Enhancing Well- Being In Individuals With Special Needs: The Power Of Music Therapy, Nicole Love Lazaro

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background Anxiety and stress are silent burdens that weigh heavily on the well-being of many individuals with special needs. If left unnoticed it can lead to negative outcomes of their mental health and daily activities. Research shows that music therapy is effective for treating anxiety and depression in various healthcare settings, there is limited research on its use in individuals with special needs. This issue can leave many without access to a simple yet effective intervention that could enhance their quality of life and daily activities. Objective The purpose of this research proposal is to explore the effectiveness of music …

Reassessing Pet Allergy Prevention In Children Through Early Pet Exposure In Toddlerhood, Reynaldo A. Adalin Iii

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Allergies are among children's most common health issues growing up, impacting them daily and into adulthood. Among these allergies, pet allergies have become increasingly common with children around the globe developing sensitization to common household pets such as cats and dogs. Several factors cause pet allergies, including proteins found in an animal's skin, saliva, urine, and dander, which are the most problematic due to their ability to remain airborne for a prolonged period. Objective: To examine the relationship between early exposure to pets during toddlerhood versus later exposure at school age and the development of pet allergies. By studying …

Effectiveness Of Nonpharmacological Pain Management Techniques Provided By Doulas For Laboring Mothers, Natalya L. Carnero Deering

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Doulas are non-medically trained professionals that support women throughout their pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period. During labor, doulas may assist in nonpharmacological pain management techniques such as counter-pressure, massage, breathing exercises, and other relaxation methods. In the literature review of this study, doulas have been shown to increase positive health outcomes such as preventing cesarean sections and preterm labor. Despite improving health outcomes, doula support is not commonly used in the United States. It is currently unknown if doula support is effective in reducing pain for laboring mothers. Purpose: This study is focused on accomplishing improved pain management and …

Recognizing The Risk: Enhancing Nurse Preparedness For Postpartum Hemorrhage Through Simulation-Based Education, Ishpreet Kaur

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a serious, often unexpected complication after childbirth involving excessive bleeding. It is a leading cause of maternal death and can happen quickly, even in healthy pregnancies. Risk factors may increase the chances of PPH, but it can also occur without warning. Nurses play a key role in recognizing early signs and taking quick action. However, delays still happen due to inconsistent training, unclear protocols, and lack of preparedness. Strengthening nurse education and improving emergency response systems are essential to improve care and achieve better outcomes for mothers. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact …

Medical-Grade Honey And Standard Dressings In Burn Wound Care: Evaluating Effectiveness, Cost, And Patient Outcomes, Andrew Golonka, Chloe Shin

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Burn injuries burden the healthcare system globally as silver sulfadiazine (SSD) is the standard treatment even though it delays healing and is highly costly. Medical-grade honey (MGH) demonstrates superior antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, however, there are still evidence gaps when comparing effectiveness, cost efficiency, and patient centered outcomes. Purpose: This study aims to compare MGH and SSD amongst these gaps to inform evidence based burn care. Methods:A randomized controlled trial will enroll 100 people between 25-50 years of age with first and second degree burns, < 20% total body surface area within two hospital burn units. Participants will be assigned to either MGH or SSD treatment. The study will be a single blind design where dermatologists evaluating the wound photographs will not know the treatment given. Primary outcomes include wound healing time, infection rates, and patient reported pain scores. Secondary outcomes will focus on cost effectiveness analyses and patient quality of life. Standardized protocols will be implemented for data collection, wound assessment, and safety monitoring. Results: We anticipate that MGH will have lower infection rates, promote faster wound …

The Effects Of Medical Misinformation About Vaccines On Parents Of Pediatric Patients, Mya Izabela B. Emelia

Nursing | Senior Theses

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed for parents of pediatric patients who are vaccine hesitant and its impact on childhood vaccination rates. This research proposal aims to assess whether targeted education addressing vaccine misinformation, safety concerns, and benefits influences parental decision-making and improves vaccine uptake.

