Digital Commons Network^™

Evidence Based Practice For Emergent Literacy Intervention For Children Who Use Aac, Kristen Grace Doran

Master's Theses and Capstones

A review of emergent literacy interventions for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and for those who do not was completed to examine availability of evidence for professionals making decisions for intervention. Evidence was analyzed based on quality of the research, and ranked according to Schlosser and Raghavendra's (2004) hierarchy of research designs. Findings reported include that there is a minimal amount of research available for professionals to employ evidence based practice in emergent literacy intervention for children who use AAC. Future directions are suggested for researching emergent literacy interventions for children who use AAC.

The Dynamic Relationship Of Sentence Complexity, Childhood Stuttering, And Grammatical Development, Kimberly R. Bauerly

Master's Theses and Capstones

The present study was conducted to determine if the relationship between grammatical complexity and childhood stuttering is influenced by grammatical development. The study was cross-sectional in design and observed the spontaneous speech of six children who stutter ranging in age from 32 to 46 months. The first 100 utterances from each subject's sample were scored using Scarborough's (1990) Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) and given a numerical score which was used as an indicator of grammatical development in place of the child's age. The first one-hundred sentences containing a noun and verb in subject-predicate relationship were extracted from each sample …

Utilization Of Evidence Based Practice Principles To Implement Organizational Values, Catherine Z. Curtis

Master's Theses and Capstones

Nursing job satisfaction is related to nursing retention. During this current nursing shortage, nursing leaders need to investigate ways to improve work environments to increase nurse satisfaction. Research has shown nurse job satisfaction greatly impacts the quality of patient care and nurse retention. This research project implemented a nursing model of practice that included organizational values that could be linked to improved job satisfaction. A nursing model derived from The Whole-Person Caring Model (Thornton) and using principles of Shared Governance, Empowerment and Crucial Communication was the independent variable used to measure changes in nurses' perceptions of work environment and job …

Structural And Functional Pulmonary Imaging Using Hyperpolzarized Xenon-129, Iga Muradyan

Doctoral Dissertations

We describe applications of hyperpolarized 129 Xe to pulmonary imaging. Unique characteristics of this gas such as its polarizability and diffusibility in tissue allow probing important properties of the lungs. Three methods that study structure and function of the lungs, Chemical Shift Saturation Recovery (CSSR), Xenon polarization Transfer Contrast (XTC) and Dixon, and their application to human studies for the first time are the focus of this work.

CSSR measures the global fractional gas transport, F(t) in the lungs. Using this method the dynamics of gas exchange were studied. A model describing this process was derived and used to interpret …

Breastfeeding Attitudes Of Junior And Senior Nursing Students, Eileen Riley

Master's Theses and Capstones

The health benefits of a longer duration of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants have been identified in the literature. However, the breastfeeding rates for infants at six and twelve months old lag the Healthy People 2010 recommendations. Studies have shown that a nurse's attitude can influence breastfeeding duration rates yet nurses' attitudes and hospital practices do not always support breastfeeding mothers. Therefore it is vital that senior nursing their practice in order to support and encourage mothers. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale was used in this study to collect data from junior nursing students before their maternal/child health …

Non-Invasive Keyboard Fatigue Monitoring System For Improving User Performance And Reducing Incidences Of Repetitive Strain Injuries, Satheesh Jayakumar

Master's Theses and Capstones

Computers are ubiquitous in their application and deployment all over the world. Along with their universal appeal and versatility they also pose dangers to their various users in the form of ailments such as Repetitive Strain Injuries, Carpals Tunnel Syndrome, etc. which are all specifically related to keyboard use. The objective of this thesis was to explore the possibility of developing a deterministic and non-invasive method of detecting keyboard fatigue. A software application was developed which allowed us to reliably monitor this as a function of the latency between keyboard key-press and key-release events recorded by the resident operating system. …

An Examination Of The Nursing Home Industry, Craig Labore

Master's Theses and Capstones

Quality of care remains an issue plaguing the nursing home industry. Over the next twenty years, nursing homes will become inundated with members of the "baby boomer" generation. The goal of this research project was to examine approaches to improving the quality of care in nursing homes in The United States. Three reforms were identified. First, there needs to be improved communication between CMS, regional offices and state agencies. Second, create a training program which trains surveyors and nursing home administrators in a nursing home setting. Finally; there must be collaboration between CMS and nursing home industry leaders in policy-making …

Awareness Of A Mental Health Diagnosis And Its Correlation With An Individual's Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, And Subjective Social Status, Marisa A. Mattei

Master's Theses and Capstones

The need for further investigation into the influence of a mental health diagnosis on a client's self-perception is grounded in ethical, clinical, and financial concerns. This study examines the correlation between self-knowledge of a mental health diagnosis and length of time since being diagnosed, with various aspects of self-concept measured by: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), and the MacArthur Subjective Status Scale (SSS). The sample in this study, drawn from a northeast land grant university student body, was controlled for the presence of physical health diagnoses and resulted in a total of 70 females (68%), …

The Male Perspective: The Psychological Experience Of A Male Whose Wife Is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Heather Roy

Master's Theses and Capstones

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women in the United States. Breast cancer does not only affect the individual diagnosed, but also her family. Research has shown that spouses are the most commonly reported support people for married women with the diagnosis. The impact of the diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment for women is well studied and documented, but the psychological effects on spouses have received less attention. This phenomenological study was designed to enhance understanding of the psychological experiences of a male whose wife is diagnosed with breast cancer Participants in this study were six Caucasian males …

The Effects Of Market Transition On The Distribution Of Health Care In China: 1991--2000, Rachel Marks

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research aims to examine the changes in the availability and accessibility of health care available to Chinese citizens over a nine year period. I use market transition theory as a framework for examining these changes. Market transition theory posits that as a government moves from a socialist system to a market-based economy, a new stratification order will emerge. Changes in the Chinese health care system are examined using 1991 and 2000 data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Using ordinary least-squares and logistic regression, I analyze differences in access and availability of health care between ethnic groups, rural …