Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating The Beliefs, Practices, And Challenges Of High School Principals And Teachers Within Culturally Diverse Contexts: A Mixed-Method Study, Mouza Alketbi

Dissertations

The main objective of this study is to understand the practices, beliefs, and challenges related to cultural diversity among high school principals. It also examines the cultural diversity practices of high school principals from the perspective of teachers, as well as the challenges they encounter when interacting with principals and teaching staff. The study used an exploratory sequential mixed method design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a better understanding of how high school principals handle their culturally diverse teachers. The first phase involved qualitative research, where (n=5) principals and (n=7) teachers were purposively selected. Semistructured interviews were …

How Do Lgbt Employees Assess Their Firm’S Organizational Culture Regarding Lgbt Leadership?, Philippe Honore

Dissertations

This study explored Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) employees’ perceptions and assessments of their firms’ organizational cultures and, in particular, the opportunities within the culture that can lead to upper management positions for those who identify as LGBT. The research sought to understand the extent to which inclusivity efforts are reflected in real career progression opportunities for openly LGBT employees working in San Diego County. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design, the study incorporated quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to achieve a comprehensive understanding of participant’s perspectives and experiences. The decision to use both methods allowed the research …

The Meaning-Making Of African American Leaders In Technology Organizations, James Hooks

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to identify and describe behaviors that reflect the character, inspiration, relationships, vision, and wisdom that African American technology leaders use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers. It was also the purpose to rate how followers perceive their leader’s behaviors related to character, inspiration, relationships, vision, and wisdom in creating personal and organizational meaning.

Methodology: The qualitative portion of this mixed-method study involved face-to-face interviews with African American technology leaders, while the quantitative segment consisted of electronic surveys completed by their followers. The quantitative survey assessed followers’ perceptions …

Leveraging Social Practices In The 11th Grade American Literature Classroom: Video Games As Texts, Alora Moser

Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study explores the effectiveness of using a video game as a text in high school narrative instruction, testing Lave and Wenger’s (1991) situated learning theory, which posits that learning is a by-product of social interaction. This study seeks to bridge the gap between literacy practices at home and in school (Beavis, 2014; Ladson-Billings, 1995), effectively acknowledging students’ cultural capital, including multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996) and affinity spaces (Gee, 2013) in privileged academic settings such as the Georgia Milestones American Literature End of Course assessment. 11^th grade American literature students in a suburban Georgia high school were …

Bridging The Gap And Shaping Behavior: Applying Gilbert’S Behavioral Engineering Model To Explore The Role Of A Parent-Teacher Communication Tool On Parental Involvement, Christina Holtapp

Dissertations

This study investigated the environmental and behavioral factors influencing parent-teacher communication in a rural high school setting. The research used a mixed-methods approach, incorporating surveys and focus groups with parents and teachers, to explore using the mobile communication app ParentSquare. The findings reveal a generally positive perception of ParentSquare among parents, who appreciate its convenience, centralized communication features, and ability to connect with teachers. However, initial login difficulties and limited internet access in remote areas were also identified. The study also identifies a discrepancy between parents' perceived importance of involvement and their actual participation, suggesting a need for schools to …

Fear, Distress, And Dissociation: Correlates Of Physiological Hyporeactivity After Interpersonal Victimization, Natalia Kecala

Dissertations

Background and Objective: Despite consistent findings of high reactivity to trauma cues in PTSD, there exists a consistent subset of physiological nonresponders who exhibit more complex and severe posttraumatic symptomatology. Research has identified different patterns of defensive reactivity representing Fear (core) and Distress (complex) PTSD symptoms. However, no studies have directly compared responders and nonresponders on physiological and clinical symptoms posttrauma.

Method: 66 adult women who had experienced first-degree sexual or physical assault within the last month were categorized using heart rate reactivity (HRR) to two personalized trauma scripts. Participants exhibiting negative HRR to both scripts were classified as nonresponders …

Hearing Their Stories: Tailoring Human Resources Strategies For Onboarding, Job Satisfaction, And Retention Of Veterans With Disabilities In The Civilian Workforce, Brian Newsom

Dissertations

Tailored HR strategies play an important role for veterans with disabilities (VWD) as they transition from the military to civilian employment by enhancing their job satisfaction and improving their retention. The literature review helped identify the challenges VWD face during their transition, such as health or mental health problems, cultural adjustment difficulties, and onboarding that is not inclusive. The primary research objective of the study was to determine effective HR strategies to improve the onboarding process for VWD, increase their job satisfaction, and grow their retention rates. Qualitative methods enabled the capturing of data from in-depth interviews with 31 former …

Reducing Restraint Use And Workplace Violence With The Broset Violence Checklist, Alexandria Anderson

Dissertations

Problem: Psychiatric mental health nurses have an increased rate of workplace violence due to the acuity of patients they care for. When aggressive behavior cannot be resolved verbally, physical methods such as restraints may be utilized. Restraint use can result in unwanted consequences for both the patient and the nurse. Predicting risk of violence can be useful at reducing violence and restraint use through early risk identification.

