Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering Seniors As Mentors: A Framework For Peer Development In Nursing Education, Kaitlin M. King, Jenna Davis

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Many nursing education programs face ongoing challenges related to the transition of sophomore nursing students into professional nursing coursework and initial clinical experiences. The coursework and clinical experiences can bring significant academic, emotional, and professional challenges for students. Peer mentorship has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to improve mentee student confidence, retention, and academic success; however, many programs lack the formal preparation and structured framework for the senior students who serve as the mentors.

Purpose: This evidence-based practice project is aimed to develop a structured peer mentorship training program to help empower the senior nursing students as they …

Gratitude Is The Attitude: Increasing Meaningful Recognition And Staff Collaboration In The Nicu, Devin Angiulo, Catherine Michele Lawless, Jenna Matteo, Lauren Miller

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Our team noticed a deficit in meaningful recognition from our HWEAT survey results. Our team identified what meaningful recognition meant to our staff to understand our area of deficit and evaluate current literature. Meaningful recognition plays a key role in employee satisfaction, motivation, and overall work performance, with reduced nurse turnover.¹ Our staff defined meaningful recognition as personal appreciation. Nurse recognition has been viewed as a critical component of a healthy work environment.² Our staff utilized many forms of recognition, including our organization’s electronic recognition program “Kudos,’ verbal recognition, hand-written notes, Daisy nominations, and yearly evaluations. “Expressions of …

Bridging Two Worlds: A Qualitative Exploration Of Nurses Returning To Work Postpartum, Katherine Metz, Darlene Narca, Amanda Cortes, Michael Young, Nicole Bohr

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Introduction: Each percentage change in nurse turnover is associated with roughly $289,000 in organizational cost/savings annually.¹ Despite this increased focus and nurses being primarily women of childbearing age², little data exists on retention in nurses during the postpartum period. Supporting postpartum nurses is essential for workforce sustainability and organizational stability.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of nurses returning to bedside after childbirth. By examining their perspectives, this study seeks to identify key factors influencing job satisfaction, workplace well-being, and retention, and to inform the development of evidence-based organizational strategies that …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Graduate Council Meeting, April 24, 2026, Marshall University Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Structural Consequences Of Economic Crisis And Us Militarization In The Caribbean: Drug Scarcity, Crime Escalation, And Narco-Entrepreneurship In Puerto Rico, Victor M. Vazquez, Howard Campbell

Departmental Papers (S&A)

No abstract provided.

Front Matter And Table Of Contents

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ethnicity, Culture, And The Epidemiology Of Eating Disorders, Rebecca Atwell

Honors Theses

This systematic literature review addresses the research question: How does culture affect eating disorders? It examines the role of ethnicity and culture in shaping the prevalence, symptom presentation, and treatment of eating disorders across diverse populations. Although eating disorders have traditionally been studied in Western, predominantly White populations, growing evidence suggests that cultural norms, ethnic identity, globalization, and exposure to Western ideals significantly influence both the development and expression of disordered eating behaviors. Twenty peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024 were included. These studies were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO and selected …

How Social Media Provides Access For Human Traffickers To Victimize Children: A Literature Review With Combative Measures., Ashton Lamb

Honors Theses

This literature review focuses on how human sex traffickers utilize social media to groom children. Social media is utilized by a great number of people around the world, including many children. While social media is intended to be fun and interactive, it does provide new access for dangerous people to reach victims. There is a very real, growing issue online that is not widely known to the public. This hidden danger is known as human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined as the involvement of any force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some labor or commercial sex act (Department of Homeland …

Effects Of Pilot Seeking Mental Health Treatment On Passenger Willingness To Fly Before And After An Educational Intervention, Angela Thompson, Emily Mongeon, Elizabeth Brewer, Vivek Sharma, Brooke Wheeler

Aeronautics Student Publications

Willingness to fly before and after an intervention showed no significant difference, but there was a significant difference in willingness to fly with a pilot who is versus is not seeking mental health treatment.

Blues Musician And Scholar To Deliver Annual Last Lecture, Rebecca Lauck Cleary

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – On his first day of teaching at the University of Mississippi in 2002, Adam Gussow showed up in Barnard Observatory right at the start of class time, sweating profusely in the August heat. His left arm was in a cast from a recent bicycle accident on Pea Ridge Road, and he was flustered and in pain.

Exploring Skill-Based Art Therapy Through Textile Arts For Adolescents, Phoebe Medeiros

Expressive Therapies Theses

This qualitative study explored how building textile art skills and learning techniques can help adolescents explore identity, improve self-esteem, and build resilience through art therapy. Two students engaged in individual sessions to explore an art therapy directive that asked them to upcycle an item of clothing using appliqué, patchwork, embroidery, embellishment, or modification to express an experience, strength, goal, or aspect of identity. Through this process, the students created a vest and an appliqué patch for an existing vest. The goal of this intervention was to explore identity, improve self-esteem, and build resilience. After analyzing the observations of the individual …

The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Stress, Distress, And Academic Coping Skills In College Students, Katie A. Lysne, Kayla Pratte, Eric M. Martin

