Digital Commons Network^™

T Cell Senescence And Nociplastic Pain: A Proposed Etiological Mechanism, Kayla S. Riggleman

Senior Honors Theses

Nociplastic pain is a newly identified chronic pain phenotype characterized by widespread hyperalgesia and allodynia. Its etiological mechanisms are currently unknown, making medical intervention elusive. The proposed pathophysiological model connects immunosenescence with a degradation of the blood-brain barrier as a result of peripheral inflammation. Neuronal hyperexcitability and glial cell activation result, leading to nociplastic pain. It is currently thought that central sensitization is the key mechanistic driver of nociplastic pain, so this literature review seeks to expound on that. Based on this framework, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy and stem cell treatments are proposed therapeutic methodologies to be explored. …

Constitutional Law On Abortion In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Regional Consensus Towards An International Custom Or A Peremptory Norm Of Jus Cogens?, Ligia Castaldi

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

The Inter–American Court of Human Rights recently declared the existence of a jus cogens right to a healthy environment: could it lawfully reach the same conclusion regarding a right to abortion? This paper examines constitutional law and constitutional jurisprudence on abortion in Latin American and Caribbean countries to determine whether a regional consensus exists on abortion rights in the region. The paper looks at landmark abortion decisions favoring abortion rights in Colombia and Mexico, as well as broad abortion decriminalization through statutory reform in Argentina, Uruguay, Haiti and Cuba. The paper also looks at prenatal right to life protections in …

A Burlesque: The Shimmering Body Of Revealing, Lola Montgomery

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A Burlesque: The Shimmer Manuscript is a hybrid critical–creative work that examines burlesque as an embodied methodology and a mode of knowledge production. Drawing from my two decades as a performer–scholar, the work reframes glamour, desire, and adornment as epistemological practices rather than theatrical ornamentation. The project is significant in that it expands understandings of performance studies, autotheory, and feminist aesthetics by foregrounding the performer’s body as an intelligent, sensing, world-making apparatus.

The methodology is creative practice research and archive-driven, integrating backstage documentation, AI-assisted photomontage, and theoretical reflection. The work draws from poststructuralist and feminist frameworks (Irigaray, Deleuze & Guattari, …

Compensation Transparency In The U.S. Healthcare Workforce, Brandon Perkins

Honors Projects

This study investigates how perceptions of pay transparency among U.S. healthcare workers relate to work engagement, burnout levels, and intentions to stay with their current institution. A quantitative survey was conducted of 200 clinical and non-clinical employees across academic, nonprofit, for-profit, and government healthcare organizations. Self-reported views of transparency were evaluated in relation to validated measures of work engagement, burnout, stay intentions, and pay secrecy. The results showed that increased perceived compensation transparency was highly connected with greater work engagement and lower levels of burnout. Both engagement and burnout appeared as major indicators of the employees' intentions to stay with …

Emphasis On The External: Deceptive Beauty In Lady Audley’S Secret And The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Arden Cravy

Honors Theses

The novels Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde both present major themes of beauty, authenticity, and morality while maintaining their didacticism. This thesis comes as a surprise due to the beliefs and intentions of the authors, both of whom claim other motivations than the betterment of their readers. The parallels between these narratives ascribe to the fallible Victorian perspectives regarding external appearance and internal motivations. The danger of assumed authenticity becomes apparent in these authors’ works as they grapple with the realities of human nature. Wilde and Braddon each depict …

States As Shields, Lindsay F. Wiley

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

State laws that aim to shield providers of reproductive health and gender-affirming care from the punitive actions of out-of-state officials raise thorny questions. Can the federal courts, Congress, or the Trump Administration require New York officials to enforce a Texas ban on abortion or gender-affirming care against a New York doctor who prescribed medication to a patient in Texas via telehealth? If so, how might New Yorkers’ access to health care be affected? If not, will interstate commerce and travel preserve some degree of access for Texans?

