Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Relationships Of Social Media Usage And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression In Adolescents, Morgan Culpepper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social media is a popular form of communication and entertainment among youth. Inconsistencies are present in the literature on the potential effects it can have on mental health. Depression and anxiety disorders are common among all age groups in the US, and this study aimed to determine the relationship social media has on symptoms of anxiety and depression. The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS) and the GAD-7 were used to measure symptoms of anxiety, as well as the CES-D scale to evaluate depressive symptoms in adolescents. The number of social networking sites and number of hours spent on social …

The Effectiveness Of A High School Girls Group On Self-Esteem And Leadership, Esperanza M. Harper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of a high school girls group was examined using a pretest-post-test group design with young adolescent girls identified as having low self-esteem. Individuals were identified by teachers and counselors as having low self-esteem or being at risk for having low self-esteem. This research project includes a literature review that explored self-understanding and its dimensions of self-concept and self-esteem, as well as how this research relates to development. The curriculum used came from the Girls In Real Life Situations (GIRLS) group program created by Julia V. Taylor and Shannon Trice-Black (2007). The research study was conducted at a high …

The Moderating Effect Of Social Support On The Impact Of Perceived Loneliness On The Mental Health Of Long-Term Care Nursing Home Residents, Lindsay Nicole Stivers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to examine the moderating effect of social support on the impact of loneliness on anxiety and depression in long-term care residents in nursing homes. Recent research suggests that a relationship exists between loneliness and rates of depression and anxiety in long-term care nursing home residents. The present study seeks to examine the buffering effect of social support and utilize the findings to provide suggestions for policy, practice, and research. A binary logistic regression and a series of multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine the relationships between the variables. The present study’s sample …

A Comparative Evaluation On The Impact Of Financial Coaching In Increasing Financial Capability For Low-Income Individuals In An Employment Program, Desiree Sanabria Guadamuz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People living under the poverty line are more likely to practice negative financial behaviors and have low financial capability than those living at a higher socioeconomic level, this hinders low income individuals from properly navigating the complex financial market. Recent research has found that financial coaching bundled with employment trainings, income support, and financial trainings/workshops will increase financial capability. However, additional studies on the impact of financial coaching in increasing financial capability are needed. The following research aimed to contribute to the existing literature on the impact of financial coaching in the context of an integrated service model by analyzing …

An Evaluation Of The Methodist Children's Home Gap Program, Ashten Wiedebusch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Methodist Children’s Home’s (MCH) GAP Program provides services for grandparents raising their grandchildren. This single case study explores whether the services provided by the GAP Program will reduce the risk factors for grandparents raising their grandchildren while increasing their ability to care for the child in a way that will promote well-being in today’s complex world. The literature shows some challenges for these grandparents include: role ambiguity, limited legal rights, lack of resources, inadequate living arrangements, employment and retirement, health issues, and outdated parenting skills and disciplinary methods. Protective factors for grandparents include: adaptive coping skills, self-care, positive relationships, support, …

The Effects Of Parental Involvement On Family Functioning Of Children In Counseling, Rebecca Schardt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Families with higher parental involvement indicate higher family functioning and child achievement. The STAR (Services to At-Risk Youth) program is designed to serve families identified as being at risk for child abuse and neglect. STAR services are intended to provide individual as well as family therapy for identified families. This study was designed to analyze the parent involvement in these services as compared to family functioning and child success. The study used closed STAR files to determine if children who had received services met their goals and if there was any increase in family functioning based on the pretests and …

F#@&!: Profanity As A Means Of Emotional Regulation, Nicholas Gregorich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Profanity is a commonplace occurrence in everyday conversation and society as whole. Previous studies have analyzed the reasons people use profanity as well as the function of profanity in various stressful situations, such as pain. Emotional regulation is a series of strategies people use to control and modify their emotions. One frequent target emotion to be regulated is anxiety, a state of fear which may elicit avoidance behaviors and defense reactions. However, no previous research has exclusively looked at profanity as a potential emotional regulation strategy. This study determined whether or not profanity was a useful emotional regulation strategy for …

