Digital Commons Network^™

A Multiscale Linkage Between Riverscape And Fish Community Coevolution, Loren W. Stearman

Dissertations

Sediment dynamics are foundational to stream and watershed morphology. Yet aquatic ecologists have relied on an oversimplified model of sediment dynamics characterizing sediments as agents of stream bed burial, and which fails to describe many types of aquatic habitat evolution. In this dissertation I employ both fluvial geomorphic and ecological frameworks to gain a deeper understanding of how sediment dynamics shape stream morphology and fish community evolution at multiple scales. Using a paired historic and contemporary approach, I analyzed geomorphic evolution and fish community change in the Bayou Pierre, Mississippi, from the 1980s to recent. Patterns of erosion due to …

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Increasing Surveillance In Newborns, Lindsey N. Clark

Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to improve nursing staff's knowledge of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, identifiable risk factors, how to screen for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and how to report positive findings from the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome screen. The goal for implementation of this intervention was to improve the rates of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome screening in the newborn nursery.

Improving Recognition Of Depression Among The Older Adult Population, Keirstin E. Uomoto

Dissertations

Depression is a common mental health disorder faced by older adults that can go undetected and untreated. It was determined that the project site was not using a screening tool for depression among their patient population to identify or treat possible depression. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if the implementation of Yesavage's Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) would impact the identification of risk factors for depression and the initiation of pharmacological treatment, follow-up, and referral to a mental health specialist among adults 65 and older.

Toughest Men In The South, Greatest Athletes In The World: Gender, Race, And Modernity In Southern Wrestling, Sean Buckelew

Dissertations

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, professional wrestling in the South, buoyed by the South’s economic boom, reached its pinnacle during this period. Traditionally, Southern wrestling, affected by a struggling economy and small population, often struggled compared to other regions. However, as the population of the urban South expanded and became more diverse, a new wave of Southern wrestling promoters, found success by courting both their traditional white Southern working-class audience and attracting new African American fans. To do so, Southern wrestling promotions, Mid-South Wrestling and Continental Wrestling, created masculine heroes, like Junk Yard Dog and Jerry Lawler, who …

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 …

Use Of The Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool To Improve Emergency Department Safety, Tracy M. Abrams

Dissertations

Falls are a common occurrence in the emergency department and can lead to unintended patient harm and work-related injury. Fall rates at the site remained a concern, so an evidence-based approach was sought. The purpose of this quantitative, quasiexperimental quality improvement project was to determine if or to what degree the translation of Boynton et al.'s research on the use of the Hillrom bedside mobility assessment tool (BMAT) used in conjunction with current evidence-based bedside practices would impact fall rates when compared to the current practice among adult patients in an emergency department in Southern California over four weeks. Nola …

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.

Characterization Of Tick And Host-Associated Factors Linked To Induction Of Alpha-Gal Syndrome., Surendra Raj Sharma, Surendra Raj Sharma

Dissertations

Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) is a delayed allergic reaction caused by specific IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) present in red meat. AGS is a growing concern globally, with over 34,000 confirmed cases in the United States alone. Studies have linked AGS to tick bites, which sensitizes hosts against α-gal antigens and elevates α-gal specific IgE. This dissertation investigates the role of tick and host-associated factors in AGS development. Microbiome analysis of Am. americanum ticks revealed a comprehensive core microbiome profile and showed that new Fransiella-like endosymbionts dominate and outcompete conventional tick Coxiella endosymbionts. Ticks subjected to tetracycline treatment showed …

Please Don’T Stop The Music: A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Black Protest Music Released Between 2013-2022 As A Response To #Blacklivesmatter, Melissa Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to conduct a quantitative content analysis to determine if protest songs produced by Black musicians in response to police brutality since the development of #BlackLivesMatter reflect the traditional use of semiotics, narrative language, and collective identity within the verses of lyrics released between 2013-2022.

The findings of the study revealed that there were fewer references to religion than seen in spirituals or during the Civil Rights movement. The police received more attention than other conventional institutions. The lyrics did not describe the daily microaggressions that Black people face, yet there were several references within …

Medical Floor Confusion Assessment Method: Implementation And Assessment Of Risk Factors, Michaelynn R. Paul

Dissertations

An estimated 50% of older hospitalized patients experience delirium. This has created significant complications costing an estimated $164 billion or more per year worldwide. The ability to identify patients developing delirium would allow the implementation of specific interventions to decrease or eliminate the adverse effects of delirium. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to provide high quality delirium education to determine if medical unit nursing staff could successful implement the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) screening tool to identify patients experiencing delirium as the first phase of an overall plan. Implementation of the project followed Roger's diffusion of innovations …

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 …

A Quality Improvement Project On Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Fall Intervention Checklist During End Of Shift Report On A Post-Operative Unit, Victoria Hogans

Dissertations

Introduction: Falls are a current issue affecting our senior citizens within the hospital setting. A fall may result in patient injuries, increased length of stay, and hospital costs. To prevent patient falls and fall-related injuries, hospitals have implemented fall bundles. The bundles consist of assessment tools to identify those at risk for a fall and the interventions that should be implemented to prevent them from falling.