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Research suggests that participation in regular physical activity as defined by the recommended physical activity guidelines can have a positive impact on numerous aspects of physical health and mental well-being. One of the benefits of physical activity is a reduction in stress levels and an overall improvement in mental health. Due to the nature of the college environment, college students are vulnerable to experiencing stress, which may be compounded by a failure to reach minimum physical activity guidelines and an inability to cope with academic demands. This research study aims to explore the relationship between physical activity levels, stress, distress, …

Hearing The Mystery: Musical Diversity And The Search For Beauty, John Macinnis

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"By shifting from primary reflection to secondary reflection in our thinking, from problem to mystery, we ensure that our aesthetic lives remain as expansive and vibrant as the diversity of creation."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­music appreciation from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Hearing the Mystery

The Bison, April, 24, 2026

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Exploring Marital Resilience Through The Lived Experiences And Perception Of Spousal Support During Events Of Shared Stressors, Prince-James Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marital resilience during shared stressors remains insufficiently understood, particularly when both spouses are simultaneously affected by the same external stressor and must adapt together over time. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore marital resilience through the lived experiences and perceptions of spousal support during shared stressors among individuals who had been legally married for 10 years or more, with specific attention to how participants described the shift from solo coping to dyadic coping over time. Bowlby’s attachment theory provided the theoretical foundation, and Senge’s learning organization theory served as the conceptual framework. Participants included 18 legally …

Student Perceived Stress Correlated With Study Approaches In A Collegiate Part 141 Flight School, Jonathan Doherty, Nate Petrie, Jonathan Vroman, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

Collegiate flight students experience unique academic and technical challenges that may contribute to stress levels. Although previous research has examined stress in aviation students, limited research has investigated how students’ approaches to studying relate to perceived stress within this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived stress and two study approaches, Surface and Deep Approach, among collegiate flight students enrolled in their university’s Part 141 flight training program. A correlational research design was used. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to measure Deep and Surface study approaches …

“…You Lost Your Way On That River As You Would In A Desert…”: Spec Ops: The Line As A Post-Imperialist Adaptation And Response To Heart Of Darkness, Logan Grime

Honors Projects

As an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the military shooter video game Spec Ops: The Line grapples with adapting the themes and the narrative of an imperialist work into a modern post-imperialist context. By swapping England in Africa for America in the Middle East, the game criticizes America’s conduct of war in the Middle East by showing its similarities to the novella’s imperialism. Furthermore, Spec Ops: The Line focuses on America’s imperialism by adapting Heart of Darkness to an interactive format. “The horror” of violent imperialist action is placed upon the player as Spec Ops: The Line …

Swosu Standing Committees 2025-2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

University Standing Committees

2025 – 2026 SWOSU Standing Committees

Unsettling Settled Science: The Perils Of And Rationale Behind Blind Faith In Forensic Evidence, Jaclyn Marra

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Science—a seemingly compelling and infallible adjudicative element—plays a pivotal role in criminal trials, serving as a cornerstone for evidence interpretation and decision-making. However, the perceived infallibility of scientific evidence often masks its inherent limitations and vulnerabilities. Forensic methods, widely regarded as objective and precise, can suffer from a plethora of inconspicuous constraints—including flawed methodologies, human error, and biases—which undermine their reliability. The American public and legal system frequently place undue trust in forensic evidence and experts, influenced by portrayals of their certainty in media and popular culture. This phenomenon has been referred to as the “Reverse CSI Effect.” This note …

Mental Health Crisis Among Icu Nurses: A Global Study Across 65 Countries During Covid-19, Amal Mobarki, Hillary J. Dutton, Allison Squires

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed heavy demands on ICU nurses, who provided patient care while facing emotional exhaustion, staffing shortages, and limited resources(Boluarte et al., 2020; Shen et al., 2020). Evidence shows that working in critical care during pandemics greatly increases psychological distress among healthcare professionals (Azoulay et al., 2020). Given the significant differences in healthcare systems across countries, cross-national research is crucial for addressing the mental health of ICU nurses.

Aim: This study examines the prevalence of mental health symptoms and evaluates organizational supports provided to intensive care unit nurses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic across multiple international healthcare settings. …

Development Of A Preclinical Model That Can Be Used To Test Novel Therapeutics For The Treatment Of Mild And Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury, Hayden Anderson

Honors Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a foreign object induces damage to the skull and brain through a forceful blow or whiplash. It is one of the most frequent injuries in the United States, with approximately 250,000 cases of different levels occurring annually. It is well known that severe TBIs can result in persistent physical, cognitive, and socioeconomic consequences and the timing of treatment following this injury can play a critical role in the ultimate outcome. It would be beneficial to develop a safe therapeutic that could be administered rapidly after impact and improve the recovery of the patient. However, …

Age, Income, And The Discounting Of Delayed And Probabilistic Rewards: The Roles Of Financial Resources And Attribute Salience, Haoran Wan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Many everyday decisions involve outcomes that are both delayed and probabilistic. Although previous research has reported inconsistent age-related effects on discounting, few studies have taken into account the multi-attribute nature of real-world choices or the moderating role of financial resources. Accordingly, the present research examined the interactive effects of age, income, and multi-attribute contexts to test how resource constraints and task dimensionality moderate attribute salience. Across two studies (total N = 600), stratified samples of younger (35-45) and older (62-72) adults with lower (<$60,000) and higher (>$100,000) annual household incomes completed standard and multi-attribute adjusting-amount discounting tasks. In Study 1 (Delay Discounting), …