A Sense Of Belonging Among Minority Students At A Southeastern State Flagship University, Shakia D. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of minority students enrolling into college is increasing. However, minority students are likely to experience feelings of isolation and a sense of not belonging on college campuses, specifically predominantly White institutions. A sense of belonging among minority students may contribute to a higher chance of academic persistence, academic achievement, and positive feelings about one’s self. Therefore, creating and cultivating a sense of belonging among minority students at predominantly White institutions is crucial to these students’ well-being and overall academic success. Key components in creating and cultivating a sense of belonging are student involvement and positive relationships with faculty, …

Chasing Destiny: A Novella, Kassandra Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chasing Destiny tells the story of Lyric Angel de la Cruz. She is the only daughter of five-time world heavyweight champion and three-time tag team champion Manuel de la Cruz and the oldest granddaughter of Julio de la Cruz, a legend in the wrestling world. For as long as Lyric can remember, her life has been surrounded by wrestling, and she wants to be involved with the business. But unlike her family that came before her. Lyric wants to create her own way in the business, however, when she tells Manuel her career path, he is furious that she would …

An Instrumental Case Study: Growth Mindset Instructional Best Practices For Learning Disabled Students, Brenda L. Cornell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem that drove this study was that students who struggle in school, especially those with a non-intelligence-based learning disability, suffer from a fixed mindset after years of feelings of failure in school. This mindset causes them to develop maladaptive approaches to learning that inhibit success. The purpose of this study was to describe the best practices of reading teachers who have a reputation for high student achievement and who adhere to a growth mindset in an effort to build a growth mindset culture with their students. This qualitative instrumental case study was conducted through interviews of eleven reading teachers/specialists …

Chronic Pain And History Of Trauma, Lauren K. Grizzard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As literature has shown, chronic pain patients present with a unique challenge to the medical field. The existing question is if the patient’s pain is unmanageable because of the severity of the pain or if the patient lacks coping mechanisms. If there is a lack of coping mechanisms, then that raises a plethora of new questions for the medical teams caring for them. After IRB approval, the current study was conducted on a sample of three patients that were referred to the Hendrick Medical Center Pathways team for pain management. It sought to determine if there was any association between …

The Benefits Of Alternative Therapies On Adult Mental Health, Sara Bryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following descriptive pre and post study was to collect and analyze data to determine if there are benefits to alternative therapies on adult mental health. Three types of alternative therapies were studied: aromatherapy, recreation therapy, and yoga. A literature review was conducted and pre and post questionnaires were administered. Frequencies and averages were run which showed that participants were mostly Caucasian, with an average age of 31 years and most diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Participants showed decreased levels of anxiety and depression after attending both aromatherapy and yoga classes. Participants showed decreased anxiety levels after …

The Impact Of Social-Emotional Training On Social-Emotional Development In Students Based On Student Grade And Teacher Experience, Qian Hui Lim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that early childhood is a sensitive developmental period for social and emotional development, and early intervention leading to social-emotional skills in preschool years is significantly associated with positive outcomes later in life. Many preschool children are reported to already experience social-emotional problems, but very few teachers have received training to implement social-emotional development programs. Educational institutions must carry the responsibility of promoting children’s social and emotional development because most young children spend the majority of their time learning and socializing in school. This study sought to add to current literature by looking into the effects of student grade …

A Novel Mathematical Model Of The Trojan Y-Chromosome Strategy With Optimal Control, Christopher Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are a prevalent problem all over the world. Controlling and eradicating an invasive species is an even more diffcult problem. The Trojan Y Chromosome (TYC) eradication strategy is one control method. This method alters the female to male sex ratio by introducing sex reversed males called supermales. These sex reversed males can only produce male progeny. Mathematical models of this strategy have shown that a population can be driven to extinction with a continuous supply of these sex reversed males. There are many different mathematical models of this strategy, but most have serious flaws, such as negative solutions …

The Effects Of Self-Regulation Depletion And Race On The Willingness To Interact With Individuals With Mental Illness, Kenocha K. Epperson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the discrimination that Black individuals encounter is unique, it is similar in some ways to the discrimination experienced by individuals with mental illness (Corrigan & Wassel, 2008; Follmer & Jones, 2018; Jackson & Stewart, 2003). Research has found that these kinds of stigma can be overridden (Baumeister et al., 1998), but doing so requires self-regulation, which can be depleted (Gailliot et al., 2007). Because stigma exists against both Black individuals and those with mental illness, and because self-regulation is necessary to override those stigmas, the purpose of this project was to examine the relationships to which Black participants would …

