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An Investigation Of Registered Nurses’ Knowledge And Decision-Making Processes In Relation To The Management Of Adults With Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Megan Alice Westphalen

Theses

Introduction: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute complication of diabetes. Registered nurses (RNs) knowledge with regard to DKA has never been investigated in any depth, nor has their decision making ever been examined in this specific context.

Research Significance: Nursing research literature acknowledges that nurses have an important role in the management of patient with DKA. However, there is very little empirical evidence available to support this claim. The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of the level of knowledge, the decision-making processes and the factors that influence nurses’ decision making whilst managing patients with DKA.

Methodology: A …

Exploration Of The Role Of The Enrolled Nurse Within A Team Nursing Model: Perspectives Of Enrolled Nurses And Registered Nurses, Anna Gardner

Theses

Background: The role of the nurse and the way in which nursing care is delivered has undergone significant change in recent years. Enrolled nursing, in particular, epitomises the extent of these changes. The scope within which enrolled nurses (ENs) may now practice grows ever wider, reaching into the skill domains once reserved for registered nurses (RNs). Medication administration is one such example. These changes, while addressing issues of nursing shortages and workforce flexibility, have also resulted in increasing role confusion between RNs and ENs, creating issues around appropriate delegation and adequate supervision.

Aim:The study aim was fourfold. First to …

Implementing Quality Improvement Strategies In Real-World General Practice- A Study Focused On Cardiovascular Disease, Charlotte Hespe

Theses

Introduction

General practitioners (GPs) are central to cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and management. However, multiple studies show they have sub-optimal assessment and management of CVD risk. The central question addressed in this thesis was: How do we translate preventive care guidelines into the real world of Australian general practice through Quality Improvement Collaboration (QIC)?

Methods

The research comprised of four studies. The first examined the experiences of stakeholders participating in a quality improvement collaboration (QIC) intervention undertaken in Australian primary care [the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives [APCC] program], and the second assessed implementation of the 2012 CVD risk management guidelines …

Multilayered Agency And Religion: A Study Of The Catholic Bishops Conference Of The Philippines (1986–1998), Christian Santos

Theses

The present thesis examines the core issue of how to understand and situate the agency of a religious actor in International Relations (IR). This is investigated through a case study of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in two comparative policy contexts: agrarian land reform and family planning. The CBCP is a permanent institution within the Catholic Church as a collective of the bishops of the Philippines. The research employs analytic eclecticism as the method to integrate select works from four principal scholars: Colin Wight, Adrian Pabst, Atalia Omer and Mariano Barbato. Wight’s tripartite multilayered framework of agency …

'Are We Doing The Right Thing?' Utilising Security Governance To Reform The Us Drone Program, Jane Minson

Theses

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, for counterterrorism purposes by the United States within its targeted killing program has been deeply controversial. Used in each presidential administration since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, drones have sparked debate, in part due to their contribution to civilian deaths; their killing of high-value terrorist targets including, on at least one occasion, a US citizen; and the heightened secrecy that has surrounded the program with little formal oversight and, as such, little accountability. This thesis uses this contextual framework – with a particular focus on the administration of President Barack …

Developing A Contemplative Classroom. Are There Other Approaches That Usefully Extend Angelo Caranfa?, Rosemary Laoulach

Theses

This study will explore the literature on silence and contemplation in order to develop an approach for a contemplative classroom. It will examine Angelo Caranfa’s ideas on silence in education and a contemplative curriculum. The research will highlight some of the influences on his work, critiquing them and pointing out what can be further developed by outlining what a contemplative classroom might look like.

