Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding The Ethical Decision-Making Processes Of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Practitioners, Lisa Krystosek

Dissertations

Equine-assisted psychotherapy is a unique field in which interdisciplinary teams of practitioners provide mental health services to clients. These teams are comprised of at least two practitioners, one licensed mental health specialist and one certified equine specialist. While ethics and ethical decision-making are significant issues in the mental health industry, there exists a significant gap in the literature pertaining to the ethical decision-making processes of interdisciplinary teams of equine-assisted psychotherapy practitioners. This dissertation aimed to address the gap through the development of an understanding of how teams of equine-assisted psychotherapy practitioners engage in ethical decision making. Further, the researcher sought …

Negotiating Emotional Order: A Grounded Theory Of The Survivorship Process In Women Who Have Completed Treatment For Breast Cancer, Jennifer A. Klimek Yingling

Dissertations

Decades of research focusing on treatment and detection of breast cancer has promoted better outcomes in treating the disease and longer survival rates. Despite this there is a significant gap in the literatures regarding the survivorship process. Breast cancer survivorship needs to be fully understood by nurses and health care providers (HCP) in order to obtain optimal health outcomes for this ever growing population.

Exploring Prelicensure Undergraduate Nursing Students' Lived Experience Of Engagement In Synchronous Online Learning, Heidi A. Little

Dissertations

The continued uncertainty of nursing education pedagogy during a worldwide pandemic has brought heightened awareness and preparation to synchronous online teaching strategies that bolster student success and engagement. The identification of barriers to effective teaching strategies and techniques that foster student engagement is needed in synchronous online learning. Furthermore, building on past synchronous online learning teaching strategies will improve nursing students' overall success and engagement.

Perceived Gender Norm Adherence In Women As Function Of Sex-Typical Facial Features And Surname Decisions, Kelsey Drea

Dissertations

Women’s retention of their surname following marriage has become increasingly common despite pervasive stereotypes of this stereotype as leading to relational failure. It could be possible that women’s physical appearance could buffer them from these stereotypes, particularly if that appearance is sex-typical. This study investigated how feminized facial structures could buffer women from negative perceptions of their abilities in relationships. Participants assessed a woman described as having changed or kept her surname. This woman’s face varied in her sex typicality (i.e., feminized, masculinized, unaltered). Feminine women appeared more modest when they kept their surname. Hostile sexism predicted less relational success …

Nursing Students Strengthening Resiliency Through Educator Relationships: A Basic Qualitative Study, Sandra Mcdade

Dissertations

Nursing school attrition rates are steadily on the rise. Attrition rates are related to high course failure, program drop-out, and burnout. Resiliency is a critical quality that baccalaureate nursing students must attain to cope with nursing school stressors successfully. Nursing student resiliency is in the infancy stage of research investigation; however, literature shows the nurse educator-nursing student's influence on student resiliency; how do senior-level baccalaureate nursing students strengthen resiliency through the nurse educator-nursing student (NE-NS) relationship? The nursing student perspective is often overlooked; therefore, this dissertation focused on bringing forth the perspective of nursing students. Senior-level nursing students have 2 …

Action-Logics Of Veterans Health Administration Magnet Nurse Executives And Their Practice Of Supporting Nurses To Speak Up, Bonnie R. Pierce

Dissertations

Health care organizations typically have a hierarchical structure, with physicians dominant and nurses subordinate. The challenge to open and honest communication between doctors and nurses is real, and communication errors contribute significantly to undesirable patient outcomes. Nurse executives (NEs) have a responsibility to help lead transformation of health care organizations to support nurses to speak up and communicate all critical information.

NEs are challenged to improve safety and quality, decrease costs and increase access to care. Combining health care expertise with business ability can support these goals. Rooke and Torbert found correlations between successful business leaders and postconventional action-logics, or …

How Exemplary Title I Elementary School Principals Lead With An Infinite Mindset, Lindsey Rae Gatfield

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how exemplary Title I elementary school principals perceive practices of Sinek’s infinite mindset framework are embedded in their organization to inspire achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary Title I elementary school principals perceive affect infinite mindset development. Methodology: This phenomenological study explored experiences of exemplary leaders and their perceptions of how the five practices of infinite mindset are embedded in their organization. The target population for this study was exemplary Title I elementary school principals in Orange …

Overcoming The Impostor Phenomenon: Exploring The Strategies Special Education Charter School Leaders Used To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Damaris Ocasio Owens

