Digital Commons Network^™

Publication Citations (Calendar Year 2018), Valparaiso University

Valparaiso Scholarship and Creative Works Reception

No abstract provided.

Southern Adventist University Commencement Program May 3-5, 2019, Southern Adventist University

Commencement Programs

Program for Southern Adventist University commencement events. The consecration, baccalaureate, Education and Psychology dedication, nursing dedication, and commencement services took place May 3-5, 2019.

Cwu Faculty Senate Minutes -05/01/19, Janet Shields

Faculty Senate Minutes

These are the official Central Washington University Faculty Senate minutes for the May 4, 2016 regular meeting.

Altruism Or Self-Interest? Exploring The Motivations Of Open Access Authors, Robert Heaton, Dylan Burns, Becky Thoms

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

More than 250 authors at Utah State University published an Open Access (OA) article in 2016. Analysis of survey results and publication data from Scopus suggests that the following factors led authors to choose OA venues: ability to pay publishing charges, disciplinary colleagues’ positive attitudes toward OA, and personal feelings such as altruism and desire to reach a wide audience. Tenure status was not an apparent factor. This article adds to the body of literature on author motivations and can inform library outreach and marketing efforts, the creation of new publishing models, and the conversation about the larger scholarly publishing …

Parental Incarceration: The Childs Rights And Needs, Adam T. Bahr

Counselor Education Capstones

The population of minor children with an incarcerated parent has grown by 80% since 1991 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). Often referred to as the forgotten population, children of incarcerated parents can exhibit many setbacks, socially and psychologically. The effects of the trauma related to having a parent incarcerated include isolating functions, anxiety, low concentration in school, problems sleeping, juvenile incarceration, criminal behavior, depression, and vulnerability towards peer pressure. Without proper intervention, these children have a 70% chance of following their parents into incarceration which leads to a trend as intergenerational incarceration. When a parent is incarcerated, the child faces several …

Mindfulness And Religiosity/Spirituality As Protecting Factors For Internalizing Symptoms Associated With Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Moderated Moderation Model, Kayla Heineken, Diana Morelen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events during a person’s early life that can influence their later mental health, physical health, and wellbeing. Internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression are common mental health outcomes associated with these events. Two factors, religiosity/spirituality (R/S) and mindfulness, are possible protecting factors to help lessen the effect of traumatic experiences on later mental health. This study examined whether R/S and mindfulness are protective factors in the relationship between ACEs and future internalizing symptoms. Further, this study examined whether the impact of R/S was influenced by an individual’s mindfulness (moderated moderation). Participants (N = …

Pilot Study Of Empathy In Bilingual Adults, Libby Moberg

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Empathy is of critical public health importance due to its association with relationship satisfaction and well-being (Davis & Oathout, 1987; Davis, 1983). There is growing evidence that bilingual individuals may have higher levels of empathy (Javor, 2016). One potential mechanism for this relationship is that bilingual individuals tend to have higher levels of executive functioning (Costa et al, 2008), which is linked to higher empathy because individuals are able to more easily adopt others’ perspectives. Previous studies examining this question have largely relied on self-report questionnaires assessing empathy as a general tendency (i.e., trait). No studies have examined differences in …

Exploring The Experiences Of Older Chinese Immigrants And Adult Children Caregivers With Utilization Of Formal Social Services And Support, Joy Rong

2019 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Current research has addressed the underutilization of healthcare services for chronically ill, older Chinese immigrants; yet one area of research that needs to be explored thoroughly is the experiences of both older Chinese immigrants and their adult children caregivers in a dyad. This study aimed to explore the experiences of older Chinese immigrants and their adult children caregivers with formal social services and support. Conventional content analysis was used to examine secondary data of dyad interview transcripts. The results were that four major negative aspects of service usage (language, transportation, immigration status, and inaccessibility) and two major positive aspects of …

The Effects Of A Dementia Simulation Experience On Attitudes Towards People With Dementia, Micah Huckabee

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: The neurodegenerative effects of dementia resulting in cognitive and behavioral impairments is plausibly one of the reasons for a societal stigma towards individuals with dementia. Societal stigmas are associated with decreased life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and decreased psychological well-being for stigmatized individuals. In an effort to improve attitudes towards individuals with dementia, this study utilized a dementia simulation to measure attitudinal changes after a dementia simulation. Methods: There were 33 participants in this study (13 male and 20 female) between the ages of 18 and 25. Participants completed a Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS) survey, and then they dressed in …

Transportation, Social Support, Family Visitation, And Depression Of Residents In Nursing Homes: A Mixed-Methods Study, Vivian J. Miller

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to explore transportation between family members in the community to visit their loved ones residing in long-term care nursing homes. This study is presented across three articles. First, a systematic review of the literature investigating barriers to family members visiting their loved ones in nursing homes identified seven barriers to visitation, including transportation access and travel time. These findings laid the foundation for articles two and three, which report results from a larger two-phase mixed-methodological study. The second article, guided by the Social Determinants of Mental Health, is an analysis examining the effect of …

Curriculum And Standards Committee Report #2018-19-12: Curricular Changes, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender (Lgbt) Health And Equity In The United States, Shannon Jezusko

Counselor Education Capstones

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals have marked health disparities compared to equivalent heterosexual populations. These disparities are contextual and linked to historical and systematic discrimination in the United States, particularly the legal and medical sectors. Health equity for LGBT people may be addressed in two levels, by healthcare providers and through changes and protections in United States policy.