Methods

Parents of pediatric patients will be recruited from pediatric clinics and community health centers. Participants will complete a baseline survey before receiving an educational intervention addressing vaccine misinformation, social media-driven misconceptions, and hesitancy. A post-intervention survey will then assess changes in vaccine hesitancy, …

Nurses’ Perception On The Gut-Brain Axis And Its Implications On Mental Health, Geethika Manoj, Celine Bautista

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Most medical interventions recommended for patients with anxiety and depression include pharmacological treatments and psychotherapy. Thus, undermining the existence of modifiable risk factors, such as diet. Despite being an area of growing research, the gut-brain axis is a very broad topic among the healthcare field. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate registered nurses’ perceptions and understanding of the gut-brain axis and its implications for mental health management. Methods: This proposed exploratory descriptive study will conduct research among fifteen registered nurses, each with at least two years of experience in specialties such as gastroenterology, psychiatry, or hospital …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Postpartum Depression And Suicide Prevention In Asian Women, Emily Tan

Nursing | Senior Theses

Purpose

This paper examines the impact of a culturally centered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and postpartum depression (PPD) education on reducing PPD which will prevent maternal suicide among Asian American mothers. There is stigma around PPD among Asian American mothers, and there’s a lack of research on culturally sensitive interventions. This emphasized the need for nurses to promote help-seeking practices and reduce mental health stigma in this community.

Methods

This quantitative true experimental design aims to evaluate the effectiveness of culturally competent CBT in reducing PPD thus ultimately decreasing maternal suicide. The sample will consist of 120 postpartum Asian American …

Optimizing Discharge Education For Patients With Heart Failure, Connie-Rose Pangan

Nursing | Senior Theses

Noncompliance can be a result of a lack of comprehension of discharge instructions and a lack of concise, effective educational resources. Due to this deficit, patients with heart failure are less likely to comply with their discharge protocol and are therefore more likely to be readmitted to the hospital. The aim of the study is to consolidate a teaching method that accommodates one's existing educational barriers, implement follow-up to increase knowledge retention and improve self care, and prevent readmission among HF patients. Two hundred hospitalized, English-speaking patients with heart failure above 65 years old across 20 US Hospitals will be …

Impact Of Whole Foods Diet On Cognitive Functions In Children From Low-Income Families With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Jasmine Le

Nursing | Senior Theses

Purpose

Current studies have examined dietary interventions for ADHD, emphasizing the value of good nutrition, the lack of nutritional foods in schools, and the difficulties low-income families have finding healthy options. Nutritious food has been shown to enhance cognitive abilities, yet many low-income households still lack access to it. This quantitative research will provide vital information for nurses and healthcare professionals on how they can assist these populations.

Methods

A quantitative randomized controlled design study will be conducted, with students separated into an experimental and control group. The objective will be to evaluate the effects of nursing nutrition education and …

The Impact Of A Educational Program On Depression And Anxiety For Low Socioeconomic Latina Postpartum Mothers, Lizbeth Valdez Duran

Nursing | Senior Theses

Postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety are significant mental health challenges that affect many mothers, especially Latina women with low socioeconomic backgrounds. These mothers often face barriers to care, health literacy, and access to healthcare resources. The problem is compounded by a lack of culturally competent care, which can contribute to mistrust of healthcare providers and discourage Latina mothers from seeking help. The literature review articles highlight that health literacy plays a crucial role in managing mental health, with effective education potentially reducing negative outcomes by improving coping strategies and bringing awareness to symptoms that are associated with postpartum. This research …

Shadows Of Self Doubt: Exploring The Dual Threat Of Impostor Syndrome On New Nurses And Quality Care, Siona Patel

Nursing | Senior Theses

Every nursing student goes through a transition period after nursing school where they step into the role of a new graduate nurse, and adapt to the demands of the clinical setting. Their acquired knowledge and skills taught to them are now applied to high stake situations of the real world. This critical time period is often paired with a mental phenomenon known as imposter syndrome in which competent people feel doubt or fraudulently of their skill set which can affect patient care and cause burnout. This thesis explores the connection between imposter syndrome and burnout and their impact on patient …

Nursing Knowledge Regarding Pap Smears For Transgender Men, Caytlin Capulong

Nursing | Senior Theses

Cervical cancer screening (CCS) is a crucial test used for preventative measures against cervical cancer, yet transgender men (TM) experience significantly lower screening rates in comparison to cisgender women due to pain, anxiety, and systemic healthcare barriers. A major factor for deterrence is pain during speculum insertion, often because of vaginal atrophy related to testosterone usage. Other factors include fear of discrimination, mistreatment, and lack of provider awareness, particularly among nurses who play a pivotal role in patient preparation and care. This research aims to assess the extent of nurses’ knowledge regarding Pap smears for female-to-male (FTM) patients through a …

The Impact Of Workplace Stressors On Anxiety Levels And Mental Health Among Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses, Kelsey Ang

