Digital Commons Network^™

Bedside Nursing Report: Changing The Practice In The Hospital And How It Affects Patients, Holly Burns

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This literature review explores barriers and obstacles that have prevented bedside shift reports to be the standard of practice for hospitals nation-wide. By analyzing existing research from 2019-2024, the review was able to explore data from both qualitative and quantitative research studies. The analysis reveals that there are benefits of the bedside shift report style for nurses and their patients. Nurses are able to gain more knowledge and information on their patients while being less distracted by their surroundings when completing a report at the bedside. Patients will also benefit in the bedside shift reports because it allows for an …

Belonging Is Resistance: Illuminating The Power Of Women Of Color Mid-Level Administrators In Higher Education, Rachelle Ann Martinez

Dissertations

Resistance has long been a mechanism through which the dominant norms of society are challenged in the name of social justice. White supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and neoliberalism make it difficult for institutions of higher education to increase diversity, advance equity, and prioritize inclusion. Although these systems of domination adversely impact the belonging of all campus stakeholders, the experiences of mid-level administrators are relatively overlooked, and feeling undervalued and underappreciated is a top reason for many, especially women and people of color, who leave the profession altogether. This qualitative study utilized narrative inquiry to understand how dominant societal norms adversely impact the …

“That's Our Junior College”: Black Leadership And The Expansion And Integration Of Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College, Kristy Wittman Howell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College (MGCJC), was a single-campus institution until the early 1960s, when it began plans to create two new White-enrolling, segregated campuses: the Jefferson Davis Campus in Harrison County, and the Jackson County Campus to its east. Plans for a third, Black-enrolling, segregated campus were abandoned, and when the two new campuses opened, the first students to register for classes were Black. Through the leadership of Black residents active in labor and civil rights organizations, the Black community of George, Harrison, Jackson, and Stone Counties successfully demanded expanded, integrated educational access in the deep south, some five …

The Influence Of Market Pressures On The Discursive Construction Of Dei In Elite Independent Private Schools, Anthony R. Clemons

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines how elite independent private schools (EIPSs), traditionally associated with privilege, prestige, and exclusivity, articulate their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within a highly competitive market. Using Critical Race Theory and Neoinstitutional Theory, this mixed-methods study employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) and corpus linguistics (CL) to explore underlying forces contributing to the observed disjuncture between the ostensive and performative aspects of EIPSs’ DEI efforts. Using the publicly available diversity statements of 31 Bay Area EIPSs, findings reveal that the DEI discourse among these elite schools often reflects market-oriented institutional logics. EIPSs tend to frame DEI as …

In Search Of Educational Justice: Lived Experiences Of Community College Presidents And Their Authentic Critical Leadership, Juan Felipe Arzola

Theses and Dissertations

There are several gaps in research related to the fields of study of community college leadership and its influence on shared governance discussions and decision-making. The purpose of the current study is to address the gap in the study of community college leadership and its influence on shared governance discussions and decision-making through a critical, intersectional investigation of authentic critical leadership and its potential to influence shared governance group discussions and decision-making in distinctively different ways than those advocated by mainstream leadership theories. Participants participated in semi-structured interviews and were observed in a shared governance group meeting to identify evidence …

Postpandemic Perspectives Of Teleassessments In Clinical Psychology, Jacklin B. Cardentey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teleassessments gained prominence as a viable means of conducting psychological assessments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was an exploration of teleassessment use catalyzed by the pandemic, with a focus on the postpandemic era. The aim was to identify the factors influencing perceptions and strategies used in effective postpandemic teleassessment adoption, including factors that influence licensed psychologists’ perceptions of effective teleassessments and strategies adopted to maintain quality practices since face-to-face restrictions were lifted. The significance of this inquiry extended to various stakeholders, including mental health care practitioners, policymakers, and the public, all of whom have a vested …

Formula 1’S Drive To Environmental Sustainability, Xenia Chiles

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

This article explores Formula 1’s (F1) evolving commitment to environmental sustainability, examining the regulatory, technological, and institutional shifts that support its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Despite its reputation as a resource-intensive sport, F1 has adopted meaningful reforms, ranging from hybrid power units and alternative fuels to eco-friendly manufacturing practices, without compromising performance. Through an analysis of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) regulatory authority, stakeholder influence, and corporate social responsibility framework, the article argues that F1 is not merely greenwashing but genuinely redefining motorsport’s role in a climate-conscious era. It concludes that profitability and sustainability can—and increasingly …

