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Obeying In Advance Will Not Save You: How Adaptive Leadership Can Help Legal Education Stay Mission Driven In Times Of Authoritarianism And Fear, Tania Luma

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

The Hidden Costs Of Accountability: Unpacking The Emotional Labor Of Student Conduct Work And Building Tools For Resilience, Tiffany Marlene Shierling

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This dissertation explored the psychological challenges student conduct administrators (SCAs) face in higher education. These professionals have encountered significant emotional labor, vicarious trauma, and ethical dilemmas as they address student misconduct while striving to achieve educational and developmental outcomes. The study highlighted a research gap concerning the impact of these challenges on the mental well-being of SCAs, which hinders the development of effective support systems. This study aimed to address the mental health needs of SCAs by developing a comprehensive toolkit. Grounded in self-compassion theory and resilience theory, the toolkit provides resources for emotional self-regulation, supervisor training, and institutional recommendations.

Advancing Maternal Health Equity In Nebraska: Examining Prenatal Care Access Disparities, Policy Context, And Doula Integration As A Complementary Solution, Marlette Grace Dulcinee Mabiala-Maye

Theses & Dissertations

Maternal health inequities persist across the United States, with Black, Native American, and immigrant-origin women facing disproportionate barriers to timely prenatal care. This dissertation examined access to prenatal care in Nebraska, a mixed rural and urban state with extensive maternity care deserts, through three interrelated aims. Aim 1 analyzed PRAMS data using survey-weighted regression with race-by-socioeconomic-status interactions to characterize disparities in the timing and barriers to care. Aim 2 evaluated the state’s October 2020 Medicaid expansion across pre-pandemic, acute pandemic, and post-expansion periods. Aim 3 applied qualitative description and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to interviews withtwenty-three maternity care …

The Parkinson's Pathway: Enhancing Knowledge And Care Management In Skilled Nursing, Kaitlyn Chau

Master's Projects and Capstones

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is commonly diagnosed among the older population, contributing to high utilization of skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Objective: SNF A’s current onboarding and training program for staff discussed general geriatric topics but failed to include structured PD-specific education. This may lead to gaps in competence, confidence, and workflow related to PD care and management, resulting in low quality of patient care, poor health outcomes, and decreased safety and satisfaction. Aim: The project aimed to establish and incorporate a structured PD-specialized education program within a SNF located in Northern California, to increase employees’ self-reported confidence, competence, …

Cultivating Civility: A Multicomponent Approach To Reducing Workplace Incivility In An Assisted Living Facility, Sanam Bral, Kaylyn Chang, Catherine Dinh, Sanjil Kumar, Truc Mai Moon

Master's Projects and Capstones

Workplace incivility remains a common challenge in healthcare, negatively affecting communication, staff well-being, and the quality and safety of resident care. Baseline survey findings from a faith-based assisted living facility in Southern California identified concerns related to workplace incivility, psychological safety, and gaps in staff knowledge of available reporting resources. This project aimed to reduce workplace incivility by improving staff knowledge and recognition of uncivil behaviors, with a target of at least 90% staff training attendance among nursing, assistive nursing, and medical technicians, and 80% attendee-reported high confidence level (agree or strongly agree) in recognizing incivility and understanding reporting options. …

Fireready Oc: Developing A Public Health Protocol For Wildland-Urban Interface (Wui) Fire Events In Orange County, Christian Andre O. Gequillo, Allyson Hayakawa, Selin Erdogan, Natalie Albarran

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective/Problem: Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires expose communities to a greater number of hazardous pollutants than traditional wildfires and can pose significant health risks; however, Orange County does not have a standardized public health protocol to address WUI fires. A review of the literature identified the need for standardized WUI fire guidance that is focused on improved preparedness and response. Aim: The FireReady OC quality improvement project aimed to develop an evidence-based public health protocol to improve Orange County’s public health preparedness and response for WUI fire events from 0% to 10% during the 12-week period from May 27, 2026, to …

