Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perspectives And The Psychosocial Climate Of The Classroom In A Traditional Bsn Program, Melodie Ann Rowbotham

Dissertations

An outstanding educator can be defined as one who "helps their students learn in ways that make a sustained, substantial, and positive influence on how those students think, act, and feel" (Bain, 2004, p. 5). The goal of teaching is to use all aspects of the teaching-learning exchange in a way to maximize the opportunity for learning. The role an educator plays in this teaching-learning exchange is critical in developing an exchange that is conducive to learning. The educator sets the stage for creating a learning environment that encourages learning. Developing and implementing a positive psychosocial environment should be one …

Improving Clinical Alarm Fatigue And Alarm Management Competency Among Critical Care Nurses By Implementing A Unit Based Alarm Management Bundle, Stephanie Bosma

Dissertations

Clinical alarms are designed to signal an unsatisfactory patient physiological state, alert staff to malfunctioning medical equipment or systems, and warn the operator of potential hazards to the patient. While alarms interrupt the patients healing process, alarms also induce a crippling fatigue among nurses, known as alarm fatigue. The concept of alarm fatigue and clinical alarm management competency remains a common problem among nurses who work in the acute care setting. In the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at a teaching hospital in Northeast Florida, alarm fatigue, consistent alarm management skills, and competency surrounding the use of the Philips physiologic …

Promoting Safe Sleep Education For At Risk Mothers, Breanna James

Dissertations

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is an unexplained scary phenomenon that has plagued parents for years until research determined there was a link between the infants sleeping position and sudden death. Local community leaders in health and advocacy review fetal and infant deaths on an annual basis to identify ways that infant mortality may be prevented. Barriers related to social determinants of health and lack of knowledge specific to safe sleep were identified root causes. Evidence-based recommendations for safe sleep set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing mortality. The purpose of the quality improvement …

Nursing Faculty Shortages: Perspectives From Deans And Directors Of Bsn Programs, Diane Porretta Fox

Dissertations

This study examined the shortage of nurse faculty in one Midwestern state. The purpose of the study was to identify facilitators and barriers to recruiting and retaining nurse faculty. Case studies were conducted, with the primary data source being semi-structured interviews with deans and directors of six nursing programs that offer the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The interviews and a review of institutional artifacts informed the study.

How Could Venture Capitalists Improve Their Performance At Fund Management Level Via Better Allocating Their Financial And Human Capitals - A Cross-Fund Approach, Fei Han

Dissertations

Venture capitalists’ performance has been studied at the levels of portfolio company and fund. But no similar study at the fund management entity level has been documented. This study fills in the gap to examine the drivers of the venture capitalists’ performance at the fund management entity level. This study uses the capital allocation theory to develop five hypotheses on its performance. Each of them embodies an aspect of the feature of capital allocation in the venture capital investment process. With an expanded concept of capital for capital allocation, this study examines the allocation of both the financial capital and …

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Of Spiritual Competencies Development In Counseling Supervision, Emmanuel Javert Nnadozie

Dissertations

Developing religious and spiritual competencies is paramount in the training of counselors to become effective in addressing clients’ religious and spiritual issues in counseling. Clinical supervision in practicum and internship courses is key to the development of these competencies, but questions as to how best they might be infused in counselor training remained. The purpose of the study was to create an explanatory theory of the process of the development of religious and spiritual competencies in clinical supervision. Utilizing grounded theory, experts in the field of supervision and spirituality were interviewed. The ways paradigm was used as a sensitizing concept …

How Exemplary Female Superintendents In Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, And San Diego Counties In Southern California Lead From The Heart, Jeanine Wulfenstein

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary female superintendents in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in Southern California lead from the heart using the four principles of Mark C. Crowley’s work, by demonstrating how they build a highly engaged team, connect on a personal level, maximize employee potential, and value and honor achievement within their organizations.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored and identified the lived experience of eight California public school superintendents in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in Southern California. Study participants were selected for interview participation based …

Interspecific Pollen Transfer, Gene Flow, And Speciation In Bat-Pollinated Burmeistera H. Karst. & Triana (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), Juan Moreira-Hernandez

Dissertations

The evolutionary success of angiosperms has been largely influenced by their interactions with animal pollinators, which provide pollen and gene transport between individuals, populations, and young diverging species. Here, I examine the interplay between interspecific pollen transfer (IPT) by shared pollinators, gene flow, and the evolution of reproductive isolation in the young rapid radiation of Neotropical bat-pollinated bellflowers in the genus Burmeistera (Campanulaeae: Lobelioideae). In Chapter 1, I conducted an extensive review of the pollination and plant speciation literature to highlight the evolutionary consequences of IPT in angiosperms and showed that it has profound consequences for the evolution of floral …

Intimate Partner Violence Education For Pregnant And Postpartum Adolescents And Young Adults, Tatiana Filajdic

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem The commencement of intimate partner violence (IPV) often begins with relationships during adolescence and young adulthood; hence, young age is a risk factor. Young adult females, pregnant and post-partum adolescents are at high risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV).