Methods: The Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) was implemented as a way to predict aggression risk in an in-patient psychiatric unit within a mid-western hospital. This study utilized a pre- and post-intervention approach to …

Under The Surface Of Perfectionism: A Qualitative Examination Of Perfectionism In Women Leaders, Rachelle Martin

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the manifestations and management of perfectionism among women leaders, framed through the lens of conservation of resources (COR) theory. By examining the experiences of women across various industries, the research highlights how perfectionism can act both as a strength and a challenge, depending on resource availability and self-awareness. The findings emphasize the compounded pressures faced by women, particularly women of color, and the significant role of self-awareness, coping mechanisms and mitigation techniques. Participants revealed how resource depletion may contribute to heightened perfectionistic tendencies, which subsequently may impact career outcomes. Self-awareness emerged as a moderating factor that, …

Acculturation And Attitudinal Disposition Of People From India Living In The United States Toward Mental Health Services, Santhosh Jose Adhikarathil

Dissertations

Acculturation experience and attitudes toward seeking mental health services among Asian Indian Americans, an ethnic minority group, are predominantly underrepresented in current literature despite their increasing number in the United States. The purpose of this study was to assess the acculturation experience of Asian Indian Americans and their attitude toward seeking mental health services, and to explore the relationship between acculturation levels and attitudes toward seeking mental health services. I used a quantitative research design to conduct this study. I employed an online survey through Qualtrics. The participants (n = 568) constituted a probability sample recruited from Indian-based Christian churches …

Fabrication And Evaluation Of Multicomponent Biomimetic Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Engineering, Mozan Osman Hassan

Dissertations

Bones have an inherent ability to remodel, but critical-size defects can hinder regeneration, leading to delayed healing or non-union fractures. Traditional bone grafts have limitations, such as donor site morbidity and immune rejection, driving the need for synthetic bone substitutes. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) addresses this by developing biomimetic scaffolds that replicate bone properties. This research aimed to fabricate composite scaffolds from strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) doped nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp), collagen, and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). Different doping percentages of Sr/Zn (1%, 2.5%, 4%) were used to fabricate the scaffolds using supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) and electrospinning techniques. Scaffolds were then analyzed for …

Experiences Of Incivility And Ageism In Currently Enrolled Rn To Bs Nursing Students And Their Intent To Quit, Kimberly A. Balko

Dissertations

Student registered nurses face barriers to successful completion of a bachelor's of science degree program when faced with memories of incivility within their basic nursing program and their current experiences of incivility and ageism in the classroom, as well as in the workplace. This incivility, along with generational differences, adds to the growing concerns of nurses' intent to quit their employers or the profession, which adds to the current and future nursing shortage. The incorporation of multigenerational education for nurses could enhance generational awareness including ageism, communication skills, conflict resolution, coaching, and mentoring to guide employed RNs and nursing students …

An Exploration Of The Influence Of Nursing Education Culture On The Integration Of Nursing Informatics Competencies Into A Collaborative Nursing Program Curriculum, Stephanie Atthill

Dissertations

Information communication technologies are becoming a customary part of the way in which nurses provide care. Consequently, it makes good sense to ensure that nursing informatics competencies are integrated into nursing curricula to prepare graduates for practice. However, few schools of nursing within Canada have fully integrated nursing informatics competencies into their curricula. Nursing education culture appears to influence decision-making, and the development of organizational priorities. Nonetheless, there are no known studies examining how nursing education culture impacts nursing informatics curriculum development endeavours. Therefore, this study aimed to address the following research questions: 1) In what ways does a nursing …

The Effect Of A Self-Guided Simulation Tool On Anxiety Related To Clincal Practice Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students During Their First Clinical Rotation, Karen M. Vargas

Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that anxiety can have a detrimental effect on learning and performance. Of great concern is the impact of anxiety on nursing students. By extension, additional research has shown that nursing students experience extremely high levels of anxiety, higher than many students in other programs. Specifically, nursing students have moderate to severe levels of anxiety due to many aspects of the educational program, but particularly when beginning clinical practice. Anxiety when beginning clinical practice among nursing students can cause negative outcomes in learning and performance. That is, when nursing students experience severe anxiety, they may experience the inability …