Reducing Re-Hospitalizations Of Patients With Heart Failure At A Skilled Nursing Facility, Louis D'Onofrio Jr.

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to introduce the quality improvement (QI) process to reduce re-hospitalization rates in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) in Stratford, Connecticut for patients having a diagnosis of heart failure (HF). After reviewing the data from the nursing facility for re-hospitalization rates over a three-month period, it was discovered that 22% of patients at the SNF were re-hospitalized within 30 days. Of this population of patients, 22.9% had a diagnosis or complication of HF, which is associated with the highest re-hospitalization rates. This QI project focused on HF education customized towards nursing and nursing assistant staff …

Faculty Senate Chronicle For April 4, 2019, Heather M. Loughney

The University of Akron Faculty Senate Chronicle

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Shod Versus Unshod Walking On Center Of Pressure Variability, Zachary Barrons

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the influence of footwear on walking stability. Twenty healthy women walked at 1.3 m/s on an instrumented treadmill. One hundred steps (50-right, 50-left) were analyzed from two walking conditions (shod, unshod). The variability of the center of pressure (COP) for each step was calculated for quadrants of the contact period. Significant differences in variability were seen between shod and unshod conditions in all quadrants as well as differences between left and right feet in quadrants one and four. Restricted foot motion while shod may explain the differences seen in COP variability. …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening: Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceived Norms, And Control Beliefs Of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses In Colorado, Jennifer Berry

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to increase the knowledge base to address the barriers preventing routine screening of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The project consisted of a statewide survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes, perceived norms, control beliefs, barriers, and facilitators of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) across Colorado. A statewide assessment is important in the state of Colorado because APRNs are the primary providers in many rural areas. There were 66 responses to the survey. Knowledge of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2018) guideline for HIV screening was lacking. About one-third of …

Racial Microaggressions Cohort Differences., Shayla R. Thompson

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This study examines the relationship between racial microaggressions and psychological distress and anger rumination among younger and older cohorts who belong to a racial or ethnic group other than White or European-American. The purpose of this study was to compare these relationships between older and younger cohorts. The hypotheses were that age will moderate the relationship between racial microaggressions and psychological distress and that age will moderate the relationship between racial microaggressions and anger rumination. A survey method was used to test the two hypotheses. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and were compensated $1 for their participation. The …

A Comparison Of The Curricula Of The Top-Ranked Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Programs In The United States, Silvia Imanda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

What constitutes an ideal prelicensure nursing curriculum is not well understood. Specifically, what are the strategic curricular sequencing and curricular themes or focus might be included to contribute to producing high quality graduates? The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study investigation was to look at successful programs and identify effective curricular sequencing and curricular themes or focus that might be inferred to have contributed to producing high quality graduates. Seven top-ranked prelicensure baccalaureate nursing programs were selected based on three national college rankings services. Based on data from interviews and publicly accessible documents, seven case studies were compared and …

The Image From The Road: Towards Mapping The Phenomenological, Rachel Anna Smith Loerts

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An area of focus, used in early and contemporary forms of cognitive geography research, is the ‘cognitive map’, a concept that suggests “that people hold a map-like database in their minds to which they can add and use to tackle geographical tasks”. Kevin Lynch, an urban planner in the 1960s, was an early adopter of the cognitive map approach to reveal spatial cognition, what or how people see their environment, specifically cognition of the urban environment. Lynch’s research aimed to develop empirical methods, to identify how people make spatial relationships. Contemporary tools like machine learning are now considered relevant for …

Waiting For A Liver Transplant: A Qualitative Study, Ayoka Badmus

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Advances in liver transplantation have significantly improved survival rates, making liver transplant a viable option for those with End Stage Liver Failure (ESLF). However, patients diagnosed with ESLF may experience a significant period of waiting before a liver transplant surgery, due to a limited supply of donor livers. Empirical evidence is scarce on the experience of patients waiting for a liver transplantation.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the waiting experience of patients diagnosed with ESLF and to identify their perceived challenges and needs while waiting for a liver transplant.

