Digital Commons Network^™

A Peer-Mediated Art Program For Secondary Education Students: An Occupation Based Approach, Kjersten B. Sievers

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this 14-week capstone project was to explore the impact of a peer-mediated art program on the social and occupational experiences of students with disabilities. This program was designed and implemented to promote inclusion of students with disabilities by providing an opportunity to interact with typically developing peers within their school-context. The 7-week peer-mediated art program was embedded into a startup peer-program at a high school. A total of 10 participants (4 from special education) were recruited to complete the study. Students met for three 45-minute sessions and one 90-minute session each week as part of the program’s …

Occupational Therapy Intervention To Promote Recovery Of Individuals Impacted By Human Trafficking And Service Provider Well-Being, Carlyn J. Paxton

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Individuals impacted by human trafficking experience prolonged traumatic experiences and a lack of personal autonomy. Literature indicates that after exiting trafficking situations, individuals face barriers re-integrating into the community. Additionally, workers and advocates who provide after-care services experience increased occupational hazards impacting the quality of care provided and personal well-being. This capstone project aims to increase student’s clinical skills for providing trauma informed occupational therapy to individuals exiting trafficking and to expand OT’s role in combating occupational hazards for providers through self-care-based occupations. Using a previously conducted needs assessment and a conceptual framework comprised of evidence-based models, this project includes …

Njcaa Athletes' Psychological Preparedness To Return To Sport Following Injury Without The Use Of Psychological Readiness Tools, Lyndsey E. Gough

Master of Science in Kinesiology

The purpose of this study was to evaluate NJCAA level athletes’ psychological readiness to return to play (RTP) after injury without the use of screening tools. Confidence levels and mood disturbances experienced by athletes while they were injured and first returning to sport following injury were investigated using mixed methodology. Forty-one National Junior College Athletic Association level athletes participated in an online survey that utilized the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Scale (I-PRRS), Brunel Mood Rating Scale (BRUMS), and open-ended questions related to mental readiness. The average total score for the I-PRRS scale was 41.6 while the BRUMS subscale …

The Matthew Effect Within South Side Chicago Public Schools, Jazmin S. Hollingsworth

Honors Capstones

The Matthew Effect was first developed by sociologist Robert Merton (1968) to describe a phenomenon they observed whereby wealth and credit is distributed to individuals based on the wealth or credit they already possess. Keith Stanovich further developed this theory around poverty and effects on students, their learning, and in particular reading (1986). The name Matthew Effect comes from the Bible book of Matthew chapter 25: verse 29. "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath." The dynamics of poverty …

Exploitation Of The Screaming: Sexual Violence In Horror Film, Chloe Watson

Honors Theses

Sexual violence has been routinely represented in film since the start of cinema, and these representations can vary greatly depending on the time, director, and genre. In the horror genre specifically, representations of sexual violence are common. Male directors, in particular, create stories of female-centered sexual violence, which can come across as authentic or exploitative. Films such as It Follows and Last Night in Soho display sexual violence in more acceptable ways, while films like All Hallows’ Eve and The Devil’s Rejects exploit the experience for various reasons. The exploitative films have detrimental effects on an audience member’s mentality, as …

Embodied Queerness: Exploring Cultural Dimensions Of Asian Queer Body Narratives, A Literature Review, Wanyi Huang

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The author explores the Asian queer narrative by investing in related articles and literature on body art in this capstone thesis. In the thesis, body art is identified as a way of self-expression that serves as a creative outlet for play, artistic expression, and advocacy. The concept of body modifications, such as tattoos or piercings, can be viewed as acts of resistance to challenging societal norms. In a larger scope, it can also include changing body shape, such as fitness and cosmetic surgery (Pitts, 2000). People engage in body modification practices to express themselves to the world, show creativity, and …

The Use Of Mirroring For Couples Exploring Attuning, Intimacy, Empathy, And Attachment Through Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Lydia Roderick

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review attempts to address the complex nature of couples work using a dance/movement therapy (DMT) intervention technique called mirroring. This is explored to see if mirroring can advance a couple’s level of attachment, intimacy, empathy, and attunement. The literature review gives an overview of topics such as couples therapy work, DMT, dance/movement therapy for couples (DMT-C), attunement, attachment theory, intimacy, and empathy. The review concludes with a discussion surrounding the DMT intervention of mirroring. The methodology applied focuses on DMT-C as a treatment modality to bring focus on using the mirroring intervention to build attachment and attunement. This …

The Mexican Immigrant Experience In Northwest Iowa: A Qualitative Pilot Study, Gabriela J. Luevano

Honors Thesis

This study focuses on acknowledging and amplifying the voices and experiences of the Mexican immigrant community in Northwest Iowa. To that end, the primary question this study answered was: “What is the experience of Mexican immigrants in Northwest Iowa?” Furthermore, this study focused on community, how Mexican immigrants understand it, when they do and do not experience it, and how they seek to create it. This study aimed to shed light on the unique experiences of this population and provide insights into better ways to support their well-being and integration among local communities.

