Digital Commons Network^™

End Of Semester Message To Employees From Chancellor Boyce, Glenn Boyce

University of Mississippi News

Congratulations on a fantastic fall semester, and thank you for your dedication to the University of Mississippi. As we wrap, I hope you have an opportunity to share time with your colleagues in the holiday spirit and celebrate.

Tree Of Life, Sandra Rogers, Brooke Judd, Mollie Slugantz

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Introduction / Background: Most people understand the term death. However, in the world of organ donation, death can have different meanings. Donation after brain death (DBD) is when there is irreversible cessation of all brain activity due to lack of blood and/or oxygenation. The other form is donation after circulatory death (DCD) in which the patient has not deteriorated to brain death but there still may be an opportunity for families to opt for organ donation. Research has shown that healthcare providers working in intensive care units (ICUs) are not always at ease with DBD and even more uncomfortable with …

Nursing Across Cultures: Challenges And Opportunities In Caring For Kenya's Indigenous Communities, Sylvia Waweru-Smith

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: This study aimed to assess nursing students' CC in cultural awareness, knowledge, sensitivity, skills, encounters, and desire. It also explored nursing students' views on caring for culturally diverse patients and how these views relate to CC.

Design: A convergent mixed methods design addressed the following research questions:

1. What are the levels of CC in nursing students in Kenya?
2. What demographic and cultural characteristics impact students' CC levels?
3. What are nursing students' views on caring for diverse patients?
4. How do these views compare to or explain the students' CC levels?

Methods: A convenience sample of 190 …

Cardiovascular Awareness, Risk Factors Awareness, And Select Risk Reduction Interventions, Kimberly Ann Henderson

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death globally. African American (AA) females experience a disproportionately higher burden of CVD risk factors compared to other racial and gender-ethnic groups. This disparity in CVD risk is particularly pronounced among premenopausal and middle-aged AA females. While CVD is primarily preventable, addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and achieving equitable health requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing CVD risk and health behaviors.

This descriptive correlational study employed a secondary data analysis using the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) dataset to examine the relationships among CVD awareness, modifiable risk factor …

Are You Ready To Escape? Representing Innovation Through Escape Room Pedagogy In Obstetric Education, Nisha Nair

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Facilitating quality clinical experiences for students is a significant challenge in nursing education. Nursing students must develop critical thinking and collaborative skills to ensure safe, effective patient care. To foster these competencies, an innovative escape room pedagogy was introduced as an alternative to traditional simulation experiences. This interactive approach engages students in teamwork, problem-solving, and clinical judgment within a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment. By integrating escape rooms into the curriculum, nursing programs can better prepare students for real-world clinical challenges, improving patient care and addressing health disparities.

This study also aimed to determine the feasibility of integrating escape rooms …

From Challenge To Champion: When The Student Becomes The Coach, Alanna Elizabeth Kavanaugh, George Nicholson

Biennial Convention (CONV)

While the field of nursing has recently focused on diversifying the workforce through increased access to education, students from underrepresented populations often face challenges navigating the academic and clinical demands of institutional programs (Hill & Albert, 2021). Barriers such as a lack of role models and insufficient culturally responsive support systems frequently result in feelings of inadequacy and diminished confidence, hindering student success (Ortega et al., 2020).

Mentorship is critical in promoting the success of underrepresented students (Johnson et al., 2022). However, traditional mentorship models often yield inconsistent results, particularly in addressing sociocultural, generational, and educational divides (Williams, 2023). Innovative …

Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes (December 8, 2025), Dmacc

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

This file contains the minutes from the Des Moines Area Community College Board meeting held on December 8, 2025.

Staff Education On Burnout For Mental Healthcare Staff Mitigation Strategies For Psychiatric Outpatient Staff, Kadine Foreman-Westly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project is to determine whether implementing a staff education program in a psychiatric clinical setting can improve healthcare staff knowledge of strategies to prevent burnout. The project addresses a critical practice problem: a lack of structured education programs specifically targeting burnout recognition and management among mental healthcare staff. Burnout not only negatively impacts staff well-being but also affects patient safety and the overall quality of care. This project was designed to fill this gap by providing an educational intervention, with effectiveness measured through pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing staff knowledge. This staff education project was strengthened …

Counselors’ Experience Of Vicarious Trauma Symptoms During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aleah B. Curley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As caseloads increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, counselors experienced a shift to telehealth counseling and double exposure to trauma and pandemic elements. Some counselors experienced symptoms of vicarious trauma (VT). A gap in the literature existed regarding the interaction of the pandemic among clients and counselors’ experiences of VT symptoms. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the lessons learned by capturing the stories of counselors who experienced VT symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research question concerned the retrospective experiences of counselors who self-reported experiencing VT symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven licensed professional counselors who experienced …