Improving Nursing Adherence To Chg Bathing And Pivc Maintenance Practices To Reduce Hospital-Onset Bacteremia In An Adult Medical-Surgical Unit, Mohabat Barikzai, Dinazar Altamirano, Edward Rivas, Sarah Trilles

Master's Projects and Capstones

Preventing hospital-onset bacteremia (HOB) is a healthcare priority given its association with increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and healthcare costs. Literature identifies inconsistent adherence to evidence-based practices for chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing and peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) maintenance as a modifiable risk factor for HOB. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated whether implementing standardized nurse education, routine compliance audits, and performance feedback would improve adherence to evidence-based CHG bathing and PIVC maintenance practices. The project aimed to achieve at least 90% nursing compliance with HOB prevention practices over an intended 8-week implementation period. A pre-post quality improvement design was implemented …

Nourishing Confidence: Empowering Seniors To Make Healthy Food Choices, Ina Patricia Bangawan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the effectiveness of a 10-week nutrition education program designed to improve nutrition knowledge and confidence in making healthy nutritional choices among independent older adults living in a low-income senior housing community. Aim By August 10, 2026 the goal of this project was to increase average nutrition knowledge and confidence scores related to selecting nutritious foods and preparing healthier meals by 20% among senior housing facility residents. Methods A microsystem assessment and gap analysis, literature review, SWOT analysis, fishbone diagram, and GANTT chart were completed to guide the project development and implementation. Weekly nutrition …

Beyond Closed Doors: Standardizing Intimate Partner Violence Screening In A Predominantly Spanish-Speaking Primary Care Clinic, Sarah Abughrib

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Intimate partner violence is a widespread public health concern, with an estimated 64.2 million U.S. adults affected in their lifetime and significant physical, psychological, and economic consequences. Due to systemic challenges, IPV screening remained inconsistent across an adult primary care clinic serving a predominantly monolingual Spanish-speaking population in the San Francisco Bay Area, with only 4.1% of patients screened across the Adult, Women's, and Teen clinics in June 2026. Aim: This quality improvement project aimed to increase overall IPV screening by 10%, from 4.1% to 14.1%, by July 31, 2026. Methods: Standardization efforts included introducing a …

Closing The Loop: Strengthening Cauti Prevention With Urinary Catheter Management, Erika N. Braun

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common preventable healthcare-associated infections and are associated with significant patient harm and increased healthcare costs. Baseline assessment across five adult cardiovascular and critical care units within a community-based acute care hospital identified four CAUTI events during the first half of 2026 and revealed important nursing knowledge deficits related to bladder scanning protocols and urinary catheter management practices. Aim: This Quality Improvement (QI) Project aimed to improve nursing knowledge of evidence-based bladder scanning protocols and urinary catheter management practices through targeted educational interventions implemented over a 10-week period, with …

Creating Consistency: Standardizing Gestational Diabetes Group Visit Framework In High-Risk Obstetric Care, Danielle Pack

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) requires timely and consistent education to promote effective self-management and improve maternal and fetal outcomes. Baseline observations at a Santa Clara County high-risk obstetric clinic identified variation in educational materials, educator delivery, referral processes, and workflows between English- and Spanish-language GDM group visits. A review of the literature supported standardized diabetes education and group prenatal care as strategies to improve consistency, efficiency, and patient access. Aim: This quality improvement project aimed to develop and implement a standardized GDM group visit framework for nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, and scheduling staff, with the goal of increasing compliance …

You Haven’T Been Forgotten: Driving Improvements In Trust, Transparency, And Accountability Through A Patient-Centered Communication Initiative In The Emergency Department, Ellie Mead

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: In Spring 2026, the Emergency Department (ED) at Hospital X identified difficulties securing high levels of patient satisfaction. Over one third of patients did not feel adequately “informed about delays,” and observation of nurse-patient interactions in front-end care areas confirmed these communication gaps: in 87% of interactions, nurses did not explain next steps to the patient, and in none of the 51 interactions observed did nurses proactively inform patients about possible delays. Aim: This quality improvement initiative sought to improve the patient experience in the ED and drive a 10% increase in Press Ganey patient satisfaction survey results relating …

