Digital Commons Network^™

November 18, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Interpersonal Violence Within Same-Sex Relationships: Survivors’ Perspectives Of Counselor Competency, Cheryl Ann D' La Rotta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Survivors of same-sex intimate partner violence (IPV) face negative mental health consequences. A lack of research exists on how social support, emotional and coping regulation, and counselors’ behaviors, knowledge, and skills affect the help-seeking behaviors and therapeutic outcomes of survivors of same-sex IPV. Addressing the gap is important because recent studies report an increase in same-sex IPV but low levels of help-seeking behaviors in response. If unaddressed, IPV can affect the well-being and safety of those partnered individuals. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of same-sex IPV survivors who received therapeutic counseling. The …

Integrating Successful Advanced Technology Adoption Strategies In Organizational Human Resource Management, Darnetta P. Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human resource (HR) leaders in medium- to large-sized organizations across the Northeast United States continue to experience challenges when adopting advanced HR technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, blockchain, and cloud-based systems. HR leaders are concerned about employee resistance to change, limited training resources, and financial constraints, which hinder employee engagement and operational efficiency. Grounded in diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies HR leaders implement to successfully integrate advanced HR technologies while maintaining workforce engagement and performance. The participants included six HR leaders from diverse industries with successful experience in …

Emotional Communication In The Healthcare Industry, Brandon Dolan

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Through conducting interviews with healthcare professionals and the study of data that reviews the role of emotional communication in the healthcare industry, I can conclude that there are several challenges that healthcare professionals experience when communicating emotions. To begin, there is the existence of implicit and explicit feeling and display rules that are demanded by both clients, patients, and organizations. There are expectations and obligations that healthcare professionals must meet in terms of the emotions they experience and the behaviors they express to ensure the functionality of their industry. In response to these feeling and display rules, employees often find …

Why Some Adventurers Chase Danger To Find Meaning, Jordan Karnbach

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Climbing mountains or going adventuring in hostile terrain can be dangerous, even life-threatening. But a University of Mississippi marketing professor found the old adage that "with great risk comes great reward" holds clues to why thrill-seeking is so satisfying.

Decreasing Symptoms Of Burnout In Nurses Through Mindfulness Training, Mckenzie Posey

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: An important initiative in many healthcare systems is aiming to reduce stress, not only because of the psychological effects, but because of the effect it has on the safety of our patients and their outcomes. Nurses’ stress levels have increased over the years and have an impact on healthcare outcomes, staff satisfaction and retention, and patient safety.

Problem: Patient safety and quality of care are the most important pieces of healthcare, but taking care of our healthcare providers should also be at the top of the list to address this global, national, and local nursing issue. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction …

Developing Interventions To Improve Future Age And Situation Specific Mask Wearing, John Knight, Barbara R. Medvec, Patrick Hammett

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that masks lower a person’s exposure to respiratory infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend situation-specific mask-wearing to protect oneself from COVID-19 variants and other viruses. Yet, the clinical community continues to struggle with targeting interventions to increase the likelihood of mask-wearing when the risk of virus exposure is higher in the post-pandemic environment. In this study, we applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) to identify the attitudes and beliefs influencing mask-wearing and recommend targeted interventions for low-frequency mask wearers in CDC recommended situations.

Methods: We administered a …

Of Rollercoasters And Resilience: The Role Of Ceos’ Biases And Heuristics For Large Firms’ Technological Innovation, Cristina O. Vlas, Radu E. Vlas

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

How do CEOs’ personality biases and motivational heuristics influence innovation in large firms? Because large-firm innovation is more common and less risky, overlooked factors—such as narcissism, self-monitoring, and promotion or prevention foci—become pivotal. Drawing on these traits, we found that narcissistic CEOs differ from self-monitoring CEOs in driving innovation. Moreover, the effect of self-monitoring CEOs depends on whether their regulatory focus is oriented toward promotion or prevention. However, this interplay between personality and motivation does not apply to narcissistic CEOs, suggesting that certain characteristics remain relatively fixed. These findings advance the understanding of how CEO traits shape large-firm innovation and …

The Experiences Of African Americans Seeking Health Care Services, Sandy Latreice Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care experiences are shaped by life events and cultural background, making engagement with providers individualized. African Americans have historically reported distrust of health professionals due to targeted mistreatment. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of middle-aged African American adults receiving care from non-African American health care providers. Rosenstock’s health belief model was the framework for the study. Nine participants were recruited from social media using purposeful sampling. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews held on Zoom. Saldana’s four-step qualitative data analysis process was utilized to analyze the data. The results of the data …

The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of German Volunteers Aged 55 Or Older In Development Service In Tanzania, Barbara Wohanka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As global aging trends and longer life expectancy encourage many seniors to seek meaningful engagement through volunteering, this research examined how such activities influence their perceptions and experiences. While much of the existing literature on volunteering in later life has concentrated on individuals involved in local community service, little research has addressed what motivates seniors to volunteer abroad. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions and lived experiences of German volunteers aged 55 or older in development service in Tanzania and the influence of these experiences on their lives. The theoretical framework examined the guiding approaches …

Promote A Healthy Learning Environment By Responding To Transition To Practice Safety Concerns, Julie Miller, Sara Grieshop

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: The ECRI recognized transition to practice (TTP) as 2024’s top patient safety concern. Challenges newly licensed nurses (NLNs) face during TTP and orientation (TTP/O) include: developing competence in managing patient care complexities and integrating into interprofessional teams. Job satisfaction, retention rates, nurse well-being, and patient outcomes are affected by the TTP/O periods.

