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Implementing Site-Based Management In The Rural South: The Process And The Challenge, Linda Gail Mcquaig

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

School systems across the United States have implemented various forms of site-based management (SBM) to restructure their schools and ultimately improve education. Educators have been disappointed with the results of SBM and some have related its failure to the way SBM was implemented in many school systems. Too often, SBM was implemented as a top-down decision and viewed as a goal to obtain rather than a continuous learning process.

This study was an ethnohistorical, single-case study of a small, rural elementary school in Southeast Georgia that implemented a form of site-based management, shared governance. Data collection consisted of a combination …

Asynchronous Multiuser Decorrelating Detector For Awgn Channel, Ashwini A. Borkar

Theses

Decorrelating detector is one of the sub-optimum detectors for CDMA applications that generally has better performance than the conventional detector and is near-far resistant. Synchronous decorrelating detector employing DPSK modulation is considered and its simulation results are presented.

Attention is focussed on one-shot decorrelating detector for a two user case for asynchronous transmission, where each symbol interval is considered seperately. Initially the performance of the detector with exact estimation of the relative delay is analyzed and then the effect of inaccurate estimation on the probability of error is discussed.

Use Of Alternative Approaches By Physical Therapists In Michigan, Karen E. Huber, Brian W. Scherff

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of use of alternative treatments by physical therapists in Michigan, what approaches are used most often and if use of alternative techniques is associated with practice characteristics. A questionnaire listing 20 treatment techniques which met the operational definition of alternative was mailed to a random sample of 300 licensed physical therapists in Michigan. Number of modalities used, frequency of use for each alternative treatment, average caseload treated, and relationships between modality use and characteristic of practitioners were determined. Results showed 83% of respondents use one or more alternative modalities; 39% …

Knowledge, Utilization, And Favorability Of Commonly Referring Michigan Physicians Regarding Physical Therapy, Jill M. Cabanilla, Sandra J. Frantz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess commonly referring Michigan physicians' knowledge of physical therapy, and its impact on favorability toward, and utilization of, its services. Three hundred questionnaires were sent to physicians of orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, physical medicine & rehabilitation, and general practice. The usable return rate was 22 percent. Technical, professional, and overall knowledge scores, as well as utilization patterns were compared across medical specialty, practice location, and years of experience. The mean overall knowledge score was 63% with orthopedic physicians scoring the highest at 77 percent. Physicians demonstrated higher knowledge of "professional" PT procedures over "technical" …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Aerobic Dance To Water Aerobic Training On Maximal Oxygen Consumption, Terri L. Bedford, Tamara A. Dusterwinkle, Darcy J. Hoppman

Masters Theses

Water aerobics is one mode of exercise that is gaining popularity. Water aerobics allows adults who participate in an exercise program to improve their cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this study was to determine if water aerobic training is as effective as land dance aerobic training in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary healthy adults. Eighteen subjects participated in this study; nine in dance aerobics and nine in water aerobics. Before and after eight weeks of training, subjects performed a graded maximal exercise test on a Schwinn Air-Dyne while maximal oxygen uptake was measured via a Beckman Metabolic Cart. ANCOVA was …

Caring Behaviors In The Emergency Department: Perceptions Of Patients And Nurses, Marcia Moerman

Masters Theses

Caring is recognized as an essential element in the definition of nursing. The purpose of this research study was to identify and compare the perceptions of caring behaviors held by patients in the emergency department with Registered Nurses who practiced in the same department.; Two questionnaires were used to obtain data. The first was an instrument listing 30 caring behaviors. The responses were listed by mean for the patient group and the nurse group. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the magnitude of the difference between the two groups. The second was a demographic questionnaire describing characteristics of …

Contributing Factors In Medication Nonadherence In Schizophrenic Clients: A Descriptive Study, Sharron E. Howarth

