Digital Commons Network^™

The Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Community-Based Mobile Meal Programs For Low-Income Families, Nicholas Vesom

Master's Projects and Capstones

Food disparity is a continuously prevalent issue in the United States despite the presence of programs, such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), to fill gaps in reaching those who are financially inhibited and do not have a sustainable source of nutritionally balanced food. A primary part of the issue that arises is that these types of programs have restrictions on age or only operate during the school year. To assess this issue, the Mountain View Whisman School District (MVWSD), in conjunction with the Stanford University Pediatrics Advocacy Program (SUPAP), initiated …

Creating An Energetic Classroom: A Handbook For Esl Teachers, Lusha Sha

Master's Projects and Capstones

Low classroom energy is a common problem in English language teaching. This field project discusses the problematic low-energy classroom from both the student side and the instructor side. The first aspect explored is the silence of students. Because speech shows the process of language acquisition and is also the precondition of language acquisition, it is crucial to discover and understand the reasons for some students’ unwillingness to speak (Baran-Lucarz, 2014). The project explains the willingness to communicate and the cultural variations in learning. The second aspect of a low-energy classroom in this project is the ESL teacher lack of enthusiasm. …

Fall Prevention In Palliative Care: Improving Fall Prevention And Management At Point Of Admission, Katrina G. Pavlov

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

By nature falls begin to occur as part of the aging process and are a major source of morbidity and mortality in the elderly patients. Despite the extra blanket of care the palliative team creates for it’s patients, fall incidents are continuing to plague this palliative domain. During the process of this project, gaps in the delivery of care contributing to patient falls were identified. It was established that the care system’s inconsistency and lack of structured assessment of the individuals’ risks for falls and thus customization of patient specific fall prevention strategies at point of admission was the …

Enhancing Oral Communications For Korean English-As-A-Foreign Language (Efl) Students In Business Settings, Jae Min Lee

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project is intended to help adult EFL students in Korea familiarize themselves with the sounds of words and expressions that are used in everyday conversation, especially in business settings or workplaces.

This project, with help of technology, focuses on customizing learnings and feedbacks for each student to meet their unique needs and maximizes the effectiveness and efficiency of learning process and outcomes. Also, the project emphasizes the importance of intonations and point of stress in spoken English that most Korean students have difficulty in distinguishing and recognizing in real-life conversations. It also introduces diverse accents of English since many …

A Tale Of Two Seasons, Fran Kilinski

Capstones

A story of The City College of New York's rise and fall in the CUNY basketball circuit, and how an athletic department and administrative issues disrupted the flow of what could've been a winning tradition. http://thecityschildren.tilda.ws/

“It’S A Kind Of Killing:” Afghan Refugees In Shadow Of The Eu Fear They’Re Forgotten, Kyle Mackie

Capstones

For Karimi Wahab, an Afghan refugee currently accommodated at a center for asylum seekers in Sjenica, Serbia, watching refugees from other war-torn countries get moved along into the European Union has become routine. Afghans make up nearly two thirds of Serbia’s stranded migrants and refugees. In Sjenica, it’s been more than a year since any Afghan got onto the list maintained by Hungarian immigration authorities that allows 10 migrants to enter the country from Serbia each business day. Compared to Syrians and Iraqis, Afghans have also been granted asylum less frequently across the EU, on average, every year since 2014. …

Mental Hell, Jesenia De Moya, Hanaa' Tameez, Maritza Villela

Capstones

Mental Hell explores how difficult it is for low-income Latinos in New York City to access mental health care. Through explanations from experts and the personal stories of three Latinas New Yorkers who have gone through the process of trying to get the care they need, the story guides the reader through the many roadblocks this demographic encounters specifically under the insurance of Medicaid.

This is an extremely important topic that affects many New Yorkers, and we believe something needs to be done to make this type of healthcare more accessible for Latinos. New York City has a very high …

Learning From Zũni War Gods Repatriating Alternative Dispute Resolution For Practice And Research, Alexandra Crampton

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

This article applies lessons learned from the Zũni people of the southwestern United States about successful and sustainable intervention as a metaphor to address common tensions among alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scholars and practitioners. These tensions are found in professionalisation, institutionalisation and identification of best practices. Through example of Zũni efforts to repatriate sacred artefacts known as Ahuy: da, I argue that ADR is an intervention that works best through direct and ongoing dialogue rather than rigid adherence to a set of standards. The problem lies in how such adherence can limit and distort rather than inform or support best …

