Digital Commons Network^™

Nappy, Loc’D Or Straight, It Still Gets Hate: A Collaborative Autoethnography Examining Black Hair In K-12 Education And Beyond, Maiya Turner, Janae Alexander-Bady, Virginia Redwine Johnson, Salandra Grice, Tyra Montour

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that Black hair discrimination has on Black girls in K-12 educational settings. Black hair has long been tied to Black girls and women’s cultural identities. However, Black girls often fall victim to discrimination based on their hair texture and style, which can often impact their relationship with their hair through adulthood. Utilizing collaborative autoethnography, we provide our hair experiences during our K-12 educational experiences and how this has impacted our current relationships with our hair. Additionally, within the findings, we identify three themes common among our experiences: dress codes as …

Landscapes Of Learning: How Nonprofits Are Bridging Educational Divides, Erica Jensen

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Creating A Sustainable Platform For Indigenous Girls’ And Women’S Empowerment, Population Council

Adolescents and Young People

No abstract provided.

Celebrating World Homoeopathy Day With A Homoeopathic Symposium On Empowering Research, Enhancing Proficiency, Babita Rani Kondle, Divya Taneja, Renu Mittal, Subhash Kaushik

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

The Honourable President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the scientific convention ‘Empowering Research Enhancing Proficiency: A Homoeopathic Symposium’ on 10th and 11th April 2024 at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention and Expo Centre), New Delhi, India. The convention which was jointly organised by the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, National Commission for Homoeopathy and National Institute of Homoeopathy under the aegis of the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India to commemorate the 269th birth anniversary of Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. There were a total of 17 sessions which included five panel discussions. The convention was attended by more …

To-Do List: A Chore Program For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mariah Gad, Mary Jan Greer, Danielle Howerton

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Many children with autism spectrum disorder do not have the exposure to age-appropriate chore tasks because their parents may be unaware of how to actively get their child involved with household tasks. The overarching goal of this project was to develop a chore program for children with autism to gain responsibilities and learn functional living skills through the use of household chores to aid in the transition process to adulthood.

An Evidence-Based Preceptor Development Program For Nurse Anesthetists, Raleigh Todd

Doctoral Projects

Abstract

Problem Statement: The success of the student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNA) is heavily influenced by experiences in the clinical setting, often encompassing a variety of preceptors throughout their respective anesthesia programs. Despite the importance of the preceptor role, many preceptors feel unprepared, and it is estimated most certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) who precept students have received no formal training in the preceptor role.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an evidence-based preceptor education program for CRNA preceptors, utilizing evidence from literature and input from practicing nurse anesthetists. This program helps provide support by …

Social Participation Approach In Brain Injury Survivors, Lexie Graham, Cassandra Nelson

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This program will consist of educating brain injury survivors and their peers on social participation following a brain injury. With the cognitive and physical deficits that come with brain injuries, a decrease in socialization occurs due to those barriers faced. With the lack of resources aimed towards brain injuries and social participation this program is essential to ensuring everyone has access to an education platform. Providing brain injury survivors and their peers with evidence-based information and tips for socializing is vital to helping families, friends, significant others, and peers keep strong relationships and increase their quality of life.

Older Adult's Fall Prevention Program, Myles Butler, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The decline in bodily functions with aging increases older adults' vulnerability to falls, which is a leading cause of death within this population. The poster presents an educational based fall prevention program focused on safety awareness and risk management for older adults. In conclusion, implementing a fall prevention program leads to increased awareness regarding risk factors that are detrimental to the safety and well-being of the older adult community

Occupational Therapy Role In Aiding Health Management For Caregivers Of Children With Neurological Conditions, Peyton Mcgee, Mary Jan Greer, Caitlin Boyd

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Neurological disorders are identified as a dysfunction on any part of the nervous system that cause disability (Kumar et al., 2022). In order to enhance the outcome of children with neurological conditions, there should be an emphasis on the role and well-being of their caregivers. Common symptoms of neurological disorders among children include delayed developmental milestones, seizures and epilepsy, regression of skills, abnormal movements and behaviors, headaches, sensory processing issues, and communication difficulties. Adjusting to a new normal can be overwhelming for caregivers, especially when children transition out of rehab. The aim of the proposed capstone project is to aid …

The Impact Of Community Engaged Healthcare Education On Undergraduate Students’ Empathy And Their Views Towards Social Accountability; A Mixed Methods Systematic Review, Anastasios Plessas, Martha Paisi, Nilufar Ahmed, Zoe Brookes, Lorna Burns, Robert Witton

