Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring The Effect Of An Intervention On Student Engagement And Reading Comprehension, Kaitlin Reichart

Dissertations

Students arrive at school each day with a great disparity in emotional and learning readiness. This is caused by a multitude of factors such as chronic stress, family separation, poverty, the COVID-19 pandemic, sexism, trauma, ACEs, racism, and lack of access to resources. Students need daily assistance in understanding and regulating their emotions. Schools have become the central place for supporting students' mental health, yet teachers are generally overworked and underprepared in the area of supporting mental health. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the impact of a universal tier one self-regulation intervention on student engagement and reading …

An Examination Of Various Dimensions Associated With Nonprofit Board Member Diversity: The Significance Of Organizational Factors, Patrick Luke Decker-Tonnesen

Dissertations

This dissertation examined how leadership and organizational factors influence nonprofit board diversity. The goal of the research was to expand the data available in the social service sector associated with understanding the role of board member diversity within nonprofit organizations. Utilizing data from BoardSource’s Leading with Intent (2017) dataset, which included responses from 1,378 nonprofit Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), board racial, gender, and total diversity, along with several organizational factors, were included for descriptive and inferential analysis. Organizational factors included CEO racial and gender demographics, organization type, geographical location, revenue, personal contribution of board members, CEO perception of mission and …

Anti-Human Trafficking Training For Law Enforcement: An Assessment Of Practice In A Southern State, Patricia Ann Southerland

Dissertations

Human trafficking, a crime hidden in plain sight, does not answer to civility or the inherent human rights established within societal norms. While several factors influence this heinous crime, the absence of training and the incorporation of best practices among law enforcement personnel impairs the proper identification of victims, as well as the arrest and prosecution of facilitators, traffickers, and buyers (Clawson, Dutch, & Cummings, 2006; Dandurand, 2017; Darwinkel, Powell, & Tidmarsh, 2013; Davy, 2016; Efrat, 2015; Farrell, 2014; Farrell, McDevitt, Fahy, 2010; Farrell, McDevitt, Pfeffer, Fahy, Owens, Dank, & Adams, 2012; Farrell & Pfeffer, 2014, Grubb & Bennet, 2012; …

Braving The Sea Change: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of How Counselors-In-Training Experience Their Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Relationships, Christopher Jess Ward

Dissertations

This interpretive phenomenological analysis asked counselors-in-training (CITs) to reflect on their connections with important others and with themselves, noting any changes which took place within said relationships over the course of counselor training. Seven CITs provided rich narratives around relational shifts and personal/professional development, bringing to the surface superordinate themes of (a) Insecurity and Confusion, (b) Growing Pains, and (c) Overcoming and Resilience. Superordinate themes were further divided into the following sub-themes: Insecurity and Confusion: Professional/Personal Identity Integration, Mental Health and Responsibility, Reassurance; Growing Pains: Relationship Imbalanced and Disequilibrium, Loneliness; Overcoming and Resilience: Ruptures and Repairs, Outright Benefits, Self-Prioritization. These …

Identifying Motivations Of New Counselors For Continuing Professional Development Of Multicultural Competencies: A Qualitative Study, Larry English

Dissertations

The need to increase multicultural counseling skills is a crucial area of focus in the continued evolution of the counseling profession. This necessity is due to a number of factors, including the ongoing demographic and societal changes in the United States. The research has helped to bring awareness of the need for increased and continued professional development in the area of cultural literacy and multicultural competencies skills for beginning counselors and others in counseling-related programs. At the micro level, the research investigated new clinicians’ self-awareness of their own biases, assumptions, internalized/externalized actions, and beliefs toward other cultures. The purpose of …

College Students’ Perceptions Of The Desert Canyons Of The Colorado Plateau, Jeremy Roger Deem

Dissertations

This study investigates eight college students’ perceptions of their experiences during an accredited outdoor education course entitled Technical Canyoneering. The course took place in four separate desert canyons of the Colorado Plateau, two in Arches National Park, and two on nearby Bureau of Land Management public space. Utilizing the data collection process of photo-elicitation, the participants’ time spent in the canyon settings was described in order to gain an understanding of their experiences, with particular attention paid to analyzing what perceptions those students ascribed to those experiences. The intent was threefold. First, the study makes understanding at how college students …

The Experiences Of Beginning Counselor Education And Supervision Faculty In The Supervision-Of-Supervision Relationship, Bonnie Jean Nicholson

Dissertations

This narrative study attempted to explore the experience of beginning counselor educators in providing supervision to doctoral supervisors-in-training. The need for a greater understanding of the supervision-of-supervision process is well recognized within the profession of counseling (e.g., Barker & Hunsley, 2013; Borders & Giordano, 2016). Four counselor educators in the beginning years of employment at a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2015) accredited counselor education and supervision doctoral program provided narratives of their own experiences providing supervision-of-supervision. Nine themes and 18 subthemes emerged from the data analysis; the following nine themes were confirmed by the participants …