Improving Nurses' Proficiency And Confidence In The Use Of Aromatherapy For Patients In The Hospice Setting, Erika Bigwood-Keaton

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Institute of Medicine noted patient centered care as one of the six priority areas of improvement for the U.S. healthcare system. Recognizing that patients in hospice require specialized care to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs that are associated with a terminal illness, the focus of this project is to improve the hospice nurses’ knowledge of and confidence in the use of aromatherapy for symptom management. There is recognition within the field of healthcare that patients are interested in having options for treatment. With little to no side effects, aromatherapy has been shown to be an effective alternative …

Pregnancy Loss In The Emergency Department, Gudrun Reiterhiltebrand

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The aim of this project is to improve the care for patients experiencing pregnancy loss in the emergency department (ED). Objectives are to enhance understanding of staff about the patients’ experience and their knowledge on how to best care for emotional needs, thus improving quality of patient care, work satisfaction, knowledge, confidence and comfort levels, while decreasing experienced stress. The project was implemented in a midsized community hospital with 117 beds, which discharged 74 patients with “interrupted pregnancies” over the previous year from the ED. The project was directed toward nurses, doctors, care partners, chaplains, and social workers. The …

Assessment Literacy In A Mathematics Classroom, Virginia M. Doran

All Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of using assessment literacy in a math classroom. This was accomplished by analyzing the test results of students in two different high school Geometry B classes. Both classes were taught the same curriculum, with the same textbook and tests, and by the same teacher. However, assessment literacy techniques were only implemented in one of the two classes. Both classes completed a pre and post-test. The researcher compared the growth of both classes. Results of the study showed that incorporating assessment literacy techniques such as student friendly learning targets, reflection, self-assessment, …

Facing Obstacles As A Senior, Catherine Mccarthy

All Student Theses and Dissertations

Seniors are individuals who need the most assistance because they are a growing population in our society. It is estimated that by the year 2020, those 65 years and over will reach 55 million and those 85 years and over will number 7.3 million. Seniors need the most attention because daily items such as personal care, preparing a meal, going to the grocery store or housework become very challenging. This is when you need to acquire services that can help daily for these tasks. The Department of Aging plays a vital role when becoming a senior over the age of …

The Murder Of Innocence, Milana Vinn

Capstones

New York statute of limitations gives victims of child sexual abuse until 23 to seek legal action against the perpetrator -- one of the shortest statutes of limitations in the country. The majority of survivors come forward years later, on average at the age of 42. They say they never get justice and their offenders live freely. Child advocates and survivors have not been successful trying to raise the New York's statute of limitations. Party because the Catholic Church spent $2.2 million in the past ten years lobbying to keep the deadline in place.

https://readymag.com/u12921503/nychildabuse/

When Stigma Kills: Why Abortion In India Is Lethal Even Though It’S Legal, Mallory Moench

Capstones

Tanvi and Meera both went to get abortions this year, but only one survived. Even though abortions before 20 weeks have been legal since 1971, as many as three women die every day from unsafe abortions, government data shows. Half of all pregnancies in India are unwanted, resulting in more than 15 million abortions a year. Many go unreported, taking place in the shadows because of stigma. Although a new generation in India is growing more open about sexuality, getting pregnant outside of marriage can still ruin a woman’s reputation, shame her family and damage her future prospects. Even if …

Tropes Trump Politics, Aaron Berkowitz

Capstones

This critical essay examines the use of tropes and themes in modern comic books and how they are used to protest President Donald Trump’s policies, actions and supporters. It begins with a detailed history of tropes used in comic books and how some of the first superhero comic book writers created these tropes in order to protest the social injustices of their times. It shifts to the first trope, the “compromised hero” where a hero is turned evil. It is used in “Secret Empire,” a book where Captain America turns evil and takes over the presidency. His rise to power …

Without A Caveat: How An Ethiopian Immigrant Deconstructs Race In America, Priscilla Alabi

Capstones

The story is about how an Ethiopian immigrant, Mariya Abdulkaf is dealing with the effects of the racism she experienced while growing up in Texas. However, she is one of many women of color who continue to educate and awaken the communities to which they belong. In a social climate where, according to a study done by the Pew Research Center, 60 percent of Americans believe race relations have worsened a year into the Trump Administration; and groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and others assert that women of color are “bearing the brunt of a mass of …

