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

Open Access 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 …

Postmodern Artist Texts: Constructing Fictional Autobiographical Projects Through Art In Contemporary Spanish Narratives, Maidelin Rodriguez

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation explores the construction of autobiographical projects in four contemporary Spanish narratives: Entre amigas, written by Laura Freixas (1998), Sangre by Mercedes Abad (2000), El pájaro de la felicidad, directed by Pilar Miró and La vida secreta de las palabras by Isabel Coixet (2005). I argue that these artistic productions are alterations of the traditional Künstlerroman and that, they all share aesthetic and ideological characteristics distinctive of the Postmodernism and Postmodernity. These texts review, restructure and extend the traditional literary genre of the modern artist novel in two ways. The use of literary and philosophical theories allows me to …

Study Guide For The Role Of Lord Ruthven In Heinrich Marschner's Der Vampyr, Jeffrey James Williams

Open Access Dissertations

The Study Guide for the Role of Lord Ruthven in Heinrich Marschner’s Der Vampyr is designed to thoroughly prepare the performance of Lord Ruthven and promote Heinrich Marschner’s composition beyond the fringes of the operatic repertory. A methodical search of dissertation titles, abstracts, and related studies reveals a lack of preparation, performance, or study guides for Lord Ruthven and other major, compelling characters in opera and music drama. The purpose of this document is to provide a detailed study for the role of Lord Ruthven in Heinrich Marschner’s opera, Der Vampyr. The researcher’s secondary purpose is for this guide to …

Genetic And Environmental Predictors Of Empathy In Children At Risk For An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicole Marie Mcdonald

Open Access Dissertations

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty empathizing with others. These empathy deficits are apparent from as early as 12 months of age and predict later ASD diagnosis and symptom severity; however, the factors that influence empathy development in children at risk for an ASD are not clear. In typically developing samples, genetic factors, such as the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), and environmental factors, such as early parent-child interactions, contribute to individual differences in empathy. In this study, I investigated the influence of OXTR variants and characteristics of early parent-child interactions on later empathic behavior in toddlers at high- …

Peter Warlock (1894-1930): A Contextual Analysis Of His Art Songs Related To Symptoms Of Mental Illness, Judy O. Marchman

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this essay is to explore and examine the value of Philip Heseltine’s art song and to provide a contextual analysis for performance related to symptoms of mental illness. Currently, Heseltine’s repertoire is not considered a primary source for songs in English. This essay also provides insight as to reasons why Heseltine’s repertoire is less widely performed (or considered) than others. Heseltine’s art songs are discussed, along with characteristics relevant to Heseltine’s compositional style. Additional discussion includes dissection of Heseltine’s personality and behavior, illustrated in personal correspondence and other biographical materials. A comparison is made between the symptoms …

Psychological Determinants Of Satiation And Its Recovery: Perceived Scarcity, Future Consumption And Other Research Directions, Julio Sevilla

Open Access Dissertations

Satiation takes place when we repeatedly consume an enjoyable experience. While the occurrence of this phenomenon is directly related to the amount consumed, there are psychological factors that may delay it. The current research expands our knowledge of these factors by introducing and demonstrating two new psychological determinants of satiation and suggesting new directions for future research. This work shows that when people perceive a stimulus as scarce they will satiate from it at a slower rate due to a focus on consuming as much as possible which leads them to pay less attention to the quantity consumed and to …

Congenericity And The Measurement Of Interpersonal Communication Constructs: A Confirmatory Factor Analytic Test Of Four Measures, Paola Pascual-Ferra

Open Access Dissertations

It has long been known that measures can vary in the degree to which they are congeneric. The criteria for congenericity are important because (1) estimates of scale reliability such as those generated by Cronbach’s alpha greatly overestimate the reliability of noncongeneric measures, and (2) error covariances indicate that latent variable(s) other than the construct of interest contribute to item scores, thereby producing confounded measurements. Despite the observation that most measures in psychological research, which are similar to many communication measures, are noncongeneric, measures in communication research have been treated as though they are congeneric. In the present study, four …

Pangenesis For Piano And Orchestra, Daniel Manoiu

Open Access Dissertations

Pangenesis is a composition for piano and orchestra in two movements that was created using several conceptual ideas: multi-layered horizontal pitch organization, additive and subtractive rhythmic processes, expanding and contracting formal structures and the piano as a solo instrument as opposed to the piano as part of the ensemble. The two movements of the work, named Part I and Part II are both composed using these ideas, but the manner in which they are presented and applied is distinctive for each movement. Some of the development processes used in the piece are related to Gregor Johann Mendel's genetic inheritance model, …