Promoting Safety And Confidence: Standardizing Intimate Partner Violence Screening And Improving Staff Screening Confidence In A Predominantly Latinx Community Health Center, Jordan Jiang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent public health problem that is screened far less consistently than comparably common conditions and disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including low-income, Spanish-speaking, and undocumented individuals. This quality improvement project was conducted in an outpatient community health center serving a primarily Latinx, Spanish-speaking population in San Francisco, where screening across the Adult Health, Women's Health, and Teen Clinics was inconsistent, with a baseline rate of 4.1% in June 2026. Aim: The project aimed to increase overall IPV screening by 10 percentage points, from 4.1% to 14.1%, by July 31, 2026. Methods: Rogers' Diffusion of …

Reducing Variation, Improving Outcomes: Standardizing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Education In A Clinical Microsystem, Thanh Le

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Variations in referral, scheduling, delivery of educational information, patient materials, and documentation hampered the quality of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) education in the outpatient maternal-fetal medicine clinic. Purpose: The aim of the quality improvement project was to boost adherence to a standardized GDM group education framework from 0 to 50% in the course of 12 weeks and assess attendance at group visits. Methods: The microsystem analysis was conducted based on observations of group visits conducted in Spanish and English, examination of current processes and resources in use, educator pre-survey, SWOT analysis, and cause and effect analysis. The implementation of …

Standardizing Group Visits For Gestational Diabetes Education: A Quality Improvement Initiative In An Outpatient Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic, Nha Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: At an outpatient maternal-fetal medicine clinic in Northern California, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) education is delivered inconsistently across nurse practitioners (NPs) and registered dietitians (RDs), with no standardized curriculum, referral criteria, or educational materials. Aim: By August 12, 2026, this project aimed to develop and implement a standardized GDM group visit framework for NPs, RDs, and scheduling staff in maternal-fetal medicine clinic, increasing compliance with standardized referral, enrollment, and educational processes from a baseline of 0% to 50%. Methods: Using baseline observations, workflow assessment, stakeholder input, and a literature review, the QI team developed standardized bilingual slide …

Standardizing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Education To Improve Patient Knowledge And Care Consistency In A Prenatal Clinic Setting, Wynn Zara

Master's Projects and Capstones

The gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) group visit framework aims to improve consistency of GDM education by standardizing referral processes, educational materials, staff workflows, and patient communication. Although evidence-based GDM education supports patient self-management and improved maternal-fetal outcomes, variability in education delivery contributed to inconsistent care within the outpatient maternal-fetal medicine setting. This quality improvement project was conducted in an outpatient maternal-fetal medicine clinic in Santa Clara County serving pregnant patients diagnosed with GDM. To address this gap, a standardized GDM group visit framework was developed and implemented using structured educational resources, referral criteria, and communication workflows. The intervention was evaluated …

Effective Strategies To Implement Equitable And Transparent Artificial Intelligence Technologies To Improve Employee Productivity, Ijeoma Appolonia Chukwunyelu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective artificial intelligence (AI) implementation strategies can undermine transparency and ethics in AI technology use for organizational performance and diminish employee productivity. Without these strategies, information technology (IT) leaders risk reduced employee productivity, lower organizational adoption of AI technologies, and inequitable outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies IT leaders use to implement transparent, ethical AI technologies to improve employee productivity. The conceptual framework that grounded this project was transformational leadership theory. The project participants were six IT business leaders in the United States with experience implementing AI technologies within their organizations. …

Draining The Risk, Holding The Line: A Nurse-Driven Approach To Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention, Thy Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain among the most common preventable healthcare-associated infections, with CMS eliminating reimbursement for hospital-acquired cases since 2008. Within a five-unit, high-acuity microsystem at an urban acute care hospital, four CAUTIs were documented between January and July 2026 despite established prevention protocols. Adherence gaps were identified in catheter necessity assessment, maintenance practices, and nurse-driven removal protocol use. This quality improvement project was guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice framework and Lewin's Change Theory. A targeted nursing education intervention addressing bladder scanning, dependent loop identification, and catheter care bundle adherence was implemented across the microsystem over …

