Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Punitive Policy: Deadlines As Ethics-Based Professional Identity Development Opportunities, Eric Shannon

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Is the practice of imposing fixed deadlines for legal writing assignments a relic of the past?

This is the type of question I consider while trying to fall asleep at a reasonable hour on a Tuesday. I can’t help it: I spent thousands of hours working in law student affairs before transitioning to full-time faculty. I’ve seen the myriad struggles that students face while in law school—too many to count. I would regularly force myself to consider: Am I enforcing a policy that prioritizes student well-being and professional development? Or am I perpetuating a relic?

Ban Cookie Banners: A Case Study In Tech Regulation, Kate Klonick

Faculty Publications

Few experiences on the modern internet are as universally reviled as the cookie banner. They clutter websites with pop-ups, interrupt user flow, make information harder to access, and demand repetitive, meaningless clicks. What was once heralded as a tool to advance individual autonomy and privacy has, in practice, become a daily annoyance that breeds cynicism with the very concept of consent itself. Cookie banners do not empower; they weary. They do not inform; they obscure. They do not prevent surveillance; they normalize it.

The tragedy of the cookie banner is that it embodies the best intentions but worst solutionism of …

The Whiteness Of Wealth & Black Student Loan Debt, Renee Nicole Allen

Faculty Publications

On June 30, 2023, to the dismay of many anxious borrowers, the Supreme Court held that the Secretary of Education did not have the authority to cancel roughly $430 billion in federal student loan balances, thus blocking President Biden’s plan for student loan forgiveness. Despite authority delegated to the Secretary to waive or modify provisions of the Education Act to ensure low-to-middle income borrowers were not placed in a worse financial position because of the COVID-19 national emergency, the Court rejected the forgiveness plan and borrowers resumed payments in October 2023. Anti-Black racism in federal law and policy have contributed …

Identifying Barriers To The Utilization Of Translation Services Among Immigrant Populations With Limited English Proficiency, Adama Barry

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The number of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) has increased in the United States, indicating the growing importance of addressing their healthcare needs. Aim: To examine existing translation services and explore the challenges healthcare providers encounter in their use.

Methods: A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey was conducted among providers, registered nurses, and medical assistants at a diverse urgent care clinic in a city in Washington State.

Results: Interpreter availability, technological disruptions, training gaps, and interpreter accuracy emerged as significant barriers.

Implications for Practice: Comprehensive improvements in interpreter service accessibility, technological reliability, and cultural competency training.

Assessing The Impact Of Provider Knowledge Through A Pelvic Floor Health Assessment Tool, Kiana Ghamarifard, Vanessa Trinidad

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Introduction Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) is a prevalent yet under-addressed concern affecting individuals throughout the course of their lifetime, including within pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Health care providers are responsible for providing up to-date education and resources to best support their patients facing PFD. Introducing an effective assessment strategy can prompt discussions regarding pelvic floor health (PFH).

Methods We conducted a primary data analysis of pre- and post- assessment tool surveys submitted by voluntary participants of Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) in a PFD assessment module. Pre- and post- test surveys were performed using Likert-scale scoring statements from April 2025 to May …

Address The Gap In Nursing Knowledge Regarding Patients At End Of Life In An Inpatient Oncology Setting, Sala Oh, Tracey Trinh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Nurses often lack the knowledge of providing end of life (EOL) care and do not feel adequately prepared to confidently provide care. Identifying barriers to providing quality care could demonstrate improved symptom management for EOL patients and nursing confidence.

Aims: To identify knowledge gaps for oncology nurses working with EOL patients, develop nursing education, and ultimately improve patients’ symptom management.

