Digital Commons Network^™

Spirituality, Religiosity, And Perceived Ability To Provide Spiritual Care In Nursing Students, Shannon O'Connell-Persaud

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to explore nursing students' spirituality, religiosity, and perceived ability to provide spiritual care.

Determinants Of Spiritual Well-Being In Adults Newly Diagnosed With Heart Failure: Primary Palliative Care Applied, Valerie Joy Smith

Dissertations

Guided by Roy's Adaptation Model (Roy, 2009) and using a descriptive, correlational, comparative design, sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, race, marital status, income), coping, primary palliative care (PPC, spiritual needs, social support, decision-making [DM] engagement, psychological support, PPC information and education provision, goals of care discussion, and care coordination across settings and times), spiritual well-being (SWB), and advance directive (AD) completion in response to living with a HF diagnosis within the previous 12 months were described and the potential relationships and differences between the variables explored.

Effectiveness Of Simulation-Based Case Studies In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Kesha T. Becnel

Dissertations

An ever-changing healthcare landscape requires today's nurses to have a solid foundation in knowledge and clinical judgment to provide safe care to patients. Nurse educators must implement teaching strategies that help develop the knowledge and clinical judgment that nursing students will need upon graduation and entry into healthcare. Simulation-based experiences have been shown to help develop clinical judgment when used as part of a clinical practicum. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of simulation-based experiences as a classroom teaching strategy.

Family Dining: Food And Drink In The Sopranos – A Gastrocritical Approach, Lisa Davies

Dissertations

This thesis uses gastrocriticism to explore food and drink in the 86 episodes of the long-form narrative HBO television series The Sopranos. Gastrocriticism is an emerging branch of literary criticism that draws on scholarship from a range of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology and cultural studies. A deeper understanding of the series was gained by using a structured framework of enquiry to explore narrative, setting, characterisation and genre through the lens of food and foodways. The Sopranos is a story of an Italian-American crime family and food is abundant in the series and bound up with the identity of …

Moving Forward With Music To Promote Student Growth: A Mixed Methods Study With 9th-Grade Algebra 1 Students, Willie Mae Dean

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate what effect music had on student achievement and student behavior during independent practice time for 9th-grade Algebra 1 students. Benchmark assessments from the participating district, a focus group of six students, and four in-person teacher interviews provided the data for this study. The beginning-of-year Galileo Algebra 1 benchmark assessment was used as a baseline for the study. Algebra 1 teachers were asked to participate in one of three ways, to play teacher-selected music, to allow students to listen to their own music, or allow no music to be played during …

Trust, Levels Of Functioning, And The Plc Process In A Midwest Middle School: A Case Study, Nancy Fuchs

Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the connections between professional learning communities (PLCs), trust, and targeted interventions to promote increased functioning within adult groups. In contemporary education environments, collaborative efforts and shared decision-making became integral to achieving organizational goals. However, adult groups faced challenges such as communication breakdowns, conflicts, and lack of cohesion, impeding collective efficacy.

The study critically analyzed the theoretical foundations of PLCs and the potential to foster professional growth and collaboration. PLCs were characterized by ongoing learning, reflective dialogue, and a shared commitment to improvement. By providing a structured framework, PLCs offered opportunities for individuals to engage in meaningful interactions, …

Near-Ir Spectroscopic Analysis Of The Primary Volatile Composition Of Long And Short-Period Comets, Younas Khan

Dissertations

Comets are among the most well-preserved objects that formed in the protosolar nebula ∼4.5 Gyr ago. Hence, they are important for understanding various aspects of the formation, evolution, and habitability of the solar system. Multiple primary volatiles (molecules directly sublimating into the coma from the nucleus) emit via rovibrational transitions in the near-IR, providing opportunities to calculate their abundances. To date, only ∼50 comets have been characterized for their primary volatiles, with the short-period Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) being significantly underrepresented. In contrast, hundreds of comets have been sampled at optical/UV wavelengths, primarily for the composition of daughter species, leading to …

Understanding The Structure And Dynamics Of Conjugated Polymers By Deuteration And Neutron Scattering, Zhiqiang Cao

Dissertations

Semiconducting conjugated polymers (CPs) open opportunities to develop a new generation of lightweight, printable, low-cost, deformable, and large-area electronic devices. CPs are characterized by complex chain dynamics and heterogeneous molecular structure with large degrees of conformational freedom.

