Digital Commons Network^™

The Health Of Patient Privacy: The Patient's Perspective On The Hipaa Protected Health Information, Deborah Lange-Kuitse

Dissertations

Problem

As healthcare entities continue to focus on HIPAA compliance, they must enforce policies that require patients to sign and express understanding of the organization’s privacy policies. It appears the patient’s perspective on healthcare privacy has not been considered within the HIPAA privacy ruling. Patients are healthcare consumers, yet little research has been done on assessing the individual consumer’s perspective on what Protected Health Information (PHI) is actually important to protect and from whom it is important to protect it.

Method

A quantitative survey was developed and distributed to the participants of the Carnegie group, an independent insurance firm in …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Reading Comprehension In High School Students With Learning Disabilities, Helen C. Bryant

Dissertations

Problem. Research indicates that students who receive an exclusively academic education that does not include emotional intelligence skills may not be prepared for future challenges of the 21st century because traditional intelligence contributes to only 20% of the factors that determine life success. Students with learning disabilities have average or above average cognitive intelligence. However, many do not demonstrate academic and social behaviors that normally would be compatible with average intelligence. Even though their cognitive intelligence has been tested, their emotional intelligence has not been tested. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and …

Acknowledged And Perceived Reasons For Non-Attendance At Christian Churches In The Pacifica Community, A Suburb Of San Francisco, California, Peter Edward Burch

Dissertations

Problem. Although formal research on the reasons for non-attendance at Christian churches in America has been conducted, it is not known how these reasons apply to the Pacifica community of California, a suburb of San Francisco. Furthermore, little, if any, research has been conducted to compare the reasons for non-attendance as acknowledged by non-attenders with the reasons as perceived by attenders. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the reasons for non-attendance in Pacifica.

Method. A survey research method was employed to collect data on the acknowledged and perceived reasons for non-attendance at Christian churches in Pacifica. …

Codependency In Master's-Level Counseling Students, Terri Lynne Pardee

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to examine codependency in master’s-level counseling students, to determine if there was a significant difference between incoming and exiting students, and to investigate codependency as related to age, gender, and religious preference.

Method

The Codependency Assessment Tool was administered to 275 Spring Arbor University master’s-level counseling students to measure codependency in five core areas: Other Focus/Self-Neglect, Low Self-Worth, Hiding Self, Medical Problems, and Family of Origin Issues.

Results

Respondents’ CODAT mean score showed a minimal level of codependency. There were no significant differences between incoming and exiting students on the …

Organizational Expectations And Role Clarification Of Pastors And Educators Serving K-10 Schools Operated By The Georgia-Cumberland Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Stanley E. Patterson

Dissertations

Problem Statement

The two major issues addressed in this study are the professional relationship that exists between the educators in K-10 schools and pastors who serve the churches that host the schools and the professional roles that each serves in the school. The roles and organizational expectations for each may impact the health of their professional relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership role expectations of pastors and educators in the K-10 school system o f the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Methodology

A survey instrument was administered to all K-10 teachers and principals in the …

The Function Of Loipos In Contexts Of Judgment And Salvation In The Book Of Revelation, Leslie N. Pollard

Dissertations

Problem addressed. The function of loipos in the Apocalypse is the focus of this research.

Method. A close reading approach to the Apocalypse was employed in this study. Every occurrence of loipos as it applies to human entities in contexts of judgment and salvation in the Apocalypse is examined. First, comes textual and translation matters. Then the examination of the literary context and structure follows. Next comes the historical background to each passage. Finally, the interpretation of that passage is presented.

Results. Chapter 1 presents a review of the scholarly literature from the Old and New Testaments on the remnant …

An Evaluation Of Reserve Component Leaders' Attitudes And Motivation As They Relate To Situational Leadership Theory In A Peacekeeping Operational Environment, Clark C. Barrett

Dissertations

Program. This study investigated the relationships between Reservist leaders' attitudes and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory (SLT), and Thomas's Integrative Model of Intrinsic Motivation during a 2004 Sinai, Egypt, peacekeeping mission.

Methodology. This descriptive study provided quantitative and qualitative results. Three instruments were used with a convenience sample of leaders within one forward-deployed National Guard infantry battalion. The LEADSelf instrument determined the SLT style of unit officers and non-commissioned officers. The Thomas Empowerment Survey profiled participants' intrinsic motivation. A researcher-developed survey determined preferences for intrinsic versus extrinsic motivator factors.

The study centered on the following issues: (1) Are the …

Perceptions Of Public School Teachers Regarding The Effectiveness Of The Career Path System Evaluation Instrument In The Bahamas, Solomon Ward

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to measure public school teachers’ perception regarding the effectiveness of their evaluation instrument, the Career Path System, in the Bahamas.