Peninsula Dental School

Background: Many non-communicable diseases are rooted in social factors that determine health outcomes. Complex topics such as the social determinants of health are difficult to teach through traditional didactic methods. Since the introduction of the social accountability of medical schools’ framework in 1995 by the World Health Organisation, healthcare education institutions are encouraged to shift their traditional education models towards a socially accountable approach. Community engagement can facilitate a deeper understanding of health inequity, barriers to health care, and the social determinants of health whilst enabling institutions to meet their obligation to the communities they serve. This systematic review aimed …

Leveraging Gamification And Social Media To Teach Heart Failure Clinical Practice Guidelines In Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education, Kaelee Brockway

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: Clinical practice guideline adherence remains a challenge in health care, with reported rates as low as 26%. Research shows multiple barriers to adherence, including limited access and guideline complexity. Integrating guidelines into education is crucial, demanding innovative methods to enhance translation into practice.

Methods: This multiple methods study explored application of the substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition model to integrate social media and gamification activities to engage students in learning action statements of a clinical practice guideline for the management of heart failure. Performance on exam items relevant to the guideline content were used to determine if this …

Compensation For Financing A Spouse's Education: The Means Of Economic Justice In Maine, William S. Kany

Maine Law Review

In cases of marriage dissolution courts attempt to promote economic justice by utilizing their equitable powers and interpreting applicable statutes. It is often difficult, however, to achieve a just result in cases in which one spouse supported the other who attended college and/or professional school during the marriage. In the typical case divorce occurs just prior to or after completion of the education, at a time when the couple has accumulated very few marital assets because all of the marital income has gone into living and educational expenses. Because the only significant asset acquired during the marriage is the degree, …

Teaching Dena'ina Language Through Dena'ina Culturally Based Reading Practices, Joel Isaak Yes

Indigenous Studies

The Dena'ina language is a well-documented Northern Dene Alaska Native language in south-central Alaska. The Dena'ina language is on the brink of going to sleep. The Dena'ina community strongly desires for the Dena'ina language to once again thrive in the community. Language-use within the community is a contributing factor to the health of the community. As Dena'ina tribes work towards bringing back the Dena'ina language, the community grapples with the role of reading and writing, both potentially harmful and aiding community language work. A Classroom-Based Action Research qualitative study was conducted to determine if reading instruction in the Dena'ina language …

Examining Change In Burnout And Empathy Among Physician Assistant Students During The Clinical And Didactic Years, Jannelle Reynolds, Kimberly Gomes, Nicole M. Sleddens, Jana L. Wardian Phd

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

Few studies investigate how burnout affects physician assistant's student empathy. This study aimed to determine the degree of burnout and empathy in didactic PA students as compared to burnout and empathy in their clinical year.

Methods: One cohort of PA students at a Midwestern university were surveyed twice during their education. Once during didactic and once during the clinical year. Two surveys were used to assess burnout and empathy.

Results: Our findings showed moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization at the end of the didactic phase and significant improvement in lack of personal achievement and emotional exhaustion …

The Teacher Mental Health Crisis: A Mixed Methods Examination Of The Factors Contributing To Teacher Burnout, Minerva Carrasco

Masters Theses (Archived)

For decades, teachers' mental health and burnout have been an issue nationwide (Sewell, 1971). This has been an even larger struggle in the education field in recent years because turnover is high, the COVID-19 pandemic, and districts are struggling to find ways to retain teachers to stay in their profession. There are things that administrators and teachers can do to guide districts to ensure that teachers are comfortable in their classrooms and their school campus. There are coping strategies that teachers can do to prevent teacher mental health and burnout and there are ways that administrators can support their teachers …

Closing The Literacy Gap: Correlation Of Chronic Illnesses On Reading Fluency, Nicolette Falvo

Education Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of chronic physical health issues on literacy fluency among students spanning Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. Chronic illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes, and sickle cell disease, can significantly hinder academic performance, particularly in literacy. This research seeks to explore how specific literacy interventions can improve reading fluency for students managing health-related challenges. Utilizing a single-subject design, the study will examine individual cases to determine the effectiveness of tailored literacy strategies. The methodology includes both a baseline assessment phase and an intervention phase. Baseline assessments revealed that students with chronic health conditions …

