is thought to be the only approach effective …

A Development And Validation Of The Advance Planning Preparedness Scale (Apps), Renee Mcleod-Sordjan

Dissertations

Delayed advance care planning and costs of aggressive life sustaining treatments at end of life significantly contribute to the economic burden of healthcare in the United States. Dying trajectories, in most chronic conditions, have terminal prognostic uncertainties that do not address advance care planning by clinicians in a timely manner. Clinician and nursing barriers include perceptions of inappropriate timing, lack of skills in end-of-life communication and viewing readiness as a behavior rather than a death attitude. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the measurement of psychological preparedness for ACP to aid in the understanding of readiness …

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; …

Effect Of The Diverse Standardized Patient Simulation (Dsps) Cultural Competence Education Strategy On Nursing Students' Transcultural Self-Efficacy Perceptions, Eda Ozkara San

Dissertations

Nursing students find it challenging to provide culture-specific care for patients representing diversity in ethnicity, race, language, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, sexual orientation, immigration history, and lifestyle and frequently lack confidence in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Simulation has become a useful strategy for teaching nursing students assessment skills, technical skills, teamwork, delegation, self-efficacy, and professional communication. An alarming gap exists within the literature concerning innovative teaching and learning strategies that are carefully designed, implemented, and evaluated and follow a conceptual model, guidelines, and standards to enhance cultural competence development of diverse student groups, who must work with patients from …

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 …

Nicu Culture Of Care For Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Focused Ethnography, Monica M. Nelson

Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe the culture of care and nonpharmacological nursing interventions performed by NICU nurses for infants with NAS.

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of A Telehealth Support Forum For Reducing Distress In Informal Caregivers Of Patients With Glioblastoma, Stacey D. Green

Dissertations

Glioblastoma is incurable, deadly, and disabling. Informal caregivers of glioblastoma patients face an unpredictable, laborious, costly, and distressing experience. Supported caregivers have less distress and improved caregiver mastery. Often times, caregivers are unable to attend support groups, increasing risk of adverse events for caregiver and patient. This increased risk highlights a need for increased access to support. The purpose of this project was to determine if distressed caregivers of glioblastoma patients at an academic medical center would report reduced distress after participating in telehealth support forums over a period of four weeks. The health belief model was used to implement …

Positive Emotions And Sexual Desire Among Healthy Women, Elizabeth J. Brough

Dissertations

Sexual desire disorders are highly prevalent, account for a significant proportion of sexual problems, and affect important aspects of women's lives. Sexuality research has traditionally focused on dysfunction models, rather than human strengths approaches. Recently, positive psychologists have developed models and methods to examine human strengths. This study used Frederickson's Broaden and Build model to examine links between positive emotions and sexual desire among women. Positive emotions words were examined relative to sexual domains frequently cited in clinical studies, and compared to sexual cognitions which have been linked to positive sexual outcomes in past studies.