Digital Commons Network^™

Community College Nursing Students' Experience Of Repeating A Course After Academic Failure, Lisa S. Lewis

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry study looked at community college nursing student repeaters, those who have failed a required nursing course and then gone on to repeat the course. Nursing student repeaters are a population at especially high risk for attrition, and about whom little is known. The community college setting is an important site of nursing education, where approximately half of new nurses do their pre-licensure schooling and where attrition is a particular problem. Fourteen nursing student repeaters were interviewed and eleven of them provided a letter of advice to a future nursing student repeater. While each participant had a unique …

Excelling In Telework: A Delphi Study, Ashley Carlin Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to determine the factors IT management experts identify as necessary for healthcare employees to reach positive decision outcomes in virtual workplaces, to rate the importance of the identified factors, and to determine the practices IT management experts recommend for implementation for the five most important factors. Methodology: This study used a Delphi method that consisted of three rounds to collect data from 15 IT management professionals who are experts in leading virtual teams at Southern California hospitals. In Round 1, participants were asked to identify the factors healthcare employees need to reach …

Evidence-Based Educational In Home Program To Improve Self-Management Adherence And A1c Levels For Patients With Diabetes, Garrett Blaker

Dissertations

Background: Diabetes diagnosis rates continue to grow, affecting many patients, communities, and health care organizations. One of the greatest challenges faced by patients with diabetes is maintaining diabetes self-management activities including self-blood glucose monitoring, physical activity, a healthy diet, and daily foot checks in order to control their diabetes and reduce their A1c. Diabetic Medical Concepts (DMC) previously provided intermittent and inconsistent in-home diabetes self-management education. An in-home diabetes self-management education program, adherence system and A1c testing component was implemented among DMC's patients as part of a quality improvement project.

Aim: The aim of the quality improvement project was to …

What Does Masculinity Have To Do With It? The Roles Of Fathers In The Socialization Of Children’S Emotions And Emotion Regulation, Kathryn Cherry

Dissertations

Emotion regulation skills are important in a variety of domains throughout the lifespan, including psychological, social, academic, and occupational functioning. Research on children’s emotion regulation skill development often examines the family, exploring caregiver approaches to emotion socialization. However, this research has predominantly been conducted with mothers. Fathering is of particular interest to children’s emotional development for a variety of reasons, including the role of traditional Western masculine norms in gendered differences in emotion expression and regulation techniques. Fathers’ conformity with masculine norms and difficulty with emotion regulation have potential to impact their emotion socialization practices, and therefore relate to their …

The Impact Of Mississippi’S K-3 Literacy Initiative Professional Development, Billie Fick

Dissertations

This quantitative survey study explored the statistical significance of participation in the training Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) by early childhood educators in Mississippi, specifically K-3. The three outcome measures were teachers’ beliefs related to Mississippi’s K-3 Literacy Initiative: instructional practices, student learning outcomes, and barriers of technology use in literacy instruction. A total of 78 people completed the LETRS Survey, which consisted of a five-point scale. Demographic data included: grade range, teaching experience, number of students taught weekly, highest degree earned, teaching a tested subject/grade, mode of instructional delivery, technological barriers, and parental support for …

The Relationship Between The Protean Career Attitude And Feedback After The Employee Promotion Process, Marcie Overstreet

Dissertations

The deterioration of the traditional organizational career model progressively challenges employees to manage their careers (Briscoe et al., 2006). Increasingly, individuals self-manage their careers, focusing on both professional and personal circumstances throughout a career (Li et al., 2019). Employees continue to pursue career advancement by developing their knowledge, skills, and competencies. While individuals seek career development pursuing more challenging and higher paying jobs, organizations also show interest in career development.

Organizations take an interest in the career growth of employees because career advancement leads to increased morale and productivity and reduced costs associated with employee turnover (Bowness, 2019). Increased morale …

Employees' Expectations Of Leadership Development Programs And Their Effects On Anticipated Voluntary Employee Turnover And Organizational Commitment, Candace Johnson

Dissertations

Employee retention and commitment have gained attention over the past years (Mutsuddi, 2016). Commitment is the link that connects an individual to their organization, thereby decreases the probability of turnover (Allen & Meyer, 1990; Hague et al., 2019). According to Mutsuddi (2016), decreasing employee turnover remains a critical element for sustainment in any organization. However, most organizations invest in policies and practices to increase employee commitment; those same practices can lead to employee turnover (Mutsuddi, 2016). This study explores the effects of leadership development programs and their impact on organizational commitment and anticipated voluntary employee turnover. A qualitative research design …

