Digital Commons Network^™

Abrupt Changes In Learning Platforms During A Pandemic, Nicole Nelson, Katie M. Villont

Nursing Masters Papers

The purpose of this secondary analysis is to explore academic nurse educators’ perceived changes to accommodate learning for undergraduate (UG) nursing education in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this secondary analysis is to investigate three research questions: what perceived changes are needed to accommodate learning, what are new/revised teaching innovations applied for undergraduate (UG) students during the pandemic that may be used post-pandemic, and what are concerns about UG students who will enter the workforce following the pandemic.

Perceived Stress Of College Students During Covid-19: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Kristina Morreale

Honors Theses

ACEs are adverse childhood experiences experienced in the first 18 years of life. They are present in over a third of the population and lead to adverse health outcomes (Karatekin, 2017). The goal of this study was to examine whether ACEs could be used to identify stress levels of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on ACEs and stress levels were collected from students actively enrolled at a college or university (N= 183). Findings indicated that high ACEs were predictive of high stress, specifically considering stressful factors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study suggest the …

Covid-19 In A Secure Behavioral Rehabilitation Setting: A Program Evaluation, Jennifer G. Jones

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Problem: The COVID-19 case rate as of June 5, 2020, for prisoners was 5.5 times higher than the United States (US) population case rate (Saloner et al., 2020). A secure behavioral rehabilitation facility in the US was challenged to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and made many changes to facility and program protocol in order to meet this challenge.

Methods: The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the COVID-19 facility response, case rates, percent positivity and attack rates between units at a secure behavioral rehabilitation facility to inform further policy and procedure recommendations for the mitigation of COVID-19 …

Assessing Moral Distress And Substance Use Among Nurses In The Time Of Covid-19 To Improve Patient Safety, Lauren Childers

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought rapid changes, increased stress, and ethical challenges to nurses across the globe. These factors may place nurses at increased risk for developing moral distress and substance use disorder. This stress can also increase nurse vulnerability to substance use. Previously there was little evidence about the rates of moral distress and substance use disorder among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objective of this evidence-based project was to describe levels of moral distress and substance use among nurses in a community hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic and to make recommendations for interventions to improve nurse …

Chosen Family: One Woman’S Fight To Become Her Best Friend’S Next Of Kin, Yessenia M. Moreno

Capstones

Nearly 70,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the state of New York. For the queer community, this time of death and mourning has highlighted how complicated things can get at the end of someone’s life.

This audio documentary, “Chosen Family, ”is the story of one woman’s fight to overcome the legal system and become her best friend’s health care proxy in the final battle of his life .

Link to capstone project: https://medium.com/@yessimoreno/7b3d96691b9f

Using Simulation To Improve Covid-19 Code Blue Outcomes, Charity Shelton

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background

Healthcare workers in the acute care setting must be ready to respond to emergencies at any given time. The recent COVID-19 pandemic put strains on the healthcare workforce that have brought challenges and new competencies for how healthcare workers safely respond to emergencies. To ensure healthcare workers maintain these competencies, specific training must occur to improve emergency response and outcomes. Specifically, there needs to be training for healthcare workers to respond to COVID-19 code blue emergencies safely and with skilled interventions.

Problem

A code blue in the acute care setting is a medical emergency that requires nurses, physicians, and …

Use Of Simulation To Improve Nurse's Response To Covid-19 Code Blue: A Literature Review, Charity Shelton

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background

Healthcare workers in the acute care setting must be ready to respond to emergencies at any given time. The recent COVID-19 pandemic put strains on the healthcare workforce that have brought challenges and new competencies for how healthcare workers safely respond to emergencies. To ensure healthcare workers maintain these competencies, specific training must occur to improve emergency response and outcomes. Specifically, there needs to be training for healthcare workers to respond to COVID-19 code blue emergencies safely and with skilled interventions.

Problem

A code blue in the acute care setting is a medical emergency that requires nurses, physicians, and …

Purposeful Nurse Hourly Rounding: Plan To Decrease Patient Falls During A Pandemic, Robbie Masangkay

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: Patient falls remain a critical and persistent safety problem in healthcare today. The prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic raises leadership concerns regarding the safe care of high-risk COVID patients and mitigating the increased stress and potential risks of infection to clinical staff.