Nursing Faculty Members' Intentional Use Of Strategies That Promote Civility In The Bsn Classroom, Linda-Jo Pallotto-Russo

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of nursing faculty members' intentional use of three research-based strategies that have been shown to promote civility in the BSN classroom. Specifically, Ajzen's (1985) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to analyze nursing faculty members' reports of their attitudes, normative beliefs, and control beliefs about the use of three research-based strategies that have been shown to promote civility in their classroom. Azjen theorized that individuals base their behaviors on intention and intentions are based on the individuals' attitudes toward the behavior, their perceptions of how others wanted them …

Influences Of Perceived Environment, Partner Support, And Attitudinal Familism On Physical Activity Among Mexican American Women, Neomie C. Congello

Dissertations

Healthy lifestyle behaviors such as engaging in physical activity (PA) may reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the number one cause of mortality among Mexican American women (MAW). Research findings show that MAW have low levels of leisure time PA and vary in the amount of overall PA. The influence of partner support has received little attention in studies examining predictors of PA. This cross sectional study investigated factors influencing PA among MAW aged 19 to 64 years old (mean = 39.4, SD = 11.1) who may be at increased risk for CVD based on hypertension, diabetes and obesity …

Student Nurse Perspectives On The Impact Of Longitudinal Home Visits To People With Dementia And Their Carers, Wendy J. Grosvenor

Dissertations

Multiple deficits have been identified in dementia education by UK policy makers and, from September 2015, the Department of Health mandated that undergraduate healthcare curricula included dementia. Here I explore one particular novel approach, the Time for Dementia Programme, which had at its core longitudinal learning from people with dementia and their carers.

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of visits to the homes of people with dementia and their carers as part of the Time for Dementia Programme. To do this it explored adult nursing students' perceptions of their professional learning and practice and career destination.

A Delphi Study On The Use Of Simulation In Undergraduate Nursing Education, Diana L. Bailey

Dissertations

The lack of traditional clinical sites for nursing students has prompted a surge in simulation as an innovative teaching strategy in undergraduate nursing education. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INASCL) developed the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: SimulationSM to direct schools of nursing in implementing high-quality simulations. As simulated experiences replace traditional clinical experiences, it is imperative that simulated experiences replicate real-life patient scenarios. The purpose of this Delphi study was to establish consensus on the use of the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation in undergraduate nursing education. The conceptual frameworks guiding this study were …

The Relationship Between The Neighborhood Environment, Health Behaviors And Health Outcomes Among Urban Hispanics In New York City, Manuel C. Co Jr.

Dissertations

Hispanics account for more than half of the total United States (US) population growth between 2000 and 2010. To gain a comprehensive understanding of a predominantly Hispanic urban community in Northern Manhattan, the aims of this cross-sectional observational study were: (1) to characterize the actual and perceived neighborhood food environment in Northern Manhattan, (2) to understand the relationship between the actual and perceived neighborhood food environment, sociodemographic characteristics and the likelihood of consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and (3) to describe the contribution of participants' sociodemographic characteristics and health behavior to their health outcomes.

Attitudes, Subjective Norms, And Perceived Behavioral Control Of Perianesthesia Nurses' Intentions To Engage In Mindful Self-Care, Brenda K. Sanya

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions to engage in mindful self-care among nurses working in the peri-anesthesia setting. The study utilized cross-sectional design and was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Shelf Space Strategy In Alcoholic Beverage Retail: Analyzing The Impact Of Shelf Facings On Sales Performance And Consumer Behavior, Jesse Core

Dissertations

The alcoholic beverage industry faces intense competition and regulatory constraints, making strategic shelf space management critical. This study investigates the impact of shelf facings on sales performance in the alcoholic beverage sector, focusing on how brand size moderates this relationship.

The study collected data from a regional supermarket chain in Arkansas using a quantitative pretest-posttest control group design. It found that increasing shelf facings for smaller brands significantly enhances overall modular sales, with small brand sales persisting even after reverting to their original facings. Moreover, the analysis reveals that brand size significantly moderates the impact of shelf facings on brand …

Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment For Pregnant Women, Rebekah Feeney

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: In the United States, 10-20% of pregnant women reported using drugs during pregnancy. Current recommendations are to screen for drug use in all patients and provide a brief intervention and referral to treatment. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of implementing a standardized screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) protocol for first-trimester pregnant patients who are seen in the obstetrical department.

