Increasing Patient Feedback Survey Completions Through Patient-Centered Nursing Communication: A Quality Improvement Project, Lindsey E. Pawlowski

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Patient feedback is essential to providing the best possible nursing care. Positive patient experiences can impact overall patient satisfaction, loyalty, and trust.

Local Problem: On a pediatric unit at a New England hospital, an assessment of the microsystem revealed that there was a low number of monthly patient feedback survey completions, which limited insight into patient experiences.

Aim Statement: The primary aim of this project was to increase the number of monthly National Research Corporation (NRC) surveys to ten by June 30, 2026.

Methods: This quality improvement project was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model. The first stage of …

Incorporating Structured Safety Huddles To Improve Nursing Communication And Reduce Medical-Surgical Inpatient Fall Rates: A Quality Improvement Project, Alexia K. Leonard

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND: Patient falls are a significant concern for patient safety in the acute care setting and are typically connected to inadequate communication during shift transitions. Bedside shift report is considered the standard of care, however, barriers are still present when shifting patient care responsibilities among nursing staff. A literature review identified standardized safety huddles as an evidence-based practice to improve areas of communication, teamwork, situational awareness, and patient safety. This quality improvement (QI) project concentrated on the implementation of a standardized evening safety huddle in order to improve nursing communication and reduce patient falls on an inpatient medical-surgical/telemetry unit. METHODS: …

Improving Telemetry Alarm Fatigue By Reducing Perception Of Noise Through Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Emma Bergeron

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: The perception of excess telemetry noise has a negative impact on nursing staff workflow, emotional stress, physical stress, and alarm fatigue. This can create a distressing workplace, interrupt the ability to answer telemetry alarms in an appropriate amount of time, and further worsen alarm fatigue in nursing staff.

Local Problem: The local problem identified was the perception of telemetry noise and alarm fatigue. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent of alarm fatigue and perception of telemetry noise on the unit.

Methods: The study consisted of an assessment of the microsystem itself and the observed impact …

A Quality Improvement Initiative: Implementing An Effective Massive Transfusion Protocol Cognitive Aid Tool Within An Operating Room & Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Setting, Jenna L. Farrell

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Massive Transfusion Protocol (MTP) activations are low-frequency, high-acuity events in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) setting.  These events necessitate the rapid formation of codes teams, interdisciplinary communication amongst unfamiliar providers, critical decision-making, high-volume rapid blood transfusions, and critical laboratory marker monitoring.

Local Problem: Due to the infrequent nature of hemorrhagic events in the PACU, nurses may have limited experience participating in these protocols at their institutions, resulting in potential for documentation errors from retrospective back charting, decreased confidence regarding blood product sequencing and laboratory draw timing, and increased cognitive workload overall.  This quality improvement (QI) project implemented …

Improving Nurse Well-Being And Patient Safety Through A Structured Break Buddy System: A Quality Improvement Project, Elizabeth Harrington

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Nursing burnout has become an increasing concern due to heavy workloads, staffing shortages, and the inability of nurses to consistently take uninterrupted rest breaks during their shifts. Missed breaks contribute to fatigue, emotional exhaustion, decreased job satisfaction, and an increased risk of patient safety events. Evidence suggests that structured break interventions may improve opportunities for recovery during the workday.

Methods: A quality improvement (QI) project was conducted on a respiratory care unit at a midsized hospital in central New Hampshire using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. A microsystem assessment identified inconsistent break-taking as a significant gap. A five-question anonymous …

Overview Of The Ergonomic Model Of Soccer And The Training Process, James J. Collins, Shane Malone, Kieran D. Collins

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Soccer is a complex sport with significant physical, physiological, psychological, technical, and tactical demands on players. This review presents an ergonomics-based model of soccer performance, emphasizing that no single component operates in isolation. Building on the foundational ergonomic framework, this review integrates contemporary evidence on training load monitoring, ecological dynamics, and cognitive-perceptual performance dimensions not systematically addressed in prior frameworks. Elite outfield players cover 9–14 km·h⁻¹ per match, with high-speed running (19.8–24.8 km·h⁻¹) making up about 20% of total distance and sprinting (>25 km·h⁻¹) around 2%. These outputs vary by playing position, tactical formation, …

An Analysis Of Diet Sustainability Among Different Dietary Patterns In The Portuguese Adult And Elderly Population, Mariana Rei, Áine Burke, Sadhbh O’Shea, Annemarie E. Bennett, John M. Kearney, Sara S.P. Rodrigues

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Purpose: Dietary patterns influence human and environmental health. Shifts toward convenience and ready-to-eat ultra-processed foods have contributed to the rising prevalence of malnutrition, chronic disease, and ecological harm. This study examined the associations between dietary patterns and diet sustainability among Portuguese adults. Methods: Data from 2287 individuals aged 18–84 years were obtained from the last National Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Survey (2015–2016). Three dietary patterns were identified based on food composition and processing: Traditional, Diet Concerns, and Unhealthy; while four dietary patterns were categorized according to food preparation location: At home by themselves, At home by relatives or friends, …