Masters Theses

Medication nonadherence in schizophrenic clients is a major issue for psychiatric nurses. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore factors identified by the schizophrenic client and the client's primary nurse that contribute to medication nonadherence. The Health Belief Model and Peplau's Model were the theoretical frameworks used. The sample included 20 schizophrenic clients with a history of medication nonadherence and 20 primary psychiatric registered nurses.; Face-to-face interviews using the Compliance Interview Questionnaire were conducted with the psychiatric client and the primary nurse. Results indicated a difference between nurses' and clients' perceptions of the reasons for medication nonadherence. Most …

Validation Of The Neonatal Infant Pain Scale, Annette L. Backus

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to validate the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS). This was accomplished by determining inter-rater reliability, the ability to measure pain in infants of any gestational age, and the relationship between the NIPS behavioral scores and physiological parameters of heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation.; Inter-rater reliability on total scores obtained before, during and after the procedure yielded correlations ranging from 0.69 to 0.90, which were significant at p {dollar}<{dollar}.001. All groups showed significant increases in NIPS scores after a painful procedure was started. Total mean scores before, during and after a procedure were 0.44, 3.04 and 0.6 respectively. There were no significant correlations between NIPS scores and heart rate, respiratory rate or oxygen saturation.; The NIPS appears to be a reliable tool for evaluating pain in neonates of any gestational age. Physiological measures were not reliable indicators of pain in neonates.

Perceived Barriers And Perceived Motivators To Receiving Prenatal Care, Christine M. Davis

Masters Theses

The Health Belief Model served as the conceptual framework for this retrospective descriptive study that identified women's perceived barriers and perceived motivators to obtaining prenatal care. A 50 item questionnaire, including both forced-choice and open-ended questions, was administered to 29 women who had delivered a healthy infant within the previous 6 to 8 weeks. The sample was predominantly white (82.2%), {dollar}>{dollar}19 years of age (62.1%), single (62.1%), unemployed (51.7%), and receiving Medicaid insurance (69%). Univariate statistics were calculated for each item. Each item was then compared to the timing of the start of prenatal care. The most important motivators …

Intuition And The Decision Making Process Of Expert Critical Care Nurses, Kelley A. Hempsall

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of intuition and the decision making process of expert critical care nurses in providing health care for hospitalized patients. A descriptive correlational design was employed using a non-probability convenience sample of 172 registered nurses working in critical care areas. Data were obtained by a questionnaire developed by the researcher. Ninety five nurses (55.2%) responded. Data analysis included a comparison of the relationship of expert nurses' (n = 49) total scores and the total scores of the non-expert nurses (n = 46). No statistically significant difference was found in either the …

Social Support And Adaptation To Disability, Deborah J. Russell

Masters Theses

Based on Roy's Model of Adaptation, this study examined the relationship between social support and functional independence following hip fracture. A descriptive correlational design was used with a convenience sample of 29 women age 65 and older. The Personal Resource Questionnaire was used to measure social support and the Functional Independence Measure was used to measure locomotion as an aspect of physical function.; Data indicated that women who had higher levels of functional independence one week following hip fracture had higher levels of social support. However, this difference was not statistically significant. The hypothesized relationship between social support and functional …

Knowledge, Sources Used And Factors Considered In The Surgical Treatment Decisions Of Women With Breast Cancer, Debra J. Bisel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this replication study was to examine how women with breast cancer reached their decision for surgical treatment (Ward, Heidrich and Wolberg 1989). Twenty-one women who met the surgical criteria, i.e. option for Breast Conserving surgery or Modified Radical Mastectomy, completed four surveys 1 to 7 days post operatively. The women were divided into two groups, 13 who had Breast Conserving surgery and 8 who had Modified Radical Mastectomy. The surveys assessed demographic characteristics of the groups, the level of knowledge regarding breast cancer, factors considered important in reaching the decision for surgery and the sources of information …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Functional Balance In A Community-Dwelling Elderly Population, Kathryn E. Smith