Towards A Typology Of Mental Health Crisis Care Services For Children And Young People In England And Wales: A Cross-Sectional Survey And Analysis Of Implementation Practices, Clare Bennett, Claire Fraser, Ben Hannigan, Leanne Sawle, Jessy Williams, Aled Jones, Steven Pryjmachuk, Mair B. Elliott, Martin Elliott, Nicola Bennett, Euan Hails, Iain Mcmillan, Rachael Vaughan

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a global concern. Alongside approaches emphasising mental health promotion in schools, communities and in the home, many countries are also investing in crisis services. These aim to meet the needs of young people experiencing acute psychosocial distress. A recent synthesis of the international evidence found a paucity of research in this area. This study sought to address this gap while simultaneously situating the findings within the international context and drawing out implications for policymakers and practitioners. Methods: A cross-sectional study aiming to describe and map approaches to the …

A Rare Case Of Severe Disseminated Pyoderma Gangrenosum Of The Upper Body With Concurrent Nasopharyngeal And Inferior Orbital Wall Necrosis, Robert M. Branstetter, Isabel E. Baird, Mohammed S. Rais, Danielle N. Ledet, Megan N. Terrebonne

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis usually linked to autoimmune or inflammatory bowel disease and typically affects the lower extremities. This case is notable for extensive upper-body, oropharyngeal, and nasal involvement in a patient without an underlying autoimmune disorder. A 56-year-old man with chronic cocaine use and stage IV renal cell carcinoma presented with rapidly progressive ulcerations of the face, neck, shoulders, and back, along with nasal septal collapse and oropharyngeal destruction. Prior biopsy demonstrated sterile neutrophilic inflammation without vasculitis, infection, or malignant infiltration, supporting PG as a diagnosis of exclusion. Imaging showed erosive sinonasal disease. He was …

Standardizing Syphilis Screening In Tennessee Correctional Facilities: A Policy Analysis, Erin Dernlan

DNP Projects

Background and Rationale

Congenital syphilis in Tennessee rose 227% from 2017-2021, despite being more than 90% preventable with timely diagnosis and treatment. Women of childbearing age entering correctional facilities represent a key intervention population due to disproportionally high rates of sexually transmitted infections, limited or absent prenatal care, and significant unmet health needs. Tennessee’s female incarceration rate is 57% higher than the national average, and nearly one-third of women tested at intake are positive for syphilis. Current intake practices rely heavily on self-report, assumed adequate health literacy, and lack standardized STI screening requirements, contributing to missed diagnoses and preventable infant …

Artificial Intelligence In Insurance Fraud Detection: Applications And Implications For Internal Audit, Maria Davis

Honors Projects

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in accounting and the insurance industry to assist with auditing and fraud detection. The Big Four public accounting firms have invested heavily in AI implementation efforts. Across these firms, AI has been used to reallocate auditors’ time from mundane tasks to more complex tasks that require human judgement. Within the insurance industry, machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, among other AI tools, have proven helpful in fraud detection efforts. While the positive impacts of AI usage are clear, concerns surrounding the replacement of human jobs, a lack of transparency in auditing, heavy …

Primary And Secondary Hyperaldosteronism, Joanna Lam

Senior Honors Theses

Hyperaldosteronism is characterized by the excess production of aldosterone in the body. This disorder manifests in two subtypes: while primary hyperaldosteronism is due to the excess secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal glands, secondary hyperaldosteronism originates from imbalances elsewhere in the body. Here, recent literature will be reviewed to examine the etiology and effects of both subtypes of hyperaldosteronism across molecular, cellular, and organ levels. Current diagnostic and treatment options for both subtypes of this disorder will also be reviewed, as well as recent research examining the prevalence of hyperaldosteronism over varying demographics.

Investing In Nurse Well-Being, Julie Wild Rose, Emily Calabro

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: COVID-19 exacerbated the already high rates of moral distress, trauma, and burnout among healthcare professionals. To address these challenges, the Nursing and Allied Health Resilience and Well-Being Program partnered with an external organization to offer overnight nurse renewal retreats. These retreats aim to empower nurses to rediscover their passion, purpose, and connection to their profession by providing a safe, nurturing environment for processing difficult experiences.

Methods: This mixed-methods pilot study was conducted in two hospitals within a 12-hospital system in Washington state. Participants engaged in journaling, trauma-informed care, mindfulness, yoga, self-compassion, and healing circles to promote self-awareness, cognitive reframing, …

Sustainable Classrooms: Leadership In Supporting Well-Being And Education In A ‘Last Mile’ School, Jenneth B. Doria

Biennial Convention (CONV)

This is a nurse-led intervention project in a ‘Last Mile’ elementary school in a geographically isolated and impoverished area in the foothills of a 6th class municipality in the Philippines. Majority of learners are indigenous children whose need for comfortable and heat-resilient classrooms in resource-deficient community is critical to reduce chronic health and educational disparities.