A Guide For The Novice Coach Of The Undergraduate Mixed Ensemble: Coaching Procedures And Interpersonal Dynamics, Adriana R. Teodoro-Dier

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this essay is to offer solutions to basic chamber music problems that novice coaches may encounter when working with collegiate chamber ensembles that include piano. Without having amassed years of coaching experience, recently graduated piano majors have few external resources to consult when confronted with the opportunity to coach the aforementioned ensembles. With the intent to fill a gap in the published literature, this essay is a “prototype” manual of strategies and techniques to which the novice coach may refer. The author interviewed nine professional teacher-coaches for their suggestions on how to solve common musical problems and …

The Development And Impact Of An Online Social Networking Community For Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Sandy Liliana Romero

Open Access Dissertations

This is the first qualitative study to examine the social support functions of a social networking website for adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) over an academic year. Patients with CF are segregated and not allowed to meet face-to-face; this networking site was evaluated as an alternative for providing peer support. Age and gender differences in website usage were examined in participants enrolled in the CFfone study. Thematic analyses were used to examine the provision of four types of social support: companionship, emotional, informational, and instrumental, in relation to topics raised on the website. Results suggested that adolescents used the website …

A Study Of Microtubule Dipole Lattices, Shubhendu Nandi

Open Access Dissertations

Microtubules are cytoskeletal protein polymers orchestrating a host of important cellular functions including, but not limited to, cell support, cell division, cell motility and cell transport. In this thesis, we construct a toy-model of the microtubule lattice composed of vector Ising spins representing tubulin molecules, the building block of microtubules. Nearest-neighbor and next-to-nearest neighbor interactions are considered within an anisotropic dielectric medium. As a consequence of the helical topology, we observe that certain spin orientations render the lattice frustrated with nearest neighbor ferroelectric and next-to-nearest neighbor antiferroelectric bonds. Under these conditions, the lattice displays the remarkable property of stabilizing certain …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Coping Skills Groups On Quality Of Life In Cancer Survivors And Co-Survivors, Erin Schweers Cornelius

Open Access Dissertations

A coping skills group intervention for cancer survivors and co-survivors was developed based upon the APPLES Indicators of Healing. The group was a six week intervention aimed at teaching specific coping skills hypothesized to improve the participants’ quality of life. Variables including illness-related distress, illness-related coping, and illness-related resilience were examined in their relation to quality of life prior to the start of the intervention, midway through the intervention, and after the intervention concluded. It was predicted that participation in the APPLES coping skills group intervention would significantly improve cancer survivors’ and co-survivors’ resiliency, quality of life, and use of …

Francis Poulenc's "Huit Nocturnes" For Piano: A Performer's Guide, Renny Sie

Open Access Dissertations

Although more famous for his vocal songs, French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) contributed immensely to keyboard literature. Unfortunately, his works for solo piano are rarely studied and/or performed by pianists today. One of the most neglected piano works of Francis Poulenc is the set of eight pieces titled Huit Nocturnes pour piano. Recent research showed that there are very few scholarly studies found about Poulenc and no studies focused on his Nocturnes were found. The objectives of this study are to provide a performance guide for pianists who are exploring Poulenc’s piano works, specifically directed at, but not limited to …

Pain And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Laura Sheldon Blackwell

Open Access Dissertations

Objective: CF is a progressive, life-shortening disease treated primarily with palliative medications. Among the consequences of the disease’s progression and daily treatments are discomfort and pain. Previous studies have suggested that pain is common in patients with CF; however, little is known about the factors associated with this pain or its impact on clinical outcomes. The relationships between pain and health outcomes over time, such as adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), are largely unknown in this population. The purpose of this study was to systematically assess pain in adolescents with CF and evaluate its associations with adherence, social …

A Theoretical Model For Practicing, James Michael Drayton

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new practice paradigm for musicians that allows them to quickly identify errors, choose the most appropriate strategy needed to help them maximize their efforts in the practice room, and also have a method that will allow the individual to see and measure their growth in an objective fashion. The researcher first reviewed the literature on practicing to distill the proven techniques. From this review, the researcher created a new practice paradigm that closely follows the current research testing method of pretest-practice-posttest provided a list of materials needed for the practice session, …

Peer Play As A Context For Identifying Profiles Of Children And Examining Rates Of Growth In Academic Readiness For Children Enrolled In Head Start, Elizabeth R. Bell