Disputes over reproductive health and gender-affirming care are putting new pressure on doctrines …

Quality Improvement Project: Reducing Hospitalizations In The Long-Term Care Setting, Nenna Nzeocha

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hospitalizations in the long-term care setting can lead to higher costs incurred by skilled nursing home residents and a poorer quality of life. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated whether an educational intervention on the Reducing Avoidable Facility Transfers (RAFT) model impacted hospitalization rates in the skilled nursing facility (SNF), while also assessing the confidence level of facility staff on the intervention. The project utilized Lewin’s change theory and the Donabedian model framework and was aimed at developing interventions that impact hospitalizations in the SNF using the RAFT model. A quasi-experimental design was used and consisted of a pre-and-post implementation …

Quality Improvement Project: Improving Emergency Medication Administration Safety In An Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, Sandra Anusiem

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Psychiatric emergencies contribute to medication safety issues due to increased stress, inconsistent practices, and communication breakdowns. The problem was high rates of medication errors in psychiatric emergencies due to the lack of a structured, standardized medication management protocol. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to reduce medication errors in administering emergency medications in an inpatient psychiatric unit by using the Medication Administration Cross-Check (MACC) checklist. The project was completed using a quasi-experimental research design guided by the Donabedian Model of Healthcare Quality and Lewin’s Change Model. Pretest and posttest knowledge, confidence, attitude, and perceptions were obtained …

Human Trafficking Simulation: Educational Tool For Developing Interprofessional Competencies, Kerri Anne Irwin, Kelly D. Caskey

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Introduction: This research is in response to the human trafficking (HT) crisis. HT affects an estimated 30 million people worldwide. Nurses are one of the few constant contacts within the hospital for these isolated victims. HT patients may feel protected under the trusted care of nurses (Morris, 2023). Raker (2023) found that “academic nursing programs represent an ideal environment to deliver human trafficking training to future graduate nurses.” The limited instruction for students led us to create an HT simulation that is being taught in a senior level nursing course.
The purpose of this research is to address the growing …

The Misunderstood Election Of 1876 And Colorado's Rocky Quest For Statehood, Maxwell D. Rotbart

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

On December 8, 1873, Representative Jerome B. Chaffee, the non-voting delegate of the Colorado Territory, submitted a proposal in the House of Representatives to make Colorado the 38th state in the Union. What should have been a routine matter — Colorado had the sizable population and economic stability necessary to achieve statehood — dragged on for more than three years. At stake was the outcome of the 1876 presidential election, in which Colorado’s electoral votes had the potential to — and ultimately did — decide which party would control the Executive Branch into the 1880s.

When historians consider the factors …

In-Between Spaces: First-Generation College Immigrant Experiences, Silvina Alamo Sousa-Ransford

Dissertations and Theses

It is human nature to seek a sense of belonging, acceptance, and community. College students also share this desire for connection in higher education, but some face more barriers and challenges. This study examined the experiences of first-generation college students who are also immigrants. The goal was to understand how to best support students in college, including through academic advising, at a four-year research university in the Pacific Northwest. To gain insight into the students' experiences, I interviewed participants using narrative qualitative methods guided by the framework of sense of belonging and analyzed the data utilizing Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model. The …

Startrac-Cyp2d6: A Method For Cyp2d6 Allele-Specific Copy Number Determination Using Digital Pcr, Wendy Y. Wang, Erin C. Boone, Lancy Lin, David Joun, Andrea Gaedigk

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: Accurate CYP2D6 genotyping is essential for pharmacogenetic-guided prescribing of many clinically used medications. While digital PCR is increasingly used to determine copy number (CN) status for accurate phenotype prediction, there are few convenient methods to discriminate duplicated alleles and diplotypes such as CYP2D6*2/*4x2 and *2x2/*4, which predict intermediate and normal metabolizer phenotypes, respectively. We developed a novel method, StarTRAC-CYP2D6, "Targeted Reporting of Allele-specific CNV", for determining the number of specific CYP2D6 star allele copies. Additionally, we explored the impact of DNA input and interfering variants on CN assay performance.

