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Using Fire Investigators' Narratives To Explore Serial Firesetting Behaviors, Alisha Jones-Creel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative narrative inquiry examined how fire investigators share tacit knowledge related to threat assessment and risk management in cases of serial firesetting. Data were derived from eight semi-structured interviews with fire investigators from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas who had investigated firesetting incidents within the past five years. Narrative analysis was used to identify cross-case patterns in how investigators recognize offender characteristics, assess contextual risk factors, and detect early warning signs across incidents. Analysis identified three themes addressing how lived experience informs peer understanding of offender behavior, risk indicators, and warning signs, and three themes addressing how narrative experience guides …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Black Males Successfully Reintegrating Post Incarceration, Ashley Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black males remain incarcerated at higher rates than any other race. Those individuals trying to reintegrate into society face many challenges with little mental and emotional rehabilitation support. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to improve the understanding of what contributes to successful reintegration and the mental health and emotional needs of formerly incarcerated Black males. Critical race theory (CRT) was used as a secondary lens to examine how race, systemic racism, and structural inequities shaped participants' experiences. This study examined the following research question: What are the experiences of Black males who were previously incarcerated and have …

Strategies For Reducing Fraud In Corporate Organizations, Tarshall Horton Mccauley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial statement fraud has been a persistent problem that poses risks to corporations globally. Business leaders are concerned about financial statement fraud due to its potential to weaken financial stability, erode stakeholder confidence, and create conditions that may lead to significant financial distress or organizational collapse. Grounded in the fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research was to explore internal control strategies corporate leaders use to reduce financial statement fraud risk. The participants were 11 financial leaders in North Carolina, the District of Columbia, and Virginia who practiced effective internal controls to minimize financial fraud. Data …

The Effect Of St. John’S Wort Solution On Climbing Activity Reflecting Depressive-Like Behavior In Drosophila Melanogaster To Model Seasonal Depression In Low Sunlight Exposure, Madison Simon

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Although depression is a known substantial threat to public health, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is under-researched. SAD refers to recurrent seasonal patterns of depression. This depressive disorder has few accepted treatments. The purpose of this study was to test whether St. John’s Wort (SJW), a natural supplement with researched antidepressant properties, could be a cheaper alternative with fewer limitations for treating SAD. SJW’s efficacy as a seasonal depression inhibitor was tested through a Drosophila depression-like model using climbing activity to reflect depressive behavior. It was hypothesized that as the concentration of SJW solution increases, the climbing activity of stressed Drosophila …

Quality Improvement Project: Provider Knowledge Improvement For Care Of The Severely Hypertensive Obstetric Patient, Victoria Abramowitz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Gaps in confidence among emergency department (ED) and maternal child health services (MCHS) staff negatively impacts effectiveness and timeliness of response to high acuity obstetric emergencies, such as severe obstetric hypertension. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact on provider self-efficacy with the implementation of evidence-based education and standardized procedures for severe obstetric hypertension management, aimed at evaluating the degree of success of increasing provider confidence. The project was guided by Lewin’s change theory and Donabedian’s structure-process-outcome theoretical framework. With a quasi-experimental design and the PDSA implementation framework, 20 staff from both the ED and …

Quality Improvement Project: Impact Of National Culturally And Linguistically Appropriate Services (Clas) Standards Education On Behavioral Health Providers’ Self-Efficacy, Zita Anigbou

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Health disparities among culturally and linguistically diverse populations continue to negatively affect access to and quality of behavioral health care. Limited provider education on the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards contributes to communication barriers, reduced therapeutic engagement, and lower provider confidence. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of evidence-based CLAS Standards education on behavioral health providers’ self-efficacy in delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate care. Guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and the Health Equity Implementation Framework, a quantitative pre-test–post-test quasi-experimental design was used. A convenience sample of three behavioral health nurse practitioners …