Come To The Lake: Harnessing Academic Resources And Empowering Students To Transform Clinical Landscapes., Natalie A. Perkins, Natalie Loera, Issa Flores, Rajvinder Bains, Divya Desai, Carlin Reaume

Pacific Journal of Health

In higher education, the relationship between students and academic resources plays a pivotal role in shaping both individual growth and the broader landscape of learning. This article explores how educators, particularly in occupational therapy, have designed rich academic environments—likened to lakes brimming with resources—that provide students with opportunities for deep engagement. However, to truly harness these resources, students must be empowered as active participants in shaping the academic and clinical landscapes. The article advocates for a reimagining of academia, where students contribute to the knowledge ecosystem through research, innovation, and experiential learning, ensuring that education becomes a dynamic, collaborative process. …

The Promise Of Lived Experience: Assessing Race And Merit After Sffa, Taonga Leslie, Claire Comey

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

70 years after Brown, students of color remain underrepresented in U.S. colleges and universities and in professions like law, medicine, business, and academia, which, in turn, drives inequitable social and economic outcomes. Recent Supreme Court decisions threaten to further exacerbate this inequity by preventing schools from considering race when making admissions decisions and shaping their classes. This article contends that by placing greater emphasis on applicants’ experiences of race, admissions officers can more accurately assess merit, improve services to disadvantaged communities, and achieve the pedagogical benefits of diversity. The article situates the lived experience approach within a well-established tradition permitting …

Improving Immunization Rates In Children Under Two Years Of Age In Linn County, Kansas Through Nursing Education, Heather L. Webber

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Immunizations are one of the most beneficial preventive health measures available to children under two years of age. Failing to receive these preventative immunizations during these crucial years could result in the child developing serious diseases that may lead to long term disability or even be fatal. By increasing immunization rates, children will be more protected against common childhood diseases which will allow them to grow and thrive. The purpose of this scholarly project was to identify ways to improve vaccination rates in children under two years of age at specific clinics in Linn County, Kansas, using healthcare professional education. …

Reducing The Incidence Of Nosocomial Aspiration Pneumonia In Adult Oncology Patients Through Improved Compliance With Oral Hygiene Protocols, Rickey Maung

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy are at increased risk of mucosal barrier injuries and aspiration pneumonia, with current aspiration pneumonia rates exceeding target levels. Enhanced oral hygiene protocols and improved compliance have been shown to reduce these complications in this vulnerable population.

Context: The microsystem under review comprises six oncology units within Hospital A, a major medical center in California. Aspiration pneumonia, frequently linked to mucosal barrier injuries, poses a significant threat to patient safety and increases treatment costs and complications in oncology care. Recognizing the critical need to address this issue, an aspiration pneumonia task force has prioritized efforts …

Increasing Health Literacy Within The Unhoused Population, Alyse Mk Abraham, Zoe J. Foucaultt, Sean P. Sieber, Simran Gill, Andrew Kang, Fatou Goudiaby

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Nursing Leadership Executive Summary

The unhoused population in Washington State increased by 12% from January 2022 to January 2023, underscoring a growing regional crisis (Washington State Department of Commerce, 2024). To serve this population, we partnered with an agency in Western Washington. In collaboration with the agency’s health services administrative director, we developed a multilingual handout on healthcare and insurance options to improve health literacy.

Our project involved a windshield survey, demographic analysis, evidence-based research, and collaboration with translators to ensure accessibility. This paper outlines the project’s development, research process, creation of the handout, and its intended impact.

Background

A …

Stress Management Through Educational Coping Techniques, Margaret Nikitchuk, Maddy Politeo, Sarah Hall, Ben Pham, David Kumar, Kiana George

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Executive Summary

According to the United States Census Bureau, Seattle reported the highest amount of people with stress in the United States with 54.5% (reported by adults) saying they felt ‘nervous, anxious or on edge’ for at least several days during the past two weeks” (Swedish, 2024). Many residents in Seattle cope with stress in unhealthy ways. For instance, in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA, 19% of individuals aged 12 or older used illicit drugs, compared to the national rate of 14.7% (SAMHSA, 2012). Additionally, 22.5% of this population engaged in binge alcohol use at least once in the past month (SAMHSA, 2012). …

Promoting Advance Care Planning In Primary Care: A Pilot Study On The Impact Of Clinician Education And Workflow Development, Lisa Nicole Turcotte

