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Washington University Magazine, August 2023

Washington University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Washington University Magazine, December 2023

Washington University Magazine

No abstract provided.

Improving Intravenous Catheter Insertion Success In Difficult Access Patients, Heidi Berry

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Around one in every nine Emergency Department (ED) patients have Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) and 25% of ED patients will require more than one attempt (Fields et al., 2014a). Failed insertion attempts contribute to decreased patient satisfaction, care delays, and financial losses. The freestanding ED affiliated with a multi-state, not-for-profit healthcare system in an urban community had difficulty with first-attempt Peripheral IV (PIV) insertion success in identified patients. The target population was the clinical staff of the freestanding ED which included Registered Nurses and Paramedics. The objective outcome was to enhance personal knowledge of PIV catheter insertion in difficult-access patients …

Increasing Clergy Members Awareness, Sensitivity, And Knowledge (Ask) Of The Lgbtqia+ Community Improves Health Outcomes, Claudette Green

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Introduction: Individuals who identify as belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community in the context of religion and faith often experience spiritual discrimination and are made to feel like an outcast (Cole & Harris, 2017). Often, spiritual leaders lack the training, knowledge, and skills necessary to understand and communicate in a way that offers solace and comfort to their LGBTQIA+ congregants (Yarhouse & Sadusky, 2020). Moreover, the church has been at the forefront of leading the discrimination and condemnation of LGBTQIA+ members. This discrimination has led many to leave the church and become involved in self-harming behavior, ongoing mental health struggles, …

Decreasing Nursing Burnout Post Covid-19 Pandemic Through Complementary Therapies, Linda Martiin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to address the problem of nursing burnout post COVID-19 pandemic through complementary therapies. Nursing burnout can be mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion which an excessive amount of prolonged stress can cause. Nursing burnout has affected nursing staff worldwide, directly impacting the care provided to patients and the patient's satisfaction. The Nursing Worklife Model was utilized as the theoretical framework for this project (Appendix A). The literature review exhibits the prevalence of nursing burnout in nursing staff. A quantitative study was utilized for this project. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory was utilized to establish the participant's level …

Increasing Future Health Care Providers’ Understanding Of The Complexity Of Endometriosis To Facilitate Early Diagnosis, Christina Alexander

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The DNP project was designed to improve future healthcare providers’ knowledge on the complexity of endometriosis by providing students with a lunch and learn session on endometriosis. The intent of the project implementation was to improve students’ knowledge on endometriosis to facilitate early diagnosis for patients. Improving provider knowledge of evidence-based endometriosis guidelines is imperative to achieve early diagnosis. The educational session provided students with information regarding symptoms, impact of delayed diagnosis, discerning differential diagnoses, associating timing of symptoms, and identifying endometriosis lesions. The impact of the project implementation was measured using pre/post-survey data evaluating overall knowledge, symptoms awareness, “best …

Self-Advocacy Training To Support Self-Confidence In Transition To Practice, Debora Shingleton Allder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The crisis in the competency of newly licensed graduate nurses continues to grow despite the efforts of nursing academia. Transition to practice programs has improved new graduate attrition and narrowed the gap of practice readiness, but much of the responsibility to train graduate nurses falls on nurse preceptors. Many of these preceptors have minimal nursing experience and little to no training in fostering clinical judgment. Furthermore, nurse preceptors must balance providing care for their clients while also guiding novice nurses. They often do not have the time to provide the emotional support, real-time reflection, and timely feedback required to …

A Phenomenological Study Of K-12 Educators' Perceptions Of Social Emotional Learning For K-12 Students In Southern Illinois., Ruth Cahill

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this Phenomenological study was to analyze K-12 educators’ lived experiences, opinions, and perceptions regarding the impact of social emotional learning implementation in a small school district in Southern Illinois. Results revealed four consistent codes: Educator competence – the participants revealed that they did not feel competent enough to correctly implement SEL due to lack of consistent, on-going SEL training; Efficacy – due to school closures, virtual instruction, and inconsistencies caused by the corona-virus pandemic, SEL implementation in the school district was discontinued until further notice; Perception – the participants expressed that when implemented correctly, they believe that …

An Exploratory Study Of Ergonomics In College Students, Wesley Ryan Tinker

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between poor ergonomic conditions and student physiological discrepancies. This examination provided great insight into students’ daily experiences and concerns for their futures. The methodology used for this study was quantitative as two source data sets were collected and analyzed. The tool REBA was used to measure the specific body angles while students sat working. A survey yielded great results, giving the students an opportunity to subjectively choose options.

