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Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, And Retention Among Undergraduate Students Attending Associate-Degree Nursing Programs In Illinois, Patricia L. Pence

Dissertations

The purpose of the quantitative, descriptive non-experimental study was to determine what the relationship is between emotional intelligence (EI), motivation, demographic variables, and nursing student retention. The research also tested the Nursing Undergraduate Retention and Success (NURS) model by examining demographic variables and academic motivation of nursing students. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Assessing Emotions Scale (AES) garnered data from 390 first-year undergraduate students attending nine associate degree-nursing (ADN) schools in Illinois. Regression analysis suggested statistically significant differences in the mean scores for the test anxiety and control of learning beliefs MSLQ subscales with retention at …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy Beliefs Toward Self-Management Of Asthma And Asthma Self-Management Behaviors In Urban African American Children, Teresa Louise Kaul

Dissertations

African American children in the United States are disproportionately affected by childhood asthma. Despite the enormous effort that has gone into developing educational interventions to teach patients and families self-management skills, morbidity and mortality rates continue to rise, especially for the African American child (CDC, 2005). In an attempt to increase understanding of the factors that may influence self-management of chronic disease, this study examined the relationship between asthma self-efficacy belief and asthma self-management in urban African American children. The study, using a descriptive correlational design, surveyed 81 urban African American children age 7-12 years old with self reported asthma. …

Quality Of Life Among Children With Physical Disabilities, Sharron E. Guillett

Dissertations

A triangulated descriptive research design was used to examine the relationships between quality of life (QOL), health status and physical disability among children between the ages of 8 and 15. A non-random sample (N = 80) of children with and without physical disabilities and their parents participated in this exploratory study. Children were asked to rank their quality of life from one to ten using a modified version of the Child Health Assessment Ladder (CHASL) (Norton, 1987) and then to discuss the rank they chose. QOL scores did not differ significantly between groups (M = 7 for both groups). Thirty …

Pilot Testing Okay With Asthma™: A Digital Story For Psychosocial Asthma Management, Tami Hodges Wyatt

Dissertations

Asthma, an obstructive airway disease characterized by recurrent episodes of breathlessness and wheezing, is the most prevalent chronic illness among children in the United States. An estimated 7.7 million American children have asthma. Health experts suggest that cognitive, emotional, and behavioral variables contribute to its severity. To date, asthma education programs have focused on asthma triggers, behaviors to manage asthma, and asthma medications; however, they have not addressed the emotional component of children's experience with asthma. This is important because the way children feel about their asthma, or their attitude, affects what they learn and how they apply it. The …

To Lift Or Not To Lift: An Institutional Ethnography Of Patient Handling Practices, Hans-Peter De Ruiter

Dissertations

The handling (lifting, mobilizing, moving etc) of patients is an integral part of the carework in health-care institutions. For obvious reasons, this puts healthcare providers at risk for musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs); furthermore the risk of such injuries has been considered an inherent risk of care work. In the last decade a concerted effort has been made to decrease (with the goal of eliminating) caregiver injuries by implementing safe patient handling programs (SPHP). These programs are presented as evidence-based algorithms that require the use of mechanical lifting devices. Institutions implement SPHPs as policies and procedural guidelines to which caregivers must conform. …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Mindful Attention And Awareness Resilience To Stress, And Perceived Stress In Newly Licensed Nurses In A Nurse Residency Program, Vicki L. Washington

Dissertations

A career in the healthcare profession of nursing provokes significant stress in newly licensed nurses. Previous studies suggested that mindful practice enhanced well-being by bringing awareness to thinking and living in the present moment (being mindful), decreased stress, and enhanced resilience to stress.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a mindfulness intervention on mindful attention and awareness, resilience to stress, perceived stress, and health status in newly licensed nurses in a nurse residency program (NRP).

Effects Of Extra-Curricular Project-Based Learning Experiences On Self-Efficacy And Interest In Stem Fields In High School, Taihao Kevin Wan

Dissertations

As our society and systems become more technologically advanced, increasing opportunities exist for students interested to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. However, pervasive inequities have led to differences in the extent to which women and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups choose to pursue study and career pathways in STEM. Project-Based Learning (PBL) is among the most widely researched strategies suggested to support student learning and motivation and has more recently been applied to school-based efforts to increase student interest in STEM related fields. Rooted in Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined changes in students’ self-reported general …

Unpacking Educational Harm: Parent And Teacher Perceptions Of English Learners, Amalia Guzmán Ayala