Methods: Coriell …

Establishing And Maintaining Equitable Leadership Practices In Nursing Education: A Way Forward, Joshua Michael Kies, Kari Mau

Biennial Convention (CONV)

There is currently a lack of diverse leadership in nursing education. This reflects multi-faceted systemic challenges that require innovative and comprehensive interventions. Current academic environments may perpetuate structures that marginalize faculty from underrepresented groups, creating significant barriers to equitable advancement and representation (Christensen, 2023).

The presentation will investigate the foundational principles of leadership development, focusing on transformative approaches that address inequities using recent research. Analyzing current demographic situations, institutional barriers, and perceived professional expectations, the discussion will uncover critical intervention points for long-term, meaningful change (Brown-DeVeaux & Glassman, 2023).

The critical importance of intentional, systemic interventions that move beyond “standardized” …

Current Practices In Undergraduate Nursing Honors Research Programs, Deanna L. Reising, Jessie Cheziwa

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose/Background/Significance: Undergraduate nursing honors research programs are a method for increasing the desire for students to pursue graduate education for eventual research careers. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the types and outcomes of undergraduate nursing honors research programs in the U.S.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design using content analysis for data analysis. Faculty who were involved in undergraduate nursing honors research programs in the U.S. were recruited to complete an interview that elicited responses on the type and structure of the program, barriers to implementation, faculty workload models, and outcomes realized from the program.

Results: …

"Pollution Does Not [Sic] Discriminate": Louisiana V. Epa, Disparate Impact, And The Fight For Environmental Justice In A Hostile Climate, Naomi Brim

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

Human-induced climate change hurts people. Environmental burdens impact a person’s ability to live freely, in good health, and with loved ones. And in the United States, people in positions of political authority and decision-making—who are predominantly white and high-income—use the legal system to push environmental harms disproportionately onto low-income, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities. This has occurred for centuries and continues in the present. A basic sense of justice makes the following conclusion easy to reach: skin color, zip code, and pocketbook should not determine whether someone enjoys a clean and healthful environment.

For plaintiffs seeking relief from …

Quality Improvement Project: Nursing Faculty Mental Health Literacy Assessment And Evaluation, Elesha Roberts

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Mental illness is a major healthcare concern affecting young adults enrolled in college. College students enrolled in nursing programs in particular face intense academic pressure due to the demands and rigor of the program. Students commonly report symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and suicide. Nursing faculty often do not feel comfortable approaching students about these concerns and other related mental health issues. Many faculty members lack the knowledge and skill to identify mental health issues and provide resources to support students in need. Faculty should be mental health literate and aware of campus resources. The purpose of this quality improvement …

Improving Self-Efficacy Among Clinical Instructors: The Impact Of Communication Education On Handling Lateral Violence, Emma Guidry

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The quality improvement (QI) project aims to determine if clinical instructors perceive changes in self-efficacy in communication skills specific to lateral violence (LV) situations secondary to an educational intervention. Currently, clinical nurse instructors lack education specifically addressing communication strategies to utilize when LV occurs in the clinical setting. Banduras Social Cognitive Theory, Lewin’s Change Theory and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) were employed as frameworks in the development of this project. Methods used in this quasi-experimental design project include administration of the Self Efficacy to Address Disruptive Behaviors Scale (SADBS) survey to project participants, nursing clinical instructors. The evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention …

Quality Improvement Project: Improving Nurse Competency In Caring For Patients With Dementia With Behavioral Disturbances In Long-Term Care, Lashunta Jackson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Dementia-related behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) present major challenges for nurses in long-term care settings, often leading to inconsistent care, staff stress, and safety risks. Evidence-based, person-centered interventions are proven to improve outcomes but are frequently underutilized due to limited staff training. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to improve nursing staff competency in managing residents with dementia and behavioral disturbances through structured, evidence-based education. The problem identified was a lack of dementia-specific knowledge and confidence among nurses, which contributed to suboptimal care and increased behavioral incidents. A quasi-experimental pre-/post-intervention design guided by Knowles’ Adult …