Open Access Dissertations

Head Start has a unique opportunity to alleviate the negative effects of poverty in young children prior to entry into formal schooling. Research has shown that early interventions are most successful when they have a comprehensive focus that is individualized to children’s needs. In order to maximize children’s early experiences in Head Start, research must identify what types of early learning experiences work best for specific groups of children. The present study employed a child-centered approach to identify profiles, or subgroups, of children displaying early patterns of peer play behaviors in an ethnically and linguistically diverse Head Start program and …

Moral Emotions In Nonhuman Animals, Daniel A. Hampikian

Open Access Dissertations

I defend the view that some nonhuman animals can be morally motivated by empathic emotions. First, I argue that we are justified in ascribing to some animals phenomenal consciousness, the conceptual capacities to represent values and intentional objects, and the relevant behavioral and physiological similarities to human emotional states. Subsequently, I argue for a model of basic emotions that I call the Awareness of Physiological Vehicles (APV) account. According to the APV account, an animal’s emotion is best thought of as a focal awareness of an intentional object and a peripheral awareness of sensations of physiological states as indicators of …

The Role Of Teacher Commitment And Burnout In Predicting Outcomes Of Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Multilevel Structural Equation Approach, Drew Carson Coman

Open Access Dissertations

The recent economic downturn and political climate within the federal government has threatened special education resources for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The literature suggests that one consequence may be teacher burnout; a syndrome shown to have detrimental effects on the educational outcomes of students. The aims of this study were to investigate burnout in three groups (i.e., TEACCH, LEAP, and HQSEP) of high fidelity preschool teachers, its associations with teacher commitment to philosophy, and the potential effects on the social and communicative functioning in preschoolers with ASD. A sample of 75 teachers and 198 students were investigated within …

Childhood Maltreatment, Posttraumatic Cognitions, And Health Outcomes Among Young Adults, Elizabeth Reichert

Open Access Dissertations

Childhood maltreatment is a significant public health issue that has been linked to a myriad of negative long-term mental and physical health consequences. While the devastating health outcomes have been well established in the literature, the potential mechanisms of this link are less understood. In an effort to elucidate this relationship, the present study examined maladaptive cognitions (i.e., posttraumatic cognitions related to the self and world) that can form as a result of experiencing the trauma of maltreatment. Specifically, this cross-sectional study investigated the association between childhood maltreatment and self-reported mental and physical health concerns among a sample of young …

Are All Faculty Members Being Compensated Equally? A Multi-Method Approach To Investigating Faculty Salary, Angela Perine Ferreira

Open Access Dissertations

Salary disparities between gender and race continue to exist (Baker, Drolet, 2010; Barbezat, 2010; Broyles, 2009; Fransen, Plantenga, & Vlasblom, 2012; Hurtado, & DeAngelo, 2009; Monroe, & Chiu, 2010; Sayers, 2011). The trend of men being paid more for doing the same job as women has been acknowledged and assessed for years, most notably through vigorous empirical studies (Cherry, Durden, & Gaynor, 2011; Grey-Bowen, & McFarlane, 2010; Monroe, & Chiu, 2010; Takahashi, & Takahashi, 2010). This problem exists in both the general labor market and within academia: despite comparative levels of human capital, women are earning less (Carter, 2010; LoSasso, …

Professional Development In Historical Inquiry: Exploring Changes In Two Social Studies Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices, Thalia Wood

Open Access Dissertations

Educators in the social studies content area have struggled for over a century with how to best instruct their students in critical thinking. A growing group of researchers in the discipline of history, one of the major components of social studies education, support teaching the domain-specific skills of historical thinking through the process of historical inquiry. Nevertheless, many social studies teachers lack the pedagogical content knowledge to instruct their students in historical thinking skills through historical inquiry. This multiple case study sought to examine how two social studies teachers might change their knowledge, beliefs and practices after engaging in eight …

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Of Childhood Anxiety: Examining A Parent Consultation Model, Allison M. Smith

Open Access Dissertations

Strong evidence supports the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of clinical anxiety in children. As parents may play an etiological role in the development, progression, and maintenance of childhood anxiety, researchers have noted that including parents in child treatment confers some benefit upon child outcomes. Conducting CBT solely with the parents of anxious children may be equally beneficial and potentially more cost-effective than treatment modalities with only the child. The present study examined the efficacy of a ten-session parent-only CBT intervention delivered individually to parents of anxious children (ICBT) in comparison to a ten week wait-list control …

Alcohol Cognitions And College Student Drinking: The Moderating Effect Of Executive Abilities, Andrea M. Lavigne