Purpose: Our goal is to support NLNs with TTP challenges. A TTP/O pathway including nurse competencies with measurable performance outcomes (POs) and essential knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), and digital knowledge assessment tools was developed and implemented.

Methodology: A staged orientation to assess overall competency and a …

Early Laser For Burns Scars (Elabs): A Qualitative Exploration, Vanessa Heaslip, Sharon Dochety, Shelley Rhodes, Obioha Ukoumunne, Katie Breheny, Kate Attrill, Jonathon Pleat, Mark P. Brewin

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Burns are a global public health issue. Due to improvements in burn management, mortality rates are reducing, resulting in burns being a leading cause of morbidity globally (WHO 2023). Up to 70% of patients develop hypertrophic scars after burns (Finnerty et al., 2016) as well as other associated physical (itching, pain, tightness and limited joint mobility) and psychological complications (low mood, anxiety and PTSD). These complications have a significant impact upon the individual’s quality-of-life which Finnerty et al., (2016) argues is the greatest unmet challenge in burn rehabilitation. Current treatments for burn scar management include moisturisation, silicone gel, pressure therapy, …

Quality Of Life Of Young Adults Living With Chronic Kidney Disease At A Tertiary Hospital In Ghana, Gloria Achempim-Ansong, Menford Owusu Ampohah, Ramatu Tanko Adams

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Globally, Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent (10-13% of the population), irreversible, progressive, and associated with higher cardiovascular risk. The diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is still a death sentence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In Ghana, some patients with moderate to advanced CKD eventually progress to end-stage renal disease and have poor quality of life (QOL). Attempts to lower the morbidity and mortality of kidney disease may be thwarted by rising economic and health inequities, migration, demographic change, unsafe working conditions, environmental risks, natural disasters, and pollution. Young adults perform worse than younger adolescents do or older …

Decoding Teen Slang: A Simulation Model For Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Education, Kristen M. Vandenberg

Biennial Convention (CONV)

In the rapidly evolving world of teen and young adult slang, staying current with the latest terminology is crucial for healthcare professionals working with this demographic. For providers in psychiatric and mental health fields, an understanding of this evolving language can facilitate improved communication and foster trust, thereby enhancing clinical outcomes.

This study introduces a simulation model specifically designed for nurse practitioner students in a psychiatric mental health program, aiming to bridge the communication gap between providers and young clients. Grounded in a conceptual framework of cultural competence and communication theory, the simulation seeks to improve student understanding of adolescent …

Ucc Minutes 11-18-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Icc Agenda 11-18-25, Angela Brock

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Approved Courses 11-18-25, Angela Brock

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Program Agenda 11-18-25, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Awareness Of Non-Verbal Communication For Safety In Mental Health Nursing Students, Sheryl Cornelius

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Preparing nursing students for clinical in the Mental/Behavioral Health field is always challenging. Students are often fearful of the experience which narrows their opportunities for learning in the clinical setting. One pre-licensure baccalaureate program in the South East United States (SE US) sought to elay some of those fears through preparation techniques before the clinical experience. One of the techniques was an increase in the awareness of Non-Verbal Communication in clients as to allow the student to be prepared for potential violence.

The students were first given a pre-clinical questionaire to see where their baseline was with knowledge and attitudes …

Lgbt Healthcare Access Experiences - “I Had A Doctor Who Literally Tried To Kill Me", Austin Nation

Biennial Convention (CONV)

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to: (a) explore the current experiences and needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population when accessing healthcare services. LGBT individuals are known to experience adverse situations when accessing health care services.

METHODS: Qualitative focus groups were conducted with members of the LGBT community utilizing a cross-sectional convenience sample from two organizations serving the LGBT community. Analysis was done to examine themes and to look for differences and similarities within and between LGBT sub-populations.

RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the analysis including: issues accessing LGBT providers, need for LGBT competency and …

Impact Of A Design Thinking Workshop On Students' Knowledge, Confidence, And Perceived Benefits, Janice Evans Hawkins, Beth Tremblay, Robert Joseph Hawkins

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Design Thinking is gaining recognition as an innovative and creative approach to problem solving. Though nurse leaders need problem solving tools to address health care challenges, Design Thinking concepts are not commonly taught in nursing education. To introduce graduate level nursing students to Design Thinking, we held an educational activity focused on this content as part of required coursework.

Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to describe and compare outcomes of a Design Thinking educational activity on students' perceived knowledge, confidence, and benefits to nursing practice.