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurses work in a high-stress environment where they are exposed daily to traumatic situations. The demanding emotional and physical challenges contribute to significant psychological burdens, including increased stress and anxiety. Purpose: The current paper proposes a research design to examine the outcomes of stress, anxiety levels, and mental well-being on PICU nurses when workplace support and structured debriefing sessions take place following a traumatic event. Methods: Participants will be recruited from PICU hospitals in Northern California. Participation will be voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained prior to the study. The selection criteria will …

The Impact Of Maternal Mental Health On Child Development, Jessica White

Nursing | Senior Theses

Purpose

This research investigates the impact of early maternal mental health interventions on child development, focusing on cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors. The study aims to evaluate whether children whose mothers receive mental health interventions, such as support for depression and anxiety, show improved developmental outcomes compared to children whose mothers do not receive such interventions.

Methods

The study will include 100 mother-child pairs, recruited from clinics in Northern California. Child developmental outcomes will be assessed using standardized tools: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales (SSIS-RS). Follow-ups will …

Silent Chains: Family And Religious Systems As Foundations Of Child Slavery And Labor In Ghana (1775-1956), Patricia Esi Quainoo

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This study explores the often-overlooked role of children in slavery and forced labor in Ghana, emphasizing their exploitation in domestic service, agriculture, and other labor sectors. While existing scholarship often subsumes children within broader narratives of slavery, this research highlights their distinct experiences and their crucial role in sustaining Indigenous slavery. It argues that child slavery in Ghana was reinforced by familial practices such as the pawnship system, religious obligations like the trokosi system, and the reliance on family farms, where children served as producers and carriers of cocoa. Additionally, missionaries employed children as laborers in mission stations, schools, and …

Inclusive Teaching: Strategies For Promoting Equity In The College Classroom, Kara E. Martin

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Climate Litigation And Third-Party Litigation Finance, Courtney Geiss

Indiana Law Journal

For the last 200 years, human activities have been the main driver of global climate change, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. Increased emissions from fossil fuels have contributed to rising temperatures, food scarcity, and natural disasters, including fires, flooding, and droughts. Although climate change has been an issue in the public eye for the last several decades, global emissions are projected to continue increasing. At this point, it is clear that current actions at the individual and state level are not enough to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this Note, I will discuss the idea of using third-party …

Super-Groups: Legal Empowerment And "Public Law", Matthew Lawrence

Indiana Law Journal

Not all interest groups are created equal. Some groups are created by or with the help of law. Law can confer political power on groups through wealth, rents, concentrated interest, and durability, creating synthetic factions that use their stategiven influence to dominate lawmaking. Deregulatory and progressive traditions in public law have long thought differently about laws that empower. A deregulatory tradition sees legal empowerment as a democratic pathology that counsels against lawmaking, citing empowerment concerns as a perennial rhetorical point against consumer protection, environmental protection, and social welfare programs, among others, for fear they will lead to “capture.” At the …

Gender-Based Persecution, Protection, And Particularity: The Case For Returning To Acosta, Meg Keiser

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Jbs’S Initial Public Offering: Threats To Environmental And Human Rights, Kayla Thompson

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

This paper centers around the decision to be made regarding JBS, the world’s largest meat company, wanting to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and the environmental and social impacts that could result from the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval. JBS has been at the center of various controversies over the last several years, including sourcing cattle from ranches acquired through illegal deforestation, engaging in greenwashing practices, incorrectly reporting greenhouse gas emissions, and engaging in human rights abuses. Many environmental groups have filed complaints with the SEC concerning JBS’s bid to list on the NYSE. The …

Vamos A Pláticar Sobre Nuestra Historia: De Mi Relación Con Mi Familia Al Éxito, Ana K. Pizano

Dissertations of Practice

This plática qualitative study explored how family engagement influences the college experiences of Latino/a/x students at a two-year public community college in the Midwest. This research was guided by Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model to help provide insights into how familial capital assists in navigating the college journey for Latino/a/x students using an asset-based perspective. This research aimed to help better understand the lived experiences of Latino/a/x students and their families at the 2-year Midwest public community college and to challenge the deficit-oriented views of Latino/a/x family engagement in Western culture through the sharing of Latino/a/x students' and families’ stories. …

Medium Matters: Reading Comprehension Differences Between Print And Digital Texts In High School, Doyle Huelsman

Doctor of Education (EdD)

An increasing reliance on digital devices in public schools has raised questions about how reading medium influences student comprehension. Although digital texts offer logistical and financial advantages, prior research suggests that students may comprehend printed text more effectively. This exploratory quasi-experimental study examined whether ninth-grade students’ comprehension differed when reading a grade-level passage in print or on a digital screen in intact classroom settings. The study also investigated whether subgroup characteristics moderated any medium-related effects.

