Digital Commons Network^™

Engaging The Somali Diaspora: A Case Study Of One Agency’S Community Programming Approach, Farhia Abdi

The Journal of Social Encounters

This case study investigates how a local community agency engages with the Somali diaspora to design and implement culturally responsive services, such as the Settlement and Integration Program. It also explores the potential of fostering meaningful dialogue with community members to inform the development of culturally sensitive programming. The research question guiding this study was developed by findings from previous research, which highlighted the significance of community engagement, sustained dialogue, and the necessity for agencies to design clearly defined programs. These programs should prioritize active participation from community members in both the creation and implementation of tailored initiatives.

Hezbollah's Military Setback: From Strategic Strength To Political Dilemma—A Comprehensive Analysis, Habib Albadawi

The Journal of Social Encounters

This study examines the unprecedented military transformation of Hezbollah from 2024 to 2025, analyzing how technological superiority and strategic constraints have fundamentally altered the effectiveness of irregular warfare organizations. Through extensive analysis of organizational adaptation, technological disruption, and external dependencies, this research investigates the paradox of how advanced military capabilities, when constrained by external dependencies, can become operational liabilities rather than strategic assets. The study employs multiple theoretical frameworks to understand this transformation and its implications for future irregular warfare.

Dalit Poetry On The Eve Of Indian Independence: Gurram Jashuva And The Quest For Critical Consciousness And Collective Remembering, Chris Conway

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Dalit Literary movement irrupted on the scene in the early 1970s in the state of Maharashtra, India. Unblinking in its criticism of casteism and unnerving in its depiction of Dalit oppression, the movement sought to concretize the political aims of B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) through cultivating a critical Dalit consciousness liberated from caste identity and history. The movement enjoyed success in uniting Dalit groups across the country under this new name. However, fifty years later a new generation of Dalit and Dalit-supporting thinkers have begun to critically examine the implications of Dalit identity focusing particularly on its rootedness in suffering …

Quality Improvement Project Diabetes Self-Management Education Training Program, Guylene Lucien

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Diabetes is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States; therefore, effective Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) is vital in improving patient outcomes. A needs assessment of the Practice site identified gaps in provider confidence and frequency and consistency of delivering DSME that correlated with poor patient adherence and readmissions. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a structured, evidence-based DSME training program to improve healthcare provider self-efficacy to provide DSME. The project utilized Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and the ADKAR change model and employed a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest design. Ten providers (six …

Gateway To Business Analytics With Microsoft Excel, Humberto Barreto

Economics and Management Faculty publications

Business analytics is a new, expanding subfield with fuzzy edges that overlap into a variety of other established disciplines, including economics, econometrics, computer science, data science, finance, statistics, mathematics, and even psychology. Business analytics includes such traditional techniques as regression and data visualization, but also newer methods such as web scraping, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Its key distinguishing feature is using data to make and communicate business decisions. This textbook utilizes Microsoft Excel to present a mix of topics appropriate to an undergraduate level introduction to business analytics course with an engaging delivery style.

Assessing Inclusion Within Naaee Affiliate Ee Associations And Where To Go From Here, Connor Chilton

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental Education (EE) has a history that has been typically defined by traditionally dominant identities (White, male, able-bodied, etc.). The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) offers a unique position as frontrunners for the field of EE and have the duty to provide an inclusive-minded education for and about the environments throughout the world. Through NAAEE’s affiliate network within the United States, this paper details a glimpse into the work towards inclusion by surveying its leadership position holders about the broad subject and several interconnections of inclusion. Upon completion of the survey, participants who opted to participate in a …

What Is Known About The Fish Intake Of People Living In Disadvantaged Communities In The Uk? A Scoping Review, Sarah Gale, Roseline Aboluwade, Louise Hunt, Clare Pettinger

School of Health Professions

Fish provides essential nutrients, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish) and other micronutrients, and may be seen to have a prominent role in protecting against non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Recent UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey analysis suggests people are not meeting their weekly fish intake recommendation of at least two portions per week, of which one should be oily. Lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to eat poor-quality diets, with low fish intake, resulting in poor health outcomes. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the factors influencing fish consumption in people living within ‘disadvantaged …