Developing Forensic Entomology Practice In Ireland: Case Applications And Operational Considerations, Claudio Tersaruolo, Yiyang Sun, Sally Anne Collis, Jesus Maria Frias, Linda Mulligan, Orla Howe

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Forensic entomology is valuable in legal investigations for estimating the minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI) by insect species and their lifecycles on decomposing remains. While forensic entomology is well established in central-northern Europe and the UK, it has been rarely practiced in Ireland due to a lack of demand and practical expertise. Office of the State Pathologist (OSP) provides the national forensic pathology service; however specialised forensic entomology services are outsourced and instructed on a case-by-case basis. A collaboration was established between the OSP, Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and University of Strathclyde over the past two years. This collaboration enabled …

Lease Capitalization And Financial Flexibility: An Empirical Investigation Of Asc 842’S Impact On Liquidity In The Us Telecommunications Industry, Caleb J. Martin

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Measures of liquidity are some of the most important financial ratios to analyze when measuring a firm’s overall financial health and its ability to pay both creditors and dividends. The US telecommunications industry is an industry that has become synonymous with dividends, mergers, and acquisitions, all of which are possible due to industry wide and firm specific liquidity. With the implementation of ASC 842 and the new standard of placing operational leases on the balance sheet, additional research may be warranted to determine the effect ASC 842 may have on firm liquidity. This study investigated whether there was evidence to …

Adequate Representation In Group Litigation, Elizabeth Chamblee Burch

Scholarly Works

This article examines the inherent tension between the legal system's desire for "global peace" (finality) and the constitutional requirement for adequate representation in collective lawsuits. While Rule 23 class actions provide structural safeguards—such as judicial oversight of counsel and settlement, and opt-out rights—alternative mechanisms like multidistrict litigation (MDL) and parens patriae suits often lack these protections . Using the In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation as a primary case study, the article illustrates how informal, "backroom" leadership selection in MDLs empowers a small circle of elite "repeat players" at the expense of marginalized groups, such as Native American tribes and …

Taxing Ai, Assaf Harpaz

Scholarly Works

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the distribution and sources of income, with some experts predicting widespread job displacement. Even under optimistic projections, AI is expected to exacerbate wealth inequality, given that the technology’s ownership and immense value are concentrated within a subset of Big Tech companies and AI startups. These outcomes will have far-reaching impacts on the federal tax system, which heavily relies on taxing individual labor income and payroll, rather than capital or consumption.

This Article argues that AI threatens to disrupt the tax system’s ability to fulfill its fundamental goals of raising revenue, redistributing income, and …

From Privacy To The Data Economy: The Ftc’S Reframing Of Its Regulatory Priorities, Maria P. Angel

Scholarly Works

This Article argues that the Federal Trade Commission’s turn to “commercial surveillance” reflects a strategic shift away from traditional privacy frameworks toward addressing structural power dynamics in the data economy. Drawing on an analysis of 112 FTC documents, it identifies three core commitments: tackling systemic harms, adopting a political economy lens, and constraining corporate power. The Article contends that this reframing is both necessary in the AI age and should influence the future of privacy regulation in the United States, even amid efforts to limit the FTC’s authority.

Qui Tam Legislation And Article Ii: State Constitutional Precursors To The “Take Care” Clause, Randy Beck

Scholarly Works

Anglo-American legislation since the fourteenth century has often authorized “popular” or “qui tam” enforcement, in which an uninjured “common informer” litigates to collect a forfeiture for violation of a statute. Popular enforcement has become considerably less common than in earlier centuries, but remains important because of the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act (FCA). In Vermont Agency of Natural Resources v. United States ex rel. Stevens, the Supreme Court rejected an Article III standing challenge to qui tam litigation, concluding that the long history of popular enforcement means qui tam suits present cognizable “cases and controversies of …

Abandoning Press Freedom, Ronnell Andersen Jones, Sonja R. West

Scholarly Works

Among elected officials and the broader public, attitudes toward the press are deeply polarized along ideological lines. Polling shows that most liberals favor the press, while conservatives view it more negatively— a partisan divide that has widened significantly over the past decade. Conventional wisdom suggests that the same ideological split is also at work at the Supreme Court, with liberal Justices championing the work of the press while their conservative colleagues express more skepticism. This perception is reinforced by historical examples of liberal Justices advancing press rights alongside broader democracy-engagement and social-justice issues. Recent calls from some conservative Justices to …

Digital Reuse And Online Availability Of Visual Artworks, Paul J. Heald, Matthias Sahli, Alexander Cuntz