Chain conformation (i.e., chain rigidity and local backbone planarity) dictates the delocalized electron cloud along the polymer backbone which greatly influences the optical and electronic properties of conjugated polymers. For the first time, we indicate that using variable-temperature scattering and spectroscopy characterizations allows confirmation of the single-chain state to measure the molecular chain conformations. We found a critical role of side chains and …

Social Spaces, Places, And Substance Use In Shaping Queer Identities, Alessandra Milagros Early

Dissertations

Research has suggested that queer people may be more likely than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts to use substances. Largely, these higher rates are commonly explained through frameworks of victimization or (ab)use that render substance use as a form of coping or inherently problematic. While some queer people do use substances to cope, the social spaces, places, and contexts in which use often occurs are often obscured or ignored. More recently, contemporary queer criminologists have explored queer substance use and have considered how it is intimately linked to social space, place, identity formation, and community building. This dissertation draws from queer …

Online Education: Benefits And Challenges For Refugee Students, Roza Badritdinova

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Currently, only 3% of refugees are pursuing higher education opportunities compared to the 37% higher education participation rate globally. There is an urgent need for quality academic work to leave behind the endless descriptive accounts of refugee life and move toward identifying effective strategies and successful solutions that could facilitate the integration of refugees into higher education. Technology has proffered some hope in providing access to public education for marginalized populations. This study looked specifically at how one online education organization attempts to address refugee education and multiple barriers that prevent the majority of the world’s university-age refugee youth …

The Relationships Between And Among Parental Perceptions Of Family-Centered Care, Parental Beliefs, And Parental Stress In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Kelly Keefe-Marcoux

Dissertations

Children hospitalized for critical care require increasingly complex and technical care, which can be very stressful for parents. Awareness of the importance of parents' role while their child is receiving critical care is vital to deliver care within a family-centered philosophy that is mutually beneficial to parents and nurses. This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships between and among parental perception of Family-Centered Care (FCC) nursing practices, parental beliefs regarding their role and their hospitalized child, and parental stress during their child's admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This study utilized the Family-Centered Care theoretical framework to examine …

The Association Between Pelvic Floor Dysfunction And Mental Health In Natal Females With A Focus On Native American Populations, Lexxie Gramke

Dissertations

Purpose

Over half of natal females in the United States suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). PFD can increase risk of mental health sequelae; however, no studies have been conducted examining the association between mental health and PFD in the Native American (NA) population. This dissertation aims to evaluate the association between PFD, with a focus on overactive bladder (OAB), and mental health in females with specific attention to NAs.

Methodology

A current state of the science review examined the literature for associations between OAB with depression and anxiety in females. Utilizing this literature review, a theoretical model was constructed …

Effect Of An Experiential Learning Model For Simulation Design On Clinical Nursing Judgment Development In Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Joyce Victor

Dissertations

Simulation is an experiential learning process used in nursing education to develop and evaluate competencies, including clinical judgment (Berragan, 2011; Jeffries, 2012), yet the effectiveness of simulation in nursing education is not sufficiently evaluated (Foronda, Liu, & Bauman, 2013) and simulation design is not adequately theory-based (Kaakinen & Arwood, 2009; Rourke, Schmidt, & Garga, 2010; Jeffries, 2012; Rodgers, 2013). In this study, Kolb's Model of Experiential Learning (Kolb, 1984; 1999) was employed to create an experiential learning simulation design. A quasi-experimental study was used to test the effects of this new design on clinical nursing judgment development and its relationship …

Predicting Suicide Attempt Histories With Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial Regression: A Combined Psychological And Demographic Approach With Military Personnel, Aleksandr Karnick

Dissertations

Nearly 50,000 individuals die by suicide each year and, despite only representing 7% of the population, military veterans represent nearly 14% of suicides. As a critical public health concern, research has been directed toward identifying risk factors for suicide. Over the last 50 years of research, nearly 3,000 separate effect sizes for suicide risk factors have been identified, but this research has made little progress toward identifying individual suicide risk and predictive capacity remains low. Although research from medicine and traumatic injury suggest that public health interventions that are implemented broadly can be highly effective at reducing risk for other …

The Experience Of Transitioning For The Transgender Person: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach To Advance Gender Affirming Care, Shelley Evans

Dissertations

The process of transitioning has a significant impact on improving quality of life among transgender and nonbinary people (Johansson et al., 2010). Transitioning is the act of moving towards a gender identity that feels more aligned with internal identity (Rankin & Beemyn, 2012). However, despite promising research that supports the benefits of medical, social and/or legal transitioning, the understanding of the experience has not been fully explored (Evans et al., 2021), and it is a barrier to advancing the delivery of gender affirming care among nurses, other health care providers, and health care organizations. There is a need to awaken …

Comparison Between The Effectiveness Of Mysci And Openscied Curricula On The Achievement And Attitudes Of Eighth Grade Science Students, Nicole Vick, Nina Blanton