Open Access Dissertations

Research informed by dual process models of addictions has clearly demonstrated an association between automatic and controlled alcohol-related cognitions and alcohol use. However, the literature is limited with respect to examination of the cognitive abilities that may moderate these associations across populations. This study examined executive abilities, automatic and controlled alcohol-related cognitions, and alcohol use and problems in sample of college students. It was hypothesized that the executive abilities of working memory and response inhibition would moderate relations between alcohol-related cognitions and involvement. Specifically, it was anticipated that individuals with weaker abilities in these areas would demonstrate stronger relations between …

Academic And Psychological Factors In Non-Medical Prescription Stimulant Use In Graduate Students, Genvieve Verdi

Open Access Dissertations

The current study investigated the prevalence of the non-medical use of prescription stimulant medication (active use in the absence of a valid prescription) by graduate students. The project sought to determine whether the rate of non-medical use in this population would be commensurate with usage rates observed in the undergraduate, law, and medical student populations. The study also explored the relationship between perceived knowledge and safety of stimulant medications and non-medical use. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between non-medical use of prescription stimulants with academic self-efficacy, psychological factors (anxiety, depression and stress), and internal restlessness. The present study recruited …

Use And Unintended Consequences Of Antidepressant Medications By Depressed Older Adults, Eun Sun Noh

Open Access Dissertations

Background

National guidelines suggest 12-18 months of antidepressant treatment for depressed patients to maximize the benefits of treatment; however, patterns of medication use according to the guidelines are less well understood, especially in older adults who are at higher risk of adverse drug events. In addition, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are recommended as a first-line therapy for older adults because of their favorable adverse event profile; however, several observational studies have suggested an association between SSRI use and an increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. While this link remains controversial, it is important to evaluate the risk of GI …

Examing The Associations Between Attention, Reading And Language Abilities In Young Adulthood, Hyun Jin Chung

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between attention, reading and reading-related measures, and oral language abilities in young adulthood. The majority of studies have focused on younger participants and have used self-report measures of attention. In the present study, a more objective, behavioral measure of attention was used. Factor analyses and structural equation modeling were performed to examine whether the data supported the Simple Theory (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) in this age group and whether some of the variance in reading performance is accounted for by attention. The conventional Simple Theory proposes that reading comprehension performance is the product of decoding …

Impact Of Race On Juvenile Forensic Assessment: Clinician Perceptions Of Adequate Test Norms, Nathan E. Cook

Open Access Dissertations

The psychological assessment of racial and ethnic minority groups is often substantially limited by the lack of adequate normative data for these groups. This study examined the impact that race has on forensic psychologists’ (N=145) diagnostic decision making as well as judgments of the quality of normative data. It was hypothesized that the forensic psychologists would accept lower quality normative data for African American youth compared to White youth. However, although the quality of the test norms influenced the dependent measures in the expected direction, no significant interaction was noted between norm quality and youth’s race. Participants judged the likelihood …

Cultural Factors, Stigma, Stress, And Help-Seeking Attitudes Among College Students, Radhika V. Pasupuleti

Open Access Dissertations

The study is examining the role of cultural and psychological factors that predict attitudes towards seeking mental health treatment. Given the role of treatment in reducing emotional distress, it is important to understand the issues people consider when exploring mental health treatment options. Specifically, constructs of stigma and acculturation were explored in relation to both attitudes toward and intentions to seek mental health treatment. Undergraduate and graduate students (246 women, 82 men; 237 White, 89 Nonwhite) recruited from two state colleges and a community college participated in an online survey assessing demographics as well as measures of stigma, acculturation, ethnic …

Girl Talk: Analyzing Discourse Among Urban Middle School Girls, Carey Delauder Bledsoe

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative study of an all-girls’ advisory in a coeducational, urban middle school located in a mid-sized city in the northeast. The advisory group met daily over the course of the 2010-2011 academic year. Drawing from data collected over one year of fieldwork--including participant observation, analysis of discourse, dynamic interviews, and the analysis of social constructs --this study explores how a group of mostly African American and Latina students created a caring community in order to increase their academic and social success.

Each chapter of the dissertation examines the challenges and obstacles the girls in the advisory …

The Development And Validation Of The Family Experiences With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Feasd) Scale, Adam Moore

Open Access Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) impacts 1 in 50 children in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013). This striking increase in the number of children with ASD affects families in a variety of ways.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale that measured the experiences of families of children with ASD in schools, health care settings, and in their families/communities. Family-centered care (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003) principles were used to create the items in the scale. In addition to determining the psychometric properties of the scale, the second purpose of …