The Philippines’ nationwide classroom shortage is compounded by poorly built facilities that inadequately shelter learners from extreme heat and its associated health risks, and frequent storms. The high heat indexes ranging from 100-110 degrees F made teachers and learners vulnerable to severe discomfort, dehydration, and …

Empowering Nurses As Change Agents For Climate Action: A Global Advocacy Action Plan, Ongelique Conflenti

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: The World Health Organization has identified climate change as the single biggest threat to human health¹. Healthcare systems will inevitably struggle to meet the increasing demand of a sicker population as climate hazards increase in frequency and intensity (e.g. extreme heat, air pollution, extreme weather events)². The healthcare sector itself, however, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the burden of disease on the patients and communities it serves³. Radical transformation of the healthcare sector and its workforce is urgently needed to create climate-resilient health systems that align with the …

Perceived Long-Term Benefits Of An Intervention To Improve Health Equity Of Minority Grandparents, Patricia R. Lawrence, Jessica Marcus, Tonya Stoudmire, Regena Spratling

Biennial Convention (CONV)

In the United States, grandparents raise 2.6 million children in parent-absent homes (Generations United, 2022). Grandparents serving as surrogate parents for their grandchildren can take a toll on grandparents’ lives, physically and emotionally (Whitley & Fuller-Thompson, 2017). These research findings have underscored the need for effective interventions to enhance the health of custodial grandparents. One particular intervention program was designed to improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of minority grandparents raising their grandchildren, and subsequent studies demonstrated this program’s effectiveness in improving grandparent health. However, what is not known are the effects over time of this intervention on the …

Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword In Support And Subversion Of The Biological Weapons Convention; Part One: Framing The Issues, Elise Annett, Diane Dieuliis, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly affecting the biological enterprise, serving both as a powerful tool for scientific advancement and as a potential vector for misuse. The authors explain that AI can accelerate research, improve diagnostics, and enhance biodefense, but it also lowers barriers to creating or modifying biological agents and can be exploited for harmful ends. The dual effects make AI a "double-edged sword" that challenges existing governance, detection systems, and deterrence frameworks in biosecurity. Responsible integration of AI into biology requires policies that balance innovating with safeguards, strengthened international cooperation, and adaptive oversights to ensure …

Elephant In The Classroom: How Ethical Ai Can Improve Student Success, Ibrahim Kocaman, Daniel A. Cutrer

Publications

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into teaching and learning in higher education without compromising academic integrity is a pressing issue. To make the benefits of generative AI (GenAI) available to students while upholding principles of ethics and academic honesty, the authors implemented an ethical use of AI policy in their Introduction to Research Methods at Embry-Riddle University. The authors hypothesized and found that allowing ethical utilization of AI would lead to higher student engagement and academic success. These findings offer valuable insights for higher education programs and educators, particularly in security studies.

Standardizing Sepsis Care Across A Lifespan: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Reduce Variation, Vijayakrishnan Poondi Srinivasan, Jillian Gregory, Sarah Chang

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition affecting patients of all ages and remains a leading cause of mortality, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs worldwide. In pediatrics, severe sepsis accounts for millions of deaths annually, with approximately 176,000 hospitalizations and an 8% mortality rate each year in the U.S. In adults, it contributes to 35% of in-hospital deaths and is the leading cause of readmissions. These data underscore the urgent need for timely recognition, standardized interventions, and consistent, evidence-based care across populations.

Mitochondrial Insoluble Aggregates In Aging And Alzheimer’S Disease Models: Cross-Species Proteomic Integration, Identification Of Conserved Candidates, And Pharmacological Disruption Of Eef-2 Interactions, Sonu Pahal

Theses and Dissertations

Protein aggregation within mitochondria emerges early in both aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and contributes to progressive loss of proteostasis. Insoluble mitochondrial aggregate fractions from Caenorhabditis elegans revealed extensive enrichment of metabolic and translational proteins that also appear in human Alzheimer hippocampal aggregates. Comparative analysis across age and genotype identified a conserved subset of aggregation-prone proteins, several of which cluster around elongation factor 2 (eEF-2), a regulator of ribosomal translocation and energy coupling. Cross-species integration defined a network in which eEF-2 links chaperones, metabolic enzymes, and RNA-binding proteins that co-aggregate in both human Alzheimer material and nematode models. Functional tests …

Reflecting On Tobacco And Alcohol Use Impact On Mental Health In Lung Cancer Patient-Caregiver Dyads, Bassema Abufarsakh, Chizimuzo T. C. Okoli

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Lung cancer (LC), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, imposes significant burdens not only on patients but also on their caregivers,^1,2,3,4 creating a unique dynamic within patient-caregiver (LC-PG) dyads. Tobacco and alcohol use, which are associated with both the development and exacerbation of anxiety and depressive symptoms, present critical individual-level factors that require further investigation, particularly given the potential for reverse causality.^5,6,7

The purpose of this study was to determine the concordance and predictive association between alcohol and tobacco use and anxiety and depressive symptoms among LC-SC dyads using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM).