Scholarly Works

We study how copyright impacts the distribution and reuse of images in the visual arts sector, exploiting the discontinuity at the 1926 US public domain cutoff together with cross-country variation between US and European museums. We find that public domain status raises artist-level image availability on Useum, a major image aggregator, by approximately 19 percent relative to comparable copyrighted artworks. Onward reuse of Useum images across the web is substantial - an artwork image appears on 76 additional web pages on average - and is higher for public domain artworks, though estimates are statistically significant only in some specifications. Moreover, …

Gienapp's Big Book: Conceptual Rupture, Modernism, And The End Of Originalism, Logan E. Sawyer Iii

Scholarly Works

For decades, we have lived in an age of partisan jurisprudence, in which nearly every Republican has embraced originalism, and nearly every Democrat has rejected it. One can mark the start of that era in multiple places, but one good choice is November 11th, 1977. That day, in the pages of National Review, William F. Buckley previewed Government by Judiciary, Raoul Berger’s originalist critique of the Warren Court’s rights revolution. The review, entitled “Berger’s Big Book,” was highly complimentary. Berger’s rebuke of Warren Court activism was, Buckley thought, “devastating.” And he was not alone. Following the publication of Government by …

State Medical Licenses Without Borders, Meighan Parker

Scholarly Works

Access to health care in the United States is undermined by a maldistribution of physicians, and state medical licensure remains a barrier to correcting this issue, despite legal reforms that attempt to streamline physician licensure pathways. Geographic distribution gaps can have serious consequences in rural areas, such as poor health outcomes, reduced access to care, and further entrenchment of health disparities.

On the bright side, physicians can potentially use telemedicine to help improve geographic distribution gaps through the provision of clinically appropriate, virtual care across state lines. But states have traditionally required physicians, even those who are currently licensed in …

Workers’ Empowerment As U.S. Trade Policy, Desiree Leclercq

Scholarly Works

U.S. trade policy stands at an inflection point. The Biden administration’s “worker-centered” trade policy promised to empower foreign workers to improve employment and living standards globally, but it linked its trade assistance to political allies. The Trump administration’s “America First” trade policy promises to use tariffs and isolationism to protect and empower U.S. workers, but it is fostering antagonism rather than cooperation in trade. Both policies, while sharply diverging at the edges, recognize that U.S. trade policy affects employment opportunities in the United States. Both policies also critically overlook the relationship between the treatment of workers in trade partner countries, …

Press Freedom's History And Tradition, Ronnell Andersen Jones, Sonja R. West

Scholarly Works

Backward-looking, history-and-tradition analysis is gaining greater prominence at the U.S. Supreme Court. While the Court has not yet explicitly applied its history-and-tradition framework to press freedom questions, the methodology’s dominance across other areas, coupled with some urgent concerns about the scope of newsgatherer protections and some Justices’ interest in reconsidering long-established precedent, suggest that this application could be imminent. In anticipation of that moment, we set out to empirically map the Court’s engagement with the history and tradition of press freedom in its rhetoric over time. Our goals were to explore, both quantitatively and qualitatively, how the Court’s Justices have …

Prognostic Factors For Patients Under 45 Undergoing Surgery For Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Seer Population-Based Study, Gabrielle Grob, Fang Fang, Matvey Karpov, Eric Feliberti, Marybeth Hughes, Rachel Burke, Winifred Lo

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been on the rise in adults younger than 50. Surgical resection is a potentially curative treatment option for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). The aim of this study was to describe patient and tumor characteristics associated with disease-specific survival in young patients (<  45 years) versus older patients (≥ 45 years) with isolated CRLM.

Methods: The SEER database was queried for patients with CRLM who underwent colon and liver resection from 2010 to 2021. Patients under age 20, with metastases beyond the liver, or who had not had surgery for liver metastases were excluded. Cox regression was used to analyze demographic factors, tumor …

Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Perioperative And Interstage Outcomes In Congenital Heart Surgery A Systematic Review, Sara Sakowitz, Jennifer S. Nelson, Justin Robinson, Camilla S. Rossi, David M. Shahian, David T. Cooke, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Shelby Aughtman, Megan Schultz, Meena Nathan, Claude Beaty, Michal Shafer, Deborah Kozik, Glenn J. Pelletier

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

Importance: Social determinants of health (SDoH)- conditions in which patients live, grow, and age, - are increasingly recognized to influence the health of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Objective: To explore the impact of SDoH on short-term mortality and morbidity, interstage outcomes, and resource utilization, among patients following congenital heart surgery.