Evaluation Of Metal Concentration In Water And Soil In The Southern Region Of Lake Nacogdoches, Olawunmi Taiwo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concentrations of metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn) were investigated in soil and water samples collected over four different sites in the southern part of Lake Nacogdoches over one year from August 2018 through June 2019. Water samples were analyzed using the USEPA method 200.8 part 11.2 for total recoverable metals. Soil samples were analyzed using the USEPA method 3050B for total recoverable metals. Although the total concentration gives some indication of the level of contamination, it is not enough to give information on the bioavailability or mobility of the element. A modified …

An Investigation Of Anxiety- And Depression-Like Behavior After Head Trauma In Mice, Sean K. Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every year around 2 million people in the United States (US) suffer a traumatic brain injury. Those people are often at a higher risk of post-TBI psychiatric illness, like anxiety and depression. Animal models of TBI are a useful way to measure such psychiatric illnesses in a pre-clinical setting. There were two purposes of this study: the first being to test the modified Marmarou TBI model, and second to investigate anxiety- and depression-like symptoms in C57Bl6/J mice following a TBI. The modified Marmarou model used different weights (95g, 30g, & sham) to see how severity affected the manifestation of anxiety-like …

Community Involvement In Flood Mitigation: A Survey-Based Approach In Marion County, Sc, Lillian C. Howie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Marion County is located in northern South Carolina between the Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers. Because Marion County was the location of severe flooding during hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018), the South Carolina Floodwater Commission identified Marion County as a location for drainage system improvement by the Infrastructure and Shoreline Armoring Task Force. In order to align plans for drainage system improvement with the needs of the local communities, commission chairman Thomas Mullikin requested a community survey to gauge the residents' personal experiences and views on what changes should be made to address the problem. The …

Utilization Of A Concurrent Query Form To Improve Clinical Documentation In A Va Facility For Patients With Stroke Or Tia, Lisa A. Keefner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caring for stroke patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and transient ischemic attack (TIA) at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) acute care hospitals is a very complex process that centers on accurate documentation. Inaccurate or missing documentation leads to patient safety issues, lower quality care, and inaccurate Veteran Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) classification for reimbursement. This pilot project’s 3 problems of interest include improving provider response to clinical queries about documentation, capturing national metrics collected by the VHA, and accurately representing veterans in VERA classification. Based on a review of the literature available on patient treatment file (PTF) accuracy and …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Vision Loss: Investigating The Lived Experiences Of Adventitiously Blinded Adults, Jennifer Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to share the lived experiences of four adventitiously blinded individuals. The researcher interviewed participants regarding the events surrounding their vision loss. The researcher used a descriptive phenomenological method to analyze the results.

Through analysis, seven themes emerged as essential experiences for experiencing adventitious vision loss: Medical Dysfunction, Others’ Reactions, Ancillary Losses, Rehabilitation, Sensory Enhancements, Benefits of Vision Loss, and Participants’ Advice.

The study indicated that participants’ experiences are influenced by how others in society understand blindness. Suggestions included providing a greater awareness to the public for blindness, its effects, and its available rehabilitation options.

Evaluation Of The Role Of Self-Efficacy As A Retention Strategy In The Implementation Of A Nurse Residency Program, Judith Diane Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Newly licensed graduate nurses are transitioning to practice with low self-efficacy and competency gaps leading to poor patient outcomes and low retention rates within this population of nurses. These low rates of retention create an environment in which newly licensed graduate nurses have failed or are delayed in their transition from novice to expert. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the Vizient/AACN nurse residency program on the first-year retention rate of newly licensed graduate nurses within an organization in central Texas. The program was evaluated utilizing newly licensed graduate nurse pre- and …

Transition Practices For Students With High-Incidence Disabilities In A Rural School, Kristina M. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with disabilities often have difficulty obtaining and maintaining employment after graduation from high school. Employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities are significantly less than their typical peers. One potential cause of lower employment outcomes for people with disabilities is the result of public schools’ failure to implement appropriate individualized transition plans and services. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the effectiveness of evidence-based transition practices as perceived by school educators, parents of students with high-incidence disabilities who receive special education services, and outside agency providers in a rural school in the North Central Texas area. …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Role Of Teacher-Parent Partnerships That Best Benefit Students In A Parochial College Preparatory High School, Sarah H. Gates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Current research on teacher–parent partnerships has increasingly focused on early childhood education. This transcendental phenomenological study expanded and extended the understanding of effective teacher–parent partnerships in secondary education at a parochial college preparatory high school. According to Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory (BST), academic growth and development in late adolescents are impacted by the overlapping systems of influence: the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify secondary educators’ perceptions of teacher–parent partnerships that best benefit students. Faculty at a parochial college preparatory high school were asked about their perceptions of parental involvement …