Method: LC …

Indigenization In Nursing Education Programs In Saskatchewan: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Delasi Essien

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), established in 2008, released its final report containing 94 Calls to Action to redress the historical legacy of cultural assimilation against Indigenous peoples (TRC, 2015). Since the release of the TRC’s Calls to Action there has been a push within the nursing academy to Indigenize nursing education (Essien, 2022). Situated within the context of the colonialism and Whiteness, the goals of this study were to deconstruct and analyze the discourse of Indigenization in the undergraduate nursing education programs in Saskatchewan and examine the discursive practices that sustain, reproduce, and/or transform structures of …

Improving Skin Cancer Knowledge And Screening Among Older Chinese Americans Males, Yan Wang, Anne Derouin, Barbara Turner, Hanzhang Xu

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. with more than 5 million cases diagnosed annually. It is estimated that about 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, a prevalence that has been increasing annually (Adams et al., 2021; Aggarwal et al., 2021; Dildar et al., 2021; Trager et al., 2022). As reported by the ACS, men are more likely to develop melanoma compared to women. At the age of 80, men are three times more likely to develop melanoma than women, nearly double the number of male deaths due to the …

A Mobile Medical Unit Program To Improve Access To Care For Veterans Experiencing Homelessness, Jillian Weber, Rebecca Kinney

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Veterans experiencing homelessness often have unmet medical needs and experience barriers to accessing and/or engaging in traditional clinic-based care.^1,2 The Veterans Affairs (VA) Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (HPACT) model provides primary care, mental health, housing services, case management, and key wrap-around services in a multi-disciplinary, population-tailored approach that is designed to address these unique needs and distinct challenges homeless veterans face. Combing these elements with a mobile medical unit (MMU) provides the HPACT team with the necessary infrastructure to provide care in community-based settings in a safe and confidential space with medical supplies and equipment readily available. …

Bridging The Gap: A Scoping Review Of Simulation Use In Np Programs With Inacsl Standards And Cbe, Alanna Elizabeth Kavanaugh, Stephanie Bork, Carla Nye

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Simulation-based education (SBE) has become an integral component of nursing education, particularly in Nurse Practitioner (NP) programs, where it is increasingly used to bridge the gap between classroom learning and clinical practice. This scoping review examines the implementation of simulation in NP programs, with a focus on its alignment with International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) standards and the principles of competency-based education (CBE). The review aims to explore the current evidence, identify best practices, and highlight gaps in research regarding the integration of simulation to enhance NP competencies.

A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases, …

The Impact Of Teamstepps Debriefing On Teamwork Perceptions: Reflections From A Family Birth Center, Jamie M. Emery

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project assessed baseline teamwork perceptions among labor and delivery nurses, implemented a unit-specific debriefing tool to guide nurse-led debriefing sessions after every birth, and re-evaluated teamwork perceptions following the intervention.

Background/Problem: Patient harm events are a persistent global healthcare issue with significant implications for patients, families, and healthcare providers. These events often stem from preventable factors, including communication breakdowns, leadership issues, and inadequate situation monitoring within healthcare teams. To address this, a team implemented a QI project at a Pacific Northwest community hospital's family birth center with nurse-led debriefing sessions after every birth. Debriefing, a …

Health Management Self-Efficacy, Stephanie Yvette Store

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Minority populations, such as Black adults of non-Latinx descent, are more likely to develop chronic diseases and complications related to disease severity when compared to non-Latinx Whites (NLW). Furthermore, Black adults of non-Latinx descent people are less likely to engage in and maintain health-promoting behaviors (HPB) to prevent disease development. HPB are effective in preventing or delaying chronic disease. This research explores the relative impact of aspects of health, built environment, and key demographic domains on the health management self-efficacy (HMSE) of a national sample of Black adults.

Methods: Hierarchical regression modeling was performed utilizing data from the 2018 National …

Developing Nurse Scholars: An Innovative Strategy To Introduce Ebp Competencies In A Dnp Program, Karen J. Whitt, Karen Kesten

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nurse scholars represent professionals prepared with evidence-based practice (EBP) competencies that are essential to respond to challenges and address opportunities to transform healthcare. However, evidence suggests there is a need to improve EBP skills among practicing nurses (Melnyk, et al., 2021). Innovative ways are needed to integrate EBP content in curriculum to optimize DNP students’ attainment of these competencies.

Purpose: This longitudinal study evaluates how implementing an innovative competency-based education (CBE) approach to incrementally introduce learning opportunities in courses offered throughout a DNP program demonstrates students’ progress towards achieving EBP competencies.

Methods: Four courses …