Methods: The Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) screening tool was administered to first-trimester pregnant women, 13-45 years of age, seen in the obstetrical department from …

Screening For Depression Post Acute Coronary Syndrome, Alyssa Graham

Dissertations

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and depression have profound impacts on patient outcomes. Patients who experience ACS are at increased risk of developing depression, which is associated with an increased risk of death and recurrent cardiac events. The evidence following ACS events promotes routine depression screening. The purpose of this project was to identify early depression in patients 65-99 years of age who had a recent diagnosis of ACS during their hospitalization.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) project was a prospective descriptive observational design implementing a depression screening protocol to evaluate post-ACS referrals within 7-14 days of screening from February …

Exploring The Relationship Between Teachers' Religious Identity And Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Candace M. Kyles

Dissertations

The Separation of Church and State Clause prohibits religious practices in public schools; however, this does not inherently allow for the exploration of how religion/faith influences K-12 education and school dynamics. Administrators’ and teachers’ religious affiliation contributes to their positionality and shapes their moral ethics. To assume that K-12 teachers are not engaging with their faith and allowing it to influence how they view their students, and their teaching practice is naïve and negligent. Additionally, explicitly discussing faith is prohibited and to this end, this restriction can breed ‘unchecked’ unconscious bias. This leads to a lack of training and reflexivity …

Tensions Between Catholic Identity And Academic Achievement: Roles Of Catholic School Leaders In Southeastern Nigeria, Augustina Ngozi Mbata

Dissertations

Despite the series of documents by the sacred ecumenical council and replete research enumerating the two-dimensional focus of Catholic schools: faith and academics and its collaborative nature, Nigerian (southeast) Catholic primary and secondary schools are continually experiencing activities of disharmony between Catholic identity and students' academic achievements. To better understand the nature of disharmony and its causes from the perspectives of leaders, teachers, and parents, this study examines the major challenges that face the representation and teaching of Catholic identity and the students’ academic achievement in the Catholic schools of southeastern Nigeria. While the purpose is critical to the student’s …

Examining The Adjustment And Coping Trajectories In Healthy Siblings Of Children With Life-Threatening Conditions, Joanne Tay

Dissertations

Siblings of children with life-threatening conditions are often referred to as "forgotten" mourners as focus tends to be on the ill child and parents. With limited knowledge about siblings' experience, it is challenging to provide appropriate supports.

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine and expand current evidence about siblings' experiences to guide research and clinical practice.

Service-Learning's Impact On The Development Of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Soft Skills, Cheryl A. Passel

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study through a constructivist lens, focused the actions, thoughts, and perspectives of undergraduate nursing students who participated in one nursing course with a service-learning component. The four-fold purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: (1) As a teaching strategy, how does one undergraduate nursing course with a service-learning component enhance the development of soft nursing skills? (2) How were empathy and self-awareness evident in the students who participated in this study? (3) What did these students do, say, and feel that gave evidence of any development of soft skills? (4) How did the soft skills …

Nurse Faculty Perceptions Of Role Stress And Faculty-To-Faculty Incivility, Anne K. Kleinhesselink

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between nurse faculty perceptions of role stress and faculty-to-faculty incivility using the stressor-emotion model of counterproductive work behaviors. A convenience sample of 79 nurse faculty from 39 undergraduate nursing programs in Iowa responded to an online survey. The survey consisted of two instruments: Workplace Incivility Civility Scale and Role Strain Scale. Findings revealed 76 participants perceived incivility as a problem and identified stress (n = 64) and demanding workloads (n = 54) as contributing factors. Pearson correlation results revealed a positive relationship between experienced incivility and nurse faculty …

The Lived Experience Of Faculy Support With Generation Z Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Amy Shearer

Dissertations

Baccalaureate nursing education requires a high level of academic performance for both acceptance and completion of the program. Nursing students often identify faculty as a source of support to persevere through this rigorous educational program. In 2013, a new generation of students entered nursing education: Generation Z. It is unclear as to how the unique characteristic of Generation Z will align or differ with Millennial nursing students regarding their need for faculty support. Husserl's descriptive phenomenological method was used to explore pre-licensure baccalaureate Generation Z nursing student experiences of faculty support.

Exploring Home Health Nurse Decision Making: Development And Implementation Of The Visit Plan, Elliane Irani

Dissertations

Demand for home health services is increasing due to the growing aging population, increasing rates of chronic conditions, and advances in health care that support the provision of many health-related services in patients' homes. Home health agencies must adapt care delivery procedures to meet the needs of diverse and complex patients in order to keep them in their homes for as long as possible. However, it is unknown how home health nurses decide on visit patterns and implement their visit plans within the dynamic and unpredictable home health setting. This qualitative descriptive study was guided by an adapted nurse decision-making …