Engineering And Technology, Fred Haan

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

9/21/2025 for the event, Integration of Faith and Learning, at University Pelita Harapan in Jakarta, Indonesia

The Impact Of Intrauterine Devices On The Risk Of Ureaplasma Species Overgrowth: A Review Of The Literature, Joyce Miller

All Publications

Ureaplasma species (Ureaplasma spp.) are commensal organisms of the lower urogenital tract, but overgrowth has been associated with vaginal infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and sequelae, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, and pregnancy complications such as preterm labor. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are an effective contraceptive method; however, their use has been linked to an increased risk of urogenital infections, including those involving Ureaplasma spp., which may disseminate and lead to adverse health outcomes. There is still much uncertainty surrounding the connection between Ureaplasma spp. and IUDs, calling for further research to analyze the possible associated adverse effects. …

Seamless Transitions: Enhancing Information Literacy Through Collaborative Professional Development, Katie Strand, Jen Kirk, Paul Daybell

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper presents a case study of an initiative to create an open dialogue between secondary educators and academic librarians through the establishment of the biennial conference “Bridging the Gap” (BtG). The conference fosters collaboration, promotes professional development, and enhances the continuity of Information Literacy (IL) instruction through three distinct tracks: IL, Primary Source Literacy, and Digital Resources. The IL track focuses on collaborative strategies to enhance IL instruction and address the challenges faced by first-year university students. The Primary Source Literacy track highlights the importance of primary sources and how to integrate them into coursework. The Digital Resources track …

The Role Of Emotional Stability And Social Confidence In Leading With Vulnerability Moderated By Perceived Trust In The Leader, Perceived Trust In The Team, And Psychological Safety, Adam N. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

AKTiVe leadership is a foundational cultural model that has been adopted at Florida Health Science Center (Tampa General Hospital). The premise of the model is that treating each other with Authenticity, Kindness, Transparency, and Vulnerability (AKTiVe Model) will lead to cultural change that enhances trust, engagement, and psychological safety, which will in turn drive performance improvement for the organization. It takes years to change the culture of an organization, which highlights the need to focus on sustainability and resilience in the culture. This research aims to understand the personality traits that predict leading with vulnerability.

I focused on vulnerability because …

Quality Improvement Project Optimizing Opioid Screening: The Impact Of Staff Education In A Pain Management Clinic., Khairunnisa Khan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Chronic pain is a complex condition that often requires long-term opioid therapy, creating challenges for safe prescribing and patient monitoring. Inadequate screening for opioid misuse risk can contribute to unsafe practices, regulatory noncompliance, and patient harm. Validated instruments such as the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) are available to guide risk assessment, yet their use in everyday practice remains inconsistent. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement (QI) project aimed to evaluate whether targeted staff education improved compliance with opioid risk assessment documentation in a rural pain management clinic. A pre-/post-intervention design was …

Managing Mdls: A Report From The March 2025 Mdl Case Management Convening At Stanford Law School, Nora Freeman Engstrom, Owen Foulkes, Brianne Holland-Sergar

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) has quietly become the defining feature of the federal civil docket, now accounting for the majority of all pending cases. Yet the judges tasked with steering these sprawling matters confront an almost impossible assignment: They must manage hundreds of thousands of claims, often with skeletal staffs, little binding guidance, and enormous pressure to deliver both efficiency and justice. This report—produced out of a March 2025 convening sponsored by the Rhode Center at Stanford Law School—confronts that reality head-on. Drawing on candid discussions among leading judges, practitioners, and scholars, it dives into four central tensions that shape MDL …

When The Eyes Break The (Naturalistic) Scene: Investigation On The Eye-Gaze Following Mechanisms In Complex Scenarios, Bianca Monachesi, Anna Pecchinenda, Gustav Kuhn