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of aerobic exercise training to improve balance in healthy adults over age 65. Twenty-five habitual exercisers (mean age 75.3 yrs.) and 25 control subjects (mean age 72.8 yrs.) were recruited from a senior day center. Balance was measured by the functional reach test. A two-sample t-test revealed no significantly higher difference in the mean balance score of the exercise group compared to the control group. Regression analysis indicated that none of the other variables collected (age, group, or level of fitness) were significant predictors of the functional reach scores. There …

The Effect Of A Change In Patient Care Delivery On Nurse Satisfaction And Cost Of Care, Kathleen M. Allen

Masters Theses

This quasi-experimental study was designed to compare the satisfaction of nurses assigned to a medical-surgical unit on which care delivery was changed to a Dyad model (combining elements of team nursing and case management) to nurses on similar units utilizing total patient care delivery. A convenience sample o f nurses from the Dyad model unit was compared to a control group comprised of nurses from three similar medicalsurgical units. Nurse satisfaction was measured using an instrument developed by Wade and Degerhammar (1991). Cost per case and length of stay on selected diagnoses, and labor cost per patient were compared across …

Role Clarification And The Myocardial Infarction Patient's Primary Support Person, Susan L. Dunn

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of role clarification in reducing anxiety of the myocardial infarction patient's primary support person (PSP). A quasi-experimental design was utilized. A nonprobability convenience sampling method produced a sample of 31 experimental and 38 comparison subjects. During the patient's hospitalization a pretest was given and the experimental group attended a role clarification session. Posttesting was done three weeks later. Both groups had higher trait and state anxiety levels than the norm at pretest and posttest. It was hypothesized that the experimental group would have lower posttest state anxiety levels. This was …

Crisis Anticipation, Janet A. Tucker

Masters Theses

This study builds on two qualitative studies, one by Smith (1988) and one by Rew (1988a) which investigate the characteristics of crisis anticipation as defined by critical care nurses. A convenience sample of critical care nurses from three Midwestern hospitals was shown a random ordered list of thirty characteristics of crisis anticipation identified in the Smith (1988) and Rew (1988a) studies. The nurses scored each characteristic on importance to the concept of crisis anticipation. Nurses were divided into two groups by experience level, and group scores for each characteristic were developed using the Fehring (1986) technique. Group scores were compared …

A Comparison Between The Training Systems Of Malaysia And Singapore, Keri Schoenborn

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Applications Of The Scientific Method In Recent Studies Pertaining To Survivors Of Incest, Jane E. Dillingham

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Elderly Patient Satisfaction At An Outpatient Clinic, Dennis E. Dew

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of High Colony Density On Filtration, Mortality And Behavior In The Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, Christopher A. Call

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Career Development For Exempt Level Employees In A Manufacturing Environment, Darryl L. English

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Gender And Juvenile Crime: Implications For Deterrence, Laura Rizzardini

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Social Support Among Caregivers Of Older Adults With Dementia, Sheila Johnson Carter

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Lesbian And Bisexual Women: Attitudes, Behaviors, And Self-Esteem Related To Self-Image, Weight, And Eating, Allison M. Kase

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Perceived Social Support And College Persistence: Development And Validation Of The College Support Scale, Marilyn T. Verde

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Inversion Of The Hero Myth: A Psychology And Spirituality Of Fatherhood In Masculine Development, M Allen Mothershed

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Confidence Factors In Performing Science Related Tasks Among Students In A Teacher Preparation Program, Bryan William Wunar

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Back To The Garden: Cultivating The Spirituality Of The Female Body, Kathleen Cieslak

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Dialogue Between Banyankole-Bakiga Peoples' Traditional Pre- And Marital Counseling Since 1870s And The Western Cognitive Behavior And Object Relations Therapies: A Reciprocal Challenge And Insight?, Cecilia Y. Nibyobyonka

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Decision Making Strategies Of Selected School Administrators As Participants In Self-Funded Health Insurance, Samuel A. Rizzo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.