Through thematic analysis, this study found that …

Emotional And Metacognitive Impacts Of A Human Anatomy Course Utilizing Three-Dimensional Learning Modalities, Shawn M. Magrum

Theses & Dissertations

A high school human anatomy course was designed to integrate three-dimensional learning modalities through the use of three-dimensional visualization technology, augmented reality, and whole-body donors (cadaveric specimens), and customized 3D digital models were created to support student learning. The course was organized so that each class meeting fell into one of six unique learning session types: lectures, augmented reality labs, gross anatomy (cadaveric) labs, content application (active learning) sessions, review sessions, and examination sessions.

An interval scale using ten emoji, each associated with a particular emotional valence (i.e., pleasantness) level, was developed and integrated into the course to track students’ …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Video Self-Monitoring On Staff Treatment Integrity During Covert And Overt Observations, Amber R. Paden

Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has shown low treatment integrity can lead to decreased effectiveness and efficiency of skill acquisition during discrete-trial instruction (DTI; Carroll et al., 2013). Pantermuehl and Lechago (2015) found that during covert observations, treatment integrity ranged from 18.6 to 76% whereas during overt observations, integrity was as high as 100%. This shows reactivity is an obstacle within DTI service delivery. It is important to investigate how reactivity affects staff performance and identify ways to increase and maintain high integrity. Finding a socially acceptable, effective, and efficient method to increase and maintain high levels of staff treatment integrity during covert …

Factors Associated With Sedentary Behavior And Physical Activity During Hospitalization For Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Gisele C. Tlusty Phd, Rn

Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: Physical activity may decrease inactivity-related complications associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Factors associated with objectively measured sedentary behavior and physical activity during HSCT have not been studied adequately. This study aimed to describe the clinical and personal factors associated with sedentary behavior and physical activity starting with the day of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, for 10 days during hospitalization, and the first 7 days after discharge.

Methods: This longitudinal, observational study measured sedentary behavior and physical activity with accelerometers on HSCT days 0-4 (T1), days 5-9 (T2), and the first 7 days after hospital discharge (T3). Clinical …

Facilitators And Barriers To Implementing Effective Interprofessional Education: A Mixed Methods Study Of Academic Health Institutions With Centralized Interprofessional Education Administrative Structures, Liliana Bronner

Theses & Dissertations

Interprofessional education (IPE) is pivotal in preparing future healthcare professionals for collaborative practice, yet its effective implementation remains challenging. The purpose of this mixed methods study of multiple academic health institution cases was to explore and understand how early and late IPE adopters perceive effective IPE implementation in academic health institutions. Combining frameworks for complex innovation implementation and curriculum development with surveys and interviews reveals the facilitators and barriers of effective IPE implementation. Consistent with the framework for complex innovation implementation, leadership and administrative support, resource allocation, logistical planning, and program evaluation emerged as key facilitators of effective IPE implementation. …

Individual Differences In Age And Testosterone Are Uniquely Associated With Neural Oscillatory Activity Serving Verbal Working Memory In Children And Adolescents, Abraham D. Killanin

Theses & Dissertations

During the sensitive period of adolescence, the human brain undergoes dynamic changes in structure and function resulting in vast executive function gains. Verbal working memory (VWM) is one executive function that serves as a foundation to language acquisition, reading, and learning. Many have examined the development of VWM in youth, but few have probed age-related changes in the underlying neural oscillatory dynamics, and none have examined testosterone-related changes. We recorded magnetoencephalography during a modified Sternberg VWM task in 82 youth participants aged 6 – 14 years old and collected salivary testosterone samples. Significant oscillatory responses were identified and imaged using …

Mucin 5ac Modulates Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Heterogeneity Through Epigenetic Regulation, Rachel J. Kehrberg

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by a stroma component that comprises up to 90% of the tumor. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a significant component of the stroma and contribute to cancer pathobiology through the secretion of extracellular matrix, growth factors, metabolites, and cytokines. CAFs are a highly heterogeneous population derived from various precursors, including adipose-derived and bone marrow- derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs, BM-MSCs) and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). In this dissertation, we examine how mucin 5ac (Muc5ac) mediates the maturation of AD-MSCs, BM-MSCs, and PSCs into CAFs and the heterogeneity between CAFs derived from these various precursors. Muc5ac promotes the …

Recidivism In South Dakota, Allison L. Young

Honors Thesis

The South Dakota Criminal Justice System suffers from a high recidivism rate across the state. There are few resocialization methods used within state facilities, and the existing ones have not adequately addressed what is causing the high rate. People who are either incarcerated or were formerly incarcerated have a myriad of systematic barriers that prevent them from finding a stable footing before and after release. This literature analysis aims to compare existing resocialization methods among various countries and states to South Dakota’s techniques to identify which would be most successful for the state. Using a grounded-theory structure for the analysis …

Transforming The Discharge Conversation Through Support And Structure: A Scoping Review, Marie Haverfield, Gisselle De Leon, Angelica Johnson, Victoria L. Jackson, Geetali Basu, Jane Dodge

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: System level demands and interpersonal barriers can disrupt nurse delivery of high-quality information at discharge, which can contribute to a lack of caregiver preparedness to manage care of the patient and ultimately affect patient health.