Leadership In Quality Improvement In Academic Children’S Hospitals, Tiffany Enriquez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To orient children’s academic leaders to basic competency in quality improvement (QI) practices, academic children’s hospitals must overcome leadership diversity deficits and prepare for QI practice readiness. Leadership is a key factor in enhancing patients’ care outcomes, though practice models do not allow for organizational advancements. The distributed leadership (DL) theory on leadership applies in contexts where the leadership role in QI is not solely centralized to a single individual but is decentralized and spread to include all parties involved. This paper sought to determine the effects of leadership on QI in children’s hospitals and further establish the best leadership …

Shield, Sword, Or Relic Of Yore? The Apex Doctrine's Quest In The Modern Legal Arena (And What Future Battles May Bring), Katerina Fernandez

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Health Leadership’S Role In Enhancing Family Reunification Success In Residential Care., Porscha Profitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study examined the role of behavioral health leadership (BHL) in facilitating effective family reunification within residential treatment settings, focusing on Organization X in Northern California. The study addressed the persistent issue of high recidivism rates among youth with intellectual and co-occurring mental health disorders following discharge from therapeutic foster care. Using the Baldrige Excellence Framework as a guiding model, the research explored how BHLs assess reunification success, engage families, and navigate systemic and individual challenges that hinder sustainable transitions to home environments. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with administrators and supplemented by organizational documents and reports. Thematic …

Piloting The Appreciative Tuning Protocol: Improving Integration Through A Collaborative Professional Development Model, Teresa S. Foulger, Ashleigh King, Shyla Gonzalez-Dogan

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This qualitative, self-reflection study was conducted by three instructors who had recently participated in a workshop on Principled Innovation, a character development framework designed in their college of education. They were confident about how they integrated PI into their courses but saw potential for further improvement. Drawing on collaborative professional development literature, they explored two models, Appreciative Inquiry and Tuning, that seemed to meet their needs. By merging elements of both, they created the Appreciative Tuning Protocol (ATP), a 30-minute, agenda-driven meeting where instructors identify a successful part of the integration effort (a bright spot), explore ways to enhance it, …

Enhancing Management Of Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Withdrawal, Christine Aliory

Group: Northern Arizona University School of Nursing, DNP Doctoral Papers

Opioid use disorder (OUD) impacts over 1.2 million people in the United States. This population suffers from multiple comorbidities which can result in the need for hospitalization. Managing opioid withdrawal in hospitalized patients is challenging. Assessment tools like the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS) help healthcare providers determine appropriate interventions to alleviate withdrawal symptoms for these patients. This quality improvement project aimed to decrease the number of incidents of violent behaviors and/or patients leaving the hospital against medical advice (AMA) during opioid withdrawal and enhance nurses’ ability to perform the COWS assessment. Organizational data from a 402-bed acute care hospital …

Materializing Data: A Macramé-Inspired Framework For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Creative Participatory Research, Emma Shercliff, Asha Ward, Berit Bliesemann De Guevara, Fiona Hackney, Chinelo L. Njaka, Eliana Sánchez-Aldana, Angelika Strohmayer, Amy Twigger Holroyd, Claire Wellesley-Smith

Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference Series

This paper presents the development of a macramé-inspired framework for evaluating the effectiveness of creative participatory research (CPR), addressing gaps in conventional framework models that overlook the complex, multidimensional and experiential nature of these research approaches. The framework was designed to visualize and materialize the evolving nature of CPR, where participant engagement, contextual factors, and the sometimes organic and unpredictable creative activities shape both the research process and its outcomes. To achieve this, we worked with a group of experienced researchers with expertise in participatory textile-making methods in a series of three online workshops. Through these sessions, the research team …

Organizational Learning In Public-Private Collaborative Innovations, Zhiyuan Yu

Dissertations - ALL

Partnerships between government organizations and private sector firms combine efficiency advantages from the private sector with benefits of institutional supports and oversight from public agencies and thereby offer promising solutions to many “grand challenges” faced by contemporary society. A broad variety of such public-private partnerships (PPPs) are innovation-oriented and aim to create value through the search, creation, retention, and transfer of knowledge. Surprisingly, despite the seemingly important role of organizational learning (OL) in such partnerships, research on PPPs has largely focused on societal value creation and to a lesser extent on firm value capture but has not delved deeply into …

A Counselor’S Experience: Trauma-Informed Care When Working With Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abbigail Rinard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to understand the lived experience of professional counselors when implementing trauma informed care to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. There are few studies that have assessed the counselors lived experience of implementing TIC, and even fewer that have examined professional counselors experience doing so in a specialized population.