Context: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholarly project details implementation of an evidence-based purposeful nurse hourly rounding (PNHR) pilot project designed to decrease the incidence of patient falls on a designated COVID-19 unit.

Measure: A modified PNHR rounding tool was implemented to guide focused elements for key nurse/patient interactions.

Interventions: …

Being A Caregiver In The Time Of A Pandemic: An Integrative Review, Julia Tokarz

Master of Science in Nursing Final Projects

Aim: To review and analyze research to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on informal caregivers and the strategies that could be employed to help the caregiver cope with any additional stress or burden of care.

Background: Informal caregivers are not paid for their services and often are not medically trained but provide care for their care recipients. Caregivers deal with stress while managing their care recipient’s health, financials, and social adjustments. The impact of COVID-19 and quarantine compounded the stressors of the caregiver. During stressful times, the health and well-being of the caregiver needs to be preserved.

Evaluation: A …

Plasmonically-Enhanced Dna-Rna Hybrid-Based Bioassay For Amplification-Free Quantification Of Sars-Cov-2, Yuxiong Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COIVD-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a highly infectious respiratory illness. Within just a few months, it spread around the whole world and became a global pandemic. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) works as a gold standard method diagnosing COVID-19 with high sensitivity and specificity. But due to the programs of RT-PCR, it usually takes more than 24 hours to get the results while specialized devices are also required. False-negative results can happen as well using RT-PCR which increase the risk of spreading coronavirus. To promote quicker detection of COVID-19, …

Covid-19: Does The Timing Of Intubation Affect Overall Outcomes, Jennifer Burvee

Nursing Masters Papers

COVID-19 also known as coronavirus disease of 2019 is a viral illness caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 that was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. To date, there have been over 250 million cases worldwide. The severity of COVID-19 ranges from mild symptoms to critical illness warranting hospitalization within an intensive care unit to death. Current treatment modalities include supportive cares, monoclonal antibodies, interleukin inhibitors, convalescent plasma, therapeutic anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory medications and/or corticosteroids. A common complication due to COVID-19 is acute respiratory failure resulting in pulmonary insult which start as cough but progress to the need for supplemental oxygen …

A Mathematical Model For Co-Evolution Of Pandemic And Infodemic With Vaccine, Anthony Morciglio

Mathematics Theses

Vaccine hesitancy, resulting from bad information, threatens the possibility of ending the COVID-19 pandemic through mass vaccination. The COVID-19 pandemic coincides with an overabundance of controversial information regarding disease transmission and public health mitigation approaches. We investigate a phenomenological co-evolution of pandemic and infodemic in the context of COVID-19 with an emphasis on evolutionary game theory. Using bifurcation analysis, we determine the limit cycle boundaries and the separation of attraction between stable foci of infection and periodic outbreaks of infection. Our results suggest that low risk perception of vaccination relative to infection is not sufficient to eradicate the disease; promotion …

'We Want Women?': An Examination Of Female Political Leadership During National Public Health Crises, Kelsi Rae Quick

Political Science Theses

While crises of terrorism have often prompted preference for male leadership, COVID-19 poses an ideal situation for examining the impact of gender stereotypes on executive approval in a new type of crisis tied to public health, seen as more of a ‘woman’s domain.’ Employing a survey experiment to examine public perception of male and female political leadership during different types of hypothetical national crises (terrorism v. highly contagious virus), this study ultimately finds that there is not a significant difference in average approval ratings between male and female executives in the virus crisis context, and a small difference with females …

Attitudes, Practices, And Perceptions Towards Covid-19 Patients Among Respiratory Therapists In Saudi Arabia., Rayan Almadni

Respiratory Therapy Theses

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 has taken the lives of more than 3 million people across the world, with more than 160 million cases reported. Respiratory therapists (RTs) play an important role in the treatment of COVID-19, including managing ventilators and administering breathing treatments. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate attitudes, practices, and perceptions about COVID-19 disease and the COVID-19 vaccine among respiratory therapists in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study utilized an online, cross-sectional survey with 36 questions administered to a convenience sample of RTs in Saudi Arabia. The survey is …

