Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Communication: Huddling For Change, Harnoor Chahal

Master's Theses

The purpose of this communication improvement project is to incorporate huddles between interdisciplinary departments within a microsystem in order to improve customer satisfaction by decreasing the number of grievances. Based on the increasing number of grievances due to delayed hospital discharge, which results from a lack of communication between team members, there is an increased need for communication between the microsystem. By implementing weekly huddles between the Inpatient and Outpatient nurses, not only will there be increased care-coordination, but there will also be a decreased delay in discharge from the hospital caused by missed or no communication. Evidence-based practice indicates …

Paving The Way For Merleau-Ponty’S Eye And Mind In Organizational Communication Studies, Johan Bodaski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The body is a sense-based medium that creates and interprets organizations. Bodies create organization. An aesthetic theory of organizational communication reveals the significance of the body to the organization. Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of aesthetics offers a theory of aesthetic organizational communication that is yet to be developed. Merleau-Ponty’s aesthetic essay on painting, Eye and Mind, describes the body as the medium through which painters turn the world into painting. His philosophy of painting builds bridges between aesthetics, the body, and organizational communication.

In chapter one, four theories of organizational communication are described: communication constitutes organization (CCO), text/interpreter, ventriloquism, and …

Improving Pediatric Oral-Systemic Health Through Motivational Interviewing: An Interprofessional Training Intervention, Oksana Prodan

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Introduction: In response to the prevalence of early childhood carries (ECC) in the United States, recommendations were established for pediatric primary care providers to routinely incorporate oral-systemic health promotion services into clinical practice. An interprofessional education project was developed between Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and dentistry students in San Francisco to assist trainees in the effective delivery of oral systemic health promotion services. Improving health promotion communication skills was identified as an area of need for both sets of learners. Therefore, the IPE activity was designed to incorporate Motivational Interviewing (MI) into the training along with pediatric oral …

Patient-Centeredness In Electronic Communication: An Evaluation Of Patient-To-Healthcare-Team Secure Messaging, Timothy P. Hogan, Tana M. Luger, Julie Volkman, Mary Rocheleau, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Anna M. Barker, Kim M. Nazi, Thomas K. Houston, Barbara G. Bokhour

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

Background: As information and communication technology is becoming more widely implemented across health care organizations, patient-provider email or asynchronous electronic secure messaging has the potential to support patient-centered communication. Within the medical home model of the Veterans Health Administration (VA), secure messaging is envisioned as a means to enhance access and strengthen the relationships between veterans and their health care team members. However, despite previous studies that have examined the content of electronic messages exchanged between patients and health care providers, less research has focused on the socioemotional aspects of the communication enacted through those messages.

Objective: Recognizing the potential …

The Interactive Patient Careboard: A Technological Innovation To Improve Patient Safety, Perla Q. Baldugo

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: An innovative method to communicate with the patient and between interdisciplinary team members is the use of the interactive patient careboard (IPC) which has declined since its implementation. Concurrently, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores for the med surg unit need improvement. The low HCAHPS scores in communication suggested to nursing leadership that revitalizing use of the IPC could lead to improvements in the scores. The ideal shift handoff includes IPC as a focal point of communication. The RN is expected to display the careboard during handoff and identify for the patient the healthcare …

Improving Communication In A Virtual Team: A Quality Improvement Project, Deepali Addagarla

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Data analysis based on two surveys revealed team communication, interdependence, technology interfaces, and integration as the quality gaps in the Virtual Surveillance Team. When compared with traditional in-person teams, a virtual working team faces different types of communication challenges.