This exploratory study allowed the researcher to use quantitative data to answer this study’s research questions. The research questions asked from this study were …

Factors Contributing To The Attrition Of Female Agriculture Education Teachers, Kellie Daniel

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural education is a multifaceted program comprising the three-ring agricultural model encompassing classroom/laboratory instruction, FFA, and Supervised Agricultural Experiences (National FFA Organization, 2021). Each of these components requires dedicated time and, therefore, additional stress. Agricultural educator attrition is a problem that is experienced nationwide, with fewer teachers to fill open positions (Foster et al., 2021a). The current study aims to identify factors that lead to female educators’ loss and burnout. The study is rooted in the Job Demands-Resource Theory, where job demand can contribute to burnout while job resources provide relief from these symptoms. Female educators in Georgia were asked …

Binge Drinking In College: A Phenomenological Study, Kristin Andrews

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study examined the personal experiences, habits, and perceptions of post-secondary students who binge drink. This study was guided by 3 research questions as well as pre-existing research into collegiate binge drinking. The experiences shared by participants showed that despite serious negative outcomes, students binge drink because they feel negatives are far outweighed by the positive social interactions and fun drinking creates. While all of the participants in this study are considered binge drinkers who abuse alcohol, none of the participants considered their drinking to be problematic. The participants shared their intent to stop their current drinking patters …

Higher Education Awareness Amongst Noncommissioned Officers In The United States Army, Amanda Houser

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Insufficient research exists concerning why active-duty enlisted noncommissioned officers do not pursue education past a high school diploma. Although higher education is becoming a minimum qualification in the civilian world, only 17% of enlisted servicemembers have higher than a high school degree. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences, beliefs, and awareness of Army education benefits and the disconnect between higher education enrollment and active-duty noncommissioned officers. Two-hundred and sixty-five enlisted active-duty noncommissioned officers participated in an online survey and fifty-two noncommissioned officers participated in a one-on-one interview. Using a qualitative, grounded theory research design, both …

Women Pursuing An Agricultural Systems Technology Degree, Tanya Milam

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This phenomenological research study examined the factors influencing women to pursue an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) degree and their self-efficacy in that field of study. Two research questions guided this study and data was analyzed from interviewing women enrolled in an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) program at a mid-western university. The resulting four categories of Agricultural Experiences, Aptitude, Support, and Motivation were broken down into themes. The results were also applied to the theoretical framework of self-efficacy associated with career choice theories. Limitations of scope and generalizability indicate that further investigation of this topic is highly recommended.

Keywords: …

Implications Of Lgbtq Identity On Help-Seeking In College Students, Matthew T. Allen

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

LGBTQ individuals find themselves experiencing both mental and physical health concerns at disproportionate rates than cisgender and heterosexual individuals. However, LGBTQ individuals have been shown to seek help for these concerns. Studies examining this phenomenon on college campuses have focused predominantly on mental health concerns. This study hoped to look at both physical and mental health concerns and determine the implications of an LGBTQ identity on help-seeking behavior in college students. The study utilized quantitative research methods through targeted snowball sampling on social media and email. At the conclusion of the collection period, 61 participants completed a survey that included …

Self-Diagnosis & Pathologizing Normality During The Information Age, Chelsey Eaton

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Self-diagnosis has become a concern for medical and mental health diagnoses. More people are engaging in self-diagnosis based on information that was obtained from the internet, including websites, social media platforms, and online forums. There are several reasons one may choose to self-diagnose. Some common reasons outlined in research are the desire to fit in with others who share similar characteristics and having a label to explain one’s experiences. Past research has shown that people frequently search for mental health information online, but they may not understand or may misinterpret the information that is found. This study aimed to address …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Disease Severity Among Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Rowida Mohamed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Predicting the survival of patients with Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains challenging due to the remarkable heterogeneity of the disease prognosis. Therefore, developing reliable prognostic tools is of utmost importance in IPF management. Nomograms currently represent the most accurate and discriminatory tools for predicting outcomes, with superior performance compared to the commonly used integer score approach. Therefore, developing a valid local nomogram to predict mortality among patients with IPF is warranted. Additionally, IPF is characterized by a high symptom burden significantly impacting Health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Accurately measuring HRQoL in IPF is crucial as it guides treatment decisions …