Methods A prospective, descriptive design evaluating the impact of three IPV education sessions offered over a three-month period at a non-profit shelter specific for young adult, pregnant and post-partum adolescents.

Results Twelve participants attended the sessions (N=12), and seven (n=7, 61.5%) of shelter residents attended at least one IPV education session. A two-proportion z …

Roles Of Phospholipase Dε In Arabidopsis And Soybean Response To Nitrogen Deficiency, Shuaibing Yao

Dissertations

Phospholipase D (PLD) hydrolyzes phospholipids to produce phosphatidic acid (PA) and plays important roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. Of 12 PLDs in Arabidopsis, PLDε is involved in nitrogen response in Arabidopsis and canola, but the mechanism remained elusive. This study was undertaken to investigate how PLDε mediates plant response to nitrogen availability. Nitrogen deficiency induces an increase in PLDε transcript and protein levels and an increased association with intracellular membranes. PLDε interacts with autophagy-related protein 8e (ATG8e), and two of the four predicted ATG8-interacting motifs in PLDε are required for PLDε-ATG8e interactions. PLDε hydrolyzes phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) conjugated …

Bisexual+ Women Of Color And Microaffirmations, Zori Paul

Dissertations

In the last decade, there has been an interest in exploring affirming identity factors for bisexual+ (bisexual, pansexual, queer, fluid, etc.) individuals that would promote positive mental wellbeing. However, there is a dearth in the current research that focuses on bisexual+ women of color and affirming factors unique to their intersecting racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender identities. By understanding what potential affirming factors, including bisexual microaffirmations, protect bisexual+ women of color from binegativity (bisexual specific discrimination), mental health professionals can provide and advocate for bisexual+ specific affirming care. This dissertation contains three studies: the first study explores how the experiences of …

Factor Structure And Construct Validity Of A Hospital Survey On Patient Safety Culture Survey Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, Maureen Falcone

Dissertations

Abstract

Objective: The purpose is to explore the underlying factor structure of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture Survey (HSOPS^®), to evaluate correlations between the factors, and to extend past work by further estimating its construct validity in a large sample.

Methods: A secondary data analysis using EFA and the AHRQ HSOPS^® database (December 2017 to October 2020), from nurses who shared their perceptions about hospital cultures of safety in the reporting of adverse events. Data were collected from 191,977 hospital nurse respondents in 320 U.S. hospitals.

Results: EFA obtained six factors with an eigenvalue >1 …

Exploring Psychological And Situational Factors That Influence Female College Students' Participation In Oral Sex, Margaret Bergeron

Dissertations

Although sexually transmitted infections (STI) are not officially reported via the route of transmission, the CDC (2016) reports that individuals who provide fellatio have the highest risk of oral transmission of a STI. Therefore, females who engage in fellatio are at risk for acquiring a STI. The majority of research studies on young adult heterosexual female sexual activities primarily focus on vaginal sex and the associated risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Limited research exists on the oral sex behaviors of female college students and their understanding of the risk for contracting an STI through fellatio. The purpose of …

Factors Associated With Household Contacts' Tuberculosis Testing And Evaluation, Elvy G. Barroso

Dissertations

Contact investigation (CI) is one of the core elements of tuberculosis (TB) control. It is intended to achieve early identification of contacts who may have been exposed to a patient with infectious active TB and contacts who may benefit from treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). LTBI is an infection in which the Mycobacterium tuberculosis organisms cause no signs and symptoms but the infection can be reactivated and develop into full-blown active TB disease. Failure to be identified as a contact is the primary reason for disease development in more than half of TB patients, thus a complete and timely …

How Are Intrapreneurs Successful In Product Development? A Study Of Intrapreneurs In Established Firms, Christopher Johnson

Dissertations

The term Intrapreneur dates to the 1980s and refers to an entrepreneurial thinking employee within an established organization who thinks across the boundaries of organization units. Due to business competition and the pace of innovation, large firms rely on intrapreneurs to lead process improvements, incremental innovations, new product development, or vertical technology development. These individuals often lead activities positioning the firm to innovate and differentiate from the business competition. Despite the need for firms to turn to the front-line intrapreneurs to reinvigorate the business, it is still unclear what separates the successful intrapreneurs from the unsuccessful. This study contributes to …