Context: The virtual surveillance team in the regional quality department at Oakland monitors both Advance Alert Monitor (AAM), a statistical model developed by the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Division of Research (DOR) that is used to predict an individual’s likelihood of deterioration, and eHospital care gaps for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in Northern California (KFH, NCAL). The latest evaluation from DOR of …

Introduction Of Communication Strategies To Decrease Patient Falls In An Acute Rehabilitation Setting, Alicia Joachim

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Due to the lack of appropriate fall prevention measures in an acute rehabilitation unit, there has been a notable increase of patient fall occurrences within a 6 month period. The purpose of this practice improvement project was to reduce patient falls within a 36-bed unit, using visual aids and effective communication among nursing staff. The multi-disciplinary members involved licensed nurses, nursing assistants, nursing supervisors, director of nursing, and executive administrator. Methods: The method used to implement this project included a literature search, informational interviews and staff surveys, and prioritization of interventions by the team. Project implementation was guided by …

The Importance Of Communication, Robin Bowdish

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

When we teach students to effectively communicate and to collaborate, we are building a foundation for their successful futures.

Development Of Semantic Reference For Location Symbols By Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Using A Two-Way Communication Keyboard, Alyssa Taylor

Master's Theses

The ability for humans to communicate with another species has been an aspiration and well documented. One example is through training animals to make associations between a designated cue and conditioned response (Pryor, 1986). Two-way communication, however, in which both species can express wants/needs has been predominantly pursued with apes and dolphins. Studies conducted by Louis Herman demonstrated the capabilities of dolphins to comprehend complex semantic and syntactic commands in an artificial language system (Herman, Richards, & Wolz, 1984). Researchers working with primates have used American Sign Language, a computer keyboard system with discrete lexigrams, and a portable lexigram keyboard …

Changing Seasons: A Language Arts Curriculum For Healthy Aging, Denise Calhoun

Purdue University Press Book Previews

Effective communication enhances quality of life. In Changing Seasons: A Language Arts Curriculum for Healthy Aging,Denise Calhoun provides a language-based, interdisciplinary program to help older adults improve their communication skills. Each activity reveals new, creative, and fun ways to get individuals to speak, think, write, engage with others, and use their imagination. As the activities promote meaningful interactions and the creation of a stimulating environment, Changing Seasons underscores the importance of sustaining quality of life as we and those we love age.

Health Information Technology And Language Barriers In Pre-Admission Clinics, Sandra M. Coffey

Applied Research Projects

LEP or Limited English Proficiency patients across the United States are at higher risk for decreased quality of care because of their inability to communicate effectively with healthcare providers. Interpreters are not offered in a consistent manner due to many variables such as cost, availability of qualified interpreters, the time spent with patients due to an increased work-overload and clinician lack of knowledge into technologies available to use. Healthcare information technology such as video and telephone interpretation can bridge the gap between patients and medical personnel when a language barrier is present. At the pre-admission clinic, the Nursing personnel interviews …

Marital Satisfaction In Terms Of Communication, Conflict Resolution, Sexual Intimacy, And Financial Relations Among Working And Non-Working Wives, Theda Renanita, Jenny Lukito Setiawan

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

One of the signs of a successful marriage is marital satisfaction of both husbands and wives. However, in the current era, addressing the role of wives who work outside the house hold has been a challenge for some married couples. The aim of this study is to examine the influences of communication, conflict resolution, sexual intimacy, and financial relations on the marital satisfaction of working and non-working wives. The study was conducted on a total of 144 subjects consisting of 90 full-time working wives and 54 non-working wives. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires. Results of linear regression analysis showed …

20th Annual Open Government Summit: Access To Public Records Act And Open Meetings Act, 2018, Department Of Attorney General, State Of Rhode Island

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

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Educators’ Perceptions Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication To Facilitate Communication Among Preschool Students With Disabilities, Honey Meadows

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how preschool educators perceive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and how those perceptions influence AAC utilization in preschool classrooms. Specifically, this investigation focused on gaining better understandings about educators’ views, beliefs, and attitudes about AAC utilization to facilitate communication. Semistructured, open-ended interviews, classroom observations, and document review were the data collection sources used. Findings suggest that preschool special educators value the use of AAC and understand the basic human right for all students to participate. However, special education teachers and special education paraprofessionals perceive their roles and responsibilities, as communicative …

Condition Help: 10 Years Of Experience Enhancing Our Culture Of Family Engagement, Andrew Mccormick, Catherine Polak, Michael Fox, Michele Carlson, Charles Guthrie, Michael Decker, Diane Hupp, Gabriella Butler, Andrew Urbach