Dissertations

Educators have struggled with maintaining student engagement in science, especially as students transition from primary to middle school and upper grades (Vedder-Weiss & Fortus, 2012). A recent push in science education has been the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), released in 2013, whose development was guided by A K-12 Framework for Science Education (NGSS Lead States, 2013). As a result, more educators have been incorporating curricula that require students to ascertain disciplinary core ideas using lenses of cross cutting concepts while engaged in science and engineering practices; the three dimensions of NGSS performance expectations (PE) also …

The Impact Of Teach-Back Method On Hospital Readmissions, Rebel L. Heasley

Dissertations

Excessive healthcare costs resulted in the advent of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, where hospitals incur financial penalties for high readmission rates. This suburban hospital reported readmission rates of 10.38% in 2020 and 9.03% in 2021, much higher than the desired Vizient national benchmark of 6.83% or the twenty-fifth percentile. A literature review revealed that using the teach-back method alone or with other discharge activities can reduce hospital readmissions. This project tackled the quality
issue of high readmission rates by addressing patient education at discharge. The quality improvement project translated the use of the …

Undergraduate Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Clinical Readiness Increase With Integration Of Simulation Using Ati-Supported Resources, Kasey L. Trill

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to increase first semester Historically Black College and University (HBCU) nursing student's simulation exposure by 50% using the ATI education platform and measure student perceptions of readiness for clinical rotations. This study addressed the research gap of simulation in beginning nursing courses and the impact on student perceptions of self-efficacy in future clinical rotations and contributes to the larger body of simulation research by answering the following questions:

1. What are student perceptions regarding simulation and clinical readiness?

2. How does exposure to simulation impact student clinical performance outcomes?

3. To what degree does …

The Effects Of Type Of Recall On Memory Accuracy In An Eyewitness Case Vignette, Ketura Mccroy

Dissertations

Memory and recall play an essential role in determining convictions in cases of eyewitness testimony. Eyewitnesses can appear confident in their statements, yet one’s memory and recall of a witnessed event can become distorted or manipulated in the process given that it is highly susceptible to various errors, biases, and misleading information such as suggestive questions. The purpose of this study was to further examine how two types of recall (i.e., cued and free) effect eyewitness testimony. In this study, 43 participants read a hypothetical case vignette of a murder crime scene; they were then randomly put into either a …

Culturally Adapted Multiphasic Treatment Program: A Proposed Model For Increasing Successful Community Reintegration For Sex-Trafficked Black Teens, Shayla A. Wright

Dissertations

The commercial sex trafficking industry is a silent epidemic that has been sweeping across nations for centuries. Within the United States, Black teen girls make up the largest demographic of commercially sexually exploited children. Despite efforts, most treatment interventions and programs have limited success in preventing or reintegrating Black teen girls into their respective communities. Even more alarming, most treatment interventions do not consider the impact of culture and other lived experiences. This critical literature review identified and evaluated effective treatment modalities and programs for Black teens and discussed key components that
have been found for community reintegration. The research …

Narratives Of Perseverance By Latina Women Paving Their Way To Success In Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, And Math (Steam) Higher Education, Toni Carmichael

Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative study was to understand the experiences of successful Latina women attaining higher education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) and the challenges they have overcome along the way. Additionally, I sought to examine ways in which these students challenged the stigma of invisibility often attached to Latino communities. Representatives from Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Mexico, the participants of this study were seven women employed in various areas of STEAM with higher education degrees.

Cultural Capital and Feminist Cultural Studies provided the theoretical framework for this study. The three-dimensional narrative design was applied …

Career Adaptability: A Phenomenological Examination Of High School Student-Athlete's Perception Of Their Adaptive Skill Development, Aretha Barnes

Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined high school student-athletes’ perspectives on their adaptive skill development and how their experiences with sports influenced their career development techniques. The study aimed to provide insight into the formation of the adaptive skill development of high school student-athletes to promote post-secondary planning that includes career options outside of the world of sports. Twelve graduated student-athletes who participated in revenue sports at the senior high level completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale and participated in an interview designed to measure adaptive attitudes, behaviors, and competencies. Participants’ interview responses were coded based on behaviors, attitudes, and competencies that correlated …

Learning Finite Mixture Of Ising Graphical Models, Chong Gu

Dissertations

The Ising model is valuable in examining complex interactions within a system, but its estimation is challenging. In this work, we proposed penalized likelihood procedures to infer conditional dependence structure when observed data come from heterogeneous resources in high-dimensional setting. The proposed method can be efficiently implemented by taking advantage of coordinate-ascent, minorization–maximization principles and EM algorithm. A BIC-type criterion will be utilized for the selection of the tuning parameter in the penalized likelihood approaches. The effectiveness of the proposed method is supported by simulation studies and a real-world example.