Exploring Emotional Labor, Emotional Dissonance, And Job Satisfaction Among African American Student Affairs Professionals At Predominately White Institutions, Vashae Dixon

Dissertations

Turnover in higher education is excessive compared to other education fields (Wilson et al., 2016). Up to 60% of student affairs professionals leave the field within the first five years of their professional career (Fried, 2014; Naifeh & Kearney, 2020), resulting in a loss of money, efficiency, and productivity (Allen et al., 2010). Previous research shows the link between turnover and job satisfaction for student affairs professionals (Fried, 2014) and the relationship between job satisfaction, emotional labor, and emotional dissonance (Parajon, 2011). Existing research lacks specific information about African Americans, undermining organizational efforts to retain employees of all identities. This …

The Understanding Of Digital And Multimedia Evidence (Dme) By Attorneys And Digital Forensic Examiners (Dfe) Within The United States Criminal Justice System, Joseph Levi White

Dissertations

One goal of this research was to determine potential themes that may influence the understanding of Digital and Multimedia Evidence (DME) by attorneys and Digital Forensic Examiners (DFE) within the United States Criminal Justice System. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information from experienced criminal attorneys and DFEs regarding potential influences on their understanding of DME. The results of these interviews were transcribed, and the data coded to allow for qualitative analysis. Five themes were developed from this data and are thought to play a role in understanding of DME by attorneys and DFEs: motivation for involvement in the …

Psychological Distress During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Mayantoinette Watson

Dissertations

During such an unprecedented time of the largest public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students are of the utmost concern regarding their psychological and physical well-being. Questions are emerging and circulating about what will happen to the nursing students and the long-term effects of the pandemic, especially now that hospitals are being overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and patients as well as a significant need for nursing staff (Jividen, 2020). Expectations, demands, change, and the fear of the unknown during this unprecedented time can only contribute to the many stressors that accompany nursing students through laborious clinical and didactic courses …

Walking Into A News Desert: How Arkansas College Newspapers Are Coping With The Decline In Print Journalism, David Keith

Dissertations

News deserts is a reference to geographic areas — most commonly counties — where no newspaper is published. The number of these areas continues to grow as more newspapers shut their doors because of financial difficulties brought on by a lack of advertising, a lack of readers, and the shift to online news consumption. College students studying journalism find themselves on the cusp of entering a profession where the number of workplaces and jobs is shrinking. They know it and the advisers of their college newspapers know it. Even with this arid prospect before them, the students are reporting news …

An Exploration Of Black Church Leaders' Intentions To Develop Critical Consciousness Among African-American Students, Taheesha Quarells

Dissertations

African-American students experience human capital opportunity and achievement gaps. Researchers have called for culturally relevant strategies to help close the gaps. The historic Black Church, a part of many African-American students’ culture and community, is a historic and current source of social capital for positive human capital development outcomes. Critical consciousness develops positive human capital outcomes, such as academic achievement, in African-American and other minority students. Much of the literature on critical consciousness is quantitative in nature and therefore does not include the intentions or the willingness of organizations to develop critical consciousness. Therefore, there is a need to understand …

Personal And Organizational Characteristics Impacting Employee Self-Efficacy, Justin Chandler

Dissertations

COVID-19 forced organizational shutdowns across the globe in 2020, sending unemployment levels in the United States to nearly 15%, with approximately 20.5 million Americans unemployed by May 2020 (Falk et al., 2021; Kochhar, 2020). Virtual business meetings became the norm, while some employees experienced job loss and salary cuts (Prochazka et al., 2020). Many employees worldwide became unsatisfied with their work situation and less confident of their capabilities (Ragheb et al., 2020) and have experienced career shock due to the pandemic. Career shock can lead to many adverse effects on individual employees and organizations, including low self-efficacy, and COVID-19 has …

The Relationship Between Social Isolation, Telecommuting Intensity Levels, Autonomy, And Job Satisfaction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristy Williams

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced workplaces to social distance, and millions of workers began telecommuting or working from home (Kniffin et al., 2021). Becker (2002) stated, “How well companies manage their human capital is a crucial factor in their success (p. 8).” The pandemic has profoundly affected human capital (Ballotpedia, 2021; Collings et al., 2021; Jesuthasan et al., 2020; Kniffin et al., 2021). This study examined the relationship between social isolation, telecommuting intensity levels, autonomy, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher attempted to answer the research question and objectives by conducting a quantitative correlation study using a survey …

Conflict Management Strategies Among Nurses In Hospitals, Rita Nassuna

Dissertations

In the present study, participants described their conflict management strategies. After obtaining the participants form nursing associations, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted. The twenty-seven individuals responded to questions relating to the communication strategies they used in a conflict, the factors which affected their approaches to conflict management, the types of Emotional labor (EL) they performed, how deception could be correlated with EL and whether EL contributed to conflict between nurses. After analyzing and transcribing the data, the qualitative software program NVivo was utilized to discover themes and subthemes.

