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A Qualitative Study Of The Preparedness Of Novice Teachers To Teach Effectively In A Blended Learning Environment, Rachelle R. Lafave

Dissertations

Proponents of the effective use of blended learning argue that without technologyenhanced instruction, students graduate from high school missing the digital skills they need to be successful competitors in the labor market (Dickinson, 2018). Yet, authors of supporting work have established technology-enhanced instruction can have a negative effect on student achievement (Newman & Dickinson, 2017). Examined in this qualitative study was the preparedness of novice teachers to provide effective instruction in a blended learning environment, as researchers have found teacher self-efficacy is the number one predictor of instructional quality (Belanger, 2018; Conant, 2016; Künsting, Neuber, & Lipowsky, 2016). Self-efficacy is, …

Midwestern “Grow Your Own” Programs: A Viable Means To Teacher Recruitment And Retention?, Sandra Jean Humbyrd

Dissertations

In this study, an analysis of the perceptions of Career and Technical Education Pathways for the Teaching Profession teachers (pseudonym) and Homegrown Educators sponsors (pseudonym) in a Midwestern state on the success of grow your own programs regarding recruitment and retention rates of alumni teachers was conducted. This research resulted from reports throughout the nation concerning the shortage of teachers. An open-ended survey was utilized to gather perceptual data surrounding recruitment and retention, with a specific interest in high-needs areas and geographical location. Survey results showed there were no significant perceived differences between rural and urban districts in regard to …

A Delphi Study Of Actions Needed For Active Shooter Preparedness To Lower The Number Of Casualties And Injuries During Active Shooter Incidents At K-12 Schools, Michael Maley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify specific actions that experts perceive are needed for active shooter preparedness for educational facilities, to lower the active shooter incident casualties and injuries in the U.S. K-12 schools. The study also examined the degree of importance for the identified specific actions needed for active shooter preparedness at educational facilities and those actions most likely to be implemented.

Methodology: The research design for this study is utilizing the Delphi technique that provides a systematic process in collecting data of opinions from a panel of experts. The Delphi study includes collecting …

Personality Type, Self-Efficacy, And Learning Style Preference: A Quantitative Study Of Ninth-Grade Students In Missouri, Katie Lee Mock

Dissertations

Personality types, learning style preferences, and self-efficacy domains of ninth-grade students in southwest Missouri were explored in this study. The study was conducted to shed light on needs assessments used to identify learner differences due to the rise of mixed-ability classrooms. Five selected schools participated in the study during the 2019-2020 school year. The Big Five Personality survey was used to identify the dominant personality type of each participant: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, or neuroticism. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) was used to identify the dominant self-efficacy domain for each participant: academic, social, or emotional. The Thinking and Learning …

The Patient's Perception Of Overheard Staff Laughter, Margery L. White

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore hospitalized patients' perceptions concerning overheard staff laughter within the hospital. The research question was: What is the hospitalized patient's perception of overheard staff laughter? The question was answered through the use of phenomenology. It is necessary for the nurse to look at the world through the eyes of the patient. It is this understanding of the patient's subjective experience of overheard staff laughter that may assist the nurse in better meeting the patient's needs.

Social Support And Health Outcomes Associated With Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Ruby L. Wesley-Shadow

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the deleterious, psychosocial effects of the sickle cell disease process on children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. The problem involves the stressful nature of sickle cell disease (physically and psychologically) and the need to investigate the association between the moderating variables (social support) and the frequency of sickle cell crises.

Social Factors That Exacerbate Features Of Borderline Personality Disorder In Young Adult Women Between 25 And 35 Years Of Age Living In The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico, Erika M. Carrasquillo

Dissertations

The high prevalence of BPD hospitalizations, unsuccessful treatments, poor social awareness, suicide attempts and complete suicides were motivating forces for this research study. The aim was to uncover pertinent social factors that exacerbate BPD in the lives of individuals with this affliction and therefore find ways to combat this disease. Since most of the individuals affected by this disease are female, the present research was focused on uncovering factors that increased the likelihood of BPD factors in women between the ages of 25-35 years. Borderline personality disorder is often viewed as difficult to treat. However, recent research shows that BPD …

Development And Evaluation Of A Nursing Psycho-Educational Program Focused On Communication For Family Caregivers In Early Alzheimer's Disease, Krystyna Klodnicka Kouri