Leveraging Student Data To Assess, Inform, And Develop Teachers Capacities, Nathan D. Koerber, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This quantitative study analyzed 47 survey responses to gauge in-service, pre-licensed teacher, and paraprofessional perceptions of cultural competency. Participants responded to the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society’s Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist (Alpha = 0.7) to explore their awareness, knowledge, and skills in cultural competency. Moreover, through the application of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) as a theoretical framework, this study highlighted how these perceptions related to culturally responsive teaching and provided several implications for their future preparation to further develop their cultural competency through the tenets of CRT. The analysis identified participant unfamiliarity with privilege and its impact, as well as …

Teacher Candidates’ Attempts To Implement Anti-Ableist Pedagogy And The Constraints Therein, Benjamin Barnett-Perry

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

In this qualitative study, I interviewed four special education teacher candidates with a stated interest in enacting anti-ableist pedagogy in their student teaching placements. I drew on Holland et al.’s (1998) figured worlds to examine their attempts to enact anti-ableist pedagogy in their classrooms and their navigation of the hierarchy within their placements. Participants entered their student teaching eager to implement anti-ableist pedagogy. However, their attempts at implementation were often met with pushback from a variety of sources and a new understanding of how much they could actually accomplish from their place at the bottom of the school hierarchy. Findings …

Preparing Teachers To Seek Out Student Voice: Grounding The Work In Critical Consciousness, Stephanie Mg Herb

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Seeking out student voice is a powerful and beneficial practice that requires teachers to be thoughtful and intentional. While students may feel validated when teachers respond to their input, soliciting student voice can also be harmful if not done carefully. It is necessary to use a critically conscious lens when soliciting student voice and responding to their input and feedback to best support students with historically marginalized identities. Teachers must be prepared to seek out multiple perspectives, deeply listen, and take critical action in response to the information that the students provide. By doing so, teachers can create empowering learning …

Bridging Boundaries: Integration Of Culturally Relevant Resources, James D. Ware, Evan W. Stokes

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This qualitative study examines the impact of culturally relevant resources on student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement in a language arts classroom. Since school curricula are increasingly scrutinized for their ability to reflect the historical and cultural diversity of student populations, this study investigates how integrating culturally relevant pedagogy can enhance learning outcomes. The study explores the student impact of blending culturally relevant teaching materials with traditional educational frameworks to foster a more inclusive and equitable classroom environment. By analyzing student feedback from a writing-intensive English course that utilized culturally relevant resources, the study seeks to provide insights into how …

An International Comparison Of Staff Perceptions Of Professional Governance, Roberta Kaplow, Polly Willis, Birgit Vogt, Fanny Grüssel-Griethe, Janina Schweiger

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate differences among RNs and nurse leaders’ perceptions regarding professional governance (PG), and discern differences in perceptions regarding demographic variables, and determine if there are differences in perceptions of SG between two hospitals.

Background: Data suggest a relationship between PG and improved patient outcomes, nurses’ job satisfaction, and workplace engagement.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive comparative design was used. Perception of SG at two academic medical centers were compared. The United States (US) center has Magnet designation; the German center is pursuing designation. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire and the IPNG 3.0 (50 …

Engaging Students In Gap Analysis In Global Service-Learning In Low-Resource Settings, Mabel Ezeonwu, Amanda Sendele

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: To describe a case study-based approach for training students in gap analysis and cultural humility to articulate and support community health needs in low-resource settings.