Methods: Using a generic qualitative …

Assessing The Impact Of Environmental Factors On Sedentary Behavior, Brandy Baker

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Objectives Mexican Americans are burdened with many of the same noncommunicable diseases present in sedentary populations. Those living on the Texas/Mexico border have higher rates of obesity and diabetes than others in the nation. Sedentary behavior and perceptions of the environment have not been well studied among Mexican Americans, especially when examining education, gender and age. Study Design Sample was drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) where participants were randomly selected and completed a survey to report sedentary behavior and perceptions of the environment among other examinations. The participants’ initial visit with the CCHC was included in the …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2019 - 2020, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

A Program Evaluation Of Physician Medical Clinic’S Approach To Chronic Pain, William Summers

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Chronic pain costs up to $635 billion dollars annually and impacts 25.3 million adult U.S. citizens (Nahin, 2015). Treatment options have typically included opioid medications, which potentially causes harm with long-term use and has contributed to an epidemic of opioid misuse. Treatment has expanded beyond monotherapy to include holistic approaches to health, such as occupational therapy and mental health therapy. The present study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy as it is conducted in a rural Oregon clinic using the Quadruple Aim to measure treatment outcomes (Bodenheimer, & Sinsky, 2014). Participants diagnosed with chronic pain and placed on …

Correlation Between Myostatin And Lean Muscle Mass In Older Adults, Mishann Luedders

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Correlation Between Myostatin and Lean Muscle Mass in Older Adults.

Luedders, M., Gray, M., Patton, S., Washington, T., Binns, A. Exercise Science Research Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

Background: Our older adult population is growing exponentially and with it, the number of falls and debilitating injuries that afflict their population grows as well. A fall brings with it many possible injuries, healthcare costs, fear and increased mortality. There seems to be a lack of preventative measures in our healthcare system to help protect our elders. One possible measure is a simple blood test that looks at the level of …

A Guide For Outcomes Evaluation And Sustainability Of A Dedicated Education Unit Within An Academic-Practice Partnership, Jennifer Pfannes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) has emerged as an innovative approach to providing a positive, high-quality, collaborative clinical learning environment that fosters the growth and learning of undergraduate nursing students. Additionally, the DEU model has demonstrated success in beginning to bridge the education-practice gap, tackling the faculty shortage, and easing the new graduate transition from education to practice; however, developing, evaluating and sustaining an economically successful DEU takes thoughtful,

strategic planning. The challenging nature of developing and sustaining a DEU that mutually benefits both the academic and clinical partner over time, reveals the need for more guidance to secure long-term …

Assessing Empathy Across The Lifespan: A Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Approach, Abi M. Heller

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This thesis project aimed to utilize functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology in order to assess empathy in a lifespan sample. fNIRS is a non-invasive brain imaging technique that uses properties of light to infer brain activity. Participants ranged in age from 19-75 and were recruited to participate in an fNIRS experiment to assess empathy. Each participant was asked to assume the mental perspective of players on a computer game, and witnessed the player win, lose or tie the game involving a monetary reward. After the fNIRS recording, participants completed personality trait questionnaires related to empathy and emotional contagion. Results …

Exploring The Homeless Persons Perception Of Living In A Long-Term Care Facility, Janice Woods

Dissertations

Objective:The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of homeless persons admitted to a nursing home facility. Originally, the study was to explore their understanding of and their experience with advance health care planning; coincidently, the participants were more open to their experience of living in a long-term care facility.

Method:A convenience sample of 13 participants (12 male, 1 female) at four long-term care facilities in Southern California were interviewed about their perception of advanced health care planning, including the physician’s orders for life sustaining treatment (POLST); a consent form required in all nursing homes. …

Assessing Quality Of Life And Mental Health Differences Among Young Adult Informal Caregivers And Non-Caregivers In Nebraska, Emily L. Frankel

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The goal of this project is to identify differences in quality of life and mental health between younger informal caregivers and non-caregivers, ages 19-40, in Nebraska. To address this goal, a demographic and health assessment battery was disseminated to eligible participants (N=60), comprised of informal caregivers (N=30) and age-, education-, and gender-matched non-caregivers (N=30). The health assessment included reliable and validated questionnaires, including the RAND SF-36, EuroQol 5D, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. By discovering relationships between quality of life and mental health with the length of time providing care, programming and intervention recommendations can be …

A Sensory-Based Program To Enhance Occupational Performance For Dementia, Ivy Annahi Torres-Flores, Jacob Gantan, Heather Anne August, Naomi Grace Wong

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Dementia is a neurological disease, causing behavioral and cognitive symptoms, that progressively impairs an individual’s ability to engage in meaningful activities. Progressive deterioration associated with dementia impacts occupational performance and independence and quality of life. Sensory based interventions, such as drumming groups, have been hypothesized to be a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a sensory based intervention program, in this case participation in a drumming group, on functional engagement during self-feeding for individuals with dementia. Researchers gathered data over the course of two days using the Functional Behavior …

The Impact Of Fall Efficacy On Occupational Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Michelle Fong, Araya Moua, Erin Denola, Merit Franklin

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Falls are a major health concern in the older adult (OA) population. While there is research on falls and their prevention, research on how low fall efficacy (FE) impacts the occupational engagement of the OA population is limited. FE is defined as the confidence a person has in his/her ability to complete a task without falling (Tinetti & Powell, 1993). A qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of OAs with low FE and the impact on occupational performance. Participants who scored ≤ 6 on the Modified Fall Efficacy Scale (MFES) engaged in a …