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although evidence supports the efficacy of advance care planning (ACP) in improving quality of care and the overall well-being of patients and families, there are many barriers to engagement in this process. Fortunately, clinician and patient education and workflow development in primary care settings have shown promise in their ability to overcome these obstacles to improve awareness of and engagement with the ACP process as part of preventative care. The purpose of this project was to apply current research on this topic to improve patient engagement with ACP in the primary care setting using the Iowa Model of evidence-based practice. …

Participation As Preparation: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Greek Letter Organization (Bglo) Members In The Workforce, Letasha Carrie Mcfarlane

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how membership in a Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO) impacts the experiences of Black professionals in overcoming obstacles in the modern workforce. This study utilized a qualitative, phenomenological design to capture the lived experiences of 10 BGLO members working in federal military and educational organizations in the United States. Participants were recruited through purposeful sampling, and data were collected via open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured individual interviews, and a focus group. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which revealed four major themes: (1) Utilization of Opportunities to Overcome Workplace Challenges, (2) Cultivation …

Examining Differences In Implicit Bias Towards Students Of Color Within The Higher Education System, Marlene Drake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, quasi-experimental, static-group comparison design study aims to address the unknown factors of implicit bias within our public education system by examining the differences between the awareness of school staff towards students of color. The theories that guided this study were the Theory of Experience and the Theory of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory. The Theory of Experience emphasizes the need for a positive connection between the school staff and students of color to prevent social injustice through awareness and empathetic behavior. The LMX theory supports the need for positive behavior from the school staff to increase the motivation and …

The New “Female Hysteria”: A Phenomenological Approach To Understanding The Effects Of The Imposter Phenomena In African American Women In Educational Leadership: A Qualitative Study, Alexandria Nicole Purifoy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the intersectionality of imposter phenomenon, misogyny, and racism and the impacts on African American women in educational leadership roles at secondary schools. The theory guiding this study is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as it applies to the importance of belongingness for Black women in these roles. The central research question for this study is: What perspectives have shaped the views of Black women in educational leadership roles? The proposed methodology utilizes a combination of journals, interviews, and focus groups to gather information from participants. This study used the transcendental phenomenological approach …

Psychotropics And Fall Reduction Through Nursing Education, Jenny L. Stillman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Falls in long-term care centers (LTC) remain a significant problem due to their association with increased mortality, healthcare costs, and decreased patient outcomes. A major contributing factor to falls is the use of psychotropic medications commonly prescribed in LTC facilities despite evidence against their use. This paper discusses a quasi-experimental study aimed at reducing falls through nursing education on how psychotropics contribute to falls. The study also highlights the regulatory requirements for LTC facilities to monitor and reduce fall occurrences and the efforts made by a State Veterans Home to address the number of falls. The results demonstrate a reduction …

Evaluating The Perceived Benefits Of Education In Revenue Cycle Management And The Impact On Medical Claims Reimbursement, Jessica L. Miller

Student Dissertations

Efficient Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) is essential for healthcare organizations to ensure timely and accurate reimbursement for medical claims. The research problem was the significant inadequacies in RCM process in medical billing that has resulted in financial burdens imposed on providers, patients, and the organizations that provide medical services. There are clearly identified educational gaps in RCM that contribute to claim denials, delays, and revenue loss, underscoring the need for robust training programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived impact of education in RCM on medical claim reimbursement outcomes within the U.S. healthcare system. The study …

Teaching Ettingerian Matrixial Theory, R. Michael Fisher

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Utilizing an adapted scoping review of the literature on Bracha L. Ettinger and Education (2008-2024), the author reveals the specific ways that Ettingerian Matrixial Theory (EMT) and its pedagogies are taught and can be taught in the future. EMT is argued to be a new branch of Critical Theory. The current literature shows there is mostly engagement with EMT in academic settings. As well, the literature reviewed shows EMT is used readily in arts and with artists as teachers and teachings for adults. However, the author unveils diverse other possibilities of teaching EMT. A few major themes from the literature …

National Parks For Future Generations?: The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Impacts On National Parks And Tourism, Colin Cummings '25

Student Research

This paper explores the complex relationship between tourism and the environment in U.S. National Parks, with a focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how increased visitation affects wildlife, the spread of invasive species, and the overall health of natural ecosystems. The author argues for a shift in public perception of national parks, emphasizing education, community engagement, and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of nature to ensure the preservation of these areas for future generations. The paper also discusses the role of park rangers and historical interpretations of wildlife and the environment, as well as the …