Patient Experience Journal

“Condition Help” is a family activated rapid response team designed to enhance a partnership between providers and the family. Calling a “Condition Help” results in the rapid arrival of a response team (physician, nurse administrator and patient representative) that assesses the clinical status, listens to families’ concerns and promotes communication to move clinical care forward. “Condition Help” has been an active program for the last 10 years at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) and has assisted in the care of 608 patient encounters. This article outlines the experience gained using this vital program, summarizes …

Family Experience Tracers: Patient Family Advisor Led Interviews Generating Detailed Qualitative Feedback To Influence Performance Improvement, Kathryn Taff, Sheryl Chadwick, Deejo Miller

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Family Advisors (PFAs) are integral partners in quality improvement processes at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Mimicking Joint Commission patient tracers, the Family Experience Tracer program was created to gather perspectives from end users of care and provide valuable insights regarding the patient experience. The Patient and Family Engagement team collaborates with departmental and organizational leadership to define the scope of the tracer project and determine meaningful topics to elicit feedback from patients and families. Tracers are conducted across the continuum of care and are led by a Patient Family Advisor to establish an immediate peer relationship. Patients and families …

Partnering With Pediatric Patients And Families In High Reliability To Identify And Reduce Preventable Safety Events, Julie Kirby, Courtney Cannon, Lynn Darrah, Yolanda Milliman-Richard

Patient Experience Journal

Frameworks for designing highly reliable behaviors and tools to reduce preventable harm are the result of the continued effort to improve patient safety in healthcare. Evidence shows that there has been limited research on engaging patients and families in the development of safety and reliability efforts to achieve zero harm. Our aim was to develop a tool that engages patients and families in an effort to reduce preventable harm in a pediatric academic medical center.

What Medicine Can Learn From Pediatrics: A Mother's Perspective, Nancy Michaels

Patient Experience Journal

As a mother of a young adult child with Aspergers syndrome, as well as being a long-term patient myself (liver transplant in 2005), I have extensive experience in both camps. Recently my 20-year old son was admitted to a children’s hospital for a twisted colon that had to be surgically reduced. As the parent of a child with special needs and related physical health-related issues connected to him being on the autism spectrum, I was naturally very concerned about him entering a hospital (perhaps PTSD based on my own experience at moments). Surprising to me, the experience was a very …

Reflections On Political Communication And Insurgency, Robert F. Delaney

Naval War College Review

The essence of success in world politics is renewal. It is a form of diplomatic action historic in its usage but relatively little understood in its application.

The Uses Of Community In Modern American Rhetoric, Cody Ryan Hawley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the functions of the term “community” in American social and political rhetoric. I contend that community serves as a god-term, or expression of value and order, which rhetors use to motivate actions, endorse values, include/exclude persons, and compensate for modern losses. Informed by the philosophy of Kenneth Burke, I explore the general features of “rhetorics of community,” including community’s ambiguity and status as an automatic good, the relationship between community and modernity, the myth of communal loss, and the uses of community as a site of political unity and contest. I analyze the writings of John Humphrey …

Development Of Igrow: A Curriculum For Youth/Adult Dyads To Increase Gardening Skills, Culinary Competence, And Family Meal Time For Youths And Their Adult Caregivers, Jade A White, Rebecca L Hagedorn, Nicole L. Waterland, Makenzie L. Barr, Oluremi A Famodu, Amy E. Root, Adrienne A. White, Sarah E. Colby, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Kendra Kattelmann, Melissa D. Olfert

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

This manuscript describes the development of a “learn by actively participating” curriculum for youth and their adult caregivers (dyad pair) to increase gardening skills, culinary competence, and family meal time. The curriculum was developed by integrating “iCook 4-H” and Junior Masters Gardener “Health and Nutrition from the Garden”, and “Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development” curriculums with additional resources for gardening activities from the USDA’s My Plate and garden-based recipes. Expert reviewers (n = 11) provided feedback on the curriculum content, session structure, dosage, age appropriateness, and balance of the three focused areas. Seven family dyads (n = 14) participated …