School of Psychology

Processing eye-gaze and aligning one’s own attention with the gaze direction of others (gaze following) is a crucial ability and it underpins several cognitive and affective mechanisms. However, we know little about how this gaze following operates in realistic scenarios in adults. The present study addresses this gap by presenting naturalistic scenes, in which models were portrayed centrally or peripherally (7°), with their eye gaze directed straight ahead, averted towards an object (valid cue) or away from it (invalid cue), while maintaining a straight head position. Eye movements were recorded while participants (N = 60) performed two tasks: a free …

Religiosity And Attitudes Toward Suicide Among Filipinos, Marc Eric S. Reyes, Therese Angelie C. Daluping, Omar Joseph Sj. Dela Cruz, Sigmund Gabriel A. Estremadura, Jonah Emmanuel D. Gavino, Elaine G. Villanueva, Alvin L. Jacob Iii

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Religiosity is generally negatively associated with attitudes toward suicide. Religious individuals typically have more negative attitudes toward suicide than individuals with lower levels of religiosity. This is partly due to the belief that suicide goes against many religious teachings that revere life as a sacred gift from God. Hence, using a cross-sectional, predictive design, we aimed to investigate the link between religiosity and suicide attitudes and how much religiosity predicts different suicide attitudes. Using non-probability convenience sampling, 1148 Filipino participants aged 18–65 completed an online test battery: Centrality of Religiosity Scale Interreligious form-20 and Attitudes Toward Suicide Scale. Results revealed …

The Role And Influence Of Media Coverage And Social Media On Suicides: A Scoping Review, Kevin Miko Buac, Janine Trixia Austria, Claro Emmanuel Monsanto, Ma. Jamaica Monique Ponce, Arnold Christopher Soriano, Mystie Suzuki, Marc Eric S. Reyes

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Numerous factors contribute to suicide ideation; recent studies highlight that the media’s presentation of suicide plays a significant role in influencing suicide ideation and attempts among their audience. This study aims to evaluate the extent of the literature on traditional media reporting and social media in the context of suicide ideation and attempts, considering social media as a distinct yet relevant domain with its widespread reach and user-driven nature. The PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews was employed to retrieve relevant studies and address the following questions: (1) What potential factors …

Willingness To Pay For A Restored And Protected Watershed: Evidence From The Countryside, Sherrie Ann Cananua-Labid, Julie Ann M. Quilatan, Lovely Rose A. Bolante

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Climate change and human activity have severely degraded watersheds, jeopardizing their sustainability. The willingness of residents to pay for watershed management is essential for developing sustainable environmental protection efforts. This study determined the respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for the restoration and protection (RP) of the Ulot Watershed of Samar Island Natural Park using a double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation approach. The researchers used the Kish grid method to draw respondents from 150 households. The study revealed that families with an average annual income of approximately $2746.70 were ready to contribute $0.78 per month, or $9.36 annually, to the watershed …

Pregnancy Ambivalence, Contraception, And Pregnancy Incidence Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Diane Santa Maria, Mary Catherine Lingwall

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) are 5-8 times more likely to become pregnant than their housed peers, with pregnancy estimates ranging from 30-60%. Similar to their housed peers, the majority of these pregnancies are unintended, a factor associated with negative health, economic, and social outcomes. Contraceptive use has been considered the behavioral link between attitude toward pregnancy and incidence of pregnancy; however, recent studies suggest that pregnancy attitudes and contraceptive use behaviors may be less consistent than previously thought, especially for marginalized individuals, such as YEH.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe pregnancy ambivalence, pregnancy, and contraceptive …

Theoretically Guided Strategies For Teaching Quantitative Methods For Dnp Scholarship, Randall Stennett, Stephan R. Smith, Joann D. Long, Emilia Garcia, Vanessa Bolyard

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs continue to increase across the nation (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]). Graduates are charged to be practice scholars and leaders who work well in multi-disciplinary teams to improve healthcare metrics (AACN, 2024). Yet, wide variation across programs, and lack of curricular consistency contributes to confusion among students, faculty, and organizations who hire DNP prepared nurses regarding expected outcomes (Wright, et al., 2022). Acquiring the skills needed to use quantitative methods with scientific rigor in DNP practice projects remains a notable challenge (Sowan & Chinman, 2024). Evidence-based methods to support teaching and curricular …