When "First, Do No Harm" Fails: A Restorative Justice Approach To Workgroup Harms In Healthcare, Pedro L. Flores

Dissertations

In healthcare, workgroup mistreatment is a pervasive problem that begins during medical education (medical and nursing school) and becomes embedded in the “hidden curriculum of professionalism,” which dissuades and even punishes learners for talking about abuse they witness. Furthermore, the mistreatment of healthcare providers (HCPs) pervades all disciplines in the healthcare delivery chain due to a combination of cultural factors, systemic pressures, dysfunctional hierarchies, and leadership’s tolerance of intimidating and disruptive behaviors. Not surprisingly, 18% of U.S. HCPs have left the medical field since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and burnout, stress, anxiety, and increased workloads have been identified …

The Ripple Of Influence: The New Roi For Nonprofit Human Service Ceos, Lucinda Perry Jones

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary nonprofit human service CEOs lead their organizations through the lens of Grenny et al.’s (2013) six sources of influence.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 15 nonprofit human service CEOs and how they lead as influencers. Study participants were CEOs of basic needs organizations drawn from the Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders^® award recipients from 2015-2020. The researcher collected qualitative data by utilizing an interview protocol and examining organizational artifacts.

Findings: Analysis of the qualitative data from 15 nonprofit human service CEOs yielded 14 …

The Road To Completion: Campus-Based Support Services That Lead To An Increase In Success Rates For Postsecondary Students With Foster Care Experience Using The Six Factors Of Student Success, Whitney Ortega

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the lived experiences of foster youth at California community colleges who have completed at least one major semester regarding the impact of their participation in campus support programs on their academic achievement.

Methodology: The researcher identified three community colleges within the state of California. Of this target population, purposeful sampling was applied to identify participants that were rich with information and that met specific criteria and 12 students with experience in the foster care system were identified. The researcher collected and coded data from in depth interviews.

Findings: …

The Lived Experience Of Being A Caregiver For A Family Member Dependent Upon Hemodialysis, Christine Kearney Turner

Dissertations

An identified gap in the literature exists regarding studies using an inductive approach that allow caregivers to describe the lived experience of caring for family members dependent upon hemodialysis for managing end stage kidney disease. This study used a purposive sample of six caregiver participants, male and female, with an average age of 36 using a descriptive, phenomenological approach designed to share experiences of providing care to a family member dependent on hemodialysis. The representative sample was recruited from a mid-sized hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The investigator conducted face-to-face, semistructured interviews with participants. Using the …

Sexual Minority Thriving: Bouncing Beyond Adversity, Debra Crawford

Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals continue to face prejudice and discrimination due to their sexual minority identity. However, despite these negative experiences, many sexual minority individuals display resilience and thrive. Most of the literature on sexual minorities focuses on negative aspects of identifying as a sexual minority, rather than the positive qualities that these individuals possess that allow them to persevere. In a sample of 303 sexual minorities, this dissertation contained two studies. Study one investigated if posttraumatic growth mediated the relationship between resilience and thriving and if identity pride and existential anxiety moderated the relationship between resilience and thriving in a …

The Effect Of Self-Management Support Interventions For Adults With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury And Family Caregivers, Ann Thaiudom

Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of a self-management support program for individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and their family caregivers.

Design: The study design was a two-group randomized control trial.

Method: A total of 73 mTBI patients and their primary family caregivers were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=36) receiving the self-management support program plus usual care or the control group (n=37) receiving only usual care. The self-management program was developed based on the Individual and Family Self-management theory, and relevant clinical practice guidelines. The program consisted of self-management support assessment at …

A Quantitative Study Of The Relationships Among Psychological Safety, Collaborative Capacity, And School Climate In Middle-Level Schools, Karen Brownfield

Dissertations

This quantitative study was conducted to investigate possible relationships between psychological safety, collaborative capacity, and school climate in middle level schools in order to identify specific leadership behaviors to increase collective efficacy. School leaders’ knowledge of the positive effect collective efficacy has on student learning is not enough (Donohoo & Katz, 2019; Parrett & Budge, 2020). Leaders must also be aware of functional behaviors to foster collective efficacy, thus increasing student learning (Donohoo & Katz, 2019). Based on the theoretical work of Bandura (2000, 2012), as well as DeWitt (2017), Garmston and Wellman (2013), Hattie (2017, 2019), and Rock (2013), …

Clinical Nursing Faculty Perceptions Of Undergraduate Baccalaureate Nursing Student Stress In The Clinical Environment, Catherine A. Stubin

Dissertations

High stress levels are experienced by student nurses throughout their professional education, with the chaotic ever-changing clinical environment being a predominant source of stress. Clinical nursing faculty have a critical role to recognize the stress their students experience in the clinical environment and understand its significance.