To understand the lived experience of professional counselors, the participants of the study were purposefully selected to include those who have an active professional counseling license, implement TIC, and work with children diagnosed with ASD. The study was conducted with a total of eight participants who have implemented …

Anticipating The Adoption Of Quantum Computing Technology By Organizations, Kenneth Shui

Dissertations - ALL

This study investigated the challenges that may influence the successful adoption of adiabatic quantum computers based on an analysis of three case studies of organizations that adopted technologies adjacent to adiabatic quantum computers. Through the lens of the affordance framework, a mixed methods approach identified common challenges and themes when adopting different forms of classical computing. The qualitative method involved analyzing pre-existing documentation on classical computing technologies through a reflexive narrative review of the case studies. For the quantitative aspect, an A/B testing approach was used to compare the performance of D-Wave adiabatic quantum computers in solving a well-established computer …

Personalized Learning And Transformative Literacy Learning And Teaching: A Case Study Of Students' 20time/Passion Projects In English 8, Kim Fontana

Dissertations - ALL

This is a narrative case study of 20time or passion projects in English 8. The study explores how traditional educational hierarchies and practices, as well as perceptions of agency and competence, may be transformed in a personalized context by examining a single case comprising 17 students drawn from four sections of eighth grade English in which students are engaged in sustained 20time or passion projects as a fundamental part of their curriculum. The data comprise teacher, student, and administrative products, participant interviews and observations, and memos. Data analysis employs general qualitative methods and critical narrative analysis. This personalized, 20time thirdspace …

Science Of Reading Professional Development: The Perceptions Of Secondary Teachers In Arkansas, Teresa R. Moka

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

ABSTRACT SCIENCE OF READING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY TEACHERS IN ARKANSAS

Teresa R. Moka

The study addresses the critical issue of low literacy proficiency among secondary students in Arkansas, where National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data reveals declining reading scores. Despite scientific consensus on reading instruction, many teachers lack professional development in evidence-based reading strategies, particularly at the secondary level. Although Arkansas secondary teachers have received initial Science of Reading (SoR) professional development from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the perceptions of secondary teachers regarding SoR professional development is not well documented. The purpose …

Knowledge, Skills, And Barriers To Palliative Care Referrals By Oncology Providers, Audra Meador, Bailey Waldron

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Palliative Care is an evidence based and integrative aspect of cancer care that has demonstrated improved quality of life and diminished symptomology, however, barriers to referrals exist. With the growing interest in and demand for specialized healthcare services, more research on integration and referral practices surrounding palliative care is necessary. This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and barriers to referring cancer patients to outpatient palliative care at a teaching and research hospital. In one cancer center, 50 physicians, Advance Practice Providers, and nurse case managers responded to an electronic survey regarding interest and support for palliative care …

Department Chair And Faculty Perceptions Of Organizational Communication In The Post Covid-19 Era, Gabriele Cafone Zengewald

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of department chairs and full-time faculty with organizational communication during a time of organizational transition post COVID-19. Utilizing the conceptual framework of communication satisfaction developed by Downs and Hazen (1977), the study used semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis of pandemic communications. Findings indicated that engagement, transparency, and clarity were essential in creating positive perceptions of communication with department chairs playing a critical role between upper-level administration and faculty. Facutly noted greater trust and satisfaction when communication allowed for two-way dialogue and was delivered through clear …

Effective Strategies Remote Business Leaders Use For Monitoring And Improving Remote Employees’ Performance, Lama Najem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shift to remote work has created leadership challenges in communication, career development, performance monitoring, trust, and time management. Remote business leaders are increasingly concerned about maintaining employee engagement and productivity, as ineffective leadership strategies can result in disengagement, reduced performance, and higher turnover in virtual work environments. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies that remote business leaders used to support work-from-home employees and sustain organizational performance. The participants were eight remote team business leaders from the United States, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. Data were …

Reelin' In The Years (And Receivables): A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Lauren E. Magee

Honors Theses

This thesis is comprised of five case studies that were completed under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the course ACCY 420 – Independent Study, following the requirements of the Patterson School of Accountancy and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. The first four case studies examine real-world accounting field topics: Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations, the modern use of Presidential Drawdown Authority, proposed environmental reporting standards, and educational vouchers. The final case study delivers a data-driven, comprehensive assessment of a semester-long group project: crafting a detailed business plan for a broadband internet provider in an underserved Mississippi county. This …