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (1) provide the opportunity to Spanish-speaking parents of English Learner (EL) students to voice their perceptions regarding policies, procedures, and programs related to ELs, and (2) provide the opportunity to teachers to share their perceptions regarding the policies, procedures, and programs related to ELs. The research design for this qualitative study was exploratory and descriptive. The key findings were: (1) Hispanic Spanish-speaking parents had limited knowledge about policies, procedures, and programs related to ELs; and (2) Teacher knowledge about the policies, procedures and programs related to ELs was limited. The conclusions were: (1) …

Grounded Leadership: Exploring Health And Wellness Strategies Of Exemplary Field Grade Commanders In The California Army National Guard, Christopher G. Schoenwandt

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe what exemplary field grade commanders in the California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health.

Methodology. This study used a mixed methods approach relying on the collection of data to provide for a more flexible platform to triangulate multiple data sources and increase the validity of the study’s findings. The study used a quantitative survey to examine how exemplary field grade commanders in the CA ARNG rated their use of grounded leadership strategies combined with follow-on …

Exemplary Urban Unified District Superintendents Leading With Transformational Strategies During The Covid-19 Global Health Crisis, Sandra Hernandez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and describe strategies exemplary urban unified district superintendents used to lead in crisis using the five critical tasks of strategic crisis leadership (sense making, decision making and coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it was the purpose to understand and describe the experiences of exemplary leaders during a time of crisis.

Methodology: In this qualitative multiple case study, interviews were used to secure data from exemplary urban unified district superintendents to identify and describe the strategies they used to lead during the …

Parental Perceptions Of Family Management Styles In Families With A Child With Asthma, Annette Hines

Dissertations

Asthma is the most common chronic illness among children in the United States, and families who have a child with asthma face daily challenges to maintaining a normal family life. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed that studied four risk factors and four protective factors derived from the literature that impact these families, in order to better understand how nurses can meet the health care needs of the children with asthma and their families. Knafl's (1990, 1996) family management styles framework was applied as the theoretical framework of the study, and the concept of normalization was measured using the Family …

Team Learning Within Nurse Teams In A Home Care Organization, Carol A. Gavan

Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretive case study was to determine whether the team learning model (Dechant, Marsick, & Kasl, 1991), which served as a framework, aptly described team learning as it took place among professional service teams in a home health care environment. The learning effectiveness of two teams, of 12 and 14 home care nurses respectively plus their managers and administrators, was described using observations, document analysis, interviews, a literature review, and the Team Learning Survey (Dechant & Marsick, 1993) to gather data.

Factors Affecting The Outcome Of The National Council Licensure Examination Among Nontraditional Learners From Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Angela C. Gaud

Dissertations

The composition of student population in higher education is a reflection of a globalized society and current socioeconomic conditions. Characteristics of nontraditional adult learners have a significant impact in the achievement of their academic goals. A more diverse composition of students enrolled in nursing programs poses an important challenge to NCLEX-RN pass/fail outcomes. Studies that explore or predict the factors associated with NCLEX-RN performance amongst nontraditional adult learners after graduation are limited.

This study analyzed how the demographic, social, and psychological factors observed in the characteristic profile of the nontraditional adult learner are related to NCLEX-RN performance for graduates of …

Associate Degree Nursing Students' Thoughts, Feelings, And Experiences Of Short Study Abroad In A Low-Income Country, Cynthia L. Foronda

Dissertations

Associate Degree Nursing students are rarely offered opportunities to study abroad. Educational research about nursing students studying abroad is limited but suggests positive outcomes. Prior research has focused on graduate or baccalaureate students in developed and less developed countries, thus, the experience of studying abroad in a low-income country for the associate degree student is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of associate degree nursing students who participated in a short study abroad course in a low-income country. Ten students participated in phone interviews to share narratives two to six weeks following …

A Case Study Of The Conflicts Experienced By Staff Nurses In A Medical-Surgical Setting, Susan J. Stocker

Dissertations

The United States is currently facing an unprecedented nursing shortage. The current shortage is being driven by much broader factors than previous shortages (Kimball & O'Neil, 2002). Efforts to deal with this impending crisis have focused on recruiting individuals into nursing with very little attention paid to retention. Job conflict among staff nurses has a significant inverse relationship with the level of job satisfaction (Gardner, 1992). Few research studies have examined the nature of conflict in nursing.