Methods: This was a needs assessment of nurses (n=79) working in an inpatient oncology unit. A survey was distributed to obtain barriers in nursing knowledge and an educational module was created. A quality improvement study was then performed to …

Assessing Pain In People With Dementia Using The Pacslac-Ii Scale, Audrey L. M. Breton, Pardeep Singh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project aimed to educate caregiving staff on the use of the PACSCLAC-II, a validated pain tool, for residents with advanced dementia unable to selfreport pain. It also evaluated whether training the staff to use the PACSLAC-II enhanced pain assessment accuracy compared to the staff’s clinical judgement when detecting the presence of pain. Participants included on-site caregivers – a nurse, certified nursing assistants, and licensed medical technicians – who provide direct care to residents with dementia. Staff completed an assessment form featuring a Likert scale for staff clinical judgement on one side of the paper and …

Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Intervention Among Low-Income Pregnant And Postpartum Individuals In Nurse-Family Partnership: A Qualitative Program Evaluation Assessing Self-Efficacy And Health Literacy, Sherilynn Soo, Antonia Powicki

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States, disproportionately affecting low-income and marginalized populations. Blood pressure self-monitoring (BPSM) has emerged as a promising intervention to support management of HDP. This study evaluated the impact of a BPSM program on self-efficacy and health literacy among low-income, first-time pregnant and ostpartum individuals enrolled in Snohomish County’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program.

Methods: This qualitative program evaluation involved semi-structured interviews with 10 participants enrolled in the BPSM program. Interviews were conducted via secure video conferencing, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis supported …

Exploring Prenatal Care Providers' Perceptions Of Barriers To Physical Activity During Pregnancy: A Survey Of Obstacles And Attitudes, Tania Nambo-Escobar

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Despite the well-established benefits of physical activity during pregnancy, most pregnant individuals in the United States fail to meet recommended guidelines. The aim of this quality improvement project, conducted through Seattle University College of Nursing, was to explore prenatal care providers’ perceptions of barriers to physical activity counseling during pregnancy. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework, a mixed-methods survey was distributed to midwives and obstetric nurses at Neighborcare Health clinics. The survey assessed providers' beliefs, perceived barriers, and current practices related to physical activity counseling. Results showed that while most providers acknowledged the importance of physical activity, they …

An Integrative Approach To Diabetes Education In The Immigrant Somali Community, Bilal Kadri, Amina Osman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with numerous health and financial ramifications, especially for vulnerable populations like Somali immigrants. Effective management of diabetes requires adequate knowledge and management skills. Traditional diabetes education programs are ineffective for Somali immigrants because they do not account for their unique social, cultural, and traditional backgrounds. This study implemented a culturally sensitive, in-person, interactive education session for 14 first-generation Somali immigrants with type 2 diabetes. The effectiveness of the study was evaluated with pre- and post-education tests, as well as the participants’ self-confidence in managing diabetes. Mean test scores and a paired t-test were calculated …

Pain Versus Neuropsychiatric Symptoms In Residents With Dementia: A Nursing Staff Educational Training, Rebecca Hildreth

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

BACKGROUND: Pain assessment in patients with dementia is challenging due to cognitive and communication impairments, making the older adult population highly susceptible to poor pain assessment and treatment.

AIM: The purpose of this project is to accurately identify the cause of agitation in residents with dementia. Specific aims include 1) to collect background demographic data on residents, 2) to educate nursing staff on pain assessment in dementia patients, and 3) to educate nursing staff about the risks associated with antipsychotic medications to prioritize using non-pharmacologic interventions to treat agitation.

METHODS: A chart review of residents residing in a suburban, Pacific …

Infectious Disease Response Preparedness: Survey Of Small To Medium Residential Universities, Tara Hicks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Objective: To improve the understanding of strategies implemented by institutions of higher education (IHE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how those experiences and resulting knowledge influenced staff confidence and preparedness for future infectious disease events.

Participants: Small to medium undergraduate residential IHE in CA, OR, and WA.

Methods: A Qualtrics survey collected data 1/26/25 – 2/24/25.