Mentoring: The Factors That Contribute To Persistence To Graduation For African American Males In Predominantly White Institutions In Missouri, Paula Miller

Dissertations

Due to several decisions by the United States Supreme Court in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, African Americans were granted access to PWI’s of higher education. However, African Americans still face challenges in obtaining post-secondary education. For example, in 2019 – 2020, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2021), 13.1% of African Americans graduated with master’s degrees. Additionally, in 2020, 19% of African Americans attained a post-secondary degree in Missouri (Towncharts.com, 2021).

Despite access, the number of African Americans obtaining degrees remains low. And, when the lens is focused on African American males, the numbers are …

Where Are The Black Teachers? There Should Be More To Make It Even, Harolyn Harris

Dissertations

For years, Black teachers lived and worked in the communities that they served. I was one of those teachers who lived and worked in my community, but I noticed that there were not many of us. As a Black woman, mother and teacher, I was fully aware of the numbers of Black teachers declining. I wanted to know why.

In this study, I utilized my experience as a Black student, a Black teacher, and a Black administrator to reflect my feelings. I used Critical Race Theory as the theoretical lens on my stories using autoethnography as the research method. I …

Nursing Students' Self-Efficacy To Care For Older Adults In Acute Care Settings In Ghana: A Mixed Method Study, Diana Abudu-Birresborn

Dissertations

Self-efficacy has been reported to serve as a motivator for goal achievement and to impact care quality and career development choices. Understanding nursing students' self-efficacy to care for older adults can provide an opportunity to identify gaps and develop strategies to shape nursing students' interest in caring for older adults. This study sought to identify the relationship between nursing students' knowledge about, attitudes towards, and self-efficacy to care for older adults and explored nursing students' understanding of their self-efficacy to care for older adults. The study also examined stakeholders' perceptions about nursing students' self-efficacy to care for older adults and …

The Impact Of A Burn Injury On Family Caregivers Of Adult Burn Survivors, Diana Kidd

Dissertations

The survival rate of burn injuries is over 90 percent. Physical and emotional recovery from a burn injury may be prolonged. Family support is an important component of this recovery. However, little is known about the impact on caregivers. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study is to explore the impact of a burn injury on family caregivers of adult burn survivors. An improved understanding of the stressors, challenges, coping, and involvement of family caregivers in caring for burn survivors will enable clinicians to better assist burn survivors and their family caregivers throughout the recovery process.

The Lived Experience Of The Novice Nursing Dean: Exploring The Meaning And Significance, Melissa R. Bouws

Dissertations

Deans of nursing hold a unique position for the future of the profession. Few others have the potential to bring about change within the academic setting, or hold such a strong influence on the future of nursing and on our students. Current statistics reveal multiple vacancies in nursing dean positions. Further understanding of how nursing deans begin their role, attain their identity as dean, and successfully execute this important position is needed to recruit and retain strong leaders who have the methods and skills to develop and support the advancement of the nursing profession. Understanding the process of becoming nursing …

Factors Impacting Multidisciplinary Team Communication And Patient-Centered Communication Along The Cancer Care Continuum, Jessica Beckham

Dissertations

The deployment of navigators as liaisons between cancer patients and their Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) affords a high level of coordinated care that is otherwise difficult to attain. Highly functioning navigators provide a multitude of support roles, the primary being the dissemination and interpretation of information to and from patients and providers in a manner that is digestible to all recipients. Navigators face hurdles in the form of communication breakdowns within the MDT which can negatively impact level of care and lead to patient uncertainty. Patients face additional barriers of their own which serve to further heighten uncertainty and cause patients …

Caregiver Burden And Its Relationship To Health-Related Quality Of Life Of Spouses Of Coronary Artery Bypass Patients, Margo A. Halm

Dissertations

With today's aging population and short hospitalizations, patients recovering after coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery rely on family assistance, usually from their spouse. While caregiving may be meaningful, this experience may be stressful. Very little is known about caregiver burden after CAB surgery. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the correlates of caregiver burden in the first year after CAB surgery and its relationship to spousal health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes.

