Digital Commons Network^™

Examination Of Badges To Increase Nursing Student Engagement: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Sharon C. Moritz

Dissertations

Finding ways to help nursing students understand the application of didactic content can be challenging for faculty. One challenge faculty face is motivating students with thought provoking and memorable content using traditional methods. Educational games and gaming attributes have been shown to affect student motivation and support learning. The aim of this study was to gain knowledge, filling a knowledge gap, regarding which gaming attributes motivate nursing students to become engaged in course content that is not graded. Badges were used as a reward system to examine if nursing students would complete an increased number of non-graded case studies, and …

Caregivers Of A Child With Autism In South Florida: A Phenomenological Study, Marline Whigham

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now well known and is being diagnosed more frequently than years ago. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, the combined estimated prevalence of ASD is 14.6 per 1,000 (1 in 68). Estimated prevalence among children age 8 was significantly higher among boys (23.6 per 1,000). ASD is a complicated and challenging disorder for every caregiver, health care providers, schools, and the overall community. However, caregivers of children with ASD receive little support. Little is known about what support is available for caregivers; not much research is available on how to …

Designing And Delivering K-12 Education Professional Development: A Delphi Study, Christalle Hart

Dissertations

Purpose: This futures Delphi study aims to determine what experts in professional development predict the delivery and content of K-12 education and how K-12 educational organizations will need to structure themselves to deliver predicted professional development in 2026 and beyond. Also, the purpose was to have the experts rate the likelihood of the predictions made to be enacted by 2026 and beyond. Methodology: The research design for this study used a Delphi approach which allowed for data collection from a panel of experts in K-12 education leading professional development in a public school district. The Delphi study collected data during …

Hiv And Early Life Stress On Neuroimaging And Risky Behavior, Paola Garcia Egan

Dissertations

This study examined the interactive effects of early life stress (ELS) and HIV on brain morphometry, diffusion-basis-spectrum-imaging (DBSI), risky decision-making, and sex-risk behavior. 122 people with HIV (PWH) and 113 people without HIV (PWoH), free of major psychiatric illness and neurological confounds, were stratified into high (≥ 3 events) vs. low (< 3 events) ELS [PWoH/low ELS (n = 57), PWoH/high ELS (n =56), PWH/low ELS (n = 43), PWH/high ELS (n = 79)] and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging, DBSI, neuropsychological, and risky-behavior assessment; all PWH were virologically controlled. Compared to PWoH, PWH had smaller orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), parietal lobes, insula, caudate and anterior cingulate. No ELS effects were detected in volumetric measures. Significant interactions were found between HIV serostatus and ELS on the OFC and on cellularity of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus after multiple comparisons adjustment. Specifically, PWH/high ELS exhibited significantly smaller OFC and PWoH/high ELS show significantly larger OFC than the other groups. PWoH/high ELS exhibited higher DBSI cellularity (neuroinflammation proxy) of the inferior-occipital-fasciculus compared to PWoH/high ELS. Regardless of HIV status, executive function moderated the relationship between the OFC and sex-risk behavior such that individuals within the sample who performed above average on a measure of executive function and had a larger OFC reported fewer sex partners in past six months than individuals with smaller volumes. No interaction was found between HIV serostatus and ELS on risky behavior measures. Clustering analyses defined ELS subgroups in PWH that were determined by demographic characteristics, duration of infection, recent CD4+ T-cell count, nadir CD4+ T-cell count and high/low ELS.Even in PWH that are virologically controlled, without major current psychiatric comorbidities, there is evidence of a synergistic impact of ELS and HIV on OFC volumes. Higher volumes in the OFC were detrimental when associated with lower executive function scores or advantageous when associated with higher executive function. Findings suggest that ELS is associated with different brain signatures among PWoH and virally suppressed PWH. However, ELS was not directly associated with risky behaviors, and subgroups in PWH were characterized by demographic variables, past substance use and HIV clinical variables.

Black Americans At A Crossroads In American Politics: Electoral Participation, Protest, And Policy Change, Tenille-Rose Martin

Dissertations

This dissertation explores Black political participation in the United States. I argue there is a relationship between Black political participation and trust in government, political efficacy, group consciousness, linked fate, political knowledge, and desire to engage in social activism. This argument draws on research on political participation, group identity, and political behavior and attitudes within the Black community.