Documents From The August 12, 2026 Meeting Of The University Of Montana Staff Senate, University Of Montana--Missoula. Staff Senate

University of Montana Staff Senate Meeting Minutes

Agenda and minutes from the University of Montana Staff Senate August 12, 2026 Meeting. Highlights include a guest presentation from Internal Communications and Employee Engagement as well as senator reconfirmations.

Confidence Versus Competence: Addressing Nursing Knowledge Gaps In Catheter Care To Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Leslie Anne Villanueva Bautista

Master's Projects and Capstones

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain among the most prevalent and preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), contributing substantially to patient morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and healthcare expenditures. Most hospital-acquired UTIs are related to urinary catheters, and this burden costs the United States alone an estimated $340 to $450 million annually (Yang et al., 2022). CAUTIs are UTIs that occur in patients with indwelling urinary catheters. This quality improvement project aimed to increase adherence to existing bladder scanning protocols and strengthen urinary catheter care to prevent CAUTI. Baseline staff nurse knowledge was obtained, and reinterpretation of the facility’s existing protocols and bundles …

Shared Equity Leadership In An Offshore Medical School: Distributing Responsibility For Equity, Vishal B. Surender, Sreekrishna Penna, Oluwabusola Osimosu

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This essay applies the Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) framework to an offshore MD program at a private Caribbean medical school where students complete basic sciences on an island and clinical clerkships across multiple international sites. Using SEL scholarship and de-identified institutional data, we ask how equity work is currently distributed, where gaps emerge in assessment, remediation, and mobility for historically underrepresented students in medicine, and how responsibility for equity might be more deliberately shared. The Woven model of SEL provides a lens to map existing structures like curriculum committees, CQI dashboards, advising systems, and clinical site partnerships. We propose a …

Not Quite Foreign, Never Fully Belonging: Racialization Of Southbound Policy Students In Taiwan, Garima Jha

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper critically examines how race and racialization shape the socio-cultural adjustment experiences of international students from New Southbound policy (NSP) countries in Taiwan. Drawing from a qualitative part conducted for my master’s thesis, which explored the coping strategies and adjustment processes of seven students from Southeast and South Asia through semi-structured interview, I reframe the data to center race as an analytical lens using the conceptual framework proposed by Glasgow (2009) which explains that racialization as the process through which social meanings are attached to perceived cultural or bodily differences, creating and maintaining hierarchies among groups. and Brondolo et …

From Burnout To Belonging: Reintroducing Joy Through Collaborative Library Culture Change, Jason D. Phillips, Chereeka Garner, Cindy Dancel

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Libraries are often expected to create joy for others, yet many library workers continue to experience burnout, dissatisfaction, and disconnection. This session explores how one academic library implemented a staff-led, administration-supported approach to rebuilding workplace culture through collective, low-cost, and capacity-aware strategies. Centered on the work of an internal advisory group, this model creates structured opportunities for feedback, collaboration, and shared decision-making while introducing small, intentional interventions that foster connection, recognition, and belonging. Rather than relying on individual resilience or one-time morale boosts, this approach emphasizes sustainable, iterative practices that respond to staff needs and organizational realities. Attendees will leave …

Implementation Of A Structured Safety Planning Intervention In An Outpatient Psychiatric Setting, Ellen Riccio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This organization change process evaluation addressed continued reliance on outdated no-suicide and no-harm contracts in an outpatient psychiatric setting, despite evidence that such contracts do not reduce suicide risk and may create a false sense of security. Adult outpatients with mood or psychotic disorders who express safety concerns represent a population for whom structured, collaborative safety planning is the accepted standard of care. Addressing this gap is central to patient safety and quality nursing care. The practice-focused question asked whether replacing no-suicide contracts with a structured, six-step Safety Planning Intervention would influence safety events, self-harm behaviors, and psychiatric hospitalizations among …