Fathers’ Perspectives And Challenges Regarding Their Child’S School Readiness, Ula Pretlow Lyons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A key influence of children’s school readiness is parental engagement, yet less is known about father engagement. This paper explores fathers’ perspectives and challenges regarding their child’s school readiness. Data was collected from twelve fathers within a pool of community-based preschools in a large rural region in a southeastern state in the United States. A qualitative method was adopted using interviews to gather data. Findings revealed fathers perceived their engagement in supporting children’s social skills, approaches to learning, and grandparents’ influence attributed to preparing children for kindergarten. However, fathers were challenged with work obligations, feelings of inadequacy, and children’s attention …

Sense And Sensitivity: Spatial Structure Of Conspecific Signals During Social Interaction, Keshav Ramachandra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organisms rely on sensory systems to gather information about their environment. Localizing the source of a signal is key in guiding the behavior of the animal successfully. Localization mechanisms must cope with the challenges of representing the spatial information of weak, noisy signals. In this dissertation, I investigate the spatial dynamics of natural stimuli and explore how the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish encodes these realistic spatial signals. To do so In Chapter 2, I develop a model that examines the strength of the signal as it reaches the sensory array and simulates the responses of the receptors. The …

Profiles Of Positive And Negative Risk-Taking Among Asian And Non-Asian American Emerging Adults, Yea Won Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emerging adults can engage in both positive and negative risk-taking. Based on recent previous research that identified various risk-taking profiles (Duell et al., 2022), the current project extends the literature in several ways. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify profiles of risk-taking behavior among US college students, (2) examine how correlates of cognitive values and interpersonal factors relate to risk-taking groups, and (3) investigate the role of cultural values in risk-taking profiles among Asian and non-Asian American college students. The sample was 401 participants recruited from universities in the US. Latent Profile Analyses indicated that 4-profile solution …

Testing The Theory Of Resilience And Relational Load In The Context Of Empty Nesters, Lauren E. Fellers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In examining the marital communication of recent empty nesters, the aim of this study was to test the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) (Afifi et al., 2016). The postparental period that follows directly after children leave their parents’ places of residence may present unique challenges for married individuals to navigate together. The TRRL offers a potential explanation as to why some married couples demonstrate resilience and flourish through a stressful season while others do not. To test the TRRL in this context, 113 married persons who became empty nesters within the previous 18 months filled out an online …

Effects Of Combined Ethanol And Nicotine Administration On Delay Discounting In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Rebecca Lillian Chalme

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine (NIC) are among the most commonly used and co-used drugs in the world. Co-use occurs in people who use one or both drugs chronically, but also in people who only consume one or both drugs acutely, often in a “bingeing and chipping” pattern. Given that each drug on its own has previously been shown to affect impulsive choice in delay-discounting procedures, with some indication that drug effects could vary by sex, the purpose of the present experiments was to investigate effects of combined EtOH and NIC at a range of dose combinations on delay discounting in …

The Mental Health Outcomes Of First-Generation Collegiate Clients Compared To Their Non-First-Generation Peers, Cassandra Rose Homick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Numerous research studies have investigated the mental health concerns and needs of college students. However, there is a need for additional research to understand the unique presenting mental health concerns of first-generation college students at university counseling centers in the US. The current study was a non-experimental exploratory research study that utilized secondary data analysis to examine and compare the sociodemographic profiles, mental health needs, and presenting problems of first-generation students compared to their non-first-generation peers at university counseling centers (UCCs) in the US. In Part One of the study, comparisons were drawn between first-generation and non-first-generation collegiate clients on …

Correlates Of Mental Health Clinician Self-Awareness And Insight Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Susan L. Mcinvale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOlder adults (ages 65 and older) are expected to increase in the United States by over 70 million by the year 2030. The older adult population requires specialized medical and mental health services to address the needs related to aging. Mental health clinicians trained to address these needs may help older adults to utilize mental health counseling. Self-awareness of attitudes, insight, and knowledge may be skills that affect the attitudes of mental health clinicians toward older adults. Previous research has found that mental health clinicians who engage in self-awareness during a counseling session may improve counseling competency; however, little research …