Youth Sport Development Pathways And Experiences Of Ncaa Division I Women's College Soccer Players, Emily Hardell

Master's Theses

As youth sport has become increasingly professionalized, many believe that the route to elite level play is through early specialization. Early specialization is a contentious issue, and many risk factors have been associated with high levels and intensities of training in youth. Youth today participate in highly competitive sport in pursuit of elite levels of play, recognition, and financial gain. Early specialization is thought to be a requirement for advancement, yet little is known about the early experiences of team sport athletes who grew up in the US. This is the story of 15 elite female athletes who “made it” …

The Common Lot Of Nature: The Stoic Concept Of Death In The Writings Of St. Ambrose, Nathan Michael Falls Hall

Master's Theses

The Common Lot of Nature is a comparative analysis which questions the completeness of St. Ambrose’s Christian faith. The comparison focuses specifically on notions of death, and how one should deal with its presence in one’s life. This emphasis was chosen because Ambrose was a Christian bishop who was heavily influenced by Stoicism, and these two worldviews held contrasting beliefs on how death fits into the lives of human beings. The paper begins with an outline of other research regarding Stoicism or its potential connections with Christianity. The following two sections discuss how Stoics and 4th century Christians conceptualized death …

Eductional Persistence In Latino Male Students Attending University: Their Experiences And Identity Development, Michelle Swartz

Master's Theses

Because Latino male students have lower graduation rates from high school and postsecondary institutions than other demographic groups have, this qualitative research study examined the psychosocial experiences that influence the development of educational persistence. To this end, eight Latino male undergraduate students, who are also low-income and first-generation students at San José State University, participated in semi-structured interviews in which they discussed their identities and school experiences. An analysis of the eight interviews shows how these students made meaning of their education, gender identity, and ethnicity. The constant comparative method for analyzing interview transcripts revealed the following themes: (a) the …

Fall Prevention, Linda Fang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Fall Prevention Abstract

Background: According to the CDC, the medical cost for falls was approximately $30 billion in 2012. When a patient falls, and gets serious injury, these costs could sum up to $14,056 per patient. As a result, hospital stays per patient are observed to increase by approximately 6.3 days longer than those patients who haven’t encountered falls.

This study focused on identifying high fall risk patients, and developing a plan of care to reduce the occurrence of falls in a hospital setting. Nurses using safe fall interventions techniques have been proven to inspire fall preventions.

An assessment of …

Mentor-Based Orientation Program, Sheryl Pinugu Bano

Master's Projects and Capstones

The intention of this quality improvement project is to improve the process of staff development in a 16-bed, acute rehabilitation unit by implementing a mentor-based orientation program. Rehabilitation nursing is a specialty that requires knowledge of the rehab philosophy and milieu. The lack of a rehab-specific educational component of the orientation process causes the new nurses anxiety and dissatisfaction which negatively impacts nurse retention. The project aims to improve the confidence and competence of new nurses, decrease nurse turnover rate, and increase nurse retention by providing a rehab-specific, orientation class. The MiRehab booklet and a PowerPoint presentation were …

Privileging Autistics Of Color: A Human Rights Approach To Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba) Therapy, Rebecca Rubey

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project examines the social construction of autistic people of color through the pathology paradigm and the associated human rights violations. The purpose of the project is to disrupt the pathology paradigm by privileging voices of autistic people of color in professional development workshops for ABA therapy providers. The workshops aim to help ABA therapy providers understand the historical context of ABA, how it fits into the wider systems of white supremacy and ableism, and how these dynamics are re-enacted in every day practice with autistic people of color.

Phonological Awareness And Foreign Accent: A Handbook For German Efl Teachers, Kerstin Menzer

Master's Projects and Capstones

Foreign accent, or the deviation from non-native speech, has a direct impact on communication and may even result in undesirable consequences for the speaker. Instead of perceiving statements as more difficult to understand, native speakers often perceive them as less trustworthy. However, the pronunciation of adult second language (L2) learners is extremely difficult to change, and L2 native-like pronunciation is rarely achieved after early childhood. The latest research suggests that explicit instruction about phonological awareness can contribute to better spoken comprehensibility even in adult L2 learners. There is a direct relationship between the L2 learners’ language awareness and the quality …

Clostridium Difficile: An Investigation On A Medical Surgical Unit, Neftali Cabezudo