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Military Spouses Of Veterans With Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Teresa W. Yambo

Dissertations

A phenomenological study was conducted to explore the essence of the experience of military spouses living with veterans with combat-related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Husserlian phenomenology was chosen as the theoretical framework because it allowed a deeper understanding of the unfolding o f the spouses' day-to-day experience. A purposive sample of 14 spouses living with veterans with symptoms of PTSD participated in unstructured interviews. Data were analyzed using a modification of Colaizzi's method. Four major themes were identified from data analysis: Recognizing Life is No Longer the Same, Living with Unpredictability, Bearing the Burden, and Creating a New Life. Spouses …

Counseling Supervisors' Experiences Facilitating Supervisees' Cultural Competence, Christopher D. Bozell

Dissertations

A vital attribute of counselors to provide quality client care is cultural competence. Counseling supervisors are tasked to demonstrate cultural competence in supervisory interventions by aiding the supervisees in increasing their knowledge, awareness of attitudes and beliefs, and skills related to culturally sensitive practice. Although many professional organizations require counseling supervisors to provide culturally competent supervision, very few studies have examined how counseling supervisors demonstrate their skills. This qualitative Descriptive Phenomenological study explored the experiences of counseling supervisors when facilitating supervisees’ cultural competence.

Ten individual semi-structured interviews with counseling internship site supervisors were conducted to collect data about their experiences …

Power, Privilege, And Permission: A Qualitative Study On The Perspectives Of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Who Serve Racially Diverse Clients, Cherrelle Singleton

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of vocational rehabilitation counselors (VRC) serving racially diverse clients and how VRCs are trained and educated to work with racially diverse clients. VRCs are typically employed by federally funded state or federal rehabilitation agencies. In their role, they aim to provide individualized tools and services that empower people with disabilities by alleviating barriers to being successful when preparing for and maintaining employment and being independent in their adult life (Donnell et al., 2013). Often tasked to work with clients who have marginalized identities including race and disability, VRCs must be able to understand and …

Evidence-Based Equity In Chemical Education, Anna Margiotta

Dissertations

Using Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) and reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA) methods, the purpose of this case study was to construct theory about equity for students studying chemistry at public universities in Colorado. Interviews with students (N=12), chemistry instructors (N=9), and equity practitioners (N=9) as well as observations of chemistry classes (N=42) were collected. Along with these interview transcripts and in-class observations, surveys completed by participants were also included as data. Journal entries of a reflexive or memoing nature were written as part of the data analysis procedures. With these data, I explored potential methods of equitable change in chemistry instruction …

Comparing Collegiate Coaches’ And Players’ Perceptions Of The Coaches’ Multicultural Competence, Lee Arakawa

Dissertations

The coaching effectiveness model developed by Horn (2008) describes cultural context as a backdrop that forms beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors displayed by sport coaches. Sue et al.’s (1992) multicultural competencies model stresses the value of awareness, knowledge, and skills used in all service fields to strengthen cross-cultural relationships. Therefore, multicultural competence has been identified from these models as a critical component of effective sport coaching. Despite the growing importance of multicultural competencies expressed by, and for, sport coaches (Mesquita et al., 2011; Santos et al., 2010), there remains limited understanding of how coaches obtain and apply multiculturally competent behaviors and …

Examining P3 And N2 Amplitudes Following Social Exclusion And Provocation In College Students With High And Low Narcissistic Traits, Kathleen Ramsey

Dissertations

Adults with narcissistic traits are prone to reacting aggressively following provocation due to elevations in emotional reactivity and perceived threat to their grandiose self-views. Prior studies have examined event-related potentials (ERPs) measures in college students with narcissistic traits in the context of risky decision making and facial emotion processing; however, no known studies have examined how those with narcissistic traits react to rejection and provocation at the neurophysiological level during an externally valid social rejection task (i.e., Cyberball). For the purposes of this study, it was predicted that participants with higher levels of narcissistic traits (both total narcissism and grandiose …

Choices Related To Maximizing Quality Of Life At End Of Life, Theresa Lynn

Dissertations

Humans, including those residing in the United States, can live in denial of their own mortality. Because of this, futile care is sometimes provided, often at great monetary expense and for little or no return in terms of quality or length of life. At least two opportunities exist for making choices regarding care at the end of life in the U.S.: completing advance directives and choosing hospice care.

An Exploratory Multiple Case Study Of Discipline Practices In A Major Metropolitan Public School District: A Look Into The School To Prison Pipeline, Neil French, Kristin Calvert-French, Phyllis Jackson, Erin King

Dissertations

The school to prison pipeline is a phenomenon fed by exclusionary discipline practices that increase the likelihood that a student will have an interaction with the juvenile or criminal justice system at some time in their life; this phenomenon disproportionately affects Black students. Understanding the problem is key to slowing down the school to prison pipeline. This study of a school district in Missouri explores questions about how interpersonal relationships, implicit bias awareness, and school policies influence the learning environment, and how those factors relate to school discipline, which ultimately can lead to the school to prison pipeline. Drawing data …