Results: Over 50% of respondents identified 7 of 9 preparedness needs as a major to critical need of their IHE. Statistically significant associations were found between IHE conducting a review of actions during COVID-19 and both self-confidence (ρ 0.46, p=0.018) and confidence in …

Exploring Barriers And Opportunities For Formally Integrating A Compensated Community Health Worker Program To Manage Hypertension Into The Healthcare System In Puno, Peru, Miye Dittmann

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hypertension is the leading cause of preventable mortality worldwide. Community health workers (CHWs) can be potential aids in managing hypertension in Peru. CHWs in Peru are currently not formally practicing or compensated for chronic disease management. Effectiveness of CHWs for hypertension care is being assessed in the The Addressing Hypertension and Diabetes through Community-Engaged Systems (ANDES) Trial. Through semi-structured interviews with healthcare providers and healthcare administrators, this study aims to understand scalability and feasibility integrating CHWs into hypertension management into Peru’s national healthcare system. Following transcription of interviews, inductive and deductive analysis identified key themes and subthemes. Participants described a …

Provider Insight And Feasibility Of Screening For Harmful Sibling Aggression In Well-Child Visits, Mindy Gunn, Sara Crauer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Violence between siblings is prevalent and can have lasting adverse effects, including lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and poor peer relationships.

Aim: Assess feasibility of implementing a sibling aggression tool in pediatric primary care settings and provide resources for support.

Methods: A quality improvement project design, including an educational brief for providers, implementation of the Sibling Aggression Screening Tool, compiled resources for support, and a Post Implementation Provider Survey to collect provider feedback.

Intervention: A Sibling Aggression Screening Tool was implemented over a one-week period with consolidated resources provided for support.

Results: Fifty percent of the providers agreed that it …

Understanding Perceptions And Other Barriers To The Utilization Of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy In Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Provider Needs Assessment, Jessica Cox, Joseph Pfeifer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background. Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is fundamental to the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), yet its utilization remains suboptimal in clinical practice. Despite strong evidence supporting GDMT’s ability to improve survival and reduce hospitalizations, significant underutilization of these medications persist due to patient, provider, and system-level barriers.

Purpose. This project aimed to assess provider knowledge, perceptions, and barriers to prescribing GDMT for HFrEF within a single regional healthcare system. Data from this project will be used to inform targeted quality improvement strategies to enhance GDMT utilization and, ultimately, patient outcomes.

Methods. A cross-sectional survey was distributed …

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perceptions, Knowledge, And Barriers To Accessing Student Mental Health Services, Margot Sprague

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: While improving the mental health of college students is a worldwide goal of the World Health Organization, programs to address student needs in the United States are underresourced, complex to access, and frequently confusing. In 2024, the National College Health Assessment found that 21% of college students scored high in severe psychological distress, 50% were positive for loneliness, 11% reported self-injury over the previous 12 months, and 28% scored positive on suicidal screening. Nursing students have increased levels of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, stress-related illness, and suicide. Aim: The first aim of this project was to identify perceptions, knowledge, …

Mind The Gap: Supporting Freshmen Voice Students Transitioning To Higher Education Through Coaching Conversations, Erica L. Gabriel

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The experiences one may encounter while matriculating through the K-12 system of education are vastly different from the world of higher education. While one feeds directly into the other, the transition can be a difficult one for young singers also navigating the developmental leap from adolescence to adulthood. This is due to several systematic and instructional differences, compounded with unique challenges encountered by freshman voice students in the first year. Gaps in support systems compiled with new and increasing financial, social, and academic demands can lead to a decline in overall student well-being and an increase in stress.

This increase …

Treating Social Media Addiction In Adolescents: A Scoping Review With Implications For Music Therapy Practice, Roman D. Swain

Theses and Dissertations--Music

With the rapid expansion of online connectivity, concerns have emerged regarding the influence of digital interactions on adolescents’ real-world relationships and mental health. Social media use can expose adolescents to harmful content and disrupt the brain’s pleasure centers, increasing the risk of developing addictive patterns of use. Such disruptions may interfere with daily functioning and contribute to negative mental health outcomes. Given the impact of music on the brain’s reward system, music therapy may offer a beneficial approach for helping adolescents develop mindfulness of social media use and strengthen offline social connections. This thesis presents a scoping review of current …

