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Breaking Boundaries: Investigating The Experiences Of Racially Diverse Low Socioeconomic Status Students Through A Narrative Inquiry Approach, Ryan Jumamil

Dissertations

Across the US, there is growing inequality of class distribution in predominately white and elite colleges and universities. Although gaining access to these institutions is typically the first hurdle, it is not the only challenge racially diverse low socioeconomic status (SES) students face. By investigating the college experiences of racially diverse low SES students enrolled in a predominately white elite institution, this study creates the foundation for an imperative discussion on the relationship between students' identity and attendance at predominately white elite institutions.

Through a Narrative Inquiry research approach and using semi-structured interviews as a data collection tool, two themes …

Effectiveness Of Fall Prevention Multimedia Program On Patient Awareness, Self-Efficacy, And Engagement, Perlita C. Cerilo

Dissertations

Hospitalized adults are at high risk of falls during their acute episode of care making fall prevention programs a critical element of care. Patient self-efficacy and engagement in fall-prevention activities are important aspects of fall-prevention programs. Education may play an important role in increasing self-efficacy and the likelihood of engagement; however, a gap in evidence explores the effect of patient education on self-efficacy and engagement among hospitalized older adults in preventing falls. This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of a multimedia program on hospitalized adults' levels of fall risk awareness, self-efficacy, and engagement in fall prevention. Sixty hospitalized adults in …

Exploring Multilevel Factors Influencing Quality Of Life In Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study, Lauren V. Ghazal

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relationship of WRGs and QOL in YA hematologic cancer survivors with a focus on factors influencing QOL at the individual level, and work-related factors at the microsystem and mesosystem levels. Specific aims of this study were to: 1) describe the relationships between patient-reported individual characteristics (distress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, cognitive function, CRF, and financial health), work-related characteristics in the microsystem (job control, workplace support, psychological job demands, physical job demands, and job security) and QOL; 2) Explore symptom experiences, WRGs, work ability, self-identity, and perceived psychosocial needs; and 3) Examine …

Reaching For The Stars: A Constructivist Investigation Of Astrology As A Tool For Self-Discovery In A New Age Of Leadership, Cameron Martin

Dissertations

To fully understand leadership in today’s world, we need a radical reconceptualization of the developmental process required to lead. Changing paradigms demands new perspectives on leadership; these new paradigms suggest leaders must turn inward and develop knowledge of their inner selves to realize their full potential as leaders.

Astrology is an ancient way of knowing and making sense of the world and one’s place in it that provides benefits to many people in our modern world, despite fervent academic, religious, and scientific criticism. Astrology is more than a divination tool. It is an entire epistemology of self in relation to …

Gun Control Laws And Policies Reported Influence On The Attitudes Of Faculty At Mississippi Universities, David Besancon

Dissertations

The concealed carrying of firearms is a polarizing subject. In general, the political left would like to see more restrictive gun laws, whereas the political right would like to see less restrictive guns laws. Research of this also seems politically biased. While one researcher will use data that show violent crime increases with more restrictive gun laws, another researcher will use logic to dictate that less guns means less violence. University campuses are generally considered a liberal environment. However, Mississippi has been one of the two most conservative states since the 1930s. This research examines the attitudes of faculty at …

Understanding Families'/Surrogate Decision Makers' Experience Of Decision Making For Critically Ill Patients In Saudi Arabia, Omaimah A. Qadhi

Dissertations

Critical illness not only affects patients, but also may negatively impact the families and people who are responsible to make decisions for those patients. Making decision can be challenging for people when it is for someone else who is critically ill. This study explores the decision-making experience for family or a surrogate decision maker for critically ill patients in Saudi Arabia. This project also tested the presence or absence of regret after making serious decisions about a medical treatment for another individual. Goal Attainment Theory was used to guide this study. The concepts of the Interpersonal Interacting Systems were used …

Examining And Exploring Social Constructs, Conflict Management Style, And Workplace Conflict Among Workers In The United States, Keith Boyd

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study explored social constructs, conflict management style (CMS), and workplace conflict among workers in the United States. Workers do not understand the connections between social constructs, CMS, and workplace conflict. A lack of information on workers' experiences and representation in conflict literature supports the gap in understanding (Aquino, 2000; Bourdieu, 1986; Hayes, 2008; Herr & Anderson, 2005; Lin, 2001; Long, 2007; Meng et al., 2019; Mertens, 2003, 2009, 2018; Sosa, 2019). The study used a transformative-emancipatory explanatory sequential design focused on workers. There were 82 convenience sample participant surveys and 12 purposive sample low-level cooperativeness CMS participant interviews …

Constructing Roles And Discourse: Presidential Speech And European Union Accession In The Former Yugoslavia, 2000-2021, John Horner