Staff Education To Improve Staff Knowledge, Confidence, And Intent To Consistently Implement Medication-Assisted Treatment, Matilda Boachie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice staff education project addressed inconsistent medication-assisted treatment (MAT) implementation in a masked crisis stabilization unit. MAT was available, but staff education was informal and inconsistent, contributing to variation in knowledge, confidence, patient education, documentation, and discharge planning. The practice-focused question that was answered through this project was whether structured staff education would improve knowledge, confidence, and intent to consistently implement MAT. The purpose was to develop, implement, and evaluate structured education for interdisciplinary staff. De-identified pre- and post-education surveys were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and aggregate averages were compared because individual surveys were not matched. …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based, Standardized Hypertension Follow-Up Protocol To Improve Quality And Outcomes Among African American Females In A Primary Care Setting, Fausat Oluremi Ojo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, and premature mortality. African American women experience a disproportionate burden of hypertension and hypertension-related complications, making timely follow-up and treatment intensification essential quality and equity priorities. This evidence-based practice project implemented a standardized hypertension follow-up protocol in a primary care setting to improve blood pressure (BP) control and follow-up reliability among African American females ages 18 to 65 with a hypertension diagnosis. The project population included 67 patients, numbered 1 to 67. Baseline BP report data showed that 47 patients had BP less than 140/90 mm Hg, …

An Interprofessional Organization Change Process To Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Bolatito Owolabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This organization change process initiative addressed a critical safety practice gap regarding catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention in a 450-bed acute care facility. This gap was recognized based on evidence that the facility’s CAUTI Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) was above the national benchmark—and daily necessity assessment compliance of only approximately 50%. This gap was attributed to an organizational interprofessional culture, which hindered timely device removal. Prolonged catheter dwell times increase patient morbidity, extend hospital stays, and expose the organization to severe financial penalties. The project aimed to safely reduce device dwell times by structurally empowering bedside nurses. I used …

Effective Strategies For Retaining Nonofficer Talent In Retail Banking, Janique Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail banking organizations lose billions of dollars annually to nonofficer employee turnover, disrupting operations, degrading customer service, and burdening human resource (HR) leaders with repeated recruitment costs. When retail bank HR leaders experience nonofficer employee turnover among their frontline workforces, it can influence profitability and community trust. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies used by retail bank HR leaders to retain nonofficer talent. The participants were 10 HR leaders in U.S. retail banking institutions who had successfully implemented nonofficer retention strategies. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and …

Implementation Of A Nightshift Sleep Promotion Bundle To Support Delirium Prevention In A Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit, Pamella Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to identify the need for a consistent sleep-promotion protocol in an adult neurosurgical intensive care unit (NSICU). Disrupted sleep is a frequent problem for patients who are seriously ill and can lead to delirium, longer hospital stays, higher health care expenses, diminished cognitive function, and death. While there was evidence supporting nonpharmacological sleep-promotion and delirium-risk-reduction interventions, they were not consistently implemented at the project site, creating a gap between evidence and clinical practice. The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate an evidence-based night-shift sleep-promotion bundle. The practice-focused …

Enhancing Patient Understanding: Standardizing Cardiac Medication Education Using Teach-Back For Heart Failure, Nicole Valerie Hediger

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The transition from hospital to home places heart failure (HF) patients at risk for medication errors, nonadherence, deterioration, and rehospitalization. In a 28-bed medical-surgical telemetry microsystem, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores indicated an opportunity for improvement: “Communication About Medicines” composite score of 47.9%; 62.5% of patients reported being informed about the medication purpose, and 33.3% reported that staff described potential side effects.

Context: A cohort of HF patients was selected to test teach-back methodology and improve patient understanding. Nurse champions volunteered for a 5-month improvement project.

Interventions: Teach-back methods were implemented. Nurse leader rounding …