Contemplative practices will be defined broadly as silence, attentiveness, reflection, humility, attentive listening, and mindfulness. I will provide a theoretical and practical account of these to inform educators towards a holistic approach to teaching and learning …

Architecture And Students' Physical Activity In Learning Environments, Rachel Marie Tindall

Theses

‘Architecture and Students’ Physical Activity in Learning Environments’ is a doctoral thesis that aims to understand how the physical activity behaviours of Australian children are influenced by school architectural environments. Physical activity (movement) and sedentary behaviour (sitting) play a major role in the overall health of children, yet Australian children are failing to meet the government recommendations (Active Healthy Kids Australia (AHKA) 2016). As most children spend a significant amount of their time in schools, it is important to understand how the learning environments influence them. The architecture of schools is perhaps the least changed architectural typology within contemporary society, …

Participation Of Tanzanian Nurses And Midwives In The Implementation Of Millennium Development Goals 4 (Reduction Of Child Mortality) And 5 (Improvement Of Maternal Health): A Case Study, Peter Taratara

Theses

In 2000, the United Nations (UN) developed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as an international framework to address poverty, promote sustainable development, and improve global health. The framework was translated into 8 goals with goals 4 and 5 targeting the reduction of child mortality and the improvement of maternal health. The UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) encouraged nurses and midwives to participate in the implementation process of the MDGs, and each country had the responsibility of formulating its own implementation policies and plans. The encouragement to participate was from the understanding that nurses and midwives are the backbone …

‘Burnt Out Lamps’: Exploring The Impact Of Occupational Stress And Burnout On The Wellbeing Of Intensive Care Nurses In A Tertiary Hospital, Swapna Mathew

Theses

Occupational stress and burnout are commonly experienced by nurses in the intensive care unit and contribute to poor nursing practice. A study in the United Kingdom revealed that approximately one-third of the intensive care unit team members were at a ‘high risk’ for burnout syndrome. Research suggests that multiple factors contribute to occupational stress and burnout, including nursing shortages, staff turnover, high workloads, workplace conflicts, and bullying. Research suggests that the wellbeing of nurses is imperative in ensuring the best delivery of care to patients, which further results in positive health outcomes for patients.

This study was conducted in a …

A Study On Post-Burn Healing: Optimising Scar Outcome Through The Use Of A Silicone-Based Film-Forming Wound Dressing, Fiona Poelchow

Theses

Introduction

The development of scarring is a normal physiological response during burn wound healing for any except the most trivial of injuries. Burn scarring can cause considerable functional and psychological anguish in burn survivors. Prolonged wound healing has been shown to affect scarring outcomes. Superficial cutaneous wound injuries carry a risk of scarring and altered pigmentation after the wound has healed. The primary aim of this study was to explore the effects of topical silicone on the rate of wound healing in superficial wounds. Secondary aims included investigation of scar and pain outcomes.

Methods

This thesis presents two studies which …

Assess, Address, Progress: An Online Approach To Evaluate And Develop Teacher Education Students’ Numeracy Capability, Kate Hartup

Theses

For as long as numeracy has been assessed as a major domain in Australia (since 2003), Australian school students’ numeracy levels have been declining (Thomson et al., 2019). This decline is evident despite it being a national requirement for teachers to teach numeracy skills across all subject areas at all year levels (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA), n.d.). Although there are several definitions of numeracy, fundamentally it is the application of mathematics and the ability to interpret and utilise mathematical information (Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 2017). Given that teachers’ mathematical knowledge has been shown to affect their …

The Virtue Of Appropriate Transparency: Research Psychology And The Replication Crisis, Barry Mannolini-Winwood

Theses

I argue that one step toward addressing the replication crisis in psychology is through the application of appropriate transparency in research communication. Drawing upon virtue epistemology, I propose that appropriate transparency can be defined as a contextually informed point between understatement and overstatement. As such, I contend that judging appropriate transparency in research psychology requires a shared research design nomenclature (RDN). As researchers’ definitions of terms related to research psychology are not necessarily identical between individuals, it is beneficial to use transparent definitions of pivotal concepts to facilitate effective communication between researchers and their audience. However, the boundaries of appropriate …

Experiences Of Emergency Department Nurses Caring For Individuals At Risk Of Suicide In The Wheatbelt: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Tendai Makanyanga

