Digital Commons Network^™

Surviving On The Margin Of A Profession: Experiences Of Black Nurses, Josephine Bassey Etowa

Dissertations

This study used grounded theory method to explicate Black nurses' worklife experiences within the health care system in Nova Scotia. The aim of this research was to develop substantive theory of this phenomenon. The data were collected using informal interviews, observations, field notes and group meetings. Theoretical sampling was used to enhance maximum variation within the sample.

Parent Education Needs Of Infants With Complex Life-Threatening Illnesses, Jennifer Marie Wells

Dissertations

Infant morbidity and mortality continues to be a significant problem in the U. S. Preterm birth and/or low birth weight and congenital anomalies are primary causes of infant morbidity and mortality. Analysis of an existing study was done on data from a prospective longitudinal, case based, mixed-methods research study to examine learning needs of parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) whose infants were born with complex cardiac anomalies or born extremely premature. The principles of Knowles' Theory of Adult Learning were used to frame the study and findings. Systematic review of the parent and provider interview transcripts from …

Factors Influencing Family Caregiver Burden At A Taiwanese Hospital, Pi-Ming Yeh

Dissertations

In Taiwan, most of the hospitalized patients have their relatives with them 24 hours a day. New family caregivers are usually poorly prepared to take on their role, and little literature demonstrates that nurses assess the burden of family caregivers in the hospital. The purpose of this study was to examine cancer patients' dependency, caregivers' factors, and family support that predict outcomes of family caregiver burden, including impact on health, schedule, and finances in the hospitals in Taiwan. A multivariate descriptive design was used.

The Effect Of A Work-Place Based Education Program On Moral Distress, Nancy Miller Powell

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if registered nurses (RNs) who attended a workplace-based educational program would have decreased intensity, frequency, and total moral distress, compared to nurses who did not attend the program. This educational program was operationalized using a framework published by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses' program entitled The 4A's to Rise Above Moral Distress (2005). Moral distress is an insidious problem affecting many registered nurses, directly and or indirectly, with potentially harmful consequences. A review of the literature revealed that the consequences of moral distress produce a significant negative effect on …

Hypertension Therapeutic Goal Attainment In Patients With Dual Diagnoses Of Hypertension And Diabetes, Susan Marie Harris

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of blood pressure control and utilization patterns of antihypertensive agents among patients with dual diagnoses of hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus type 2 seen in a primary care clinic during the calendar year 2008.

Buccal Pulse Oximetry: Accuracy And Precision, Patricia N. Meza

Dissertations

Clinicians assess multiple biomarkers and patient signs/symptoms in clinical settings such as intensive care units, operating rooms, emergency departments, and patient transport. Pulse oximetry monitoring remains a standard. There are instances in which traditional pulse oximetry monitoring sites, such as the fingers, toes or earlobes, fail or access is infeasible. In these instances, clinicians seek alternative monitoring sites, such as the buccal area. Unstable patients may also challenge ability to acquire a pulse oximetry signal, possibly preventing reliable pulse oximetry values. Compared to fingers or toes, the buccal area is not as susceptible to local vasoconstriction effects. Therefore, the buccal …

Exploring The Subconcepts Of The Wittman-Price Theory Of Emancipated Decision-Making In Women's Health Care Using Infant Feeding Method As The Clinical Exemplar, Ruth Ann Wittmann-Price

Dissertations

The Wittmann-Price Theory of Emancipated Decision-making (EDM) was derived from the philosophical underpinnings of Critical Social, Freire's Emancipatory Education and Feminist Theory. The theory describes a process of reaching a more positive state of being, a state of freedom in choice, by first acknowledging the effective experience of oppression in women's healthcare. This oppression produces a dilemma in decision-making by socially sanctioning one alternative as superior over all other alternatives. The theory proposed that five subconcepts must be present when using the decision-making process. These are empowerment, a flexible environment, personal knowledge, reflection, and social norms. This study used three …

A Pilot Study Of Tailored Teaching On Non-Drug Enhancements For Managing Postoperative Pain, Susanne Mary Tracy

Dissertations

The Agency for Healthcare Quality Research (AHRQ cites the under-use of non-drug methods for pain management as among the top twenty-five issues in patient safety (AHRQ, 2001) in acute care hospitals. Little is known about patients' knowledge and attitudes towards non-drug interventions, especially in adult populations 50 years and older. Education is one strategy for improving patients' knowledge, attitudes and use of non-drug enhancements to complement pharmacological pain management. The primary purpose of this pilot study was to describe the usefulness of a tailored teaching intervention on three best practice protocols for music, massage, and self-guided imagery for pain management …