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive mixed method study was to explore and describe the coping skills used to overcome the nine behavioral characteristics by special education charter school leaders who identified as experiencing impostor phenomenon (IP) by the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance,1985), while leading the transition to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This descriptive mixed-methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data to identify special education leaders with IP and explore the coping skills they used during distance learning. The first phase of the study was a quantitative 20-question survey, the CIPS, used to …

Educator Perceptions Of Teacher Leadership And Its Impact On School Culture, Colter T. Rantz

Dissertations

Teacher leadership has been viewed as a way for educators to address their unmet professional needs (Bond, 2021). Teacher leaders ultimately have the means to create a positive school culture overall (Kiral, 2020). This mixed-methods study included a substantial look at the perceptions of educators, from one school district in Southwest Missouri, in regard to teacher leadership and its effect on school culture. The study was also designed to analyze factors that contributed to developing teacher leaders and to positively benefit the school’s atmosphere. Focus group interviews were conducted to gain insight regarding the perceptions of instructional coaches and administrators …

A Correlational Study Examining The Teacher Candidates’ Performance In The Initial Teacher Preparation Programs Of A Private Midwestern University, Khitam Issa Yousuf Abdalla

Dissertations

This study explores and identifies the variables that affect teacher candidates’ performance in various stages of their study in the Teacher Preparation Programs at a Private Midwestern University. The researcher introduced the topic by providing a background of the study and its significance in maintaining the effectiveness of the Teacher Preparation Programs and its ability to prepare teacher candidates for state assessments and their field experience. One research question, five hypotheses, and 38 sub-hypotheses were formulated to tackle this study. The researcher provided literature on topics surrounding the history of teacher preparation programs and the curriculum offered by the Teacher …

Improving Interventions On Cardiovascular Disease And Diet: A Policy Incentive Analysis, Sandra Hurst

Dissertations

Introduction: Various cardiovascular diseases (CVD) can be catastrophic and can lead to irreversible outcomes. There are limited, improved regulations on awareness of primordial and primary preventions that may decrease CVD progression and mortality. Before policies and recommendations can be set, policymakers should understand CVD and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet to decrease the risk of CVDs and improve patient adherence. Therefore, this project aims to analyze federal healthy food incentive policies to promote healthy diet behaviors that reduce CVD risk.

Method: The method used was existing data for a comparative policy analysis that included a policy proposal process: …

Internet Pornography Use, Loneliness, And Adult Attachment Patterns Among Asian Indian Young Adults: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Anish Baby

Dissertations

Internet pornography consumption among Asian Indian Americans, an ethnic minority group, is largely underrepresented in current scholarly literature despite their growing population in the United States. The purpose of this research was threefold: (a) to measure the prevalence of internet pornography use among Asian Indian American young adults and adults; (b) to explore the relationship between internet pornography use, loneliness, and attachment patterns; and (c) to describe the lived experience of problematic porn consumers. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, I conducted this study in two distinct phases: quantitative followed by qualitative. In the quantitative phase, I employed an …

Nurse Educators' Consensus Opinion On Using An Academic Electronic Health Record: A Delphi Study, Darlene S. Hanson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the opinions of nurse educators in the state of North Dakota (ND) who were using the academic Electronic Health Record (EHR) known as SimChart. In this dissertation research study, factors that either hindered or facilitated the introduction of SimChart in nursing programs in ND were examined. Additionally, opinions were sought from nurse educators regarding whether or not SimChart contributed to student learning.

Interdependence Of Spirituality And Well-Being Among Korean Elders And Family Caregivers, Suk-Sun Kim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of family spiritual interdependence to the well-being of elders and their family caregivers within Korean family caregiving situations. The correlation of spirituality and well-being between elders and caregivers and the actor and partner effect of spirituality on well-being were examined in terms of how family members' spirituality influences their own and partners' well-being.

Comparing The Efficacy Of Two Inclusivity Interventions On Willingness To Invest In Female- Versus Male-Led Stem And Non-Stem Companies, Alicia Macchione

Dissertations

A notable gender asymmetry has been historically prevalent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Recent work has shown how gender-inclusive advertisements can increase women’s interest in pursuing these fields as indexed by college course enrollment, which could occur through reminders of moral and pragmatic utilities of gender inclusivity. This dissertation extended prior work by determining if inclusivity priming can be leveraged to facilitate financial investment in hypothetical STEM and non-STEM companies led by either a male or female CEO. Participants were first primed with a statement describing the pragmatic utility of gender inclusivity in STEM, a moral statement …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Conflict Transformational Strategies Used By Exemplar Student Support Service Leaders In K-12 Public Education To Achieve Common Ground And Breakthrough Results, Amber Ramirez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological conceptual replication study was to discover and describe how exemplary student support service leaders establish common ground and produce breakthrough results by using the six domains of conflict transformation.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological conceptual replication study discovered and described the use of conflict transformation domains to resolve conflict, establish common ground, and produce breakthrough results as perceived by student support service leaders in K-12 public schools in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. The research was part of a thematic team of six peer researchers and five faculty advisors who developed a semistructured …