Dissertations

In the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, a major area of concern for the family caregiver is that of communication with the family member. In response to this problem, a psycho-educational intervention focused on communication was developed for the family caregiver and tested within an experimental design. The theoretical framework for the study included the McGill Model of Nursing, Self-efficacy theory and Geragogy. The study took place in a semi-urban region. The sample was recruited through memory clinics, a geriatric assessment unit and in the community. The inclusion criteria for participants were as follows: (1) being the principal caregiver of …

Influences Of Social Relationships, Illness Characteristics, And Personality On Chronic Pain And Depression, Julia Faucett

Dissertations

Subjects with myofascial pain disorders (n = 67) and arthritis (n = 84) were studied to examine the contribution of personality traits and social relationships to their complaints of pain and depression. Structured interviews using standardized questionnaires provided information about personality traits, supportive and conflictual aspects of social network and family relationships, pain-specific responses of the significant other, depression, and affective and sensory pain. Interpersonal conflict and pain-specific punishing responses of the significant other were found to contribute significantly to pain and depression.

Relationship Among Subjective Mental Workload, Experience, And Education Of Cardiovascular Critical Care Registered Nurses, Andrea Crawford Gregg

Dissertations

Subjective mental workload was introduced for study in nursing emanating from a concern among nurses that current measures of nursing workload fail to capture the cognitive demands of patient care. Subjective mental workload is conceptually based on attention load, or the amount of attention that is required versus amount available to cognitively process work information. Information processing theory suggested a relationship between past learning and subjective mental workload; that is, as work becomes more familiar, subjective mental workload decreases. Subjective mental workload had been measured in other populations, but had not been studied in nursing. The purposes of the study …

Perceptual Differences Between Lighthouse Team Members And Non-Lighthouse Team Members Regarding School Attendance, Classroom Discipline, And School Climate In Leader In Me Schools, Nina J. Henson

Dissertations

The Leader in Me is a school approach with a focus on socioemotional education adopted by over 3,000 schools across the globe (Soutter, 2018, p.8). As culture continues to change with technology and new social aspects, character education programs must continue to adapt as well to support student needs within schools (Rocco, 2018). This quantitative study was designed to identify differences in perceptions of Lighthouse Team members and Non-Lighthouse Team members about how the Leader in Me impacts student attendance, classroom discipline, and school culture. Surveys were sent to educators in 22 schools in southern Missouri who had implemented the …

Psychological And Immunological Correlates Of Surviving Breast Cancer: Influence Of Children, Susan M. Bauer-Wu

Dissertations

Positive outcomes, such as greater meaning in life, have been identified in cancer survivors. A pilot study identified that presence or absence of children may be an important contributor to the observed high variances on measures of personal meaning, perceived stress, and psychological distress in breast cancer survivors; in addition, significant relationships among these variables were found. Based on pilot study findings and using an integration of existential, stress-coping, and psychoneuroimmunology perspectives, the purpose of this study was to identify differences between women with a history of breast cancer who have children and those who do not on measures of …

Development And Evaluation Of An Instrument To Measure Parental Trust In Nurses, Janet K. Graves

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and test an instrument to measure parents' trust in nurses. The conceptual framework for the Parental Trust in Nurses Scale (P-TINS) included four dimensions of parental trust--generalized trust, trust in the imagined nurse, trust based on previous experience with nurses, and situation-specific trust, and a closely related construct--perception of risk. Content validity was enhanced by basing the 40 items of the Likert-type, sixth-grade level scale on parents interviews and qualitative studies and by ratings of parent and nurse content experts.

Nursing Workforce Issues: Nursing Student Enrollment And Faculty Trends In The State Of Maryland, Virginia S. Pichler

Dissertations

The United States is experiencing a nursing shortage unlike any previous shortage. The nursing workforce is aging at a greater rate than the general workforce. Nursing school enrollments are not predicted to meet the demands created by older nurses leaving practice and increasing health care complexity. The purpose of this study was to identify potential disparities in the registered nurse workforce by collecting information about nursing schools and programs, nursing faculty, faculty hiring projections, nursing students and enrollment projections.

Family Caregivers' Log Reports Of Sleep And Activity Behaviors Of Persons With Alzheimer's Disease, Patricia A. O'Leary

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the sleep and activity behaviors of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) as reported by the family caregiver during a 24-hour day. The conceptual framework was derived from the Roy adaptation model. A convenience sample of 32 family caregivers was selected from a memory disorders clinic in a southeastern state. The family caregivers completed an investigator-developed sleep/activity behavior log for 2 days. Further information was obtained from the Index of Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, the Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist, and clinic records. Narrative format and descriptive …

A Prospective Study Documenting Women's Experiences Of Combining Breastfeeding And Employment, Louise W. Hedstrom

Dissertations

This investigation explored women's perceptions of their experiences combining employment and breastfeeding. The study was based on the feminist concept of the importance of analyzing the condition of women's lives from their own perspectives. Themes of motivation, support, and obstacles emerged. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using semistructured interview guides with a convenience sample of 42 women and a prospective, longitudinal design.