Evidence Review: A systematic review was completed according to PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies evaluating the association of SDoH with surgical outcomes of pediatric and adult CHD patients were identified from five databases queried including PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PYSCINFO, and Cochrane between January 1999 and February 2024. Inclusion criteria …

Enhancing Graduate Surgical Education: Recommendations For Development Of Common Surgery Education And Training Accreditation Standards, Edwin Christopher Ellison, David B. Hoyt, L. D. Britt, Gerald B. Healy, John R. Potts Iii, Michael M. Awad, Eric A. Gantwerker, Apostolos Gaitanidis, Carol R. Bradford, Robert Phillip Burns, Mary T. Hawn, John G. Hunter, Cheryl T. Lee, Keith D. Lillemoe, Najjia N. Mahmoud, Jeffrey B. Matthews, Michael W. Neumeister, Kathleen C. Y. Sie, The Independent Committee For Graduate Surgical Education

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

Background:

Concerns persist within the surgical community that completion of an accredited surgical residency no longer consistently ensures that trainees are ready for independent practice. In response, the Independent Committee for Graduate Surgical Education (ICGSE) was established in January 2025 to address the unique requirements of surgical training. The committee’s mandate was to recommend program standards that would potentially optimize education and training for surgical residents, with the goal of improving patient care.

Methods:

The ICGSE, consisting of 71 surgeons across 16 specialties, reviewed the history of surgical accreditation and relevant literature. Workgroup-led discussions identified strategies for improving trainee readiness …

Information About Law Review, South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

A More Perfect Union? (Reviewing Erwin Chemerinsky, No Democracy Lasts Forever: How The Constitution Threatens The United States (2024)), Neil Fulton

South Dakota Law Review

It is a bold claim that the United States Constitution is a threat to democracy in the United States. It is certainly a claim that most would reject outright or be highly skeptical of at least. It is, however, exactly the claim that Erwin Chemerinsky makes in his book No Democracy Lasts Forever.

Erwin Chemerinsky is a prolific scholar, particularly of constitutional law. It is not surprising that he would produce a timely, topical, and thought-provoking book on the subject. What is surprising is his fundamental premise that the Constitution itself threatens democracy in the United States today. This provocative …

The Trial Of Socrates, Jonathan K. Van Patten

South Dakota Law Review

In many important ways, the trial of Socrates was not just the trial of the century, nor even the trial of the millennium. It predated the trial of Jesus, which is important for many other reasons, but Socrates’ contribution to how we think about justice and the rule of law is without equal. This Article explores the ways that this fifth-century B.C. trial, located geographically on the margin of what came to be known as the West, is at the center of what makes us a civilization. It is not simply about the drama, nor the politics of free inquiry, …

Oversight Of Conservatorships And Guardianships In South Dakota: A Call For Legislative Reform, Peyton Forney-Rassat

South Dakota Law Review

Courts have the legal and ethical duty to monitor guardianship and conservatorship cases in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of persons subject to such arrangements. With increased aging populations and people with disabilities in America, this has become an area of concern for both federal and local governments. Lack of data regarding the number of guardianships and conservatorships present in America, as well as the number of individuals subject to abuse in such arrangements, has become difficult to address. However, recent highly publicized cases have brought this issue to the forefront of many American minds. The number of …

Common Law Creep And Judicial Optionality: A Measured Critique Of Restrictive Covenant Law In South Dakota, Alex M. Hagen

South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota law governing restrictive covenants establishes a statutory framework with a simple structure: a general prohibition against restraints on trade, subject to four narrow exceptions. In theory, courts need only determine whether a challenged covenant falls within a statutory exception. In practice, however, courts exercise far broader discretion, applying elaborate analyses that extend well beyond statutory boundaries. In this Article, I critique the current doctrine of restrictive covenant law in South Dakota and contend that the judiciary has provided itself with too many options in deciding how these types of contractual agreements will be assessed and played too active …

Information About The South Dakota Law Review, South Dakota Law Review

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Protecting Democracy Through Servant Leadership Actions On The Jury Trial System, Laura Anne Rose

South Dakota Law Review

In the face of the declining use of the right to trial by jury, this article argues for more action by members of the legal profession, and specifically action grounded in the principles of servant leadership. The article covers the historic roots of the right to trial by jury before turning to its importance in the areas of civic education, continuing legal education, legislative efforts, and innovative interdisciplinary courses in legal education. The article posits that members of the legal profession in all stages of their careers must defend the right to trial by jury through servant-leader based action in …

An Empirical Analysis Of Statutory Enactment And Interpretation In South Dakota: Are We Aligned?, Neil Fulton, Zane Rankin

South Dakota Law Review

Statutes have supplanted the common law as the primary source of American law. It is accordingly vital to evaluate how statutes are applied and interpreted. Most statutory interpretation scholarship focuses on enactments by Congress, is based on the perspective of courts alone, and uses non-empirical analysis. This article takes a different perspective. The article focuses on South Dakota statutes and the legislative process. It is centered on an empirical survey of legislators, lobbyists, and professional staff to ascertain their beliefs and preferences about how statutes are enacted and how they should be used. These observations are then compared with existing …