Effects Of Supermax On Inmate Mental Health: Phenomenological Experiences Of Knowledgeable Professionals, Lea Michelle Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It may or may not be true that the conditions and practices associated with supermax sentencing are both creating and exacerbating psychological harm for the inmates who are exposed to them. To date, there is evidence that both supports and refutes the contention that supermax sentencing is psychologically harmful; thus, the literature necessitates additional research into this phenomenon. This qualitative study was conducted to add to the extant body of knowledge relevant to supermax prisons and populations by exploring the lived experiences of professionals who have worked with them. This research was conceptually based in the current understanding of social …

Male Sexual Offender Recidivism Impact On Sex Crime Investigations, Jessica Ann Muccione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to explore how male sexual offender recidivism impacted sex crime investigations. Recidivism is a widely recognized social problem that affects all of society. Understanding the influence that male sex offender recidivism may have on a sex crime investigation is key to recognizing its relationship to recidivism. The methodology used in this study was a basic qualitative inquiry to explore how male sex offender recidivism impacts sex crime investigations. Based on Hirschi’s social bond theory, the study addressed ways a sexual offender may conform to societal requirements through attachments and personal values. The application of …

Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Amongst Adolescents 13 To 18 Years Of Age, Ngwanma Nwokoro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Sexually transmitted infections or diseases (STIs/STDs) acquired through sexual activities lead to compromised sexual health. The adolescent population is at high risk of acquiring STIs/STDs due to their lack of knowledge. The gap in practice was that the nurse practitioners (NPs) were deficient in standard of care; adolescent patients lacked consistent evaluation, education, or documentation of the education in their medical records. The practice-focused question focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) initiative that incorporated the use of the American Association for Pediatrics screening and Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) treatment guidelines …

A Staff Education Project On The Administration Of Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Treatment Of Obesity And Overweight Children And Adolescents, Emilia Ochiabuto Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity among children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions in the United States (U.S). Nurses in pediatric settings have a critical role to play in assessing and managing childhood obesity. The partner site for this project has a childhood obesity rate of 35% compared to the national average of 19%. However, the nursing staff lacked adequate knowledge, competence, and confidence in assessing and managing childhood obesity in line with the recommended guidelines. The problem was addressed by implementing the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Obesity and Overweight Children and Adolescents via an education program. The program’s content was …

Wvu Core Arboretum User Motivations, Demographics, And Satisfaction: A Snapshot From Summer Of 2022 To Spring Of 2023, Bennett F. Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper presents a comprehensive examination of user motivations, demographics, and satisfaction levels at the West Virginia University (WVU) Core Arboretum during the period spanning from the summer of 2022 to the spring of 2023. Green spaces across the United States have seen an increase in public attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and are actively seeking to capitalize on the renewed interest. Seeking to aid the WVU Core Arboretum in garnering renewed public interest, this study utilized a survey comprising sections on user perceptions, demographics, satisfaction, and usage that garnered 182 responses.

Demographic analysis of the survey …

Advancing Prosthetic Design Using Neural And Mechanical Dynamics, Kacie E. Hanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Limb loss poses a significant challenge to mobility and the performance of daily activities. Currently, nearly half of the amputees using powered prosthetics abandon their device due to inadequate limb coordination and movement control abilities. In the healthy system, passive and neural dynamics facilitate the synchronized activation of muscles necessary for coordinated movement. However, in the amputee, the system is disrupted. The goal of this research is to use neural and mechanical dynamics to inform the design of prosthetic devices in order to restore intuitive control and coordinated limb movement.

The first aim of this research is to investigate neural …

Comparing Activity-Based Market Segments On The George Washington And Jefferson National Forests Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eric Eugene Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding market segments in forest-based tourism and their dynamics is integral for the tourism industry's ability to adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving market. The purpose of this research is to determine how recreation participation changed over a five-year period in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests before and during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data were collected via the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) surveys in fiscal years 2016 and 2021. NVUM surveys are on-site exit interview surveys that produce descriptive information about forest visitors. NVUM utilizes a stratified random sampling methodology that captures data across different use levels, …