Theses

The prevention of suicide is a complex and challenging subject that can evoke fear and anxiety in health professionals who provide support for individuals at risk. Nurses working in the emergency department (ED) are at the forefront of supporting individuals at risk of suicide who present to hospital. While empirical evidence regarding ED nurses and their perceptions of the support of those at risk is available, to date, a Wheatbelt, Western Australian (WA)-specific study has not been conducted. The present study aims to understand the experiences of Wheatbelt ED nurses caring for individuals at risk of suicide. More specifically, this …

Developing Mathematical Identities: Australian Children’S Gendered Constructs In The First Formal Year Of School, Rachelle Glynn

Theses

Researchers have been intrigued by the dichotomy of similar achievement levels between boys and girls but disparate mathematical attitudes, which show that girls are much less likely to enjoy or engage with mathematics or choose professions involving mathematics (Kyriacou & Goulding, 2006; Vale, 2008). Although studies have explored differences in boys' and girls' perceptions of their mathematical identity from age seven, there has not been research conducted on students as they begin school to see what gendered perceptions they bring to their mathematical learning. This study seeks to answer the question: How are girls’ and boys’ mathematical identities being informed …

"That All May Justice Share: Sydney Catholics In The Interwar Years 1919-1929, Monica Van Gend

Theses

While the years immediately following Australia’s participation in World War I have received much academic attention, the churches in the post-war era have been largely overlooked. Responding to Michael McKernan’s claim that Australian churches became less relevant to Australian society after the war, this thesis examines the response of the Catholic Church in Sydney to life after the war. Utilising a dual methodology of religious history and social history, this thesis analyses the role of the Church at this time by examining its works and activities, drawing on primary sources in Archdiocesan archives and the archives of specific Catholic lay …

Raising The Curtain: A History Of Patch Theatre Company, 1939 - 1950, Elizabeth Leong

Theses

This thesis investigates the social history of one of Perth’s oldest and longest-running amateur theatres, the Patch Theatre Company, from when it was founded in 1939 by Ida and Edward Beeby until their departure from the company in the late 1940s. The Beebys’ strong partnership and dynamic personalities helped build Patch into a successful company and thriving community. It was a school of music, drama, and dance, and one of the most popular amateur theatres in Western Australia during and after the Second World War. The development, operation and impact of Patch has been largely overlooked in Western Australian histories. …

The Process And Impact Of A Catholic School Amalgamation: A Mixed Method, Single Case Study, Stephen Gough

Theses

This research provides an investigative analysis of the impact of a large-scale change process involving the amalgamation of two long-standing Catholic schools in a capital city of Australia. The study explores how a change process impacted staff, student and parent stakeholders within the initial year of a school amalgamation by examining Catholic school life and culture, student learning and wellbeing, the physical learning environment, and leadership and administration. The objective is to better understand the process and the impact of the change that took place during the amalgamation, in order to further inform the planning and leading of future Catholic …

Tourism Trails And Resurgent Pathways: An Exploration Of The Nexus Between Indigenous-Led Tourism And Resurgence Discourses Alongside Karajarri Traditional Owners Of The Saltwater Kimberley, Australia, And Beyond, Bobbie Chew Bigby

Theses

This research explores the intersections between Indigenous-led tourism and resurgence among Indigenous communities. Resurgence is understood as practices promoting connections with culture, Country (i.e. Indigenous lands and waterways), and community. The research utilises a comparative case study approach to specifically analyse the experience of Karajarri Traditional Owners (TOs) of the saltwater Kimberley region of northwestern Australia. Comparative examples are drawn from Indigenous-led tourism development by other coastal Kimberley Aboriginal tourism leaders, as well as from the author’s own Tribal Nation, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, United States.

The conceptual framework for this work is derived from the following concepts from …

Intraperitoneal Instillation Of Local Anaesthetic (Ipila) In Bariatric Surgery And The Effect On Post-Operative Pain Scores: A Randomised Control Trial, Ramandeep Kaur

Theses

Background
Effective analgesia during bariatric procedures may be vital as it could reduce post-operative opioid use. This can lead to less nausea which may be associated with shorter post- operative length of stay (LOS). Understanding analgesic requirements in patients with obesity is important due to the varied physiology and increased number of comorbidities.

Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of IntraPeritoneal Instillation of Local Anaesthetic (IPILA) to reduce opioid requirements in patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Methods
A double-blinded randomised control trial was conducted to compare intraperitoneal instillation of ropivacaine to normal saline in 104 …

Personalised Antimicrobial Dosing In Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis, Sahand Imani

Theses

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are predisposed to recurrent pulmonary exacerbations throughout their lifetime. This is characterised by an acute worsening of respiratory symptoms in the setting of bacterial infection and results in significant morbidity and mortality. Appropriate antimicrobial therapy is fundamental to management, in particular aminoglycoside antibiotics. Tobramycin is the preferred aminoglycoside of choice, usually administered intravenously for 7 to 14 days.

Tobramycin dosing can be challenging in patients with CF. This is due to the underlying pharmacokinetic derangements (e.g., volume of distribution, organ function) frequently observed in this population. Accordingly, the use of standard dosing (based on age …

Does Acupuncture/Dry Needling Improve Pain And Itch In Abnormal Hypertrophic Scars, Catherine Tuckey

Theses

This research program investigated the use of acupuncture intervention as an adjunct for hypertrophic scar (HTS) management. Mechanistic evidence from ex vivo and animal studies suggests that acupuncture has the potential to modulate neurogenic inflammation to influence pain and itch associated with HTS. Further, acupuncture may mediate non-neuronal cells involved in the proliferation and remodelling stage of healing to promote scar maturation. Previous studies using acupuncture for scar management demonstrated positive outcomes, however low-quality clinical trials and case studies provide limited evidence for treatment benefit.

A treatment protocol was designed to investigate the effects of locally applied acupuncture compared to …

Community Development Supporting Ecological Conversion, As Identified In Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home, Anne Jennings

Theses

In this extraordinary time of multiple, intersecting crises with compounded costs in social, economic, and environmental degradation, calls for transformative change are emerging from all levels of humanity – global to local. Within that setting, my study concentrated on investigating change at a local level to address the research question ’How can community development theory and practice contribute to ecological conversion, as identified in Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home?’

Since its release, Laudato Si’ has provoked considerable academic/theological and scientific/environmental debate that does not necessarily contain local people’s views and everyday lived experiences, given their often-limited access …

Reinterpreting The Villain: Changing The Pattern Of The Fairy Tale Through Sleeping Beauty’S Maleficent, Mackenzie Waldon

Theses

Recent filmic representations of the fairy tale villain can offer powerful counter-narratives to archetypal fairy tale stories. This thesis examines how certain contemporary representations of fairy tales have reinterpreted the traditional ‘villain’ archetype, revealing a greater diversity of perspectives. Using John Stephens’ and Peter Stockwell’s cognitive poetics theory on schema and scripts as a theoretical framework, this thesis closely analyses the known Disney fairy tale villain, Sleeping Beauty’s (1959) Maleficent, as she is portrayed in the live-action films Maleficent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), as well as Disney’s Descendants (2015, 2017, 2019) films. By analysing the patterns and …

Transgression And Its Practice: The Role Of The Cultural Provocateur From The Twentieth To The Twenty-First Century, Luke Beattie

Theses

This thesis addresses the axiom that cultural provocation has lost its potential as a strategy of subversion due to the capacity of late capitalism – aka neoliberalism – to imbue any venture with profit-generating potential. In light of the tensions between economic exploitation in a digital consumer society and the transformative potential of subversive and transgressive art and performances, this thesis produces a “cognitive map” that reflects the current state of cultural provocation in the absence of an understandable social totality, reflective of the decentering affect and effects that constitutes late capitalism. In generating this cognitive map, the thesis examines …

The Synthesis And Biological Assessment Of Novel Ursolic Acid Derivatives As Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents For Cancer, Julie Rose Mae Mondala

Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM) is considered to be the most biologically aggressive type of brain tumour accounting for approximately 48% of all malignant primary brain tumours. GBM patients diagnosed have poor prognosis with a low five-year survival rate of

The aim of this study was to develop novel UA derivatives to enhance its bioavailability. Nine novel UA derivatives: three different diamine linkers, with Boc-protected and deprotected ends, and with folic acid were designed and synthesized to improve compound activity and/or delivery. The structures of the newly synthesised compounds were confirmed using mass spectrometry, FTIR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The structural activity …

A Modified Model For The Long-Term Prediction Of Tropospheric Scintillation From Coarse-Resolution Atmospheric Data, James L. Suggs Jr.