Background: Through collaborative academic-community partnership¹, an intensive service-learning program on health promotion was implemented in low-resourced indigenous Mayan communities of Guatemala, as part of a quarter-long 2023 hybrid study abroad course. The goals of the program were to 1) support the primary healthcare needs of the communities 2) allow students to build competencies in global health (GH) practice, including a) articulate barriers to health and healthcare in low-resource settings and b) …

Breaking The Silence: Addressing The Crisis Of Osec & The Knowledge Gap Among Health Professionals, Toni Morris, Elizabeth Ziff

Biennial Convention (CONV)

OSEC is a significant public health crisis globally. It involves the sexual abuse of minors through the internet, including creating, sharing, or possessing sexual material featuring children. OSEC is widespread yet often hidden due to its sensitive nature, making it challenging to address openly. The increasing use of digital technology and social media exacerbates this problem, providing predators with more tools to exploit children.

Children are especially vulnerable, facing serious threats to their physical and emotional well-being. Despite global efforts to combat OSEC, the ubiquity of the internet and advancements in technology have made prevention and intervention difficult. Early identification …

Between The Calm Lake Waters, Adrian Martinez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Once Upon An Early Writing Experience: Connecting Memory With Literacy Instruction In Pre-Service Teacher Education, Jue Wang, Jingru Lu

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Through a narrative-based case study design, this research connects pre-service teachers’ early writing memories with their studies in writing instruction to explore how multi-layered and multi-faceted writing experiences across time and space influence teaching beliefs and practices. This article invites audiences to vicariously experience these pedagogical encounters, reflect on journeys to becoming writing teachers, and shed light onto the implications of teaching early writing. Comic artifacts and interview data were collected from nine pre-service teachers who learned to teach early writing/language arts in a four-year public university in the Inland Northwest. Based on the participants’ comics and narratives, four themes …

Ctrl + Alt + Inner Speech: A Verbal–Cognitive Scaffold (Vcs) Model Of Pathways To Computational Thinking, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

This theoretical paper introduces the Verbal–Cognitive Scaffold (VCS) Model, a cognitively inclusive framework which proposes the cognitive architectures underlying computational thinking (CT). Moving beyond monolithic theories of cognition (e.g., executive-function and metacognitive control models), the VCS Model posits inner speech (InSp) as the predominant cognitive pathway supporting CT operations in neurotypical populations. Synthesizing interdisciplinary scholarship across cognitive science, computational theory, neurodiversity research, and others, this framework articulates distinct mechanisms through which InSp supports CT. The model specifies four primary pathways linking InSp to CT components: verbal working memory supporting decomposition, symbolic representation facilitating pattern recognition and abstraction, sequential processing enabling …

An Interdisciplinary Tabletop Simulation For Disaster Preparedness In Nursing Education, Lori Ann Minton, Gabri Warren, Lauren Rollins Lwanga

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary tabletop simulation on student learning outcomes and American Association of Colleges of Nursing core competences related to disaster preparedness.

Nurses deliver a variety of services in the community and acute care settings and have historically been highly active in volunteerism. Disaster preparedness education can prepare future nurses to meet the needs of their communities during these emergency situations. There are opportunities to provide disaster preparedness education to nursing students using the AACN competencies and domains related to disaster response through simulation.

This IRB reviewed mixed methods study …

Building Research Capacity: Challenges And Lessons Of An Undergraduate Nursing Research Program, Elizabeth Ann Anderson, Leeanne B. Sherwin

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: The future of nursing scholarship relies on developing research capacity throughout the professional education trajectory. Nurse educators find motivating undergraduate nursing students to engage in the research process a challenge.¹ Understanding of the nursing research process and its link to optimal clinical practice is not well understood by undergraduate nursing students.² Global health challenges and issues impacting nursing education, such as faculty retirements and decreasing numbers of nurses pursuing research-focused doctoral degrees, necessitate introducing nursing students to the research process early, creatively, and consistently throughout their educational journey.³

Purpose: Describe the challenges and lessons …