Stress And Coping In Older Women With Osteoarthritis: A Qualitative Study, Charlene M. Romer

Dissertations

A qualitative approach was used to explore the stress-coping process of older women with osteoarthritis. The purpose of the study was to identify and describe the stressors, appraisals, emotional reactions, and actual coping efforts of older women with osteoarthritis. The theoretical framework for this investigation was based on the stress-coping model developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984).

Nurses' Experience Of Compassion, Lindsay Lake Morgan

Dissertations

The phenomenon of interest in this study was the nurse's experience of compassion. Nurses derive their professional purpose in serving society. Society expects a nurse to possess the attribute of compassion, but it is unclear what this experience is. The profession can be accountable to society only after a useful understanding of compassion has been discovered. This study undertook to converse with nurses about their experience to understand the concept of compassion. The phenomenon of compassion is a "lived experience" that can only be described by the person who has experienced it. Phenomenology is a method that seeks to understand …

The Role Of Plasticity In Bumble Bee Responses To Environmental Variability, Matthew Austin

Dissertations

An aim of contemporary biology is elucidating the causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity. Here, I approach this aim by exploring the eco-evolutionary dynamics of phenotypic plasticity and environmental variability in bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus), a congeneric clade of eusocial pollinating insects. Throughout their evolution, bumble bees have encountered spatiotemporal variability imposed by dynamic floral environments. Today, bumble bees additionally encounter spatiotemporal variability imposed by anthropogenic environmental change. In this dissertation, I explore how phenotypic plasticity affects how successfully bumble bees respond to environmental variability imposed by anthropogenic global change (Chapters 1 and 2) and their floral resources (Chapters …

Role Of Municipal Governance In Stabilizing Mature Inner Suburbs: A Study Of Five St. Louis Municipalities 1970-2015, Napoleon Williams Iii

Dissertations

This study explores the role of municipal governance in municipal-level stabilization of inner suburbs in St. Louis County, Missouri. The data, from 1970 to 2015, include a robust collection of official government archives collected from five municipalities in St. Louis County, historical documents, city-state-national statistical data, and related materials. Interviews of 25 stakeholders were conducted and data were analyzed based on the community power structure framework.

I outline five mature St. Louis inner suburbs’ evolution in municipal-level conditions from 1970 to 2015, and I detail the role each suburbs’ municipal governance played in the evolution of municipal-level conditions. I conclude, …

Exclusionary Beliefs, Multicultural Ideology, Empathy, And Perceived Threat: A Comprehensive Model Of Anti-Immigrant Prejudice, Reigna El-Yashruti

Dissertations

Despite the increased movement of people across national borders, anti-immigrant sentiment continues to pose challenges to immigrant mental health and disrupt intergroup relations. In the USA, where over 14% of the population is comprised of foreign-born individuals, immigrants continue to face prejudice from both the public and political administration. Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT) explains this prejudice as stemming from the perception that the out-group poses a threat to the cultural purity, economic stability, or physical safety of the in-group. Traits that promote group exclusion, such as perceived group superiority (i.e. Right-Wing Authoritarianism; RWA, Social Dominance Orientation; SDO, cultural dominance; CD) …

The Effectiveness Of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (Tens) On Postoperative Pain With Movement, Barbara A. Rakel

Dissertations

The current therapy of intravenous PCA opioid administration is frequently inadequate for controlling pain after abdominal surgery, particularly during movements such as walking and deep breathing which directly impact recovery. This suggests supplemental strategies are needed. Recent evidence shows high frequency, high intensity TENS reduces movement-evoked pain by decreasing hyperalgesia. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of intermittent, intense TENS as a supplement to pharmacologic analgesia on pain with movement and pain at rest after abdominal surgery and determine if its use during walking and vital capacity maneuvers improves these activities.