Implementation Of A Standardized Suicide Risk Screening Protocol Using The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-Ssrs) In An Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Kemisola Ebietomiye

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The outpatient mental health clinics across the United States lack consistent suicide risk assessment methods. This project developed standardized procedures which used Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) assessment together with provider education and electronic health record systems to evaluate how these elements impacted provider self-efficacy and their ability to record screening results. The project used a pre-post design to examine (n=24) psychiatric providers at an urban outpatient clinic through the combined methods of Lewin's Change Theory and the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework. The General Self-Efficacy Scale measured provider self-efficacy, and structured EHR audits tracked documentation rates pre- and post-implementation over six weeks. …

Quality Improvement Project Standardizing Simulation In Nursing Education: A Faculty Training Initiative, Andrea Reyes

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Simulation-based education is essential in nursing programs as clinical placement opportunities decline. However, inconsistent faculty preparation can compromise the quality of simulation delivery. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate a standardized simulation faculty training initiative to determine its impact on nursing faculty's confidence in simulation facilitation. Guided by the Jeffries Simulation Framework and Lewin’s Change Theory, a quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to examine changes in faculty confidence following participation in a training program aligned with national standards and guidelines. Faculty confidence was measured using the Simulation Educator Needs Assessment Tool (SENAT) administered pre- …

Improving Diabetes Care: Staff Training On Updated Ada Guidelines, Jeffrey Wilson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The incidence of diabetes is rising, requiring clinical staff to stay current with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care. A lack of knowledge and outdated practices were revealed during the needs assessment at the project site. This quality improvement (QI) project sought to determine whether ADA‑centered educational training could impact staff members' knowledge of diabetes. Orem’s Self‑Care Deficit Nursing Theory and Lewin’s Change Theory served as the theoretical frameworks to promote provider competence and adherence to evidence‑based diabetes treatment. Quasi‑experimental pre–post design was used with a convenience sample of four clinical staff at a rural outpatient clinic. Study …

Quality Improvement Project: Use Of The Behavioral Risk Assessment Tool To Enhance The Utilization Of The Behavioral Emergency Response Team, Joseph Sindhu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Workplace violence is a global challenge, and nurses often encounter patient aggression. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to enhance the use of a behavioral assessment tool derived from the Brøset Violence Checklist and the Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) to de-escalate workplace violence. This project aimed to improve behavioral assessment documentation and BERT use in a critical care unit by 30% within 5 weeks. Guided by the Donabedian Model theoretical framework and Lewin's Change Theory, the project employed a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design in an advanced heart failure unit with full-time nurses as participants. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework …

Standardizing Patient-Centered And Trauma-Informed Communication Practices Among Staff In A Behavioral Health Setting, Jayla Brown

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based educational intervention on staff attitudes toward trauma-informed and patient-centered communication in an outpatient behavioral health clinic. Guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, the project aimed to improve staff knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in applying trauma-informed communication strategies across all clinic roles. An eight-week educational intervention based on the SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Care Toolkit was implemented for clinical and administrative staff. A quantitative pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was used, with outcomes measured using an adapted Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care scale. All …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 02/24/2026, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Disruptive Academic Behaviors: The Dance Between Emotional Intelligence And Academic Incivility, Tracy Ann Hudgins, Diana M. Layne, Celena E. Kusch, Karen Lounsbury

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This presentation aims to share the findings from a recent study that identified student and faculty perceptions of academic incivility, share the adapted Conceptual Model for Fostering Civility in Nursing Education, and discuss identified strategies for improving civility based on our findings (Authors, 2022; Authors, 2023). This study was conducted at a regional four-year university in the southern United States and focused on the diverse, often under-resourced, and/or first-generation students who make up most students in regional universities but are typically a minority in major research institutions. While the study was not planned to occur during a highly stressful academic …