The Effects Of Rocking Chair Motion On Postoperative Ileus Duration, Subjective Pain, Pain Medication Use And Time To Discharge Following Abdominal Surgery, Robert Lee Massey

Dissertations

Rocking motion may be useful in resolving postoperative ileus (POI) in cancer patients who have undergone abdominal surgery. Operations of the abdomen result in gastrointestinal dysmotility, to some extent, in all patients because abdominal surgical procedures to remove abdominal tumors require large abdominal incisions, extensive dissection, and manipulation of the bowel that initiates a surgical induced stress response commonly known as, postoperative ileus. In this study, the effects of a rocking chair motion as a moderator of the surgical stress response and mediator of the gas and distention effects of POI in abdominal surgery cancer patients compared to standard care …

Vertical Violence And The Student Nurse: Is This Toxic For Professional Identity Development?, Sherri Williams Cantey

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry centers on student nurses' stories of vertical violence perpetuated by clinical registered nursing staff and the meaning that students associate with this phenomenon. Student nurses are the very young and potentially impressionable members of our profession; therefore, a concern of this study was if vertical violence affects professional identity development for the student nurse. Additionally through stories revealed by these participants, this study attempted to explore whether perceptions of violence are believed to be a rite of passage into the profession. Students are the future of our profession, and it is important that this phenomenon be understood …

Examining Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Development Throughout Teacher Education, Jenny Christine Hernandez

Dissertations

Teacher preparation plays an integral role in the success of American education, and many programs are not adequately preparing teachers for the classroom (Guha, Hyler, & Darling-Hammond, 2017b; National Council on Teacher Quality [NCTQ], 2018). The purpose of this study was to better understand preservice teacher self-efficacy development and perceptions of teacher education program effectiveness for program improvement. Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy guided this study. Tschannen- Moran and Hoy’s (2001) Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale was distributed three times throughout the fall 2019 semester to preservice teachers completing their student teaching practicum to detect changes in self-efficacy levels. Perceptual …

The Influence Of Twitter Educational Opinion Leaders On K-12 Classrooms, Toni Owens

Dissertations

Global similarity in education policies, with more adventurous and instructionally demanding proposals in education, is causing educational stakeholders to look outside of the school doors to adapt learning opportunities. To ease the strain of such demands, teachers increasingly turn to Twitter to connect to a global network of educators for meaningful and engaging conversations to share and solve a wide range of educational problems. Many authors have concluded that Twitter is an effective tool for professional learning, but scarce attention has been given to the use of Twitter for professional learning. Data from this study were analyzed to identify which …

Academic Honesty, Professional Integrity, And Undergraduate Engineering Students: Exploring The Connections, S. Amy Skyles, Jeffrey W. Jennings

Dissertations

One benefit of inculcating professionalism into engineering degree program curricula is a measure of the extent to which future practitioners adopt an engineering code of ethics (Abaté, 2011; Davis, 2006). Studies have indicated more dishonesty among engineering students than other groups of undergraduate learners, but the effects of technology on dishonesty in the classroom was not addressed (Bowers, 1964; McCabe et al., 2012). An explanatory, sequential mixed methods study was designed to explain to what degree course pedagogical practices and attitudes of civil, architectural and environmental engineering students of various academic levels (freshman/sophomore and senior) relate to academic dishonesty. The …

Non-Traditional Church Involvement As A Life-Course Turning Point: Qualitative Interviews With Religious Offenders, William Hunter Holt

Dissertations

This research project conducted and then analyzed qualitative interviews from former and current addicts and criminal offenders who are voluntarily participating in the Christian faith at the same non-traditional, Protestant church. An abridged case study of this church is also provided for background and context. Life-course theory and grounded theory are utilized.

Both the offenders and this church were chosen in an attempt to better understand how the offenders’ involvement at this house of worship, along with their faith in general, have impacted them. Obtaining the perspectives of the offender is essential for three reasons. First, qualitative research conducted in …

Support Programming For Children On The Autism Spectrum: An Evaluation Of Current Programming And Components Offered By A Postsecondary Autism Program, Lisa Michelle Elkins

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how stakeholders value the current components of a Postsecondary Autism Program (PSAP). The evaluation assessed the efficacy of the program’s six components and the improvements needed to ensure the desired outcomes were being achieved. A mixed-methods approach using both surveys and focus groups was used to obtain data. The surveys were administered to students who were currently enrolled in the PSAP program and parents of students who were currently enrolled. A focus group format using six questions was administered to the five full-time staff of the PSAP program. The results of the …