Resilience In Black Mental Health Counselors, Ericka Cables

Dissertations

Though resilience is a commonly studied variable in different disciplines, there is relatively little research on occupational settings. Researchers take various perspectives in defining resilience as a trait, process, and an outcome. Regardless of how it is defined, it is a vital protective factor for Black mental health counselors who may be significantly impacted by similar experiences, such as racism and racial discrimination, as the Black clients they serve. This dissertation study consisted of two studies utilizing the same data set. In the first study, psychometric properties of a new quantitative instrument, the Race-Based Resilience Scale (RBRS), was constructed to …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Education Implementation For Graduate Nursing Students, Courtney Kovachevich

Dissertations

Chronic conditions are a leading cause of death and disability in the United States (U.S.). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are risk factors for chronic conditions and death; however, screening and assessment of ACEs do not occur in primary care settings. A barrier to screening is a lack of knowledge and education during providers’ didactic courses. To address this barrier, a standardized education tool was implemented into a midwestern public graduate nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) curriculum. The design was a Quality Improvement (QI) project with a descriptive cohort design and purposive sample. The inclusion criteria were students in the …

Screening For Social Determinants Of Health In A Comprehensive Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Clinic, Marie Turner

Dissertations

Problem: Social determinants of health (SDOH) affect health outcomes across the lifespan. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine screening for SDOH. Poverty is a SDOH affecting health outcomes in children, especially in children with a chronic disease such as sickle cell disease (SCD). Children with sickle cell disease have a high burden of SDOH. This project sought to describe the SDOH barriers experienced by pediatric patients with SCD.

Methods: A descriptive survey/observational design, using a convenience sample of pediatric patients ages 0-19 years old in a comprehensive SCD clinic at a large, urban, Midwestern academic medical center was utilized …

Evaluating Mindfulness On Loneliness In An Older Adult Population, Jessica Tieskoetter

Dissertations

Problem: Loneliness is a widespread public health concern and has negatively impacted mortality and health outcomes among older adults. This quality improvement project’s purpose was to evaluate mindfulness on loneliness and quality of life among adults aged 65 years and older, participating in a weekly befriending socialization program.

Methods: A descriptive cohort design was utilized to assess loneliness pre-and post-implementation of a mindfulness telephone line over three months. A convenience sample of 22 older adults enrolled in a befriending socialization program was used. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice framework was applied to guide the implementation of a practice change …

Palliative Care Screening For Persons Living With Dementia In A Nursing Home, Shanika S. Pruitt

Dissertations

Problem: Dementia is rapidly increasing as the people of the world mature and life expectancy increases. As the world ages and the prevalence of dementia increases, nursing home placement will and is the most sought place for care of this population. Dementia is under recognized as a terminal illness and palliative care is underutilized for nursing home residents with advanced symptoms of dementia.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) initiative utilized a prospective, descriptive design. The Palliative Care Screening for the Elderly tool was administered to a purposive sample of persons living with dementia residing in the nursing home. Qualitative data …

Secondary School Administrators, Teachers, And Students' Perspectives On Reducing Recidivism In Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs, Chrissell Rhone

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study sought to explore student and staff perspectives on what led students to return to or remain in DAEPs for longer than they were assigned. The researcher reviewed literature related to the history of alternative education programs, placement policies, and alternative school practices. This researcher obtained permission from two schools in a rural county in a southern state. Qualtrics was used to collect all quantitative data. Data was collected using questionnaires and focus groups. The quantitative component of this study was employed so that students could maintain anonymity and honestly respond without feeling pressured or intimidated. Student data …

The Impact Of Juvenile Offender Race On Public Perception Of Crime Seriousness, Megan Whitaker

Dissertations

Public perception of crime is an important focus of research, especially when considering juvenile offenders. However, there is very limited research in this area. This study looked at how the public perceives crime seriousness and how race of the juvenile offender impacts the overall seriousness rating. An online survey that included 15 crime scenarios was completed by 176 participants. It was hypothesized that a crime would be rated as more severe when the juvenile offender is African American as compared to a Caucasian juvenile offender. Results found that participants overall rated the seriousness of offenses as significantly higher for Caucasian …

Compassion Satisfaction And Compassion Fatigue Among Pediatric Nurses And The Impact On Patient Satisfaction, Maribeth Thornton

Dissertations

Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction are two inter-related concepts. Individuals in helping professions may occasionally face compassion fatigue from giving so much of themselves to others. Compassion fatigue has been studied in a variety of settings: medical, social work, nursing, law enforcement, and fire departments, to name a few. While some researchers have studied nurses, little published work has focused exclusively on nurses who care for specialty pediatric populations. Additionally, there is scant research on whether compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue are associated with patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of compassion satisfaction and …