Opioid Use Knowledge And Attitudes Among U.S. Adults, Jadyn E. Knox

Master's Theses

The opioid epidemic remains a public health crisis, with overdose rates continuing to rise. Associations between individuals opioid use and knowledge of and attitudes toward opioid substances and overdoses have been investigated to inform educational interventions. However, many studies utilize college student or adolescent samples, and findings remain inconclusive. An assessment of opioid knowledge and attitudes across broader adult populations is lacking. Concurrently, replication literature in the social sciences is limited, therefore, the present study replicated and expanded upon Williams et al. (2013) and Vyas et al. (2023) studies. Reliability and validity of the Opioid Knowledge scale, Opioid Overdose Knowledge …

Quality Improvement Project: Impact Of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction On Nurse Burnout In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Chinenye Okafor

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Burnout is a persistent and critical problem in skilled nursing facilities, contributing to reduced job satisfaction, increased turnover, and compromised quality of care. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program on burnout among registered nurses in a skilled nursing facility. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources framework and Lewin’s Change Theory, a quantitative pretest–posttest design was implemented using the Plan–Do–Study–Act. Ten nurses consented to participate in an eight-week intervention, and four completed both pre- and post-intervention measures. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services …

Quality Improvement Project: Improving Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates Through Provider Education In Primary Care, Leikasha Allen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Pneumococcal disease remains a major cause of illness and mortality among adults aged 65 years and older, leading to severe pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, particularly in vulnerable populations. Although effective vaccines and clear Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Advisory Committee Immunization Practice (ACIP) guidelines, vaccination in this age group remains inadequate. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to determine the impact of pneumococcal vaccination compliance through evaluating provider knowledge, confidence, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines through targeted education. Guided by Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory and the Health Belief Model, a 20-minute evidence‑based educational session …

Healthy Work Environment: A Positive Change In The Healthcare System, Rajveer Kaur, Jiji Andrews

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

It empowered the nurses through structural and psychological infrastructure, paying attention to the detailed work, applying the knowledge from other disciplines to incorporate in the nursing science for evidence-based practice, and utilizing skills in the nursing practice for healthy work environment engagement. Due to the nursing shortage, nursing leaders must understand a healthy workplace for clinical nurses and drive a positive change in the environment by using educational programs. A study was conducted in the hospital on a medical-surgical unit to evaluate the effects of Authentic leadership and actions producing positive patient outcomes. The study results include psychological empowerment, improved …

Theoretical Contributions To A Positive Work Environment, Sharon Prawl

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Objectives: Examination of the success of nurse preceptors is moving toward the need for co-creation between nurse leaders and nurses in the role of nurse preceptors. The current nursing workforce has five generations in the cohort of healthcare workers: Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials (Generation Y), and Generation Z (Bacon, 2023). Each group may have different characteristics and traits; supporting them can be challenging. As noted, the demographics of the workforce have changed. Therefore, Nurse Leaders (NL) must demonstrate inclusive leadership behaviors that result in practice environments where all individuals, diverse in their ages, experiences, and education, …

Organizational Trust And Burnout Among Registered Nurses And Patient Care Aides: A Qualitative Study, Katherine C. Brewer, Andrew Dierkes, Allison A. Norful

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Healthcare worker wellbeing has emerged as a pivotal topic in workforce research. Organizational factors may impact well-being as much as individual and personal factors. One organizational determinant of well-being includes institutional trust; specifically, how the relationship between clinician and employer influences well-being (e.g., burnout). Institutional trust is an important factor in human caring professions, due to the moral and emotional nature of the work and the expectation for safety and provision among clinicians by employers. Existing clinician well-being research rarely studies institutional trust among registered nurses (RNs) and patient care aides (PCAs), despite their important frontline role in patient …

Weaponizing The First Amendment: Captive Audience Laws Recast From Shield To Sword, Seth Freeman