A mixed-method approach was used in the study. Data was collected from Blacks across the country via an original survey and interviews. The data analysis chapter determined some support for the theoretical framework, albeit aspects of the model were rejected. Results determined …

Development Of A Comprehensive Professional Development Program For Salem State College School Of Nursing Faculty With A Plan For Implementation And Evaluation, Kathleen L. Skrabut

Dissertations

The purpose of this applied dissertation project was to identify the elements of a comprehensive professional development program and apply that knowledge to the development of an institutionally-specific program for Salem State College School of Nursing (SSCSON). On-going program evaluation at SSCSON indicated that professional development needs, accreditation requirements, and strategic planning goals related to faculty development were not currently being met at the school.

The Nursing Classroom Climate: Cooler For Traditional-Age Students Who Are Male, Marietta J. Bell-Scriber

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the nursing classroom climate and the perceptions and experiences of traditional-age student nurses who are male as they relate to the nursing classroom. A qualitative research procedure in the form of a case study was used to answer the descriptive research questions: (a) What is the classroom climate for traditional-age students who are male? (b) If an inequitable or sex-biased classroom environment is found to exist for traditional-age student nurses who are male, what are the nursing faculty behaviors that contributed to this environment? (c) If an inequitable or sex-biased classroom environment …

The Impact Of Academic Advisor Behaviors On Persistence Of Pregnant And Single Mothers At 4-Year Nontraditional Universities: A Mixed Methods Study, Kristina King

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential exploratory mixed methods study was to identify and describe academic advisor behaviors that had the greatest impact on persistence perceived through the lens of students who were both pregnant and single mothers while enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a 4-year nontraditional university. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify factors that pregnant and single mothers perceived to have impacted their persistence.

Methodology: The qualitative phase of this study consisted of one-on-one interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of single mothers who recently graduated from a 4-year …

Synthetic Amphiphiles As Antibiotic Potentiators, Helena Spikes

Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance has become a massive threat to modern medicine. Bacteria acquire resistance either through genetic mutations or mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids. The growing resistance crisis is exacerbated by over-prescription of antibiotics and improper use. As antimicrobial resistance becomes more widespread, superbugs (bacteria resistant to more than one class of drug) have evolved. Since few new drugs reach clinical trials and even fewer are approved by the FDA, we must find a way to make existing drugs more potent. One technique to accomplish this is by using combination therapy. By administering two or more drugs at a time, …

Family Media Use Plan Implementation For School-Age Children, Mandy Kelly

Dissertations

Abstract

Background: This paper poses to discuss and examine the concern of unmonitored and excessive internet use by school-age children, ages eight years to 11 years old, along with the importance of employing a Family Media Use Plan, which is recommended by the American Family of Pediatrics (AAP). This issue, although not often studied, is a common occurrence today and is associated with physical and mental health concerns for this vulnerable population.

Method: This quality improvement project was accomplished through educating and surveying the parent population of the Intermediate building of a rural, Southeast Missouri Public School District. The involved …

Working For Justice: A Black Educators Journey Of Supporting Black Males In An Urban School District, Carey Cunningham

Dissertations

Abstract

This autoethnographic dissertation focuses on my journey as a Black male educator and administrator working in an urban school district. I highlight some of my accomplishments and challenges in dedicating my life to the field of education in the same urban school district that I attended from kindergarten to twelfth grade. This dissertation points out how my journey allowed me to support students, mainly Black boys, who faced challenges in a school district that I know very well. I have increased my, and hopefully others, understanding of the challenges Black male students and Black male administrators face in an …

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 …

Reversing The Script: Six African American Women Living With Hiv/Aids Who Are Winning A Losing Battle, Allan Weidenbaum

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of six African American women living with HIV/AIDS. The participants' ages ranged from 41 to 54, and were recruited from a transitional homeless shelter. The women attended twelve hour-long support group sessions and also participated in three audio-taped private interviews. Field logs based on the support group observations and interview transcripts provided the sources for thematic analysis of data.

Palliative Care Services On An Adult Inpatient Oncology Unit, Heather E. Barger

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Palliative care (PC) services are widely underutilized for patients with cancer, partly due to the shortage of PC specialists. Additionally, many Americans have not filled out advance directive (AD) paperwork which is commonly addressed in PC. In the absence of an AD, cancer patients are at risk of receiving undesired aggressive treatments in the event they are unable to make decisions independently.