Tucker Carlson, Oann And A White Nationalist: A Quantified Look At The Disinformation Pipeline Surrounding Covid-19, Juliet Jeske

Capstones

A quantitive exploration of extremist media and its effect on misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examining The Healthcare Journeys Of African American Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes Amid Covid-19, Lei Edmerson

Honors Theses

The overall purpose of this study is to explore the pandemic experience of African American’s with Type 2 Diabetes. This study was done to highlight a specific group of people who live with a chronic illness and the steps they took to ensure their safety during a pandemic. The COVID- 19 pandemic had been shown to adversely and disproportionately impact minorities and those with diabetes in regards to mortality rates. This study aims to bring light to the stories of those dealing with more than just the pandemic. It wanted to explore how they made it thus far, and if …

Navigating The Impact Of Covid-19 On Small Commercial Businesses And Insurance Companies, And A Call To Action For Future Communicable Disease Outbreaks, Natalie Pena

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

The short-term and long-term effects of Covid-19 have caused many small commercial businesses to face financial hardships, loss of employees, and even closures for entities that were already experiencing low profit margins. Distraught with their businesses suffering, owners turned to their primary insurance companies to receive compensation through their business interruption policies. However, most insureds were upset when they discovered that their insurance plans did not include communicable diseases and pandemics as a covered peril. This led to many small businesses battling these issues in the courts and fighting for insurance companies to provide financial assistance to them during this …

Barriers Of Bronson School Of Nursing Program, Karla Kline

Honors Theses

Aside from the rigorous coursework of nursing school, nursing students experience various barriers that impact their academic success. Barriers to successful completion of traditional Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN) programs include isolation, lack of peer connections, lack of faculty connections, lack of family support, lack of financial support, and mental health struggles (Shaw, 2015) (Seal & Woods, 2021). This research will aim at assessing and exploring these barriers students are facing, along with the additional or exacerbated barriers the COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced.

This study will expand on the research conducted by Shaw (2015), in which she examined the …

Psychological Distress During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Mayantoinette Watson

Dissertations

During such an unprecedented time of the largest public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students are of the utmost concern regarding their psychological and physical well-being. Questions are emerging and circulating about what will happen to the nursing students and the long-term effects of the pandemic, especially now that hospitals are being overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases and patients as well as a significant need for nursing staff (Jividen, 2020). Expectations, demands, change, and the fear of the unknown during this unprecedented time can only contribute to the many stressors that accompany nursing students through laborious clinical and didactic courses …

Covid-19 & University Stakeholders: A Faculty Perspective, Torie Fowler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty member perceptions of job satisfaction, response efficacy, organizational communication efforts, along with organizational trust and goodwill in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, using faculty members employed at their institution of higher education during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years. A total of 285 responses were analyzed.

Results of this study suggest faculty member perceptions of job satisfaction and response efficacy were significant in predicting perceptions of trust and goodwill. The most significant predictor of organizational trust and goodwill was perceptions of organizational communication efforts. Also, this …

The Efficacy Of Tocilizumab As A Therapeutic Treatment For Sars-Cov-2 Infections: An Integrative Literature Review, Amanda Vancene Peterson

Nursing Masters Papers

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and resulting COVID-19 infection has spread from a cluster of unidentified pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, into an ongoing global health crisis. The strain on the healthcare systems and loss of human life has made finding ways to treat severe COVID-19 infections of the utmost importance. Mortality from COVID-19 has been shown to result from an overwhelming inflammatory response similar to the cytokine release syndrome seen in certain autoimmune reactions (Tleyjeh et al., 2020). It also can be seen after chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for certain cancers. It is hypothesized that treatments targeting the …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Long-Term Recovery For Individuals Post-Covid-19: A Doctoral Capstone Experience, Holly Bull

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Determining The Psychosocial Needs Of The Nurses Of Covid-19 Patients, Allison Stevens

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Nurses are a vital element of the COVID-19 healthcare crisis and have been since the beginning of the COVID-19 response. The professional strain put on nurses included, but is not limited to: changing professional roles, rapidly changing policies and procedures, an influx of patients—particularly of high acuity, and change in workplace morale. However, nurses also had to carry the burdens of living as a member of society, family member, friend, community member, and above all, simply as a person surviving a pandemic themselves. With all of the stressors nurses have endured, it stands to reason that their psychosocial needs have …