Facilitators And Barriers In Using Technology In Caregiver Support For Hospital Discharge, Cristina C. Hendrix, Dingyue Wang

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Despite advances in virtual technology, many hospital nurses still widely use bedside, face-to-face teaching to prepare family caregivers for hospital discharge of their loved ones (Gatto & Newcomb, 2022; Hayajneh et al., 2020). In this pilot study, we investigated facilitators and barriers in using Communication, Learning, Advocacy, Resources and Expertise (CLARE), a digital application to support caregivers for hospital discharge. CLARE contained materials on hospital discharge preparation such as information on patient care and caregiver self-care. Twenty caregivers participated in individual interviews to explore their experiences in using CLARE. We used the Unified Theory of …

Student Leadership Roles In A Large-Scale Interprofessional Mock Paging Simulation, Rebeka B. Watson Campbell, Sidra Qureshi, Amy Gonzalez, Shatoi T. King

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

A large-scale Mock Paging Activity was developed to address the interprofessional education collaboration (IPEC) core competencies (IEC, 2016; IEC, 2023) within the senior classes of a large academic health science center’s School of Medicine (SOM) and School of Nursing (SON) and implemented in the final semester of each school’s curriculum. This low-risk simulation demonstrated a statistically significant (two sample t-test, p value < 0.001) increase in interprofessional communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, patient centered management, and conflict management for students in both schools as measured by the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Scale (ICCAS) (Kruger et al., 2023; Schmitz et al., 2017).

An unanticipated, yet important aspect of this large-scale activity was the inclusion of student “Champions” to represent the approximately 350 students who participate yearly. Select students from each school (~10-20) volunteered to serve as leaders and representatives of …

Building A Framework For Success: Scaffolding Ci Training With Simulation Based Learning, Shannah Lowe, Jeannie Weston, Elizabeth L. Woods

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: The persistent shortage of nursing faculty presents a significant challenge in academia. Clinical Instructors are frequently hired to support the institution's mission and vision by delivering the clinical curriculum. While they excel in clinical practice, many are novices in the realm of academia. Novice Clinical Instructors often struggle to anticipate the needs of learners or adapt to diverse learning styles, which can adversely impact the educational experience for both students and instructors.

Purpose: To address this barrier, we developed the clinical instructor program (CIP). The CIP computer-based modules are a series of 6 modules. The modules address content …

Understanding Sexual And Gender Minority Patients’ Experiences To Inform Provider Training, Marvin Allan Schilt-Solberg, Joseph Schwartz, Sarah Kiperman, Brayden Misiolek, Rick Zimmerman

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Despite increasing visibility in the United States and worldwide, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals continue to face significant health disparities, including increased substance use (Schuler et al., 2018), poor mental health (SAMHSA, 2023), and risky HIV behaviors (Solberg et al., 2023). These disparities often stem from negative experiences within the healthcare system, resulting in delayed care or lack of care for health problems (Ayhan et al., 2019). This study seeks to understand the experiences of SGM individuals in healthcare settings and was guided by insights from Uncertainty Management Theory (Brashers, 2001).

Methods: Participants were recruited online and from …

Patient And Provider Perspectives On Participation In Hemodialysis, Chava Kurtz, Efrat Shadmi, Karl Skorecki, Alon Antebi, Tatyana Tsehovsky, Sivan Spitzer

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Patients undergoing hemodialysis often remain passive, with providers performing most treatment tasks. While patient participation can improve safety and care quality, its implementation is limited. This study explores patient and provider perspectives on participation, focusing on organizational factors influencing adoption. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework, we examined barriers and facilitators to shifting from a provider-dominant model to a shared-care approach.

Methods: A mixed-methods study followed a sequential design. First, a cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 339 patients across two hospital- and two community-based units. It assessed patient interest and participation in care tasks, examining associations with …

Assessing And Addressing Distress For Informal Caregivers Caring For Oncology Patients, Megan Bridget Murphy

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Distress clearly impacts cancer patients, but it also impacts their loved ones, their informal caregivers (ICG). Not only do these ICGs experience distress, but ICGs often experience even more distress than patients receiving treatment (Amonoo et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2023). Despite the prevalence of ICG distress, they are often not screened for distress or provided resources to help them cope (Nightingale et al., 2024).