Method. The research population consisted of two categories of public school teachers: (a) level of teachers—elementary and secondary teachers, and (b) status of teachers— evaluated and non-evaluated teachers. The data were analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics, means, and ANOVA.

Results. The results of this study indicate that public school teachers, regardless of the categories elementary or secondary, evaluated or non-evaluated, perceived 44 of 46 performance items of the Career Path System (CPS) …

The So-Called Mixed Text: An Examination Of The Non-Alexandrian And Non-Byzantine Text-Type In The Catholic Epistles, Clinton S. Baldwin

Dissertations

Problem. Since the eighteenth century, textual scholars have been grouping New Testament Greek manuscripts into groups called text-types in order to evaluate the thousands of variant readings found in these manuscripts. These text-types form the basis for determining the earliest form of the text--the primary goal of New Testament Textual Criticism. Almost all textual critics recognize three main text types: Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine. However, in recent times, W. Larry Richards and his followers identified a "mixed text-type" in six books of the Catholic Epistles that is distinguishable from the already established text-types. This text-type if supported by empirical investigation …

Institutional Effectiveness : The Integration Of Program Review, Strategic Planning, And Budgeting Processes In Two California Community Colleges, Eileen Knight White

Dissertations

Problem. Effective institutional planning is vital to the ability of community colleges to deliberately respond to external and internal pressures to increase accountability and demonstrate institutional effectiveness. A significant indicator for assessing the effectiveness of a program review process is the use of the outcomes for other institutional purposes such as research, planning, and resource allocation—in other words, informed decision making. In the past, program review, planning, and budgeting processes for the most part have been independent functions or limited in their integration within an institution. The literature provides theories of integration, but little has been written about how …

The Impact Of Violence Exposure On Sexually Abusive Behavior In Types Of Adolescent Sex Offenders, Emily Sarah Edlynn

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Predicting Repeated Sexual Behavior Problems Among Youth: A Hierarchically Optimal Classification Tree Analysis, David J. Morgan

Dissertations

This study examined characteristics of youth with sexual behavior problems (N = 251) followed over approximately two years and applied Classification Tree Analysis (CTA) via Optimal Data Analysis (ODA) to produce a hierarchically optimal classification model to predict recurrence of SBP over time. This study was designed to address problems with clinical judgment leading to inaccurate diagnosis and in some cases, incorrect treatment or placement of the youth by ascertaining if an actuarial model designed to optimize classification accuracy might be more helpful in directing diagnosis and treatment for these youth. Results suggest initial event severity influences the potential for …

The Relationship Between Nurse Manager Leadership Attributes And Nurse Clinical Autonomy: Magnet Versus Non-Magnet Hospitals, Catherine A. Verkaaik Phd

Dissertations

Purpose: This research evaluated relationships among hospital types (Magnet versus non-Magnet), nurse manger leadership attributes, and staff registered nurse autonomy. Hypothesis: Magnet hospital status would be related to positive nurse manager leadership attributes which would be related to greater clinical nurse autonomy and nurse manager leadership would mediate relationships between hospital status and clinical nurse autonomy. Conceptual Basis and Background: Structural Contingency Theory modified in the Nursing Systems Outcomes Research model was the research model for conceptualizing the structure-environment-effectiveness relationship. Critical Social Theory (CST) provided the conceptual/motivational basis for this study, a lens through which to frame the question. Clinical …

Politics And The Glass Ceiling In American Law Enforcement: Why Not More Women Chiefs Of Police?, Madeline G. Meistrich Edd

Dissertations

Law enforcement is one of the last male-dominated occupations. Out of 18,000 police departments in the United States, only 200 to 250 have women chiefs. Such under-representation reflects the "glass ceiling" effect of a gender-based metaphorical barrier that prevents women from rising to the top of an organization, regardless of qualifications. The research examined three questions: what are the issues and problems articulated by women officers attempting to move upwards; what strategies were employed as they attempted to advance; and what strategies could help other women reach the top? Nine female primary participants in law enforcement leadership were interviewed, as …

Pedagogy In Online Graduate Business Learning Environments, Alicia Maria Gallegos Butters Edd

Dissertations

Many higher education institutions have decided to offer graduate business online courses and full degree online programs. Offering a quality education for graduate business students online is of concern to business school professors, administrators, and students. Instructors are concerned with the content, delivery method, and level of student achievement. Instructional design support for the online instructors is often lacking in the online curriculum and pedagogy, leaving the faculty with a great deal of freedom to create their own course content, structure, and delivery without any formal distance education training. For this reason, it is imperative for universities to establish online …