Associations Between Living On The Texas-Mexico Border, Drug Use, And Sexual Behaviors Among Sexual Minority Men During The First Shelter-In-Place Order Of The Coronavirus Pandemic, Nqobile Nzama

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: There have been changes in drug use and sexual behaviors among sexual minority men since the coronavirus pandemic. At this time, there is not adequate literature focusing on the state of Texas. Aims and Objective: The aims of this secondary data analysis and exploratory study are to determine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and living on the Texas-Mexico border, drug use, sexual behaviors, and use of dating/hook-up apps among sexual minority men who completed the COVID-19 & You Survey conducted between May 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020, during the first shelter-in-place order of the Coronavirus pandemic. Hypotheses: The hypotheses …

Covid-19 Masks In Terms Of Functional, Expressive, And Aesthetic Consumer Needs, Lily Highley

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess consumers' perspectives of COVID-19 masks under the functional, expressive, and aesthetic areas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, masks have become an “accessory” to everyday life, and it was essential to research masks under these unique areas and explore consumer perceptions.

This study took place after background research on the topic and the FEA model. The study included a survey sent to Bumpers College students upon approval from the IRB. The data was analyzed and interpreted specifically in the FEA areas and can be useful to better understand the students at the University …

Factors Influencing Service Robot Adoption: A Comparative Analysis Of Hotel-Specific Service Robot Acceptance Models, Ying Dong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The market for service robots is expected to expand significantly owing to the increasing relevance of service automation under the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the growing managerial interest in robotic applications in the hotel industry, current robotic research has been mostly conceptual with limited robot data on hand. In light of this issue, this paper will conduct a comparative analysis of hotel-specific service robot acceptance models between the Service Robot Acceptance Model (sRAM) and the Service Robot Integration Willingness (SRIW) framework. By identifying key elements of each service robot acceptance model, this paper puts an emphasis on investigating …

Protein-Ligand Binding As A Tool To Identify Antiviral Drugs., Rajdeep Virdi

Theses and Dissertations

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. A virus is a collection of essential genetic material encapsulated in a protein coat that is incapable of replicating without a host. A virus must inject its genetic material into a suitable host cell to utilize host machinery to replicate. During the process of replication, a virus hijacks cellular functions, avoids or inhibits host antiviral defenses, and sometimes causes disease in the host organism. One effective way to fight viral infection is to identify molecules that inhibit the function of essential viral proteins. The studies described in this dissertation focus …

Healthcare Assessment Algorithms/Guides In Pandemic Eras: Capturing Critical Data (Aged 65 And Older), Becky Marie Bautch

Capstones & Scholarly Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many concerns for populations across the globe in terms of health and well-being including in the United States. It changed the way patients interact within society and limited access to resources that were once readily available. The American population had to adjust the way they go about what used to be considered normal and address challenges in a new era. Fear of the unknown and the mandated lockdowns in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) prevented normal standard healthcare visits for the population. Many patient interviews in primary care are being …

Kicking The Way Through A Global Pandemic: How Ncaa Division I Soccer Players And Institutions Have Responded To The Covid-19 Pandemic And Related Protocols, Celia Clare Gaynor

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic rapidly spread throughout the United States in 2020, affecting many lives in the process. As health communicators, dealing with this disease and sharing effective health messaging in a fluid and unknown situation was key to preventing greater spread of COVID-19 and keeping the public safe from harm. For athletics, like all other aspects of society, protocols needed to be put in place to ensure that athletes could safely participate and compete in their sport. The present study looks to examine NCAA COVID-19 protocols of mask wearing and social distancing and how NCAA Division 1 …

Impact Of Local Covid-19 Policies On The Homeless Population: Case Study In Two Montana Counties, Franchesca D. Talbot

Capstone Experience

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on people experiencing homelessness in Montana. In each Montana County, local policies in addition to individual shelter policies determine the requirements for homeless shelters in relation to capacity, distancing, and other public health measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The policies often differ from county to county, which often lead to different outcomes across the state. This case study analyzed data from multiple sources on the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among the homeless populations in Missoula and Lewis and Clark Counties in Montana and linked them to the effectiveness of …