Objective: To synthesize evidence on effective nurse communication with informal caregivers during hospital discharge of adult patients with cognitive decline or Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.

Design: A scoping review of inpatient nurse communication with informal caregivers.

Methods: Collected research (published between 2011 and 2023) from three databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL), along with a separate search for gray literature …

User Perception Of Gender Studies In Video Games, Quinn T. Gienapp

Honors Thesis

Alongside the increase in video game popularity, a subclass of games was formed that offer very unconventional gaming experiences. These games offer different stories that differ greatly from games made on multi-million-dollar budgets. Many of these types of games exist on the fringes of the industry and portray LGBTQ+ themes through their writing or gameplay. One of these games uses the medium of video games to process their trauma by relaying their own story. The game “He Fucked the Girl Out of Me” is an autobiographical video game that highlights the story of the Author and their experiences with …

An Actuarial Prediction Of Adhd Using Neuropsychological Data, Kimberlyn Williams

Poster Presentations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric diagnosis in children and a frequent psychiatric diagnosis in adults. ADHD is a clinical diagnosis based on self-reported symptoms which makes accurate diagnosis challenging. Actuarial prediction has been demonstrated to be more accurate than clinical judgment. The current study explored an actuarial approach to predicting ADHD based on a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests. This project utilized test data from Meyers Neuropsychological Battery (MNB) to develop a logistic regression model to accurately predict diagnosed ADHD cases (n=65) from normal functioning cases (n=79) with a history of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). Binary …

Testing For The Significance Of Generational Differences On Opinions Of Nuclear Power, Eli Moore

Honors Theses

Different generations have different experiences from each other depending on the circumstances of the world they were raised in. As a result, different generations have different views of different controversial topics, and there are few topics as controversial as nuclear power. Throughout its history, it has been seen as both the solution to our energy problems, as well as a threat to the safety of life as we know it. This project aims to see if such a difference exists, and if so, what factors would be most influential in creating this difference? Would the past mistakes and catastrophes shape …

Cognitive Control In Health And Disease: A Dynamic Approach To Mapping Oscillatory Activity Across The Lifespan, Mikki Schantell

Theses & Dissertations

Cognitive control is critical for flexibly adapting goal-directed behaviors to meet the demands of dynamically changing environments. The neural oscillatory dynamics serving cognitive control undergo changes across the lifespan, both in health and disease, with impairments in cognitive control functions being broadly implicated across a multitude of psychiatric disorders. Despite this, the trajectory of the population-level neural oscillatory dynamics supporting cognitive control across the lifespan remain poorly characterized, presenting challenges in fully understanding perturbations to these systems relative to one’s stage in neuronal maturation. Herein, we used the Eriksen flanker task during magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording to map the neural oscillatory …

Experiences Of Registered Nurses Returning To Practice After A Career Break, Jill V. Scott

Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the complex experiences of Registered Nurses (RNs) returning to practice, with a particular focus on the impacts of self-efficacy, recruitment strategies, and regulatory barriers. The first article, a literature review, examines the self-efficacy of RNs returning to practice, emphasizing the importance of refresher programs and support to facilitate this transition. This review also evaluated the preparedness of RNs re-entering the workforce, and evaluated the role of self-efficacy in successful reintegration into clinical practice. The second manuscript delves into the challenges of reaching and recruiting health professionals who have left the profession, identifying community partnerships, social media, and …

Sun Protection Behaviors, Health Beliefs, Attitudes, And Norms Among College Students, Madison A. Klump

Honors Theses

Purpose: This study sought to assess the relationship between attitudes, health beliefs, and societal norms of sun protective behaviors among college students. Methods: Students (n=224) volunteered to participate in an electronic survey through the permission of instructors of an introductory public health class. Results: Those who felt susceptible to skin cancer were more likely to use sunscreen, perform skin checks on themselves, and avoid suntanning. Those who felt there were no barriers for use of sunscreen were more likely to use sunscreen and reapply sunscreen. Those who felt sun tanning was a societal norm were less likely to reapply sunscreen, …