Effect Of Creatinine Point-Of-Care Testing On Turnaround Time For Computed Tomography Exams With Intravenous Contrast, Shannon Haltom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Emergency departments often have a stigma of long wait times. They face multiple challenges related to the flow of patient care due to the variety of factors that affect care and treatment. In order to support patient-centered care, the purpose of this project was to determine if point-of-care testing of creatinine decreases turnaround time for computed tomography exams with intravenous contrast in the emergency department. A mixed methodology of consecutive sampling and retrospective data collection was used. In all, 128 ratio data elements were reviewed, including a retrospective review of 64 charts from September 2018 and a consecutive sample …

Creating An Inclusive Climate For Students On The Autism Spectrum, Stephanie Christine Holmes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem that drove this study was the increasing number of students with autism entering the school system, and the barriers often encountered for both academic and social inclusion for students on the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by diagnostic criteria, includes deficits in social-relational communication; social-communication deficits can lead to educational impacts and limit opportunities upon transitioning from the public-school system. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to inclusion, which often includes the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) eligibility process itself, from the perspectives of key stakeholders to include Local Education Agency (LEA) representatives, …

The Effects Of Resistance Deception On Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, And Perceived Exertion, Broderick L. Dickerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resistance deception during training is a lightly researched topic and is seen as a modification that can potentially act on central control during exercise. Studies that have observed effects of deception while training have yielded mixed results. The effects of deception on strength, muscular endurance, and perceived exertion and the mechanisms of action that may elicit changes are still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effects of resistance deception on muscular strength, muscular endurance, and perceived exertion in a trained population. Eight participants finished the study and underwent four trials, one of which was a …

Strategies Framed Within Transformational Leadership That African American Female Principals Use To Retain Teachers In Texas High-Poverty Schools: A Case Study, Tiffany M. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe strategies framed within transformational leadership that exemplary African American female principals implement to retain teachers in Texas high-poverty schools. Participants of this case study included 10 African American female principals from elementary, middle, high, and alternative Title 1 schools within the state of Texas. All of the principals had been on their campus at least 2 years and had a 75% or higher retention rate on their campus. The participants were asked questions based on the 4 categories of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation. …

A Qualitative Case Study Examining Parental Involvement And Parent-School Partnership Strategies In A Middle School: Perspectives Of Parents, Teachers, And Administrators, Jil Maria Massucco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement and parent-school partnership strategies are critical factors to children’s academic success. In this qualitative case study, parents’, teachers’, and administrators’ perceptions of parental involvement and parent-school partnership strategies of middle school children were examined. The setting of the study was in a Georgia middle school. The population for this single case study consisted of 6–8 grade middle school parents and school stakeholders located in a suburban Georgia school district during the 2019–2020 academic school year. The school was in a residential suburban area in the state of Georgia. The parent population consisted of parents with children who attended …

How Do Nurse-To-Patient Ratios In The Emergency Department Impact Patient Experience?, Jessica L. Marcoux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of consensus about the staffing matrix across nursing and especially in emergency

nursing, where variations in arrival patterns, acuity, social determinants of health, and length of stay all impact the workload of emergency nurses. The objective of this paper was to determine if government-mandated staffing ratios had a greater impact on patient experience at hospitals in California than staffing based on hours per patient visit at hospitals in Massachusetts. Seven hospitals from the state of California with government-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios were compared to 7 hospitals from Massachusetts that did not have mandated staffing ratios to determine …

Increasing Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors In Cargo Drivers, Ronda L. Bell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to examine the extent to which lifestyle behaviors of transportation drivers in North Texas can be improved with health education. This research study was conducted to examine the health behaviors of transportation drivers as a result of an educational partnership between nursing and the transportation industry. The goal was to improve healthy lifestyles through education to decrease chronic illness and comorbid conditions of a significantly at-risk occupational population. The impact of this education was immediate and verified with quantitative measurement and statistical analysis. Results demonstrated that after nurse-led health education, transportation drivers reported significant …