Governors And Public Higher Education: A Multiple Case Study Of Governors Bill Haslam And Paul Patton, Shannon W. Gilkey

Dissertations

Governors can impose tremendous influence on public policy. In their attempt to address issues that their states face, and in order to sustain and improve the present and long-term health of its citizenry, some governors invest significant resources to shape the direction of their state’s postsecondary system of education. This study examined the critical elements that led two different governors to enact large-scale impact on state postsecondary education by investigating three research questions through a qualitative multiple-instrument case study: (a) How do governors’ vision for their state intersect with their view of postsecondary education as a key policy priority area …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Flexible Delivery Model In Advanced Manufacturing Technologies On Key Stakeholders, Lisa Ann Hunt

Dissertations

Community colleges in the United States play a critical role in preparing students for employment in the workforce. Nationally, there is a severe shortage of trained workers to fill positions within the manufacturing industry. Manufacturers need to replace workers who retire and add employees to expand their businesses and the economy. State Community and Technical College (SCTC) began looking for ways to increase the number of students enrolled in manufacturing-related programs and increase the number of employees ready to meet the needs of employers

To increase access to its programs, the success of students in the programs, and to increase …

Team Creation Methods In Practice: Understanding The Potential Effects Of Nonverbal Communication In The Leadership Of Team Formation, Troy Allen Robertson

Dissertations

Teams require leadership, even if they are self-managed. The group of individuals who make up a team must be gathered in some form or another. For self managed teams to function successfully, the first step is the process of creating the team. Many aspects may factor into the creation process. Often time is of the essence and methods to quickly assess and form teams show merit. First impressions in general are based largely on nonverbal communication. The focus of this mixed-methods concurrent embedded study is to analyze the potential effects of nonverbal communication on influencing team creation. A group of …

Life Factors Affecting U.S. Army Junior-Enlisted Soldiers In Reaching Their Educational Goals, Irina Rader

Dissertations

This study focused on drawing a picture of the dynamics and educational experiences of U.S. Army junior-enlisted soldiers in the rank of specialist in the RA. Those soldiers are eligible to participate in the U.S. Army’s VolEd Program available worldwide. According to Gleiman and Zacharakis (2016):

The military relies on continuing professional education as a key component to the success of its organization. With decreasing budgets and increasing importance for a force that operates efficiently and thinks critically, the cognitive tension among training, education, and learning come center stage. (p. 81)

The researcher formed the research questions (RQs) sought to …

Apprenticeship Participation At Ge Appliances: An Insider’S Ethnographic Study Of Apprentice Participation And Factors Contributing To Student Success, Berschel Robert Hunt

Dissertations

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has defined an apprenticeship as a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation (Smith, 1996, p. 5). General Electric Appliances (GEA) has viewed the DOL model as a viable solution to the decreasing numbers of skilled workers available to employers. Leaders at GEA determined a void existed between the number of skilled workers needed for GEA operations compared to the number of skilled workers available. GEA apprentice programs were suspended in 1995 but reinstated in 2015 to address …

Applying The Homework, Organization, And Planning Skills (Hops) Intervention To Elementary Students With Adhd, Ayanna Maia Peake

Dissertations

Students need appropriate executive functioning (EF) skills to improve their academic achievement. The Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS) Interventions were implemented for 16 sessions with three elementary students with ADHD and executive functioning (EF) deficits. The study aimed to improve the homework, organization, and time management skills of each participant. The interventions were expected to decrease both EF deficits and teacher reports of homework behavior difficulties. This study used a multiple baseline across participants single subject research design with interventions implemented concurrently. A behavior rating scale provided pre and post-intervention data on the participants’ EF deficits. Classroom teachers also …

Intersex Experiences, Activists’ Perspectives, And Counseling Implications, Cynthia J. Mulit

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Intersex people are born with sex development differences; for example, atypical genitals. The intersex community is the only sexual minority population subjected to medical treatments in infancy designed to make their bodies conform to cultural expectations for male and female bodies. Intersex activism to stop the medicalized treatments began in the late 1990s. No other qualitative study has focused on the experiences of intersex activists. Four leading activists were interviewed in depth regarding their personal, activist, and counseling experiences. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. A 3-stage intersex identity development model was formulated …

Student Achievement And Teacher Efficacy In Multiage Team-Taught Versus Single-Age Classrooms, Troy A. Marnholtz

Dissertations

This study was conducted to compare the effects of classroom setting on student performance and teachers’ sense of efficacy. In this study, student performance on the Missouri Assessment Program grade-level assessments at the third and fourth-grade levels was utilized to compare the multiage team-taught classroom setting versus singleage classroom setting. The teachers’ sense of efficacy on the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) survey was also analyzed to compare multiage team-taught classroom setting and single-age classroom setting. The data were interpreted to support that students in multiage team-taught classroom settings outperformed similar age students in single-age classroom settings on the …