Using Gis To Assess Ireland's Knowledge Economy And Its Readiness For Knowledge Based Activity, Niall Mcguinness

Dissertations

The attractiveness of emerging low wages economics to primary industries such as manufacturing and production is forcing many western economies to transition to knowledge economies. In the absence of many forms of primary industry lost to low wage economies, the European Union and its members are fast realising the importance of attracting knowledge based enterprise in order to maintain Europe’s economic climate. Ireland too has a stated aim to become a knowledge economy by the year 2010. This can be achieved by investing in higher education and attracting knowledge industry to the country. Ireland has made some progress to achieving …

Of "Illustrators," "Narrators," "Editors," And "Readers": Describing Relations Between Significantly Disabled Students And Their Peers, Srikala Naraian

Dissertations

This paper interweaves several theoretical strands—disability studies, narrative theories, and sociocultural perspectives on learning—both as a means to understand current practice in the education of students with significant disabilities as well as to envisage other forms of participation for them. The aims of the study are derived from the argument made by Ferguson (2003) that the narratives of others in the lives of severely disabled individuals are critical to the formation of their identities. Appropriating this idea to the classroom, this study explores the notion that the narratives of classroom peers are vital to the participation of the severely disabled …

Separate And Unequal Risks For Victimization? An Examination Of The Relationship Between City-Level Conditions And Risks For Non-Fatal Victimization, Toya Z. Like

Dissertations

This investigation is an exploratory study of the relationship between city-level conditions and risks for non-fatal victimization. Specifically, city characteristics including residential segregation and economic equality between whites and minorities, the proportion of female-headed households, person unemployed and impoverished and the proportion of residents below age eighteen and their relation to non-fatal victimization is studied. Furthermore, individual and neighborhood correlates of non-fatal victimization are examined in addition to city conditions. Also of importance to the current study is examining these risks across racial and ethnic groups and across cities. The primary data is derived from the National Crime Victimization Survey …

Transition Activities And Their Effects On Middle School Students, Vicki Sue Vanlaere

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness that transitional activities have on student achievement and attendance when students moved from elementary school to middle school. The data were gathered from two school districts that are demographically similar. Data included average daily attendance rates, Terra Nova Achievement Scores from social studies in grades five, six, and seven, as well as math in grades five, six, and seven. There were 187 students in the Treatment Group and 147 in the Control Group for a total of 334 students. Comparison of means for demographic equivalency of the groups (t-test) and …

Factors Which Impact The Conduct Of Fifth Grade African-American Males, Derricka Bashetta Thomas

Dissertations

This study examines the factors that impact the conduct of fifth grade African- American male students who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K). The participants in this study are located throughout the United States of America. These students attend private and public schools. The data for this study were provided by the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), a division of the U.S. Department of Education. The researcher utilized ECLS-K’s Public Use Data File and Electronic Codebook to create an SPSS syntax file in order to measure the factors that impact the conduct of fifth grade African- American …

An Examination Of Perception Toward Merit Pay In A Southern School District, Carol Lynn White Payne

Dissertations

The use of merit pay systems has been a part of educational history for one hundred years. States across the country have utilized different forms o f merit pay systems to increase student achievement. Career ladder merit pay systems may base teacher salary on the attainment of additional degrees, additional responsibilities and an increase in student achievement. School-based performance awards may reward all staff members of a school based on achievement of goals set by the school board. Individual teacher financial awards may be based on administrative evaluations, student achievement, attainment of additional degrees, and participation in professional development sessions. …

Crossing The Bridge From Eighth To Tenth Grade: Can Ninth Grade Schools Make It Better?, Eddie James Peasant Ii

Dissertations

Ninth grade is a complicated time period in the school years of young adolescents, They face many social, emotional, physical, and academic issues during the transition from eighth grade to the freshman year. In some cases, these problems in ninth grade lead to increased dropout rate. This matter is addressed in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). School districts across the country are establishing programs to deal with this dilemma of students transitioning from the middle grades to high school. One such program is the ninth grade school or academy. The general purpose of this study was to investigate …

A Laptop-Learning Initiative: Relationships With Student Achievement, Technology Proficiency, And Attitude Towards Technology, Kevin Scott Nicholas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between a laptop learning initiative, student achievement, technology proficiency, and attitude towards technology. The initiative, Project One-on-One, was designed to provide teachers with the ability to teach technology integrated lessons in classrooms with a student-to computer ratio of 1:1. This was accomplished by utilizing two mobile laptop labs that were financed through a national grant competition. The variables that were examined in the study were three years of eighth-grade student achievement scores from the criterion-referenced Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test and the Louisiana Center for Educational Technology’s Technology Proficiency …

Retaining Information Technology Employees In Higher Education, Mary Holmes

Dissertations

The retention of qualified Information Technology (IT) employees is at an all time low within higher education institutions. IT personnel are essential for higher education institutions to effectively integrate technology into their educational programs. These IT employees contribute to their institution's teaching/learning mission, while simultaneously supporting complex and highly visible administrative operations. Yet, all previous research regarding IT employee retention issues had only been conducted within corporate settings.