Seattle University Law Review Online

This Comment examines the evolution and misuse of captive audience laws in the United States, particularly as they have shifted from narrow exceptions in First Amendment jurisprudence to expansive tools for ideological suppression. Originally designed to protect individuals from unavoidable and coercive speech, especially in private spaces like the home, captive audience laws have increasingly been utilized in regulating workplace speech, with a recent focus on suppressing conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Through an analysis of foundational Supreme Court cases and an exploration of recent legislative trends, this Comment reveals how state legislatures have weaponized captive audience doctrine …

Staff Education To Improve Psychiatric Nurses’ Use Of Evidence-Based Strategies For Supporting Medication Adherence In Outpatient Settings, Lilian Ndifon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychiatric medication nonadherence remains a persistent barrier to effective outpatient mental health care and contributes to relapse, rehospitalization, and disrupted continuity of care. In outpatient psychiatric settings, nurses are often responsible for patient education and follow-up, yet many lack formal training in evidence-based strategies to support medication adherence. This staff education project was implemented at an outpatient psychiatric facility to address this practice gap. The practice-focused question asked whether a structured staff education intervention would improve outpatient psychiatric nurses’ knowledge of evidence-based medication adherence strategies. Twelve outpatient psychiatric nurses participated in a one-hour educational session focused on motivational interviewing, psychoeducation, …

Retrospective Narrative Analysis Of Perceived Manifestations Of Burnout Among Emergency Physicians Amid Covid-19 Pandemic, Nicole Jauregui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed stress on healthcare systems globally, with emergency department (ED) physicians experiencing an acute impact due to their frontline role. Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, has been widely reported by healthcare providers during the pandemic. However, the specific manifestations of burnout among ED physicians remain underexplored, particularly from their own perspectives. This study is grounded in Maslach’s Multidimensional Theory of Burnout and Alan Card’s theory of Avoidable versus Unavoidable Suffering, providing a framework to interpret ED physicians’ experiences and distinguish between the inherent challenges of frontline work and …

The Diamond, February 24, 2026, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: New Dordt Advertisement Airs During the Super Bowl; Dordt Alum Detained by Immigration Enforcement in Minneapolis; Dordt University Construction Masterplan - The Ghost of Campus Past and Campus Future
• Feature: The Inevitability and Danger of Generative AI's Conscience; A Splash of Color - Sponges and Soft Coral Revitalize Campus Aquarium
• News: Dordt Students Attend Conference at Capitol Hill; Dordt Receives 1.25 Million Dollar Grant for Children's Worship Initiative
• Politics: New Israeli Policy in the West Bank - Is it Really New?; Gang Violence Across Mexico Disrupts U.S. Trade; A Look at the Nancy Guthrie …

Only Americans Left Behind: Iran’S Illegal Use Of Hostages As Political Pawns To Advance Their Foreign Policy, Ava Namazi

San Diego International Law Journal

The Islamic Republic of Iran has emerged as one of the most prominent contemporary practitioners of hostage diplomacy—a strategy rooted in the 1979 Hostage Crisis and sustained through recurring detentions of foreign nationals on fabricated security charges. The government uses innocent foreign nationals as political pawns to coerce Western states, including the United States, to release frozen Iranian assets held abroad. This Comment situates Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy within its post-revolutionary foreign policy, examining how the collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty contributed to this tactic. Additionally, this Comment will analyze the current international legal frameworks governing hostage diplomacy and …

Quality Improvement Project: Empowering Nurses And Medical Assistants To Improve Medication Adherence: A Screening-Based Quality Improvement Initiative, Maria Garcia

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Medication nonadherence is a persistent challenge in clinical settings that negatively influences patient outcomes and is often driven by cost, access, and patient-related barriers, as widely documented in the literature. Nurses and medical assistants play a critical role in identifying these barriers; however, inconsistent screening and limited staff confidence may hinder intervention. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of implementing the Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) on staff confidence in addressing medication adherence and to assess clinic-wide utilization of the tool. The project was guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and Lewin’s Change …

Safety And Feasibility During Early Implementation Of Robotic-Assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Dung Thuong Ho, Manh Cuong Nguyen, Tran Tran Nguyen, Long Tran, Huy Nguyen, Dil Mai, Tuong Mien Ngo, Duc Chinh Nguyen, Chi Cuong Tran, Khiem D. Ngo

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Robotic-assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (R-PCI) is an advanced technique offering potential advantages for both patients and interventional cardiology practices. In 2023, Can Tho S.I.S General Hospital implemented its first robotic system for PCI procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes during the early learning curve of R-PCI.