Methods: This quality improvement pilot initiative utilized a descriptive observational design to evaluate the number of ADs documented in the electronic health record (EHR) on an inpatient oncology unit. A retrospective EHR review was used to …

Applying Retrieval Practice In Climate Change Education: How Retrieval-Based Learning May Enhance High School Students’ Conceptual Understanding On Climate Change Topics, Mengyu Wang

Dissertations

This dissertation explored ways to apply retrieval practice strategy on climate change learning at the high school level. Three studies presented that retrieval practice could be used broadly on different topics of climate change and in different learning scenarios. The first study focused on the effect of question placement on learning when students studied sea level rise from an educational video lecture. The results suggested that applying retrieval practice in a style of embedded short-answer questions in videos has clear advantage over restudying the video lecture in both immediate and delayed tests, but no difference in students' performance was found …

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 …

Regulation Of Parkinson’S Disease-Associated Genes By Pumilio Proteins And Micrornas In The Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line Sh-Sy5y, Lisa J. Snoderly-Foster

Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common age-related, neurodegenerative disease. A small collection of genes has been linked to PD, including SNCA encoding the protein alpha-synuclein that aggregates in Lewy bodies, a hallmark of PD. Overexpression of these genes can lead to pathogenesis, yet the regulatory mechanisms that control protein production of the genes are not fully understood. The SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line is a common model for the study of neurodegenerative diseases, including PD. However, SH-SY5Y cells are difficult to transfect, a process necessary for genetic manipulations and downstream analysis of RNA and protein. Herein, I describe the …

Nursing Patterns Of Knowing In Assessment Of Newborn Sepsis, Lorraine B. Rubarth

Dissertations

Sepsis is a devastating, life-threatening disease and a major problem for many newborns; it develops rapidly and requires expertise to identify the early, subtle signs to prevent death or disability. Evidence from nursing practice and philosophic inquiry indicates that nurses use diverse ways of knowing in their assessments. The purpose of this research was to address research questions concerning two areas: 1) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses' patterns of knowing in the assessment of infants with sepsis as related to dimensions of nursing practice; and 2) Test the psychometric properties of the Newborn Scale of Sepsis (SOS) as a …

The Impact Of Structured Orientation On Role Transition And Turnover Intentions Of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Nadege Jules

Dissertations

The first year of transitioning from being an expert nurse to embracing the role as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is challenging. The literature identifies a gap in APRNs transition to practice support in the new role. The impact of structured orientation on role transition and job turnover intentions of novice Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in their first APRN position is warranted and have not been addressed.

The purpose of this nonexperimental, correlational study was to investigate the impact of structured orientation on role transition and job turnover intentions of novice Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in the United States …

A Bright Idea: Assessing Stakeholder Impact Of Social Sustainability Strategies, Sara Theis

Dissertations

The performing arts industry is experiencing an awakening in terms of the need to integrate inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) into their practices. This is the result of calls for change in the industry from members of historically marginalized communities. The challenge is that in order for social sustainability strategies like IDEA to be effective, they need to integrate them into the organization’s culture (Serafeim, 2020). IDEA cannot be a checklist. Using stakeholder theory and resource-based view as theoretical foundations, this qualitative case study examines one exemplary organization that has differentiated on social sustainability for decades. In 27 open …

The Effects Of Segmenting Worksheets And Behavior Specific Praise On Independent Seatwork With Elementary Students, Lauren Peak

Dissertations

While the education system has seen many changes over the years due to COVID-19, one constant is that students must complete independent seatwork at certain times throughout the day. As teachers accommodate the many students in their classroom, an intervention that could increase students’ amount of academic production when doing independent seatwork would be mutually beneficial. For students, the increased contact with learning opportunities would provide the students means to increase fluency for that skill. Examining the effects of segmented and whole worksheets on production would, therefore, create additional learning opportunities.

This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the …

Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Student Perceptions Of Caring Online, Kathleen L. Sitzman

Dissertations

Nursing education is increasingly offered in online settings. In order to continue to convey and sustain caring as a core value in nursing, it has become necessary to better understand what caring means to students in the online nursing classroom setting. Sitzman & Leners (2006) identified online instructor behaviors that supported students feeling cared for in online nursing education environments. In this study, 122 BSN online students from 6 different universities completed an online Likert-type survey in relation to prioritizing the caring instructor behaviors previously identified by Sitzman & Leners (2006). Respondents also answered one open-ended question related to identifying …

A Beginning Look At The Effect Of Age On Dyspnea, Physical Functioning And Self-Efficacy For Home Walking And Managing Shortness Of Breath In Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd), Lynda A. Mackin