This case study sought to identify and describe the experiences of registered nurses in an acute care medical-surgical setting in order to identify …

The Lived-Experience Of Novice Nurse's Actualizing Clinical Reasoning In Academic Simulation, Mary Catherine Brinker

Dissertations

The purpose of this existential-phenomenological study was to address the first-person perspective of what it is like to experience clinical reasoning during a simulation. It was not known how a novice nurse would describe the experience of actualizing clinical reasoning during the academic simulation experience. In order to maintain the firstperson perspective, all presuppositions were eliminated. There were no instruments used in the data collection process, and no theories or models that guided this research. The researcher integrated Amedeo Giorgi's method of analysis to discover the psychological acts of the first person (novice nurse) to address the unknown. The research …

It Is Always The Monkey On My Back: The Diagnosis Of Cirrhosis, Mary Tiberg

Dissertations

A significant current challenge in health care today is meeting the needs of a population that has chronic disease, especially for those that have a health condition with a life threatening long -term outcome (Falkenstern, et al., 2005). In these health illness transitions, when there are no secure expectations, there are the additional burdens of enduring emotional unease, facing the closing stages of physical stamina, and confronting an indeterminate future. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experience of those individuals who have been diagnosed with cirrhosis, which marks the beginning of end stage liver disease …

The Effects Of A Music Therapy Intervention On Agitation In People With Dementia, Martha Aslakson

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to test the effectiveness of a music therapy intervention for reducing agitation and improving engagement and function in people with dementia. Using a convenience sampling method, 40 nursing home residents were selected to participate in the study. Data were collected using a demographic form, the Mini-Mental State Examination, an engagement variable coding form, a Functional Behavioral Profile, and the Wisconsin Agitation Inventory. The residents had an average age of 86 years, had lived in the facility an average of 28 (±4.3) months, were predominantly White (95%), and were predominantly women (90%). The design …

Empathy As A Moderator Of Preservice Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy And Outcome Expectancy Beliefs, Juta Tammachart

Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship model between culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) and culturally responsive teaching outcome expectancy beliefs (CRTOE) in Thailand. There were two research questions outlined in the study: what is the relationship between preservice teachers’ CRTSE and CRTOE? Also, does the culturally responsive teaching teacher empathy (CRTTE) moderate the relationship of preservice teachers’ CRTSE and CRTOE?

Based on the CRT standards by Siwatu (2005), there were three measures applied in the study: CRTSE, CRTOE, and CRTTE scales. These instruments were piloted with 536 preservice teachers in the Faculty of Education, Prince …

The Experience Of Being Aware Of Disease Status In Women With Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Phenomenological Study, Catherine Scott Finlayson

Dissertations

In the United States, each year about 22,440 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the deadliest gynecological cancer - with an estimated 14,080 deaths each year. Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer have more options today due to advances in treatments, and specifically, with the advent of immunotherapies. Many have to make many treatment decisions throughout the disease trajectory and awareness of disease status is one of the factors of the treatment decision making process in the ovarian cancer population. To date the literature has generally conceptualized and operationalized awareness of disease status in cancer patients from the health care provider's …

Implementation Of An Opiate Use Disorder (Oud) Screening Tool To Reduce Opioid Abuse In A Pain Management Clinic, Brian D. Pervis

Dissertations

The long-term use of opioids to manage chronic pain in those with an opiate use disorder (OUD) is dangerous and poses a considerable risk of death. Pain management providers must have protocols and tools in place for OUD screening and referral. If OUD is not managed correctly, such as through provider education, screening, and referral, morbidity and mortality rates will severely affect society (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). This quality improvement (QI) project's PICOT was among providers in a pain management treatment center, how will implementing an evidence-based OUD screening tool, compared to no screening tool, affect OUD …

Nurse And Patient Perceptions Of The Pre-Admission Nursing Practice Model: Linking Theory To Practice, Jane M. Flanagan

Dissertations

The Pre-Admission Nursing Practice Model (PNPM) was developed to change the delivery of nursing care to patients preparing for surgery. The generation of the PNPM was guided by nursing knowledge, specifically Rogerian science, Newman's Health as Expanding Consciousness and Watson' theory of Transpersonal Caring. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the model on patient and nurse perceptions and experiences following exposure to the PNPM across the perioperative period.

Lived Experiences Of New Nurses With Lateral Violence And Their Decision To Remain In The Nursing Profession, Lorraine Ann Hover

Dissertations

The issue of lateral violence, or nurse-on-nurse violence, is a major factor in why new nurses leave the nursing profession within the first two years of professional practice. There is considerable research into mitigating factors, why nurses leave, and programs to address lateral violence, however, little to no research has been conducted on why nurses choose to remain in the profession despite their experiences. This lack of research necessitates the need for further study into the lived experiences of new nurses with lateral violence and their decision to remain in the profession. This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study helps to address …

The Effects Of Swamping On Nurses And The Implications For Professional Development, Barbara Ann Hocking

Dissertations

Nursing is a profession that is essential to the successful functioning of the health care system. The problems that compromise essential nursing practice within the work environment result in a costly health care quality crisis with three detrimental outcomes: (1) medical errors, (2) fragmentation of the care continuum, and (3) inefficiencies in health care processes.