To examine factors related to IT employees' retention within public higher education, an internet-based study was sent to IT employees in all four-year public universities throughout Michigan. The survey included questions within …

New Tests Of Univariate Symmetry Based On The Gini Mean Difference, Hend Ouda

Dissertations

Gini mean difference (GMD) was proposed as a measure of income inequality by Corrado Gini in 1912. Since then it has been widely applied - mostly in theeconomics, but also in statistical and social science research.

Four statistical tests of univariate symmetry are being proposed---all based on the comparison of variation below and above the median (known or estimated) measured by the GMD. These tests are applicable to the data from populations with median known and unknown, and each of them has its rank-basedcounterpart, so they can also be used for ordinal data.

A Monte Carlo simulation study was performed …

Funding Michigan K-12 Educational Adequacy Without Rewarding Inefficiency, James J. Walters

Dissertations

Resource equalization represents the historical and theoretical basis for American school finance and its ideals continue to dominate discussion and practice. During the last decade and a half, the national aspiration for equitable distribution of school finance resources has started a transformation into a derivative notion of adequacy. This equity policy derivative embraces the idea of sufficiency, which in turn implies a standard. The concept of educational adequacy has grown to mean the achievement of high absolute standards. Equity (equalization) theorists measure resource level on a relative basis; each student relative to all others. Adequacy adherents measure student achievement against …

Determining The Probability Of The Visual Detection Of Sink Marks On Differently Textured Injection Molded Products, Kurt Frederick Hayden

Dissertations

The injection molding segment of the plastics industry has historically exhibited an environment of intense competition. To remain competitive, manufacturers must ensure that molds will produce defect-free parts without multiple design revisions. Designers often use computer simulations to predict design problems before the construction of tooling. These sophisticated software applications will soon have the ability to simulate the final appearance of products. However, the effects of aesthetic defects such as sink marks and splay are often difficult to simulate accurately and effectively.

It is understood that surface textures can conceal minor aesthetic defects. A well-known example is the concealment of …

The Cover-Up Is More Damaging Than The Sin: Sexual Scandals At The Cabinet And Sub-Cabinet Levels, Craig Korpela

Dissertations

Based on the sexual scandals of Alexander Hamilton, John Eaton, Sumner Welles, and the recently concluded investigation of Henry Cisneros, this research provides an initial, and subsequently revised, set of phases and factors that describe sex scandals of Cabinet and sub-Cabinet secretaries. Garnered from these historical cases and other scandal literature are factors that impact the development of a sex scandal. Presidential support, traits of the indiscretion, relationships between executives, public opinion, legal matters, Congressional oversight, and efforts to cover-up a sexual affair are just a few of the factors that could impact the tenure of an appointee.

Patient Handling Safety For Nursing Staff, Don Nielsen

Dissertations

The effectiveness of video scoring and feedback about the scoring of the components of safe patient transfers was observed among eight nursing staff members in a skilled nursing department within an acute care hospital.

An ABCA (and sometimes ABCDA), multiple baseline across individuals design was utilized in the study. The dependent variable under investigation was the percentage of safe lifting components. Following baseline measures, nursing staff participated in an information phase during which they reviewed and discussed components of safe patient transfers. A video scoring phase was introduced, during which, participants viewed and scored a model video of a patienttransfer. …

Sustainable Barrier Sbs Paperboard Coatings Using Co-Polymerized Shape Engineered Pigments, Lokendra Pal

Dissertations

This study concentrates on the development, application, characterization and optimization of shape engineered pigments and co-polymerized sustainable coatings to provide solid bleached sulfate (SBS) board with a barrier against water, water vapor, and gasses. In contrast to off-line extrusion coating with unsustainable petroleum based products, conventional and co-polymerized shape engineered pigmented dispersion coatings were used to improve barrier, surface, optical and mechanical properties of an SBS board.

It is very important for package and quick-service wares made from coated SBS board to maintain barrier and mechanical properties at high humidity and temperature applications. The coated SBS board package should protect …