Nurse Education On Nonpharmacological Management Of Knee Osteoarthritis, Toyin Mary Ajayi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aims to fill the gaps in the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in adults aged 40 to 75 years in a primary care practice. Knee OA is a common chronic disease that significantly impacts pain, mobility, and quality of life. Although there is empirical evidence that nonpharmacological interventions, including exercise, weight control, and self-management education, are effective, these methods are not consistently used in clinical practice, and pharmacologic treatment continues to be used. The project was designed to inform healthcare personnel about evidence-based nonpharmacological strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce reliance on …

The Impact Of Glyphosate On Parkinson’S Pathology In A Mouse Model, Katie Hettel, Kaitlyn Carver, Sabrina Wilson, Trevor Walker, Tyra Naymik, Sydney Boutros

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopamine neurons in the brain, leading to symptoms such as tremors, poor balance and bradykinesia. PD has a unique pathology: Lewy bodies, which are primarily comprised of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (p-Syn), spread through synaptic connections. Yet, it is unclear how the first Lewy body starts. Recently, evidence suggests that environmental influences such as pesticides and herbicides might initiate PD pathology. The most widely-used herbicide is glyphosate, the main chemical in products such as RoundUp. Thus, we tested if glyphosate in water could lead to PD-like pathology in a mouse model. A …

Community-Based A1c Screening Initiative To Improve Diabetes Risk Identification Among People Experiencing Homelessness, Rebecca Drake, Deedee Long, Mariita Carter

Student Works

Abstract

Purpose: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) experience high rates of undiagnosed diabetes yet face significant barriers to preventive screening. This quality improvement project aimed to improve access to diabetes screening for PEH through on-site hemoglobin A1C (A1C) testing in a trusted community setting.

Methods: On-site A1C screening was implemented at the Utah County Food and Care Coalition (F&CC) using a low-barrier, community-based approach. Screening was conducted during routine service hours and integrated into existing workflows. Process, outcome, and balancing measures were used to evaluate feasibility, reach, and unintended effects.

Results: The intervention primarily supported identification of diabetes risk and referral …

Resilience And Emotional Eating: Gender Differences In Undereating, Tinei Nyakuyedzwa, Patrick J. Cooper

Student Publications and Presentations

Emotional eating refers to eating in response to emotional states as opposed to hunger and is linked to stress, which is important for college students who experience unique stressors (e.g., academic, social, and interpersonal) in their college experience. It is also often found to be more prevalent in women, but not always. During the COVID-19 pandemic, females and males reported similar levels of emotional eating, but for different reasons: female emotional eating was linked to isolation and/or extra care-giving responsibilities, whereas male emotional eating was linked to reward seeking behaviors. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there …

Autonomous Motivation And Campus Mental Health Services Utilization, Vishwa Shukla, Brandy Whitford

Student Publications and Presentations

Mental health services are available across U.S. universities, yet many Generation Z students experiencing psychological distress do not make use of them. Researchers have identified stigma, limited mental health literacy, concerns about confidentiality, and negative past experiences as possible explanations for low engagement. Students move through several stages when using services, including initiating help-seeking, attending appointments, and continuing over time. Existing models tend to focus primarily on external barriers, giving less attention to internal motivational factors that influence whether students decide to engage at all. Self-determination theory offers a framework for examining this issue. When students do not see help-seeking …

Words That Work: Healthcare Providers’ Acceptability Of Aba Terminology, Marisa A. Hurlock

Thesis Projects

Effective collaboration between behavior analysts and healthcare providers depends on a shared understanding. This study explored how healthcare professionals perceive technical versus plain-language ABA terminology. Healthcare providers (n = 44) rated 10 common ABA terms and their plain-language counterparts across clarity, acceptability, comfort, and likelihood of use. In addition, participants completed a paired-choice procedure in which they selected their preferred terminology for each term pair. Plain-language terminology was generally rated more favorably across all four dimensions and was preferred by approximately 70.6% of respondents. However, this pattern was not consistent across all terms, as several technical terms (e.g., negative …

Unf Student Research Symposium Conference Program Spring 2026, Office Of Undergraduate Research, Graduate School, Digital Humanities Institute, Hicks Honors College

UNF Student Research Symposium

Formerly known as SOARS, ARISE and U-GLIDE, the Student Research Symposium is a multi-disciplinary conference series at the University of North Florida (UNF) in which undergraduate and graduate students showcase their research projects during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Research at UNF includes inquiry and investigation in all forms. Communication of knowledge produced through student research can be presented in poster format or as an oral presentation at the Student Research Symposium in a welcoming environment. This is an excellent opportunity for students to refine their presentation skills through interaction with peers and faculty as they explain their projects, …

Recall Of Varied Stimuli, Zachary Tyler Cain

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.