This study aimed to investigate, through interviews and researcher observations, how nurses are affected by their environment in order to inform a plan for professional development.

Travel Nurse Job Performance: Integration Factors As Predictors, And Travel Nurse Integration Experiences, Carol Ann Tuttas

Dissertations

For more than three decades, travel nurses have bridged critical experience and volume gaps in hospital staffing across the US. Trends in travel nurse use over the past decade offer no promise of a reduction over the years ahead. Travel nurses begin each 13-week assignment with an abbreviated onboarding agenda after which they are expected to reach productivity and fit in with the healthcare team to ensure seamless quality care to patients. Concerns have been raised among healthcare leaders about possible unfavorable patient outcomes related to the use of supplemental nurse staff. Nonetheless, no researchers have examined relationships between job …

Organizational Incentives And Rewards As Motivators For Registered Nurses To Obtain A Baccalaureate Or Higher Nursing Degree, Joan Insalaco Warren

Dissertations

A highly professional, well-educated nursing workforce is required to meet the ever-increasing complexities and demands of today's healthcare environment. However, over half of the current practicing registered nurses (56.6%) have less than a 4-year college degree. This study used work motivation theory to examine preferences of acute care Associate Degree (AD)/diploma RNs for organizational incentives and rewards that would motivate them to obtain a baccalaureate (BSN) or advanced nursing degree. The specific aim of this study was to identify the best combination of organizational incentives and rewards, and characteristics of nurses, to motivate AD/diploma nurses to obtain their advanced nursing …

Vigilance Experiences: Cancer Patients, Families, And Nurses, Wendy C. Kooken

Dissertations

Cancer disease, treatment, and errors in health care put patients at increased risk for poor outcomes. To improve outcomes and protect patients, researchers recommend increased vigilance; yet, research on vigilance in health care is minimal. There are even fewer studies on patients, family members, and nurses' experiences of vigilance, although such studies could contribute to understanding mechanisms that foster vigilance within and across groups.

The purpose of this study was twofold: Aim 1 was to describe the experiences of vigilance as perceived at the individual levels of patients receiving treatment for cancer, family members of a patient with cancer, and …

Community College Nursing Students' Experience Of Repeating A Course After Academic Failure, Lisa S. Lewis

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry study looked at community college nursing student repeaters, those who have failed a required nursing course and then gone on to repeat the course. Nursing student repeaters are a population at especially high risk for attrition, and about whom little is known. The community college setting is an important site of nursing education, where approximately half of new nurses do their pre-licensure schooling and where attrition is a particular problem. Fourteen nursing student repeaters were interviewed and eleven of them provided a letter of advice to a future nursing student repeater. While each participant had a unique …

"All For The Family:" A Case Study On The Migration Of Philippine Educated Nurses To Ontario Through The Live-In Caregiver Program, Oluwabukola Oladunni Salami

Dissertations

Despite evidence that suggests that nurses migrate to Ontario through the Live-in Caregiver Program, no research has been conducted on this group of nurses in Ontario. This study addresses that gap utilizing the transnational feminist concept of "global care chains" in a single holistic case study design to explore the experience of nurses who migrate to Ontario through the Live-in Caregiver Program (2001-2011), and examine the diverse perspectives of stakeholders on issues of rights and obligations of these nurses. Fifteen live-in caregivers and nine policy stakeholders were interviewed, and an analysis undertaken of immigration and nursing policy documents. Findings indicate …

Latinas In The Pipeline To Baccalaureate-Prepared Nursing: Challenges And Supports In Persistence To Degree And Professional Licensure, Cheryl A. Sheils

Dissertations

The United States is rapidly becoming a more racially diverse nation. Racial minority groups are projected to make up 47% of the total population in 2050 and if current population trends continue, they are projected to surpass the non-minority population by the end of the twenty-first century. Furthermore, the Latino population, already the nation's largest minority group, is expected to triple in size and is projected to account for 29% of the total U.S. population by 2050. Unfortunately, the educational pipeline has created a shortage of Latinos in higher education. At the same time, the United States is suffering from …