Final Portfolio, Terence G. Shelly

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This narrative provides a comprehensive reflection on my academic and professional development throughout the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Montana. Framed by the Advanced Integrated Practice (AIP) model and the Just Practice Framework, the paper explores the integration of theory, personal values, and experiential learning across the ten core social work competencies. Drawing from practicum experiences with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), the Montana Safe Schools Center (MSSC), and private practice at Meadowlark, I demonstrate growth in critical self-reflection, clinical skill development, advocacy, and systems-based theory. Special emphasis is placed on the application of trauma-informed …

"Do Not Be Daunted": Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Marit Olson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio outlines my growth and development in meeting the competencies of social work and advanced integrated practice.

Success Strategies Small Business Enterprise Leaders Use To Effectively Develop Resource Capabilities For Sustainable Growth, Denean Lear

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business leaders often lack effective strategies to develop resource capabilities essential for sustainable growth. This gap challenges their ability to navigate complex and uncertain business environments, which can lead to missed opportunities and long-term instability—making it a critical concern for leaders and entrepreneurs striving for organizational resilience and success. Grounded in the dynamic capabilities’ framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies small business leaders used to develop resource capabilities for effective, sustainable growth. The participants were nine managers of social enterprise and nonprofit organizations from a cross-sector of industries in the Greater Philadelphia area, …

Developing Organizational Leaders’ Personal Mastery Through Emotional Intelligence Training In The Workplace: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Billie Bruce Relyea

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mayer and Salovey, seminal researchers of emotional intelligence (EI), indicated that the ability measures of EI are still evolving, and the mental abilities involved in EI remain to be determined. Organizational leaders should understand this intention as the key to developing EI and personal mastery, resting firmly upon attaining accurate self-awareness as a prerequisite for human behavior. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis was to gain an understanding of the socially constructed realities of the lived experiences of organizational leaders and organizational development specialists who have completed Ennea International’s 5 Lens Development Platform (5LDP). Bandura’s social cognitive theory grounded …

Gender Employment Gap Within Professional Sports Team Front Offices, Reilly E. Fitzpatrick

Honors Theses

This research paper analyzes the causes of the gender employment gap, or the underrepresentation of women, within professional sports team front offices. The research question, What are the effects on female employees working in the sports industry with the prevalent difference in the number of women employed, analyzes the female experience in the industry. To answer this question, a group of female employees were surveyed on their experiences in the industry. An emphasis was placed on if a woman had at least one negative experience in the industry and also if that negative experience led them to have a decline …

Enhancing Strategies For Government Partnerships To Meet Organizational Goals And Objectives, Nuela Uche Umeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organization X’s mission to strengthen legal rights and rehabilitate inmates involves effective collaboration with government entities. Organization X struggled to build strong partnerships with government agencies, limiting its ability to provide legal aid and rehabilitation services to marginalized inmates and victims of human rights violations. The purpose of this study was to use a SWOT analysis to explore the challenges and opportunities in government partnerships, aiming to identify barriers and recommend strategies to strengthen collaboration, build staff capacity, and enhance service delivery. Guided by four research questions, the study examined barriers and opportunities in government partnerships. Data were collected through …

Examining The Relationship Between Leadership Styles, Staff Performance, And Staff Retention In Medication-Assisted Treatment, Chauncey Manique Tims

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study examines the influence of leadership styles on employee retention and performance in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) facilities located in the southeastern United States, with a focus on facilities treating patients with severe opioid use disorder (F11.20). Using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, the study explores how different leadership approaches impact the work environment, employee satisfaction, and retention. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with six clinic directors, one regional clinical supervisor, and one regional director, as well as a review of organizational archival records and a literature review. The analysis revealed several key findings: (a) staff licensure requirements …

Reducing Medical Supplies Waste By Managing Healthcare Resources In A Clinical Setting In The United States: Lessons Learned From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chiatuogu Anna Ukaga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The gap in practice identified for my DNP capstone project is reducing medical supplies waste by managing healthcare resources in a clinic setting in the United States of America. The Organizational Change Process (OCP) Evaluation project assessed a tracking and exchange system to track the inventory of supplies used in different worksite clinics and their expiration dates. Knowledge of the expiration dates enabled exchange or shift to high-utilization areas before the supplies expired, thereby reducing waste, costs, and environmental pollution. The healthcare organization was a mix of ambulatory clinics and hospitals of varying scopes and sizes. The small clinics served …