Nonparametric Tests For Replicated Latin Squares, Joseph Yang

Dissertations

Two classes of nonparametric procedures for a replicated Latin square design that test for both general and increasing alternatives are developed. The two classes of procedures are similar in the sense that both transform the data so that existing well-known tests for randomized complete block designs can be utilized. On the other hand, the two classes differ in the way that the data is transformed - one class essentially aggregates the data while the other class aligns the data. Within these contexts, the exact distributions and asymptotic distributions are discussed, when applicable. The exact distributions are easily computed using the …

Side-Stepping God: How The Nonreligious Find Success In Alcoholics Anonymous, Caitlin Trombley

Dissertations

This dissertation utilized mixed methods research to examine how nonreligious individuals with substance use disorders navigate recovery within—or in spite of—Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Both the 12-step program itself and Alcoholics Anonymous have long been criticized for being religious and/or spiritual in nature, and some studies have shown that this is particularly challenging for nonreligious individuals seeking recovery. The purpose of this research was to (a) identify differences in recovery resources (recovery capital) between the religious, the nonreligious, those in AA, and those who have adopted alternative forms of recovery; (b) identify barriers that the nonreligious face as they navigate recovery …

(Re)Envisioning Factors Contributing To Black Men’S College Success: An Ecological And Critical Reflection Using Photovoice, Collette Brown Rogers

Dissertations

This research uses modified photovoice combined with an ecological and antideficit approach to amplify the voices of Black men who have completed college degrees. The study explores the question: What factors contribute to college completion for Black men? Using a qualitative approach and the Ethos platform to collect images, photo captions, and critical reflection data from a purposive sample of five Black men. Data analysis included inductive and deductive coding, data organization within the ecological systems, and member checking to validate the findings. The study acknowledges the unique challenges Black men face in pursuing higher education. It emphasizes the importance …

A Pesar De Todo: A Phenomenological Study On Latinx Undergraduate Students Choosing Their Academic Majors, Flor Carabez

Dissertations

The Latinx population is the largest non-White group in the United States (U.S.) (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.; Excelencia in Education, n.d.). Nonetheless, members of this community still experience adversity in a myriad of areas, including college degree attainment (Blankenberger et al., 2017; Dueñas & Gloria, 2020; Flores, 2021; Garcia, 2020; Gloria & Castellanos, 2012; Gonzales et al., 2015; Lamont Strayhorn, 2008; Mejia‐Smith & Gushue, 2017; Mora, 2022; Moreno, 2021; Seider et al., 2019; Suwinyattichaiporn & Johnson, 2020; Vásquez, 2013). Stifling college degree attainment is problematic as Americans consider it a tool for upward economic mobility (Cohen & Kisker, 2009; Dwyer …

Leadership Identity Development Among Aspiring Women Leaders In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study Of Formal Mentoring, Malia E. Roberts

Dissertations

Men have held the majority of presidencies, vice-presidencies, deanships, and other top administrative positions on college campuses since 1950 (Parker, 2015). The disproportionately low representation of women holding leadership roles in higher education is even more urgent considering few women ever reach the senior most leadership levels (Hannum et al., 2015). As such, the American Council on Education not only identified the need to increase the presence of women in leadership positions and to cultivate a pipeline of future leaders, but also the need to provide formal leadership training opportunities for women (Howard & Gagliardi, 2018). While various higher education …

Internationalization Strategies In Chinese Higher Education Institutions: Examining A Selection Of Award-Winning Four-Year Universities, Yuqian Zhang

Dissertations

China is building the fastest growing higher education system, in quality as well as in quantity, in the world and emphasizes internationalization in education policy as a guide to building its own capacity and developing native talent. With regained self-confidence and geopolitical ambition, China is also emerging as a new potential higher education leader along its New Silk Road. The purpose of this study was to explore internationalization strategies employed at select, award-winning Chinese four-year universities, specifically those awarded the National Teaching Achievement Award, the highest national award in teaching and education in the country, for their internationalization efforts.

This …

The Skin I’M In: A Critical Content Analysis Of Picture Books Written By Black Authors, Angela Latrece Justice

Dissertations

This study seeks to explore the experiences of Black male protagonists in picture books. The following question guided this study: How do Black authors demonstrate a commitment to social justice? The theoretical framework that guides this study is Critical Race Theory (CRT), which aids in understanding how Black authors use experiential knowledge to represent experiences that challenge dominant ideologies about Black males. The sample consists of 20 pictures books all written by Black authors and published within the United States from 2018 to 2021. The deductive and inductive approaches to critical content analysis is used as it is effective for …