A total of 334 students enrolled in a general education English course participated. Fourteen classrooms were randomly assigned to print or digital conditions. All students …

Resource Map Of Expenditures For Tennessee Children And Youth, Annual Report To The Legislature 2025, Tennessee. Commission On Children And Youth.

Resource Map Report

No abstract provided.

Archaeological Survey And Testing At Site 38bu1834, United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, Chester B. Depratter, James B. Legg, Heathley A. Johnson

Research Manuscript Series

This report covers the archaeological investigations at site 38BU1834, which falls within the boundary of the Charlesfort/Santa Elena National Historic Landmark on Parris Island, South Carolina. Initial investigations involved a search for activity areas associated with the Spanish pottery kiln discovered in 1993 near the golf course clubhouse. Later work on the site focused on a pond or sinkhole containing a deposit of World War I era U. S. Marine Corps trash and the prehistoric period earth and shell mounds that line the periphery of the pond/sinkhole.

Indirect Earnings Management, Scott B. Jackson, Jason T. Rasso, Aaron F. Zimbleman

Faculty Publications

We hypothesize that managers use their hierarchical role as reviewers of accounting judgments and estimates to manage earnings, which we call indirect earnings management (IEM). Across a series of experiments using highly experienced financial executives as participants, we provide evidence that IEM (1) is likely used by managers to achieve current and future earnings targets, (2) reduces both cognitive dissonance associated with managing earnings and the extent to which managers think that their behaviors constitute earnings management, and (3) is more likely to be used when corporate governance is strong than when corporate governance is weak. The results of this …

The Moderating Role Of Hospital Staffing Levels On The Effectiveness Of Clinical Decision Support Systems In Mitigating Patient Readmission Rates, Youyou Tao, Arindam Brahma, Kevin Baldwin, Rui Sundrup, Dezhi Wu

Information Systems and Business Analytics Faculty Works

Healthcare staffing shortages and high 30-day readmission rates are pressing challenges in today's healthcare systems. While extensive studies have explored the positive impact of Health Information Technology (HIT) on health outcomes, the effect of hospital staffing on HIT effectiveness, particularly Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS), is underexplored. Therefore, we examine whether physician and resident staffing levels moderate the impact of CDSS on 30-day readmission rates. After analyzing data from 1,605 hospitals in the United States from 2017 and 2018, we found that the effect of CDSS implementation in reducing 30-day readmission rates is more pronounced in hospitals with lower bed-to-physician …

Litmag 2025, University Of Missouri-St. Louis

Litmag

Litmag’s mission is to nurture the creativity of the students, staff, and alumni of UMSL by providing a space to showcase the diverse literary and artistic talent on our campus. We aim to provide an inclusive, professional and high-quality publication free of charge to UMSL and the local community.

Dear Reader, Welcome! I am so excited to introduce to you the 2025 edition of UMSL’s Litmag. It was a privilege to serve as the Editor-in-Chief for this year’s publication, and I would first like to acknowledge the diligent hard work of the Litmag staff. From the call for submissions to …

Absolutely Unnecessary Immunity, Eileen Prescott

Nebraska Law Review

Prosecutors, like judges, cannot be sued for their professional misconduct in most jurisdictions. As long as their actions are sufficiently tied to their job duties, their actual malice does not matter, even if they had demonstrable malice—a prosecutor could bring baseless charges against an ex-spouse specifically to harass them, with absolute immunity from suit. This immunity allows prosecutors to abuse the power of their office without civil recourse. In theory, absolute immunity aims to protect the office by resolving cases simply and quickly, but in reality, courts get bogged down litigating whether a prosecutor’s specific action was sufficiently tied to …

Airplane!: Does The Federal Aviation Act Preempt State Law Design Defect Claims?, Max Birmingham

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Which level of government—state or federal—has jurisdiction to set safety standards for aviation defect design is a nuanced issue. Generally speaking, federal law preempts state law in this context by occupying the field through a regulatory scheme that permeates aviation safety. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (FAAct) confers its namesake agency—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—the powers to prescribe the “minimum standards required in the interest of safety.” The word “minimum” has been seized upon by those on the state side of the debate to advocate that it means the floor. And they contend that those in the Union have …