An Investigation Of Pattern Manifestations In Substance Abuse-Impaired Nurses, Margaret M. West

Dissertations

Substance abuse impairment in nursing is a problem affecting both the profession and society. Many impaired nurses are not identified until symptoms are very apparent and patients are at risk. The purposes of this study were to investigate early risk factors that lead to substance abuse impairment, and to predict group membership between impaired (SI) and non-impaired (NSI) registered nurses. The theoretical framework for this study was a synthesis of Donovan's multifactorial model of impairment (Donovan, 1986), and Rogers' (1970, 1992) Science of Unitary Human Beings.

An Evaluation Of The 1987 Texas Senate Bill 1160: The Effectiveness Of Legislated Accountability Requirements For Nurses, Alexia E. Green

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Senate Bill 1160 in promoting accountability for professional nursing practice within the State of Texas. Mandatory reporting and peer review were examined as mechanisms to promote accountability. This study utilized a nonexperimental, explanatory evaluation research design. Data sources included record abstracts, interviews and responses to a questionnaire. Data analysis included the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that professional nursing accountability was enhanced via the use of mandatory reporting and peer review as mandated by Senate Bill 1160. However, …

Uncovering Racial Bias In Fundamental Nursing Textbooks: A Critical Hermeneutic Analysis Of The Portrayal Of African Americans, Michelle M. Byrne

Dissertations

Racial bias reinforces White Americans as normative, thereby contributing to limiting, slanting, or controlling information to students. Although racial bias has been documented in non-nursing textbooks, racial bias has never been researched in nursing textbooks. The purpose of this study was to identify and critique selected content areas from three fundamental textbooks for the presence or absence of racial bias. Although textbooks are only one aspect of a curriculum, they are powerful instructional tools. The two research questions were: (1) What is the portrayal of African Americans in fundamental nursing textbooks? and (2) Is there a presence or absence of …

Supporting Hope In Midlife Cancer Survivors: Intervention Workshop, Clare Marie Butt

Dissertations

Cancer patients lack information and support needed to make the transition to survivorship. This problem was addressed by testing a psycho-educational group intervention, the Mid-Life Directions Workshop, for its effect on hope and quality of life in midlife cancer survivors.

Factors Related To Self-Care Agency And Self-Care Practices Of Obese Adolescents, Kathy S. James

Dissertations

Identification of factors that influence obese adolescents' health behaviors is necessary if obese adolescents are to benefit from therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to identify the relationships between selected basic conditioning factors (BCFs)--perceived health status (PHS), perceived self-efficacy (PSE), family satisfaction (FS), and life events (LE)--and the self-care agency (SCA) and self-care practices (SCP) among obese adolescents. The relative predictive strength of each BCF in relation to the outcome variables was also explored. Orem's self-care theory provided the conceptual framework for this study.

A Study Of Health Locus Of Control, Self-Efficacy, Health Promotion Behaviors, And Environmental Factors Related To The Self-Report Of The Avoidance Of Environmental Tobacco Smoke In Young Adults, Angela M. Martinelli

Dissertations

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is a source of preventable diseases. Currently, 3.1 million adolescents smoke cigarettes. Despite the prevalence of smoking in young people and the health consequences of ETS, research has not adequately addressed the avoidance of ETS. This study identified and described factors which influence the avoidance of ETS in young adults. Pender's Health Promotion Model provided the research framework. Predictor variables included demographic characteristics, biological characteristics, situational factors, self-efficacy, control of health, and health promotion behaviors.

Primary Prevention Emphasis And Self-Reported Health Behaviors Of Nursing Students, Ronda E. Yoder

Dissertations

The current climate of healthcare reform demands an increased curricular emphasis on primary prevention, yet the relationship between the level of curricular emphasis on primary prevention and the health behaviors of nursing students has not been established. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a difference in the self-reported health behaviors of nursing students enrolled in baccalaureate nursing programs ranked as having high and low levels of emphasis on primary prevention. Neuman's systems model was the conceptual framework for the study.

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness, Efficiency, And Post-Training Outcomes Of Traditional Behavioral Skills Training And Asynchronous Remote Training, Dani Pizzella

Dissertations

While applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the most commonly recommended therapy for individuals with Autism spectrum disorders (New York State Department of Health, 1999; Surgeon General, 1999), there is a significant lack of board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs; Bethune & Kiser, 2017; Maglione, Kadiyala, Kress, Hastings, & OʹHanlon, 2016). Telehealth may help to increase the availability of training in behavior analytic procedures, however, BCBAs have been slow to adopt remote training measures (Tomlinson, Gore, & McGill, 2018). This may be due to the in-vivo training requirements of common behavior analytic training procedures. This research compares traditional, face-to-face behavioral skills training …