Methods: Graduate level nursing students participated in a 3-hour educational activity. After …

Child Poverty: Understanding The Emotional Labor Of Social Work Professionals, Aamir Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child Poverty: Understanding the Emotional Labor of Social Work Professionals by Aamir Terry MSW, Walden University 2019 BS, Central State University 2008 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Social Work Walden University November 2025

African Americans’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Childhood Community Violence And Historical Oppression On Parenting, Iyabo Adediran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have detrimental impacts on lifelong functioning. Although African Americans experience disproportionately higher rates of community violence, one type of ACE, the potential long-term impacts of exposure to such violence and of historical oppression on their parenting practices in adulthood, was little understood. In this qualitative study, an ethnographic approach was used to explore African American parents’ perceptions of how early exposure to community violence (before age of 18) and the intergenerational transmission of historical oppression influenced their current parenting practices. The conceptual framework, which integrated Engel’s biopsychosocial model and Bowen’s family systems theory, provided a …

Middle-Class Black Women, The Strong Black Women Role, And Seeking Treatment For Depression, Kendra Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored how middle-class Black women perceive seeking mental health treatment for depression while identifying with the Strong Black Woman (SBW) role. This study investigated how middle-class Black women perceive seeking mental health treatment for depression while identifying with the Strong Black Woman role and how they interpret this role in relation to coping with depression. Guided by a social constructionist framework, the study used a qualitative design. Eight women who identified as middle-class, experienced depression, and endorsed the SBW role participated in semi-structured interviews. Braun and Clarke’s six phase thematic analysis revealed six themes: therapy as cultural …

Faculty Perceptions Of Efforts To Address The Underrepresentation Of Minority Full-Time Faculty In U.S. Nursing Programs, Akua Oxendine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study is that, despite longstanding efforts to promote diversity in higher education, faculty from racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in nursing programs in the United States. Guided by critical race theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing faculty perceptions of the effectiveness and challenges of institutional efforts to address underrepresentation. Using purposive sampling, 12 nursing faculty members with knowledge of or experience with diversity initiatives were recruited as participants. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. Through a six-phase thematic analysis, nursing faculty identified five critical insights: (a) diversity messaging often …

Implementation Strategies For Microservice Architecture In The Banking Sector, Gururaj Achar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) leaders in regulated banking face significant risks related to system complexity and cybersecurity when implementing large-scale systems. Although microservice architecture (MSA) offers enhanced scalability and agility, IT leaders lack specific strategic guidance for its effective adoption within highly regulated banking environments. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, the purpose of this qualitative, pragmatic study was to explore effective MSA adoption strategies for IT architects and managers transitioning legacy systems to support risk and compliance management. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with seven banking IT leaders and were analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: adoption drivers …

Stigma Associated With Using Mental Health Services Among The Igbos In Nigeria, Emmanuel Okoye Sr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the impact of stigma and cultural beliefs on help-seeking behaviors among the Igbo tribe in Nigeria. The importance of this issue lies in its potential to increase access to mental health services and foster well-being among Igbo community members who might be harmed by stigma and cultural barriers. The study's theoretical framework was the cultural theory of mental illness, which emphasizes how cultural values and beliefs influence how people perceive and express their mental health. This study aimed to offer guidance for interventions and programs that address mental health disparities in the Igbo community by comprehending the …

The Experience Of Modern Day Marriages For Women Who Identify As Strong Black Women, Arielle Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema has been explored during the past two decades; however, limited research has been conducted on the phenomenological experiences of Black women who identify with the characteristics of the SBW schema and their impact on Black and African American marriages. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of married African American women in modern day marriages who endorse the characteristics of the superwoman schema. This qualitative study was an interpretative phenomenological analysis and focused on the lived experiences of this population. Individual interviews of 12 married African American women who identified …

Quality Assessment Of Pathology Board-Exam-Style Mcqs Produced By Chatgpt3.5: A Comparative Study, Arianna B. Morton, Zunaira Naeem, Allison F. Goldberg, Alexis R. Peedin, Joanna Chan

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Residents preparing for pathology board exams frequently use multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from question banks (QBs) like PathDojo and PathPrimer, which can be costly. ChatGPT, a free tool, has been used to generate MCQs for other tests like the SAT. This study compared the quality of pathology MCQs created by ChatGPT versus commercially available study questions for the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) certifying exams. A rubric adapted from the National Board of Medical Examiners’ (NBME) question writing guide was validated by two pathologists using commercially available pathology board exam questions. This rubric was then used to evaluate MCQs from commercially …

Predicting School Readiness In Head Start Children: The Role Of The Home Literacy Environment, Executive Function, And Cumulative Risk Factors, Danielle Davis-Newman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Children from low-income families often begin school behind their more affluent peers, showing delays in cognitive, social-emotional, and academic skills. This study examined how variations in the home literacy environment (HLE) and executive function (EF) contributed to school readiness gaps among children facing multiple risk factors. The purpose was to understand whether the HLE supported children’s EF skills, how cumulative family risk shaped these associations, and whether EF was a pathway linking the HLE to school readiness outcomes. Data were drawn from the 2019 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019), using a nationally representative sample of 1,482 …