Dissertations

Yugoslavia’s dissolution in the 1990s resulted in seven distinct nation-states vying for functional institutions, ethno-nationalistic coalescence, and external validation. To this end the European Union (EU) offered a pathway to nation-state building and membership via democratization, economic liberalization, and legal and civil improvements. However, to date only Slovenia (2004) and Croatia (2013) are EU member-states. Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are candidate countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidates. What are the incentives for Western Balkan countries to reform and join the EU? Were motivations driven by rational, economic benefits of membership, or was the impetus identity-oriented to …

Examining Workplace Elearning Programs Using Persuasive Learning Design: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, David Akanbi

Dissertations

eLearning platforms have become the primary method for employee development in organizations (Dellagiacoma et al., 2020). This shift from the in-person approach has increased resources and budget allocation for authoring software applications needed to develop interactive eLearning programs (Kshirsagar et al., 2020). Despite spending a considerable amount of money on eLearning authoring software, there are concerns that most workplace eLearning programs do not achieve the desired outcomes (Jones, 2016; Patel, 2017; Sidhu, 2019). Although studies show that eLearning programs have effectively enhanced learning transfer, the same studies suggest that employees do not retain information in some eLearning programs (Dellagiacoma et …

Rethinking Binge Eating Disorder: Is Resource Depletion The Missing Link?, Laura Fewell

Dissertations

Binge eating disorder (BED), the most prevalent of the eating disorders, is associated with significant mental health impairments, high healthcare costs and utilization, and increased mortality. Yet little is known about the mechanisms involved in binge eating, and existing BED theories are incomplete. Scholars have recently suggested that resource depletion, or the state of reduced self-regulation abilities, may apply to BED, but no identified studies have experimentally examined this relationship. The purpose of the current study was to examine the role of resource depletion in binge eating behaviors. Ego anxiety, discomfort anxiety, and dietary restraint were also examined as potential …

A Mixed-Methods Study Examining The Difference Between Closed Captioning And Lexile Levels, Jim Pruitt

Dissertations

This experimental mixed-methods study explores what happens to student Lexile scores when they use closed captioning. Since the emergence of closed captioning tools in the 1980s, closed captioning has become more mainstream and easier to access today than at any other time in history (Rickelman et al., 1991). Thus, it is through harnessing this technology and bringing it into the classroom setting that the researcher of this study hopes to provide new approaches for educators that want to improve their student Lexile levels, while also incorporating the SAMR model within our increasingly technologically-focused classrooms (Crompton & Burke, 2018).

The quantitative …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Exploring Relationships Among Professional Preparation, Professional Development, And The Implementation Of Sex Education In Mississippi, Joyee Washington

Dissertations

The state of Mississippi has led the nation in high rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents, despite mandating sex education in public schools for over a decade (SIECUS, 2011; SIECUS, 2016; SIECUS, 2017). Although studies conducted among Mississippi sex educators in the K-12 setting have shown that teachers receive very little to no professional development and desire more training, there is little supporting evidence to understand the position of professional development relative to sex education implementation in the state (Kolbo, Werle, Ismail, Arrington, Harbaugh, & Esters, 2015; Arrington, Ismail, Werle, Esters, Frederick, Ellis, & Kolbo, 2018). …

Perceptions Of Perinatal Nurses Caring For Perceived Stigmatized Patients During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Perinatal Settings: A Qualitative Study, Deborah Tucker

Dissertations

Perinatal nursing consists of caring for women before, during, and shortly after the birth experience, providing a unique opportunity for nurses to care for women and families in a fundamental moment of life (Simpson et al., 2020). This qualitative descriptive study design allows for straight descriptions of phenomena to evaluate perceptions of nurses caring for perceived stigmatized patients in the perinatal setting during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. As research gaps were identified, the following research questions were developed and used to guide this study:

1. What are the perceptions of caring in perinatal nurses who deliver care to perceived stigmatized …

The Covid-19 Experience: An Intensive Care Nursing Perspective, Adrianna Watson

Dissertations

In December 2019, a new virus reared its head and within a matter of months demanded the attention of the world as health care was challenged to full capacity. Frontline healthcare workers struggled to care for the patient after patient with limited knowledge of pathophysiology, risk of contagion, and resources. As the waves of patients became increasingly critical, the task of everyday human connection and care, as well as extraordinary life-saving measures, fell upon the shoulders of intensive care nurses. Little is known about how these nurses understand their experiences caring for patients with the novel coronavirus, or how their …

The Search For Neutrality: A Discourse Analysis Of Language Use In Higher Education Title Ix Sexual Misconduct Policies, Cristin Reynolds

Dissertations

Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972, was designed to ensure that equal access to any educational environment receiving federal assistance (20 U.S.C. § 1681). Title IX forced institutions of higher education (IHE) to address the pervasive nature of sex discrimination within their educational environments, prevent the recurrence of sex discrimination, and remedy any effects of sex discrimination. To do this IHEs developed Title IX sexual misconduct policies. These policies are required by federal law to be impartial, neutral, and equitable to all parties accessing or participating in the resolution process addressing sexual misconduct.