A qualitative descriptive design was used to provide a rich description of clinical nursing faculty perceptions of undergraduate baccalaureate nursing student clinical stress. A purposive sample of 14 clinical nursing faculty with at least 4 semesters of clinical nursing faculty experience from accredited, generic baccalaureate nursing programs in the Northeast region of the United …

Advanced Nursing Education: Critical Factors That Influence Diploma And Associate Degree Nurses To Advance, Rose L. Mcghie-Anderson

Dissertations

Advanced nursing education needs to be pursued along the continuum of the nursing career path. This education process is indispensable to the role of the nurse as educator, manager, nurse leader, and researcher who will effect policy changes and assume leadership roles as revolutionary thinkers in addition to implementing paradigmatic shifts.

This grounded theory study sought to unearth the critical factors that motivate nurses to advance academically. The study aimed to gain an understanding of the social processes associated with the decision of diploma and associate degree nurses to advance their nursing education.

The Effect Of Using The Adaptive Crawler™ On The Development Of Infants With Spina Bifida, Age 6-12 Months, Margaret E. Williams

Dissertations

During the timeframe of crawling, age 6--12 months, infants typically interact independently with their environment and their parents in order to perform certain developmental tasks. However, many infants with spina bifida are unable to crawl, as would typically developing infants. The inability to crawl may place these infants at a distinct disadvantage during this developmental timeframe. As a result of the developmental disadvantage, the parent-infant relationship may be negatively affected. For this study, the Adaptive Crawler™ assistive technology infant mobility device was designed, and a prototype created, to promote independent mobility and exploration of their environment by infants with spina …

Determinants Of Police Department Change: An Institutional Theory Approach, Colby Dolly

Dissertations

This research examines the change in police practices after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Immediately after his death and throughout the following years, police departments in St. Louis County faced immense pressure to change. The pressure originated from numerous fronts, including the media, local community groups, and politicians. This research evaluates the change in policing using institutional theory with data from surveys and interviews of police chiefs. The findings indicate changes in policies after 2014. The most significant change occurred in departments strongly influenced by the mimetic dimension of institutional theory. The research adds to …

Leaders Of Change: An Exploration Of Relationships Between International School Administrators’ Mindsets And Their Preferred Leadership Styles, Joe Brogan

Dissertations

At the heart of educational leadership is the ability to manage change. Leaders who can successfully manage change invariably will be more effective. This is especially true in the often-transient world of international schools, where change happens frequently in response to evolving internal and external environments.

K-12 international schools that use the English language as the medium of instruction have proliferated since the end of the Cold War. There has been exponential growth, especially in China, India, and other developed and developing nations. The quality of leadership in these schools is extremely important to stakeholders, especially students, and, consequently, it …

Transitional Care Interventions As Implemented By Faith Community Nurses, Deborah J. Ziebarth

Dissertations

Hospitals are seeking innovative and efficient methods of decreasing avoidable readmissions. Despite the volume of nursing literature exploring the use of advanced practices nurses in providing transitional care, only one study mentions the use of a faith community nurse. The faith community nurse operates in the community and has the skills to provide transitional care. The purpose of this study was to describe transitional care as implemented by faith community nurses using a standardized nursing language: the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC). A mixed method descriptive design was selected to facilitate a thorough exploration of the interventions implemented by faith community …

Conceptualization Of Factors That Have Meaning For Newly Licensed Registered Nurses Completing Nurse Residency Programs In Acute Care Settings, Beverly Dianne Rowland

Dissertations

Nurse residency programs (NRPs) have been identified as a means to promote transitioning of new nurses into the professional nursing role. Questions have arisen related to which elements within those programs are most meaningful to the development of new nurses. As the nursing shortage drives the need for quick transition and development of nurses to meet workforce needs, nursing must identify what is meaningful to nurses in their transition to practice. The purpose of this multi-site study was to explicate meaning from the experiences of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) who have just completed NRPs. The research question was ";What …

Emotional Responses And Mother-Infant Interactions Of Mothers With Early-Preterm, Late-Preterm, And Full-Term Infants In Malawi, Kaboni Whitney Gondwe

Dissertations

Malawi has the highest preterm birth rate in the world and preterm birth contribute to more than one-third of the neonatal deaths annually. Malawi is also faced with limited resources, both human and material. The lack of incubators led to the adoption of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) as routine care for preterm infants. Families also provide support, physical and emotional during this entire period. Evidence from developed countries has shown that preterm birth contributes to maternal emotional distress (depressive, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms and maternal worry about child's health) and fewer maternal and infant interactive behaviors. The majority of …