The results indicated that nurses adhered to the Code of conduct’s mandate …

Exploratory Study Of Nursing Leadership: An Inquiry Of Leadership Attributes Of Nurse Managers In Acute Care Hospitals And The Professional Practice Environment, Janet Henriksen

Dissertations

This study explored the perceived leadership attributes of nurse managers who enable the creation of positive professional practice environments for registered nurses in acute care hospitals. A general qualitative approach was used to explore the perceptions of ten acute care registered nurses using a three-interview method of inquiry. Three major categories emerged from the data analysis: nurse manager attributes, positive professional practice environment characteristics, and nurse retention, recruitment and job satisfaction. Eight themes emerged in the nurse manager attributes category: expert, mentor, participant, communicator/listener, problem-solver/critical thinker, supporter, arbitrator, and advocate. Seven themes emerged in the characteristics of a positive professional …

The Impact Of Organizational Citizenship And School Culture And Climate Behaviors Of Small Elementary School Principals, Teresa Cowan-Fayter

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine whether there was a relationship between the small school elementary principal organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) as measured by the Principal School OCB Survey and the student academic achievement on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in California small school districts. An additional purpose was to determine how small school elementary principals identify and describe the impact of their personal behaviors on school culture and climate.

Methodology: This is a mixed methods study. Archival data were collected from the California Department of Education (CDE) Dashboard, and additional …

The Relationship Between Perceived Academic Self-Efficacy, Remediation, And Academic Performance In Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Debra Jean Wilson

Dissertations

Nurse educators are faced with the daunting task of preparing students for professional practice as registered nurses. Students who are academically underprepared are often at risk for nursing course failure. There is a lack of consensus in the literature about predictors of success in nursing education. Most nursing education research has focused on the nursing licensure examination as the outcome measure. This focus occurs late in the curriculum and fails to address at-risk students who don't make it to graduation.

The Evaluation Of Service-Learning As An Innovative Strategy To Enhance Bsn Students' Transcultural Self-Efficacy, Theresa Mary Ann Adams

Dissertations

The purpose of this non-equivalent, multiple year, quasi-experimental study was to evaluate service-learning as an innovative teaching strategy to change pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students' perceived transcultural self-efficacy (TSE) in providing culturally competent nursing care to diverse populations.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Patient-Centered Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program, Sharie Blythe

Dissertations

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 34.2 million adults or 10.5% of the population had diabetes (ADA, 2018). In 2015, 88 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes (ADA, 2018). Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.). The "Prevent T2 Program" is an example of an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address the increasing burden of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in the U.S. The program aims to prevent diabetes and complications associated with the disease through diabetes self-management education (DSME) and peer support.

The Significance Of Continuing Education On The Intention Of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses To Report Child Maltreatment, Adaorah N. U. Azotam

Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control have recognized child maltreatment as a national epidemic that calls for healthcare providers to focus on early identification and prevention of violence against children. Even though society has this expectation for healthcare professionals, research has shown that there is still a pervasive phenomenon of underreporting this societal ill. Current nursing research identifies education as a significant factor in determining the decision to report child maltreatment in the mandatory reporter role. Based on this conclusion, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) served as the research framework to understand the pertinent facilitating components of intended reporting behaviors …

Approaches To Studying And Study Tactics Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Lisa D. Brodersen

Dissertations

This research was designed to describe study approaches and study tactics used by baccalaureate nursing students. Previous inquiry indicates that students will take a Deep, Strategic, or Surface approach to studying and will use specific study tactics to meet the demands of their learning contexts.