Dissertations

Chronic illness is common in older adults and is associated with functional impairments. Older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face both age-related and disease-related decline in pulmonary function. Dyspnea, also referred to as shortness of breath, is a major symptom in COPD and progressive dyspnea is associated with decline in physical function. Aging, chronic illness and a decline in physical function can compromise the individual's confidence, also known as self-efficacy, for performing physical activities. Chronic disease self-management programs for COPD that include an exercise program have been reported to improve functional status, decrease dyspnea and improve self-efficacy for …

The Experience Of Transitioning To The Caregiving Role For A Family Member With Alzheimer's Disease Or A Related Dementia, Kathleen E. Czekanski

Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is a chronic, debilitating disease that currently affects approximately 5.1 million Americans (Alzheimer's Association 2007). The majority of these individuals are being cared for at home by family caregivers who are known to suffer from more depression and burden than any other group of caregivers. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of transitioning to the role of caregiver for a family member with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.

Fall Prevention Among Older Adult Behavioral Health Patients, Jodie Shipley

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Inpatient falls are a major patient safety issue. Behavioral health units experience higher rates of falls among elderly patients with between 13.1 to 25 falls per 1,000 occupied bed days (OBD). The risk of falls for the aged population is increased on a psychiatric unit due to a myriad of issues including psychotropic medications, over-activity on the unit, and confusion (Wong & Pang, 2019).

Methods: This QI project is an observational descriptive pilot intervention evaluation of a redesigned fall prevention program with the aim to reduce falls on a midsized suburban Midwestern inpatient geriatric behavior health …

Parent Perceptions Of Adolescent Technology Use: Implications For The Parent-Child Relationship, Tiffany Somerville

Dissertations

Technology and social media use are now more popular than ever with adolescents. Problematic technology use has often been associated with decreased mental health and relationship quality. Researchers have typically identified problematic technology use by time spent on a device rather than in an interpersonal context. Phubbing and technoference are two constructs that describe how technology use can potentially be disruptive to in-person interactions. Little research has investigated technology use in the context of the parent-child relationship despite reports from parents that technology use is a frequent source of conflict. Through the theoretical frameworks of Bronfenbrenner’s neo-ecological model and structural …

Nursing Candidates' Perceptions Of The Greatest Challenges To Becoming A Professional Nurse, Lee Ann Williams

Dissertations

Nursing candidates' overall goal is to become a professional nurse. To reach this goal, the student must graduate from an associate or baccalaureate nursing program and pass the state board, National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Student retention in nursing programs and passing the NCLEX continue to be a problem for educational institutions throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine nursing candidates' perceptions of their greatest challenges in becoming a professional nurse. Wenger's social learning systems and the community of practice comprised the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions pertained to nursing students' …

Maladies Of Public Administration: Factors That Exacerbate Corruption In Kenya, Moses Waithaka

Dissertations

This study examines factors that exacerbate corruption in Kenya, focusing on institutional weakness as a key factor that fosters corruption in government institutions. Thus, the study examines difficulty in accessing public services, lack of availability of the broadest and most straightforward access to information, and electoral manipulation -voter intimidation, and inability to remove elected leader through the ballot. The study uses Afrobarometer round 8 dataset collected between November and December 2019. This data set was collected under the guidance of the University of Nairobi Institute for Development Studies IDS. Additionally, the study considers a comprehensive literature review to assess and …

The Relationship Between Individual Characteristics Of Registered Nurses, Characteristics Of New Graduate Nurse Transition Programs And Clinical Leadership Skill, Kathy B. Chappell

Dissertations

This non-experimental, retrospective study explored the relationship between individual characteristics of registered nurses, characteristics of new graduate nurse transition programs and clinical leadership skill in a cohort of registered nurses with up to two years of clinical experience. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Benner's Novice to Expert model. Independent variables for individual characteristics of registered nurses included age, primary nursing degree, previous leadership experience, previous healthcare experience and months of clinical experience as a registered nurse.

Program Effectiveness Of A New Nurse Mentorship, Jennifer Malig

Dissertations

Nurses are leaving the bedside at alarming rates impacting healthcare organizations. It is well documented the need will surpass demands increasing strain and stress for already struggling healthcare facilities and team members. After reviewing literature for reasons for increases and ideas to decrease nursing turnover, it was discovered new nurses leave the profession within their first year. According to the 2021 NSI National Health Care Retentions and RN Staffing Report, since the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of nurses leaving the bedside has increased to 19.5%.

A new nurse mentorship began July 2022. The goal of the program was to increase new …