Statistical Approaches In Evolutionary Biology: Using Threespine Stickleback Fish To Test Fisher's Geometric Model And Evaluate Methods For Handling Missing Data, Aaron Mathew Myrold

Dissertations

This thesis explores two distinct yet complementary aspects of evolutionary biology. The first chapter tests predictions from Fisher's geometric model of adaptation using a finely resolved fossil sequence of Gasterosteus doryssus spanning approximately 21,250 years. I analyze phenotypic changes in three armor traits during adaptation to a new environment and find that while step sizes follow the predicted exponential distribution—with many small steps and few large ones—they do not adhere to the model's temporal prediction that large-effect mutations should fix early in the adaptive walk. This discrepancy likely reflects adaptation from standing genetic variation rather than de novo mutation. The …

Queers, Closets, And Corporate Governance, Darren Rosenblum

Faculty Publications

The past few years have seen several corporate diversity initiatives that include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) people. In 2020, Nasdaq, the world’s second-largest stock exchange, and California, the largest state, both adopted rules to encourage board diversity for underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people. Since that time, the Los Angeles Superior Court struck down California’s law, the Fifth Circuit invalidated Nasdaq’s rule, and the Trump administration initiated a slew of anti-Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and anti-LGBTQ+ measures. In the context of this sharp ideological turn, this Article attempts to step back and tackle a larger question: how can …

Getting The Reader To Say “Yes”: Applying Negotiation Principles From The Books Getting To Yes And Getting Past No To Achieve Effective And Persuasive Legal Writing, Patricia G. Montana

Faculty Publications

This Article explores the relationship between the strategies of principled negotiation and effective persuasive legal writing as articulated in the best-selling books, Getting to Yes and Getting Past No. Though there is substantial scholarship advocating adding a negotiation component to legal writing instruction, there is little scholarship addressing how to apply the concepts of principled negotiation to persuasive writing itself. In this Article, the Author explains the foundational concepts of principled negotiation and then shows how they relate and apply to drafting an effective piece of persuasive legal writing. Looking at written advocacy through a negotiation lens reinforces good …

Student Protests And “Fighting Words”: Critical Race Theory And The Evolution Of Hate Speech Codes On College Campuses, Mark C. Niles

Faculty Publications

Devastating Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians and military personnel in October 2023, and the Israeli military response to those attacks in Gaza, have given rise to protests around the world, notably on college campuses in the United States. These protests (on more than fifty campuses in all parts of the country) have in turn generated multiple allegations of antisemitic statements and conduct by protestors. Many high-profile university donors and board members, portions of the media, and some elected officials responded to these allegations by identifying perceived deficiencies in campus administrative responses to these complaints and to calls for more robust …

Examining The Adjustment, Acculturation, And Well-Being Of International Arab Students In The United States: Implications For Policy And Practice, Hassan A A Kh A A Arab

Wayne State University Dissertations

This paper explored Arab international students studying in the United States to see whether they face acculturation stress, adjustment, or well-being issues. I found that my sample (N=95) experienced moderately high well-being distress and acculturative stress. However, the sample showed resilience and positive adjustment in all aspects, psychological (M=34.7), social (M=38.5), and academic (M=37.4). Moreover, well-being score from a modified GHQ survey came with high SD, indicating some students were dealing with serious mental issues, while others were doing well (M=42.92, SD=5.52). The majority of my participants were males (74.7%), single (75.8%), and graduate students (50.5%). Chi-square analysis found a …

Talking About Cancer And Tobacco (Tact) Study With Lgbtq Patients And Their Care Providers, William Bowling

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Due to multilevel factors, including a high prevalence of tobacco use, the burden of some cancers is disproportionately higher in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community than the general population. Evidence-based tobacco treatment delivery with high rates of tobacco cessation would be a powerful tool for secondary cancer prevention in the LGBTQ community, yet few studies have explored this issue. The current study aimed to 1) uncover both positive and negative aspects related to the lived experience and treatment of LGBTQ cancer survivors who use tobacco, 2) elucidate barriers and facilitators of tobacco treatment and cessation, and …