Mental Health Among Collegiate Athletes, Stella Elise Fairbanks

Honors Thesis

Mental health has become increasingly more linked with athletics, especially collegiate athletics. There has been an increase in public acknowledgment of the presence of mental health in sports, specifically, more athletes are speaking about their mental health struggles as well as more research is being conducted in order to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between mental health and athletics. This literature review discusses athletes’ personal experiences of their mental health struggles, the presence of stigma associated with mental health and athletics, and the results of the recent NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association, research. This thesis aims to uncover …

Prioritizing Belonging For Pk-12 Families On Financial Assistance In Private Schools, Deana Clapp

Doctorate in Education

This dissertation examined the experiences of 10 families of students in PK-12 private schools leveraging financial assistance (FA) to afford tuition and seven school FA staff who worked with families. Current literature is prominent in higher education but scant in the PK-12 milieu. Moreover, qualitative studies examining student experience in higher education have only recently begun unfolding. Drawing from a qualitative phenomenological study with an interpretivist, critical approach, this study discloses school belonging and marginalization sentiments vis a vis the power of school practices and policies to shape student and family experience. This study shares the vulnerability of private PK-12 …

Occupational Therapy’S Role As A Member Of An Interdisciplinary Feeding Team For Children With Sensory Processing Differences, Emily G. Bruinsma

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Considering the high prevalence of pediatric feeding disorders and the increased need for occupational therapists trained to work with children with feeding challenges, this project sought to provide a better understanding of the key components of a feeding therapy program. These components include caregiver involvement, use of an interdisciplinary team, interventions aimed at sensory integration, and the inclusion of family-centered and motivating interventions. The Sensory Integration theory was used to guide this project by providing an understanding of the various ways individuals can receive and respond to sensory information. There were three primary goals for this capstone project, including developing …

The Relationship Between Amygdala And Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume In The Context Of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Rahul Alla

Honors Scholar Theses

Disobedient and rebellious attitude in children is on the rise and this type of behavior is categorized as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD in children can be identified as a persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, argumentative or defiant behavior or vindictiveness toward others according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5, Fifth Edition) of Mental Disorders.1 Children with ODD typically have difficulty regulating and processing their emotions. Issues with regulating emotions is defined as the process by which individuals “influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them”.2 Dysregulation of emotions …

Patient-Centered Preimplant Education Session And Bi-Weekly Text Message Adherence Reminders In Patients With A Newly Implanted Cardiomems® Device: A Quality Improvement Study, Elizabeth M. Miller, Alicia Abboud, Audrey Cooper

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Rationale

Heart failure is a deadly disease, affecting over 6.2 million individuals and costing the United States an estimated 30.7 billion dollars (Virani et al., 2020). By 2023, heart failure costs in the United States are estimated to grow to 70 billion dollars with 75-80% of these costs attributed to inpatient hospitalizations (Heidereich et al., 2022). The CardioMEMs® is a small device placed in the patient’s pulmonary artery via a minimally invasive procedure by an interventional cardiologist. The use of remote patient data from the CardioMEMs® device has been shown to reduce hospital re-admissions, facilitate tailored medication management, detect increased …

Incorporating A High Fidelity Transgender Simulation Into Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum, Kacee Child, Jenniepearl Spencer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students participating in a high-fidelity transgender patient simulation. The aims were to increase student knowledge and confidence to improve communication and provide more inclusive and equitable care.

Healthcare providers are not adequately prepared to manage the unique health needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Nurses are ideally positioned to address gaps in LGBTQ healthcare by providing culturally competent care. Yet, LGBTQ health education is lacking in most undergraduate nursing school curriculums.

Methods

62 undergraduate nursing students participated in a post-surgical …

Home Based Primary Care Program Evaluation Of Loneliness, Depression, And Multimorbid Conditions Of Older Midwest Veterans, Renee R. Sullivan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Objectives: This program evaluation of Veteran Administration’s (VA) Home-Based Primary Care Program (HBPC) measured the differences in loneliness, diagnoses of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and multimorbid conditions in rural and urban older adult veterans compared with older adult community-dwelling veterans. The correlations of loneliness using the 11- Item Revised University of California Los Angeles (R-UCLA) Loneliness Scale will describe the relationship of loneliness to mental health diagnoses, multimorbid conditions, demographic data, caregiver presences and the number in-person and phone contacts with the HBPC providers of a Midwestern Veterans Administration …

Major Injuries Sustained In Towable Watersports, Elijah J. Klein

Honors Thesis

Towable watersports are activities where a participant is being pulled by a motorized watercraft while wearing or holding onto a floating device. Watersports come with many known risks such as drowning, whiplash, and fatigue; however, other injuries are often overlooked or misunderstood. With this thesis, I aimed to explore injury records pertaining to towable watersports and attempted to identify prevalent injury trends in wakeboarding, waterskiing, and water tubing. Using the National Electronic Injury Survey System (NEISS), a public database with yearly injury records, I compiled information related to the relevant sports from 2013 to 2022. Included with the data is …