Methods: A quality improvement project was implemented based on the DMAIC Six Sigma concept model to assess if implementing a fall intervention checklist at shift change combined with a fall bundle already in place …

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 …

Nurses' Experiences Of The Traditional Clinical Learning Environment For Nursing Students, April Rowe Neal

Dissertations

Nursing education is unique in its integration of theoretical and experiential learning and yet this integrated approach presents a number of challenges. One nuanced challenge in nursing education is the overlap of the students' clinical learning environment (CLE) with the clinical nurses' work environment. It is believed that the clinical nurse plays an important role in clinical learning, but it is not well understood how the clinical nurse understands and contributes to the CLE. The framework for this study was based on Benner's (1982) Novice to Expert model, transformative learning theory, and the AACN (2005) Healthy Work Environment framework. The …

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 …

Student Success Navigators: The Keys To Intrusive Advising, Student Supportive Services, And Academic Success, Kathryn Joyce Stanley-Dietzman

Dissertations

This study investigated the connections between intrusive academic advising, student success and retention, and growth within an institution. The study was conducted to demonstrate that intrusive advising is beneficial to students, especially to students who are considered to be at-risk. Student Success Navigators, and the Director of Student Success and Retention were interviewed and data were collected from the institution’s internal research department. These interviews and data demonstrated that intrusive advising was critical to student success. The presented data also demonstrated that the institution was able to generate additional funding to create new employment opportunities and increase student success and …

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 …

An Historic Analysis Of The Operation Of A Truancy Court Conducted In An Urban Middle School, Lisa Gray

Dissertations

Truancy is a concern that most school districts around the country are familiar with. This study was to examine the development of a truancy court established in an effort to conquer this problem. There were several school districts, from inner city to rural, that believed truancy courts helped to reduce attendance issues. Data were collected and assessed from the observations of the existing truancy courts. It was determined from the data that truancy courts were only productive if the judge had the support from the parents. Some were repeat offenders, whereas some just needed a little guidance to get back …

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: …

Identification Of Students At Risk Of Low Performance By Combining Rule-Based Models, Enhanced Machine Learning, And Knowledge Graph Techniques, Balqis Mubarak Al Braiki

Dissertations

Technologies and online learning platforms have changed the contemporary educational paradigm, giving institutions more alternatives in a complex and competitive environment. Online learning platforms, learning-based analytics, and data mining tools are increasingly complementing and replacing traditional education techniques. However, academic underachievement, graduation delays, and student dropouts remain common problems in educational institutions. One potential method of preventing these issues is by predicting student performance through the use of institution data and advanced technologies. However, to date, scholars have yet to develop a module that can accurately predict students’ academic achievement and commitment. This dissertation attempts to bridge that gap by …

Predicting Bear Trend In The Uae Stock Markets Using Macro-Financial Variables, Hamood Abdulla Alyasi

Dissertations

Understanding the effects of macroeconomic and financial variables on stock market trends, especially bear markets, can help different stakeholders and concerned parties to react according to their goals and tasks. Investors can make better investment decisions and allocate assets in their portfolios based on trend expectations. Regulators and decision-makers can adopt adequate precautious regulations to protect the stock market and economy in general from any negative consequences in the case of a stock market recession.
/="/">The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to predict UAE stock market bear states through the use of macro-financial …

Exploring Attitudes Of Four Groups Of Stakeholders Toward Family Childcare And Recommending Best Practices To Promote Positive Experiences, Yvonne S. Williams

Dissertations

This research aimed to increase the awareness of licensed family childcare programs and use the viewpoints of four stakeholder groups to construct recommended best practices. These best practices are crucial for supporting effective business practices and providing high-quality services to their stakeholders. Online surveys and virtual interviews were used to acquire the stakeholders' perspectives. The collected data revealed three principal thematic codes: family childcare provider, family childcare business, and family childcare environment. Within these three codes, the family childcare program's areas of improvement, inconsistencies, and strengths were identified and evaluated to construct recommended professional and business best practices. Some of …

Evidence-Based Practice Sustainability And Nursing Professional Governance, Melora D. Ferren

Dissertations

Patient care that is not based on evidence-based practice (EBP) could be considered malpractice, and it threatens patient safety, quality, and fiscal performance. EBP implementation is complex, and sustainment of these practices is such a persistent challenge that up to 70% of organizational change fails to be sustained. Sustainment of EBP decreases healthcare costs and improves patient outcomes. Professional attributes that influence sustainability are not well understood. Nursing professional governance (PG) is a framework of professional attributes that includes accountability, professional obligation, collateral relationships, and decision-making. This framework includes attributes that are necessary for professionals to effectively govern their profession …

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.

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 …

Level 2 And Level 3 Patients In A 5-Level Triage System: Factors Related To Acuity Assignment And Trajectory Of The Emergency Department Experience, Roxanne O. Garbez

Dissertations

Clinical decision making in the emergency department (ED) can have a significant impact on patient safety and health care outcomes. One type of clinical decision making is the process of emergency department triage. Within the context of the 5-level Emergency Severity Index triage system, it is not known what factors influence patient assignment by the triage nurse to ESI acuity levels 2 and 3. To increase the validity of patient assignment to levels 2 and 3, more explicit criteria are needed.

Purposes: (1) Describe factors that influence triage nurse assignment of patients to level 2 and level 3; (2) Examine …