Family Child Care (Fcc) Provider Perspectives Of Barriers To Obtaining Resources And Support Services For Quality Child Care Outcomes: A Qualitative Study, Kathleen Diane Tostado Kenshur

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore family child care (FCC) provider perspectives of barriers to obtain resources and support services for quality FCC outcomes. Methodology: This study used a phenomenological qualitative research method to identify and describe barriers that hinder FCC providers from obtaining resources and support for quality outcomes. Four open-ended and semistructured interview questions were administered to 12 participants online via the Zoom platform. This study analyzed data across three categories of barriers: (a) situational, (b) dispositional, and (c) institutional. Results of analysis guided the narrative by identifying and prioritizing themes. The population …

Employee Engagement And The Role Of Time Perspective, Donna Valestro

Dissertations

Employee engagement is how employees think, feel, and form intentions to decide behavioral actions. A review of related literature indicated a central tension between employees and the work environment requires psychologically adapting and adjusting to cope with their perceptions of internal and external conditions. The employee’s goal is to stay as close to their authentic self as possible within the organizational environment to maintain their well-being. The psychological process comprises a temporal dimension represented as time perspective in this study. The purpose of this research is to determine if a relationship exists between employee engagement and time perspective.

This nonexperimental, …

Is Testing A Laughing Matter? Achievement Effects Via Working Memory And Humor Relevance, Ivan Jay Wayne

Dissertations

The relevant literature concerning the relationship between humorous intervention and academic performance features conflicting evidence. Authors present evidence that humor is able to directly benefit student academic performance (Ford et al., 2012), while other authors suggest humorous distraction may actually worsen performance (Bieg et al., 2015). Among the issues contributing to these contradictory findings are two particularly important considerations: the mechanism by which humor may impact performance and the content of humor used in interventions. One mechanism by which humor could impact subsequent academic performance is working memory (Strick et al., 2009). The first study (n = 31) investigated if …

The Effects Of Cost, Level Of Safety, And Severity Of Injury On Manager Decisions To Implement A Safety Solution, Jonathan M. Hochmuth

Dissertations

Workplace injuries continue to be a source of substantial human and financial costs each year. Behavioral safety processes have been effective in reducing workplace injuries by increasing safety-related behaviors. In recent years, the focus in behavioral safety has shifted towards the role of managers in establishing and maintaining safe behaviors and conditions in the workplace. Understanding how managers make decisions to allocate resources is critical to improving safety. The field of behavioral economics has developed methods for studying decision-making. While there have been calls to apply these methods to occupational safety, there are only two empirical studies which have done …

Informing Cognitive Screening In The Young Adult Population, Samantha L. Mcdaniel

Dissertations

The clock drawing test (CDT) is a cognitive screening measure with sound psychometric properties which has been well researched over the past century. The CDT is a popular tool for many healthcare professionals to administer independently or as part of a more thorough cognitive evaluation. Given the drastic technological and social developments over the years since the CDT was developed as well as the persistent research focus on older adult populations, a gap in the CDT literature presented for young adults, who may have difficulty drawing an analog clock. Identifying cognitive impairment can improve health outcomes. The young adult population …

In An Era Of Soft Skills: Investigating Teamwork Skills In The Geosciences, Samuel Cornelius Nyarko

Dissertations

Geoscience employers have increasingly called for student competency in three sets of skills – technical, field and soft skills. One major soft skill identified by employers is teamwork, which is critical in laboratory and field-based activities. At the same time, educators seek to inculcate in students a stronger focus on the development of teamwork skills as they are useful for knowledge sharing and problem solving. This interconnected value of teamwork in both the workforce and academia means students’ preparation should include learning teamwork in the geoscience. However, before educators can design strategies that help students learn critical teamwork skills, we …

Refugee Social Relations: The Development Of Social Ties Among Burmese And Congolese Refugees In West Michigan, Diane M. Roushangar

Dissertations

Refugee resettlement has been studied extensively in the academic realm. Yet, an area that is less understood is among Burmese and Congolese refugees and their adaptation processes in the United States. This study focuses on the development of social relations within these two groups as they navigate interactions within their ethnic group and with the native-born community. Examining the process of how social relations are constructed, this study reveals the nuances of how Burmese and Congolese form close social ties by focusing on four distinct social domains. Illuminating how social relations are formed and maintained within the ethnic community, church …

Connected And Automated Vehicles: Their Implication On Capacity Of A Basic Freeway Section And Impacts On Walkway Safety, Sia Macmillan Lyimo

Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles have recently gained the attention of researchers due to their expected potential benefits on highway traffic streams, such as improving roadway capacity, among others. It is imperative to investigate how these expected benefits can be leveraged in the transportation sector. Understanding the safety and operational benefits helps the concerned transportation agencies and other key stakeholders to make necessary infrastructural and policy adjustments to accommodate such future traffic operation changes. The main goal of this dissertation is to study the impact of connected and automated vehicles on freeway capacity. The simulated environment was created to emulate autonomous vehicle behaviors, …