Gottman Processes And Couple Outcomes While Navigating Infertility, Clayton Brigance

Dissertations

Infertility remains one of the most difficult relational contexts for couples. However, some research suggests that some couples actually increase their overall satisfaction in their relationship through infertility due to a deeply shared emotional experience. To the knowledge of the author of this dissertation, no studies exist which explain how couples arrive at their relational outcomes through the experience of infertility. These studies within this dissertation add to the present literature by explaining how couples may arrive at their relational outcome through the lens of Gottman Method Couple Therapy (GMCT). For both studies presented here, 902 participants were recruited through …

The Effect Of Student Perception Of Parent Involvement And Socioeconomic Status On Academic Intrinsic Motivation, Pallavi Aggarwal, Taylor Lawson Smith

Dissertations

Many teachers struggle to help students become intrinsically motivated in their school work. Research has shown that students who are intrinsically motivated tend to have higher academic achievement than students who are not (Mendoza, 2012). There are many factors that contribute to students’ intrinsic motivation. Building on existing research, the relationship between perceived parental involvement and students’ intrinsic motivation, as well as the relationship of perceived socioeconomic status and intrinsic motivation was investigated. A mixed methods research approach was used to determine a) the relationship between perceived parent involvement and students’ intrinsic motivation, b) the relationship between perceived socioeconomic status …

A Study Of Nurses' Experiences With Behaviors That Compromise A Healthy Work Environment In The Hospital Setting, Connie K. Schultz

Dissertations

The existence of disruptive behaviors in the hospital setting has been shown to affect the communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals. This study explored nurses' experiences with behaviors that compromise a healthy work environment. The data collection was accomplished through semi-structured interviews and review of organizational documents. The results of the analysis concluded that there existed a low incidence of disruptive behaviors in the selected organization. Themes were determined that reflected inconsistencies in the nurses' practice environment that contributed to the presence of disruptive behaviors. Inconsistency in communication and collaboration, in holding colleagues accountable, and the lack of visibility of …

The Experience Of The Expectant Mother Following A Diagnosis Of A Fetal Anomaly, Janet A. Tucker

Dissertations

The experience of pregnancy complicated by a fetal anomaly diagnosis is comprised of many concepts: uncertainty, information needs, stress and anxiety, waiting, decision-making dilemmas, isolation, fragmented health care, multiple losses and grief, foreknowledge, acceptance and adaptation. There is great variance in what is understood about each concept. The purpose of this study was to explore uncertainty and waiting among expectant mothers from the time period of a prenatal diagnosis of a fetal anomaly through the post-partum period.

Perceptions Of Undergraduate Nursing Students On Racism And Racial Disparities In Maternal Health, Monika Costa

Dissertations

The United States has persistent racial inequities in maternal health, with African American women experiencing the highest maternal mortality and morbidity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Structural inequities, racism, implicit and explicit biases, and discrimination contribute to disparities in maternal health outcomes in the United States (Alshusen et al., 2016; Davis, 2019; Institute of Medicine, 2003, Liese et al., 2019, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2020). In recent years, racial discrimination and bias have been important topics of discussion. However, very little research has been done about nursing curricular preparedness to address implicit bias and racism …

Predicting Heart Failure Readmission Using Home Health Clinical Indices, Jamie Murphy

Dissertations

Heart failure is the most rapidly growing cardiovascular disease in the U. S. (Boxer et al., 2010) and is the most common cause for hospital readmission (Fang et al., 2008; Heidenreich et al., 2013; Jencks et al., 2009) with a 30-day readmission rate of 24.8% (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, 2012). Currently, many heart failure patients are discharged quickly from the hospital without adequate skills and knowledge to perform self-care tasks. Moreover, home health nurses provide the same care for all heart failure patients and have limited knowledge on what clinical health indicators might affect readmission. As a result, home …

A Phenomenological Study On The Informal Learning Experiences Of Female Mid-Level Administrators, Kathryn L. Curameng

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to identify and describe the informal leadership development experiences of female mid-level administrators in private nonprofit higher education.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identifies and describes the informal leadership development experiences of female mid-level administrators in private nonprofit higher education institutions in California. Respondents were selected based on specific criteria and recommendations of a sponsor. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews and observations of participants.