Testing The Relationship Between Dialect Density And Social Interaction, Madeline Marita

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With over 1300 international students from more than 70 countries, Western Kentucky University prides itself on being a diverse, welcoming community. However, many international students have a tendency to associate with other international students with similar dialects rather than with English-speaking students from the United States. This research explores the relationship between dialect density (how strongly a dialect or accent is expressed) and social interaction of individuals from the international student population on Western Kentucky University’s campus. Results revealed that the international students who had the mildest self-perceived dialect density had high self-perceived social interaction scores. Results also indicated that …

Design And Characterization Of An Affordable Laser Communication System, Andrea Tellez

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decades, an exponential growth in communication demand has been observed. Radio Frequency (RF) band has been one of the most used bandwidths for data transmission in the world. Given the influence and the continuous growth of communication technology, the RF spectrum is overpopulated. More efficient systems are necessary to meet the communication needs of this generation. A change to optical bandwidth is the most practical alternative to deal with the congestion of radio frequency.

The aim of this thesis is to present the features of Free Space Optical links with off-the-shelf components. A description of how these …

Broadening The Focus: Women's Voices In The New Journalism, Mary C. Wacker

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The New Journalism Movement chronicled a decade of social turbulence in America by breaking the rules of traditional journalism and embracing narrative elements in the writing and publication of literary nonfiction. The magazine publishing industry was controlled by men, and the history of this transitional time in journalism has been chronicled by men, neglecting to recognize the significant contributions of women working in their midst. This study shines a light on the historical narrative that defines our understanding of the significance and key contributors to the New Journalism Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. To better understand the …

The Impact Of Social Media Usage On Employee And Organization Performance: A Study On Social Media Tools Used By An It Multinational In Malaysia, Grace Shalini A/P Radhakrishnan, Abdul Basit, Zubair Hassan

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of social media usage on employee and organization performance. The research was done on one multinational IT Company. Social media usage was measured using knowledge sharing, decision making and communication. Organizational performance was measured using employee and organization performance. Questionnaires were developed and the items were measured using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. This research takes on an explanatory approach and the sample consisting of 206 employees working in call center departments was recruited. The data was analyzed using SPSS 21 and AMOS 22 software. The results …

Integrated Literature Review Of Communication Methods Of Patients With Dementia, Hui-Ling Wang

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This study reviewed systematic and meta-analysis research on the methods of communication in patients with dementia. This study aimed to identify the interventions that can improve communication between these patients and the health care professionals who care for them.

Why Is It So Hard? Promoting Open Conversations Between Parents And Adolescents, Josie Weiss

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Communication about healthy sexual decision-making between parents and adolescents can be challenging. Findings from two studies will provide insight and encouragement for "Healthy Sex Chats".

Field Notes: Visions, Missions, And Strategic Plans 101, Marie-Jose’ Caro, Edward F. Trombley Iii

Publications

This article revolves around the importance of strategic planning within academic offices and divisions, and how difficult it is to balance day to day work load with long-term strategic planning.

End-Of-Life Communication And Treatment Decision Making: The Most Enduring Challenge In Healthcare, Mi-Kyung Song

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This presentation will discuss the phenomenon of end-of-life communication and treatment decision making as the most enduring challenge in healthcare and an evidence-based approach to improve patient and family outcomes.

Systemic Social Media Regulation, Frank Fagan

Duke Law & Technology Review

Social media platforms are motivated by profit, corporate image, long-term viability, good citizenship, and a desire for friendly legal environments. These managerial interests stand in contrast to the gubernatorial interests of the state, which include the promotion of free speech, the development of e-commerce, various counter terrorism initiatives, and the discouragement of hate speech. Inasmuch as managerial and gubernatorial interests overlap, a self-regulation model of platform governance should prevail. Inasmuch as they diverge, regulation is desirable when its benefits exceed its costs. An assessment of the benefits and costs of social media regulation should account for how social facts, norms, …