Adult Criminal Offenders Recollection Of Childhood Exposure To Trauma And Its Impact, Taneshia V. Sims

Dissertations

Trauma can occur at any age and occurs as a result of an individual experiencing or witnessing an event that threatens or has the potential to threaten their life, well-being, or psychological state of mind. The type, duration, and effect of the trauma varied per person and experiences were shared that had negative effects that could last for the duration of their lifetime. The identification of specific risk factors may help in the development of specialized treatment options that may provide an individual with a greater chance of learning skills that could teach them how to deal with the effects …

Program Evaluation Of A District’S Elementary School Wellness Curriculum To Improve Undergraduate Training, Katie Boyer

Dissertations

This doctoral research project examined elementary teachers’ preparation to teach health content (Emotional, Relationships, Growth and Development, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Hygiene, Safety, Substance Use/Misuse, Diseases, Environmental/Consumer/Community Health) within the framework for a state’s certification and qualifications. The study used a mixed-methods approach in a Midwest school district to discover components of undergraduate certifications, current teaching methods, and potential modifications to the curriculum. While all surveyed elementary teachers were licensed to teach the health content, many were not formally qualified to teach the material due to content gaps in their teacher preparation programs. The study concluded that undergraduate institutions preparing teachers …

An Examination Of African American Male Educators' Perceptions Of Relationships And Discrimination, Akiva S. Carson

Dissertations

In the field of education, African-American men are greatly underrepresented across all school settings. In the state of Illinois of nearly 130,000 certified educators, there are less than two thousand (2,000) African American males across the state. Through a critical race theory lens, the focus of this narrative study was to explore what can be learned by researching/re-framing how African-American educators perceive their experience of developing relationships across educational domains and how they make sense of the ways in which they experience discrimination and construct relationships with others. Through the use of interview, observation and journal responses, insight into their …

Trauma And Social Frameworks: The Effect Of Uasd-Government Conflict Between 1966 And 1978 Over Perspectives About Higher Education, Jesús Leonardo D'Alessandro

Dissertations

Currently, the expenditures for higher education by the Dominican government are at record highs (OECD, 2012; MESCYT, 2018). Yet, nationwide, student attrition rates in universities average a challenging 50% (OECD, 2012). This percetange climbs to 80% in Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD). UASD is the oldest public university and the largest higher education institution in the Dominican Republic, hosting 44% of all undergraduate students enrolled in the country (OECD, 2012; UASD, 2018). The institution’s attrition levels suggest that while the Dominican government’s investment in higher education is high, the return on that investment is low.

Although domestic plans and …

High Performance And Machine Learning Algorithms For Brain Fmri Data, Taban Eslami

Dissertations

Brain disorders are very difficult to diagnose for reasons such as overlapping nature of symptoms, individual differences in brain structure, lack of medical tests and unknown causes of some disorders. The current psychiatric diagnostic process is based on behavioral observation and may be prone to misdiagnosis.

Noninvasive brain imaging technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) make the process of understanding the structure and function of the brain easier. Quantitative analysis of brain imaging data using machine learning and data mining techniques can be advantageous not only to increase the accuracy of brain disorder …

A Functional Analysis Of Losses In A Risky Choice Procedure, David W. Sottile

Dissertations

Loss chasing is a maladaptive pattern of risky behavior in which the frequency of risky behavior temporarily increases after a loss. The conditions under which loss chasing occurs are not well understood. Conditioned reinforcement appears to play a role in loss chasing, but the consideration of antecedent variables is necessary for a complete account. The purpose of this study was to test the role of (1) a stimulus that indicated the number of trials left in the session (i.e., a trial counter), and (2) the effect of the ordinal value of a trial in a risky choice task on loss …

Medical Cannabis And Recreational Marijuana: Patient Perceptions, Stigma, And Gender During A Time Of Emerging Legalization, Matt Reid

Dissertations

Marijuana’s status as an illegal drug has been redefined over the previous three decades. Despite Michigan and 32 other states having comprehensive medical cannabis programs, both academics and laypeople commonly present the medicalization of marijuana as an intermediary phase or proxy for fully legalized recreational use. While some evidence exists to support this position, this framework marginalizes the struggles and experiences of patients who have found relief through their therapeutic use of cannabis. As such, the goal of this study is to re-center the voices of cannabis patients in academic conversations of cannabis as medicine.

My study is unique in …