Findings: Examination of the qualitative data from interviews with 16 female mid-level administrators working in private nonprofit higher education yielded nine major findings. These included 2 unexpected …

Student Nurses' Perception Of Preceptors' Authentic Leadership Effect On Self-Efficacy, Venise D. Bryan

Dissertations

The study examined the relationship between final year nursing students' perceptions of preceptor authentic leadership and self-efficacy. Nursing students are required to engage in a preceptorship experience at the end of their nursing education for socialisation into the profession and learning consolidation to facilitate optimum transition from student to nurse. Unfortunately, preceptorship has been identified as the most stressful experience that nursing students engage in and poor relations with clinical staff and low competence beliefs to nurse have led to attrition after graduation. To date, a limited number of studies have examined preceptors' leadership style, particularly authentic leadership and student …

Faculty Caring Behaviors: A Quantitative Examination From The Ethnically Diverse Student's Perspective, Donna M. Hedges

Dissertations

The increase in patient ethnic diversity in the health care environment has not been mirrored by an increase in ethnic diversity within the nursing profession. There is a need for increased focus on the retention of ethnically diverse nursing students in order to meet the needs of an ethnically diverse patient population. The quality of caring demonstrated by faculty in the faculty - student relationship can have significant influence on the student's successful completion of the nursing program. Faculty understanding of how ethnically diverse students perceive caring faculty behaviors may assist faculty to mitigate attrition of these students. The purpose …

Women's Lives After An Induced Abortion: A Phenomenological Study Of The Long-Term Post Abortion Experience, Rosanna Formanek Hess

Dissertations

Most previous research investigations on the post abortion experience studied women up to two years post abortion. The findings of many of these short-term studies indicate that 5-20% of women have severe psychiatric distress two years after the abortion. Little is known about the long-term effects of an abortion in women who experienced the event.

The purpose of this study was to explore the abortion experience in women who had a legal, elective, first trimester, induced abortion > 5 years before the interview. The main objective of the study was to learn how each woman was affected by the abortion and …

Influence Of Leadership Styles On Expatriate Nurses' Professional Integration In The Uae, Emmah Ncube

Dissertations

Transnational nurse migration has evoked a growing interest in the phenomenon of professional integration of expatriate nurses into their host societies. Despite research connecting employee and organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior to the quality of leadership styles, there remains a lack of research linking professional integration of expatriate nurses to nurse leadership styles in the UAE. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory that would explain how nurse leadership styles and behaviors impacted the professional integration of expatriate nurses into the multicultural work environment of the UAE. The research questions …

Impact Of Telecommuter Status, Manager Leadership Style, Structural Empowerment And Job Satisfaction On Managed Care Nurses' Level Of Engagement, Jessica Varghese

Dissertations

The work environment impacts nurses' level of work engagement. Nurses are working outside of traditional hospital settings and moving into industries such as the managed care arena. This impacts the way work is experienced as many practices such as telecommuting are more prevalent in the managed care setting. The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of telecommuter status, manager leadership style, structural empowerment, and job satisfaction, on nurses' level of engagement in the managed care workplace setting..

Influence Of Learning Style And Learning Flexibility On Clinical Judgment Of Prelicensure Nursing Students Within A Human Patient Computer Simulation Environment, Elizabeth Sharon Robison

Dissertations

Nursing education is experiencing a transition in how students are exposed to clinical situations. Technology, specifically human patient computer simulation, is replacing human exposure in clinical education (Nehring, 2010b). Kaakinen and Arwood (2009) discuss the need to apply learning theories to instructional designs involving simulation for successful learner-centered outcomes. Developing effective teaching strategies using technology to support enhancing student performance outcomes requires a paradigm shift from traditional, clinical-based models.

The purpose of this study was to begin to close research gaps and support development of evidence-based practice in implementing simulation by examining prelicensure nursing students' learning styles and flexibilities relative …

A Phenomenological Study: The Perceived Impact Of The Intersectional Barriers Created By Gender And Race On African American Female's Advancement To A K-12 Central Office Leadership Position, Mariyon Thompson

Dissertations

Purpose: This phenomenological study aimed to explore the perceived impact of the intersectional barriers created by gender and race on African American females' advancement to a K-12 central office leadership position. The second purpose of this study was to identify strategies African American females leverage to overcome barriers due to intersectionality while advancing to a K-12 central office leadership position.

Methodology: This qualitative research study employed a phenomenological approach to describe the lived experiences of eight African American women leaders employed in K-12 central office leadership positions in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Data collection included an interview protocol of …