The purpose of this study …

Frameworks For Patient Safety In The Nursing Curriculum, Theresa M. Chenot

Dissertations

Patient safety (i.e., the degree to which patients are free from accidental injury) has received a great deal of media coverage during the past few years. Professional and regulatory agencies have indicated that patient safety education should be provided to healthcare workers to improve health outcomes. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to gain a better understanding of the current status of patient safety awareness among pre-licensure nursing students. To this end, six research questions guided the study:

1. Will interpretable item constructs be identified when responses to the Healthcare Professional Patient Safety Assessment Curriculum Survey (HPPSACS) are …

Does Optic Flow Provide Information About Actions?, Hannah Masoner

Dissertations

Optic flow, the pattern of light generated in the visual field by motion of objects and the observer’s body, serves as information that underwrites perception of events, actions and affordances. This visual pattern informs the observer about their own actions in relation to their surroundings, as well as those of others. This study explored the limits of action detection for others as well as the role of optic flow. First-person videos were created using camera recordings of the actor’s perspective as they performed various movements (jumping jacks, jumping, squatting, sitting, etc.). In three experiments participants attempted to detect the action …

The Influence Of Word Pair Associative Direction On Judgment Of Learning Reactivity, Nicholas Maxwell

Dissertations

Judgments of learning (JOLs) are commonly used by researchers to assess whether individuals can accurately predict later memory performance. While the JOL literature has generally operated under the assumption that providing judgments at study does not affect the learning process, recent studies have shown a reactivity effect in which memory differs between participants who do and do not make JOLs at study. The effects of providing JOLs on memory have been mixed: Some studies report memory improvements (i.e., positive reactivity), while others report memory costs (i.e., negative reactivity). Additionally, little work has evaluated the effects of associative direction (i.e., credit-card …

Implementing A Restorative Yoga Therapy To Reduce Anxiety And Improve Quality Of Life Among Patients With Breast Cancer, Alyssa Kurjan

Dissertations

Maintaining psychological health is an important component of a patient's well-being throughout breast cancer treatment. Anxiety and quality of life are two common indicators of psychological health. Restorative yoga therapy enhances psychological health by reducing anxiety and improving quality of life among patients with breast cancer. Restorative yoga is a gentle subtype of yoga that incorporates stretching, breathing, and meditation exercises aimed to calm the body. The purpose of this project is to determine if participation in restorative yoga therapy decreases anxiety and increases quality of life among patients with breast cancer undergoing therapy or who have previously completed therapy. …

Culturally Relevant Practices And Community: Increasing Minority Leadership In School Administration To Improve School Climate, Cassandra Suggs, Joy N. Rogers

Dissertations

This dissertation and research looks into the area of Culturally Relevant Practices and Leadership in K-12 schools and the potential effect on all students in having minority leadership present. The research dives into interviews of teachers, hiring leaders, district leaders and building leaders. It also uses survey results from over 700 students, with the central theme of the questions around school safety, climate, culture, support, academics and a sense of belonging. The research purpose was to look into the potential positive effect on students and staff, if Culturally Relevant Practices and hiring of minority leadership was in place within school …

Transitioning Eating Practices Of Older Adults, Michelle Lajoy Jackson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore what factors may have influenced the transition of an individual older adult’s eating practices over a lifespan and the impact participants perceived those factors currently had upon their nutritional health in older adulthood.

Background: The older adult population is recognized as one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. One of many growing concerns for this population is the impact of dietary practices on the morbidity and mortality of this aging population. There is limited research to date that has explored the transitioning of appetite …

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Anger, And Substance Use As Risk Factors For Trauma Revictimization, Hannah E. Walker

Dissertations

Maltreatment survivors are at an increased risk for adult revictimization. Yet, existing work has specifically focused on sexual revictimization, and it is unclear what factors increase one’s risk for revictimization more broadly. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), anger, and substance use have been identified as potential risk factors for sexual revictimization. Still, the role of these variables is ambiguous in the broader revictimization framework. There is also a lack of understanding regarding the roles of the DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters and revictimization. This study aims to: 1) examine the links between maltreatment and revictimization and three factors (i.e., …

The Impact Of Peer Mentoring On Freshmen Student-Athlete Retention And Experience, Casey Finnell