Methods: This prospective study included all patients undergoing R-PCI with the CorPath GRX Vascular Robotic System at Can Tho S.I.S General Hospital from April to September 2023. Baseline patient characteristics, procedural details, and six-month follow-up data were collected. Primary outcomes included Clinical Success, defined as < 30% residual diameter stenosis in the target vessel without major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during hospitalization (e.g., death, myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization, stroke), and robotic success, defined as achieving clinical success with partial manual support or no manual support.

Results: Thirty-one patients …

"The Only Place I Feel Understood": A Mixed Methods Survey Of Adolescent And Caregiver Perspectives On Social Media And Parental Controls, Melanie Watt Ramos, Constance M Wiemann, Lauren A Bretz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose

Methods

Results

The Role Of Fkbp51 In The Regulation Of Reproductive Aging And Prenatal Stress-Impaired Ovarian Function And Development, Monica C. Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) is an immunophilin that acts as a co-chaperone with heat shock protein 90 that negatively regulates transcriptional activity of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and progesterone receptor (PR), and FKBP51 levels are increased by stress conditions. Our previous studies demonstrate that Fkbp5 gene depletion was protective against maternal re-strained stress-induced preterm birth (PTB), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and maternal stress-induced age-related decline in live births. We hypothesize that FKBP51 contributes to impaired ovarian development and folliculogenesis induced by prenatal stress (PNS). Timed-pregnant Fkbp5+/+ (wild-type) and Fkbp5−/− (knockout) mice were randomly assigned to either the undis-turbed (nonstress) or PNS …

Feasibility, Acceptability And Implementation Of A Whole-Family Mental Health Intervention For Displaced Adolescent Girls In Colombia: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Ilana Seff, Arturo Harker Roa, Byron Powell, Natalia Cordoba, Carolina Rodriguez, Julianne Deitch, Elvia Tamaity Ariza Pena, Feven Gebrekidan, Lindsay Stark

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Adolescent girls affected by displacement face substantial mental-health risks. The Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE) is a 12-week, gender-transformative, family-based program designed to improve adolescent girls' mental health in humanitarian settings. This mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed SSAGE's feasibility, acceptability and potential effects among 186 Venezuelan migrant and Colombian returnee families in Colombia. Adolescent girls aged 13-19 years, their male siblings and caregivers participated in parallel sessions on gender dynamics, communication and relationships. Implementation outcomes drew on the Mental Health Implementation Science Tools (acceptability and feasibility subscales), attendance records and qualitative interviews. Analyses followed an …

Sociodemographic Influences On Student-Athlete Eating Disorder Risk And Treatment-Seeking Behavior In The National College Health Assessment, Savannah Hughbanks, Andrew W. Froehle, Brian A. Edwards

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Objective: The present study was developed to explicate attributes associated with increased likelihood of disordered eating behaviors and treatment avoidance and help practitioners better-identify and assist high-risk individuals.

Participants: Varsity athletes (n=51,882) who completed the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) between 2011 and 2019.

Methods: Data was collected from survey responses to questions related to disordered eating behaviors. Disorders were cross-sectioned into eight predictors: year in school, gender, sexual-orientation, race/ethnicity, school-type, international-student, history of mental health illness, and anxiety of impending academic performance.

Results: Two percent of the student-athletes self-reported an ED diagnosis, and within those two percent 65.9% reported …