Introducing Education On Modified Bedside Nursing Handoff To Reinforce Patient Safety Across High-Risk Populations: A Quality Improvement Project., Sydney P. Hodgdon

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND:

The Modified Bedside Nursing Handoff (mBNH) is a process where nurses exchange patient information and responsibility at shift change, ideally at the bedside. A PRISMA-based literature review showed that mBNH may help improve communication, protect patient privacy, and enhance safety when done thoughtfully—sometimes at the bedside, sometimes just outside the room. This quality improvement project was launched on a busy unit that cares for high-acuity patients from across northern New England, including those recovering from strokes, motor vehicle accidents, and serious falls. The goal was to increase both frequency and how standardization that nurses reported using mBNH by at …

Enhancing Faculty Self-Efficacy In Student Retention Through Teas Reading Comprehension Score Education, Katina A. Ennis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Student retention remains a persistent challenge for Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs, with significant implications for the nursing workforce amid a national shortage. Faculty self-efficacy in interpreting and utilizing academic readiness data, particularly ATI TEAS reading comprehension scores, is often limited, leading to missed opportunities for early intervention. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluated whether a targeted educational intervention could enhance faculty self-efficacy in using TEAS reading comprehension scores to support at-risk students and improve retention strategies.

The project employed a quantitative pre- and post-intervention design using the validated Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) …

Teacher Professional Development Related To Emergent Bilinguals: Teacher Perceptions And Experiences, Courtney Simko

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As of 2021, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that there are 5.3 million students whose first language is one other than English, or are emergent bilinguals (EBs), in the United States. If teachers are not prepared adequately, they are not able to meet the needs of students appropriately. The following study sought to determine whether or not public school elementary teachers in Southeastern Michigan felt prepared to teach EBs, as well as their perceptions of the training they received. This information is important, as it is necessary to identify gaps in professional learning by determining whether teachers feel …

A Generative Account Of English Exclamatives, Christa Niemann

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Exclamatives are an intriguing case study of the syntax-semantics interface. Despite several attempts to define them and explain their properties, there has not yet been convergence on a general theory of the exclamative sentence type. This thesis aims to unify existing approaches to exclamatives and explain a wider range of data by modifying and extending Zanuttini and Portner (2003). The critical modification allows exclamatives to be formed via operators other than wh-, which, when combined with factivity, ultimately yields exclamativity. The implications of this proposed analysis are investigated for both familiar and previously unexplored data. The modified analysis has several …

Language Barriers In Clinical Trials: Exploring Impacts On Continuity And Participants’ Engagement And Effective Mitigation Strategies, Harsha Ani Das

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Clinical trials are crucial for advancing medical knowledge and developing new treatments. However, language barriers can pose significant challenges for participants, particularly in understanding trial procedures, risks, and benefits. Existing policies, guidelines, and studies from 2020 to 2024 identify key challenges in recruiting and retaining non-English-speaking participants. The lack of data on dropout rates highlights the need for improved language services and culturally sensitive communication methods. Findings demonstrate the importance of addressing linguistic disparities to enhance trial inclusivity and success. Innovative strategies to overcome language-related hurdles include the use of professional interpreters, translated materials, and community engagement initiatives. By addressing …

Self-As-Context Moderation Of Relationship Fusion: A Comparison Of Intimate And Familial Relationship Impact On Weight Concern, Carly Carrasco-Wyant

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored how fusion in important relationships relates to weight concern and whether these effects are moderated by self-as-context perspectives and racial and ethnic background. Grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and relational frame theory (RFT), eight models were constructed to evaluate influence of important others when absent or present and when moderated by self-as-context, racial and ethnic background and in multiple moderation models analyses using data from 1,323 participants. Results indicated that fusion with family was significantly associated with greater weight concern, when family was absent (ß = 0.10, p = .03) and present (ß = 0.12, …