Dissertations

Retention is a universal issue for institutions of higher education in the United States. Students face many challenges in the transition to college, which can contribute to a student’s decision to transfer. On top of the traditional obstacles faced by college freshmen, student-athletes encounter additional stressors associated with competing in intercollegiate athletics. College student-athletes must adjust to team dynamics, coaches and coaching changes, time management, and threats to athlete identity. The newly introduced NCAA transfer portal now allows student-athletes to transfer once during their undergraduate careers without losing a season of eligibility, which also impacts retention by making it easier …

Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study Investigating The Experiences, Outcomes, Motivations, And Stressors Of College-Educated Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Ysatis Ne’Cole Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the possible relationship between parental incarceration and the outcomes, frequency of participation, motivations, challenges, and supports of college students with incarcerated parents. The study was conducted at an unnamed academic institution with individuals enrolled in a four-year degree program. The present study utilized a questionnaire, grit survey, academic motivation assessment, focus group, and interview to gather the needed data. The six steps for thematic analysis were utilized for data analysis. In examining these potential relationships, the present study utilized collected quantitative data to examine whether statistically significant relationships were present. As …

Leading With Heart: How Exemplary K-5 Principals Demonstrate Transformational Leadership Through Heart-Based Practices, Teresa Hubbard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary K-5 principals in Southern California lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s (2011) 4 principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their schools.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological methodology to study the behaviors of elementary principals. This study, due to current Covid restrictions, included virtual one-on-one interviews that were held via the Zoom online platform. The data collected included audio and video recordings, written transcripts, and artifacts from school …

Acculturation, Self-Efficacy And Breastfeeding Behaviors In A Sample Of Hispanic Women, Ivonne F. Hernandez

Dissertations

Breastfeeding confers immunological, physiological and psychological benefits for the infant and mother as well as social and economic benefits to the nation. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Healthy People 2020 has established national objectives for the initiation and duration of breastfeeding at 82% initiation, 61% at six months and 34% at one year. In addition, they have set goals for exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months to be 46% and 25% at 6 months of infant's age. Currently breastfeeding initiation is at the highest recorded level of 76.9%, yet significant disparities exist (CDC, 2012). The purpose …

What’S Religion Got To Do With It?: Differing Religiosity Domains’ Association With College Students’ Sexual Consent During First-Time Intercourse, Kaylee Richmond

Dissertations

Within the U.S., 36% of women and 17% of men report experiencing sexual assault (Smith et al., 2017). The absence of sexual consent is often regarded as a defining component of sexual assault (Beres, 2014); thus, a potential area to examine to decrease rates of perpetration and victimization. To date, there has been a lack of research on contextual factors that are likely related to sexual consent, with a general focus on external consent (i.e., verbal/behavioral indicators; Muehlenhard et al., 2016). The present study examined the role of a contextual factor, religiosity, on sexual consent processes during the context of …

Implementation Of Remote Patient Monitoring To Improve Medication Adherence And Efficacy In Patients With Asthma And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Quality Improvement Project, Barbara A. Werner

Dissertations

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are long-term respiratory diseases that can adversely affect an individual's quality of life and inflict financial strain on the patient, family, and healthcare system (Kocks et al., 2018). Adherence to prescribed inhaler medication is an integral component of effective disease management. Remote patient monitoring may serve as an effective means to proactively measure adherence with inhaled medications to improve respiratory health outcomes and decrease avoidable healthcare utilization (George & Bender, 2019). An inobtrusive device attaches to the metered dose inhaler to passively monitor the use and electronically transmit the information to a digital …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of The Experiences Of Nurse Educators In Developing And Implementing Concurrent Enrollment Adn-Bsn Programs, Janice E. Hawkins

Dissertations

Nursing leaders have called for more bachelor-of-science-in-nursing-(BSN)-prepared nurses to meet workforce demands. There is limited capacity in BSN programs to meet the projected demand. Currently, associate degree in nursing (ADN) programs produce the majority of registered nurses. To increase the number of BSN graduates, nurse educators recommend innovative educational models for seamless progression from the ADN to the BSN. Concurrent enrollment ADN-BSN programs offer one potential model to produce more BSN graduates. The purpose of this study was to describe the process of developing and implementing concurrent enrollment ADN-BSN programs. The research question was as follows: What is the experience …

Crisis Leadership Of Exemplary Superintendents Of Urban Elementary K–8 Districts During The Covid-19 Crisis Of 2020, Raymond Andry

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to identify and describe strategies exemplary superintendents of urban elementary K–8 school districts in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties used to lead in crisis using the five critical tasks of strategic crisis leadership (CTSCL; sense making, decision making and coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning; Arjen Boin et al., 2017) during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. In addition, it was the purpose to understand and describe the experiences of exemplary leaders during a time of crisis.

Methodology: Through a qualitative multiple-case study, interviews were obtained to collect …