Purpose: This quality improvement project aims to assess the effect of implementing a distress screening tool for informal caregivers in an outpatient regional cancer system. Distress levels of ICGs will be noted in …

The Focus Of Emotional Intelligence For Educators And Staff Within Professional Development, Meagan Hardy, Noelle Taylor, Jennifer Goodman

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been defined as having the ability to perceive, express, understand, and manage emotions (Bru-Luna et al., 2021). Research suggests that by incorporating EI into professional development for nurse educators, nurses, and staff, will influence the health and wellness advances in both patient care and nurse wellness. An increase in EI increases the ability to cope, prevent burnout, maintain nurse retention, increase job satisfaction, and deliver quality care with improved patient outcomes (Chikobvu & Harunavamwe, 2022; Maillet & Read, 2024). Burnout has been a common, longtime problem in nursing. From new graduate nurses entering the field to …

Using Ai To Demonstrate Difficult Conversations With Patients, Family Members, And Nursing Students, Jacqueline Patricia Johnston, Edwin-Nikko Roxas Kabigting, Kattiria M. Rosario-Gonzalez

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 's rapid growth in higher education generates excitement and concerns among educators (Lane et al., 2024). This shift towards AI is pervasive in healthcare (Glauberman et al., 2023), allowing educators to develop innovative methods throughout the curriculum (Buchanan et al., 2021). The introduction and implementation of AI within undergraduate education can be engaging and a new pedagogical approach to capturing an audience that emerged with technology. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the use of an AI platform to interact with students in virtual reality on how to conduct difficult conversations with patients and/or …

The Experience Of A Medicalized Hotel Due To Covid-19, Ariadna Barta, Marta Cervera, Joan Escarrabill, Eva Palou, Anna Carbonell, Georgia Narsavage, Faust Feu, Carmen Hernandez

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The emerging pandemic⁽¹⁾ caused by the rapid spread of the new coronavirus Covid-19 required urgent reorganization to respond to care demands of patients with this new disease^(2-4). In Spain, nurses were key contributors to providing out of hospital care. Transforming a hotel into a medical setting was an innovative idea that was able to provide integrated nursing and quality health care for patients recovering from Covid-19^(5,8,9).

Purpose: To examine the experiences and perceived care of patients admitted to a Medicalized Hotel (MH) for Covid-19, from March 25 and May 15, 2020, by asking them …

Creating Impact Through Training: A Train-The-Trainer Model For Nurse Preceptor Education, Elizabeth L. Woods, Desiree Mullis Clement, Jeannie Weston, Quyen Phan

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The Academy for Clinical Instructor and Preceptor Excellence in the Southeast (CAPES), funded by a $3.9 million HRSA grant, addresses critical gaps in nursing education by training clinical nursing faculty and preceptors to support nurse education among nurses in underserved areas. CAPES is an innovative approach to workforce development, targeting health professional shortage areas in HHS Region IV. This presentation will showcase the creation of a train-the-trainer (TTT) program designed to offer an evidence-based curriculum that trained nurse preceptors can use to educate others within their organizations.

A Train the Trainer (TTT) program is an educational approach where experienced instructors …

Effects Of Continuing Nursing Care For Patients With Total Laryngectomy: Rct, Kumiko Kotake, Kaori Haba, Mami Kurita, Kazuyo Iwanaga, Yoko Ishibashi, Aya Takahashi, Ichiro Kai, Yoshimi Suzukamo, Yoriko Hara, Ichiro Ota, Hiroyuki Uemura

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: The objective of the study was to clarify whether informational/psychological nursing intervention could improve the quality of life of laryngectomized patients 3 months after hospital discharge compared to the provision of information only, and to examine whether the nursing intervention could continue to improve the quality of life at twelve months after discharge.

Methods: Randomization was performed according to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines. Hospitalized pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer patients who underwent laryngectomy had agreed to participate in the study.
They were randomly assigned to two groups: we offered relevant information including the distribution and conducted interviews on …