Theses

It has been well established that scintillation, or random fades and enhancements of a propagating wave due to turbulence-induced fluctuations of the refractive index, can have deleterious effects on radar and satellite communications systems, especially for frequencies above 10 GHz (3 cm). Kolmogorov theory characterizes turbulence along a given propagation path in terms of the refractive index structure parameter C(superscript 2)(subscript n) . Tropospheric scintillation models are typically driven by C(superscript 2)(subscript n)(z) profiles developed from atmospheric measurements/predictions of pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed/direction along a given propagation path. In this work, high-resolution distributions of outer-scale, wind shear, …

Geospatial Analysis Of Wildland Fire Impact On Surface Air Pollution Utilizing Data Fusion, Ashlyn Lee Shirey

Theses

As vehicular and industrial impacts on air pollution continue to decrease over the continental United States (CONUS), smoke from wildland fires has become the major contributor to particulate matter pollution (PM2.5). With the frequency of wildland fires expected to increase, there is considerable interest in quantifying their impact on PM2.5 pollution. For the first time, this work estimates smoke impact on PM2.5 pollution over CONUS using direct observations of presence of smoke at the surface made by trained observers. These observations are combined with in situ observations of PM2.5 and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) smoke forecast fields to …

Investigations Of Surface Film Cooling Characteristics Along The Trailing Edge Of The Tip Of A Transonic Turbine Blade, Matthew Cox

Theses

The present study investigates film cooling in the trailing edge region of a transonic turbine blade tip, employing five rectangular film cooling holes downstream of a squealer recess. Heat transfer coefficient, heat transfer coefficient ratio, and adiabatic film cooling effectiveness data are provided for two tip gaps, 0.8 mm and 1.4 mm, over a range of blowing ratios. Surface heat transfer characteristics are measured using a transient impulse-response approach with infrared thermography. Local values of adiabatic film cooling effectiveness increase with increasing blowing ratio and are consistently higher when the tip gap is 0.8 mm. Values of heat transfer coefficient …

Differentiating Oil Palm Plantations From Natural Forest To Improve Land Cover Mapping In Ghana, Jacob C. Abramowitz

Theses

Tree crops like oil palm present a unique challenge in land cover mapping, as they are often misclassified as natural forest. The area cultivated with oil palm in Ghana has rapidly expanded since 2000, and production is expected to continue to increase. Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data was used to map mature, closed-canopy oil palm extent in 2019 around a known oil palm mill in a Ghana study area that includes both industrial plantations and smallholders. The combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 inputs outperformed either input alone for mapping industrial oil palm. A separate accuracy assessment for this combined input …

Pegylated Poly(Amino Acid) Copolymers For Delivery Of Magnetic Nanoparticles, Carl Steven Amborski

Theses

Block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(L-Leucine) were synthesized to study their self-assembly behavior and ability to form polymeric micelles. These micelles were mPEGn-b-p(L-Leu)x, HO-PEGn-b-p(L-Leu)x, and p(L-Leu)x-b- PEGn-bp( L-Leu)x. The molecular weight of PEG varied between 2000 and 500 Da and the weight of p(L-Leu) varied between 1965 and 8515 Da. These micelles were assembled in aqueous solution both with and without 5nm diameter iron oxide nanoparticles and then analyzed with a zetasizer to determine their diameter. The goal was to find a combination of chain lengths that consistently produce a micelle that fully encapsulates 5nm iron oxide nanoparticles without …