Master's Projects and Capstones

The objectives for this CNL Internship Project were to: (1) identify the strongest contributors to the rising trend of Clostridium difficile cases on this medical-surgical unit, (2) review all Clostridium difficile cases for correlational factors that are of significant relevance, (3) examine current unit practices and adherence to established policies, and (4) provide recommendations for enhancing existing prevention strategies. The population examined included male adults between 56-83 years old being treated for other medical conditions. The methods used to address this clinical issue included a joint venture between nursing and housekeeping staff to ensure proper terminal cleaning and a renewed …

Interdisciplinary Team Approach In Fall Prevention: Physician Perspective Focus, Anna Gryn

Master's Projects and Capstones

An in-hospital fall is a devastating event for patients and care providers resulting in injuries, physiological and psychological patient declines, and sometimes deaths. Furthermore, fall related costs greatly increase hospitals’ expenses and cause massive distress to caregivers and health providers. Many patient-specific, organizational, and seemingly erratic factors contribute to the occurrence of in-hospital falls. Despite this, hospitals must undertake consistent evidence-based measures to prevent fall occurrences as much as possible.

The traditional nursing approach to falls prevention is not sufficient to control fall rates because the issue is too complex and must be approached from multiple perspectives rather than just …

Improving Nurse Proficiency: Breastfeeding And The Opioid-Dependent Mother And Infant Diagnosed With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas), Lauren Mountanos

Master's Projects and Capstones

Management of the opioid-dependent mother-infant dyad is complex. Evidence suggests breastfeeding may decrease the severity of NAS symptoms, delay its onset, and decrease the need for pharmacologic treatment (Macmullen et al., 2014). Therefore, education of nursing staff on the benefits of breastfeeding for opioid-dependent dyads will enable them to safely recommend breastfeeding for long-term health (Pritham, 2013). The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) project, “Improving Nurse Proficiency: Breastfeeding and the Opioid-Dependent Mother and Infant Diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)” aims to globally increase the number of infants diagnosed with NAS discharged on breast milk by 10% by June 30, 2018. …

Assessment Of Falls On A Medical-Telemetry Unit, Sahar Taravati

Master's Projects and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to implement a falls intervention to improve falls on the Medical-Telemetry unit.

Background: Between 700,000 and 1,000,000 falls occur in hospitals every year. Furthermore, approximately 30-35% of these falls result in injury and 11,000 falls result in death (Health Research & Educational Trust, 2016). Falls harm patients, families, and providers. They are also a high cost, as many insurance companies will not reimburse care when a fall occurs. As a hospital organization, it is important to ensure funds are going to the appropriate places. Currently the metropolitan hospital had …

Network Structures As A Way To Build A Global Organization And The Role Of Modern It Tools, Jerzy Kisielnicki

European Management Studies

The subject of the article is an analysis of network organizational structures as part of the organizational management system. The considerations are illustrated in practical examples: System Information Science and Technology (design SYNAT) and the analysis of changes in the company Bayer CropScience (BCS). Changes in management systems are due to the need to transform hierarchical systems. The direction of change is the global creation of global organizations. In management, we observe the transition from centralized hierarchical structures to decentralized network structures. The paper argues that the construction of global organizations requires the use of network management structures in them, …

Transfer Student Experiences At Stanford University And The University Of California, Berkeley, Rachael Madison

Master's Theses

Elite institutions have a long history of serving students from high socioeconomic status families. Transfer students who begin their college career at community colleges are typically from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority status families. This population of students has historically been underrepresented at elite colleges. The purpose of this study was to examine the community college transfer student experience at two elite universities, one public and one private, and how institutional programs and structures affect the transfer student experience. The study gathered information from eight community college transfer students, four from each elite university, interviewed in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Four …

Falling Up: Building Language Use And Cultural Awareness Through The Implementation Of Humor In The Esl Classroom, Glen Kovar

Master's Theses

This study examined the importance of explicitly teaching humor to upper-intermediate and advanced adult English language learners (ELLs), and filled in the gap that exists in studies and literature by examining the use, and implementation of humor in English as a second language/foreign language (ESL/EFL) curricula. Humor is an important human behavior, playing a crucial role in communication, social interactions, and comprehension of a second language (L2) culture. High-level ELLs often lack the linguistic and cultural awareness necessary to effectively communicate. Language courses often accentuate test-taking and language strategies, and courses that explicitly engage with and teach humor to students …