Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Perceived Stress On First Responders' Job Performance While Moderating For Self-Efficacy, Diane Craig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress in the workplace results in substantial economic losses for U.S. organizations. The effects of perceived stress on reducing the job performance of first responders continue to be a concern for administrators in emergency response management. Grounded in self-efficacy theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the moderating effects of self efficacy on the relationship between perceived stress and job performance among U.S. first responders. The sample comprised 78 men and 65 women (N = 143) from professional response agencies in the United States. They completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Endicott Work Productivity Scale, and the …

Laboratory Monitoring In Patients With Moderate To Severe Plaque Psoriasis, Jonathan M. Fenkel, John A. Osborne, April W. Armstrong, Bruce Strober, Linda Stein Gold, Michael Cameron, Mark Lebwohl

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Plaque psoriasis is a common immune-mediated disease associated with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, liver disease, and mood disorders. Biologic and small-molecule therapies are efficacious and well tolerated in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. However, dermatologists may be uncertain about appropriate laboratory monitoring in patients treated with these therapies, especially those with comorbidities.

METHODS: This review summarizes prescribing information and provides expert recommendations based on real-world experience in the monitoring of concerning laboratory values in patients with psoriasis.

RESULTS: Individualized monitoring is essential for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks associated with biologic …

Addressing Injustices Toward Individuals With Schizophrenia-Spectrum Conditions: A Call To Action For Social Work Practice, Shannon M. Blajeski, Lindsay A. Bornheimer, Jessica A. Wojtalik, Lynette Studer, Shelly Ben-David, Patricia R. Turner, Ana T. Flores, Matthew J. Smith, Nev Jones, Jordan E. Devylder

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The field of social work has a lengthy history of training social workers for community mental health settings, and an ethical commitment to advance human rights and social justice. However, individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum conditions continue to suffer from myriad social injustices, including poverty, social isolation, and lower-life expectancy. This paper outlines these injustices, and reviews historical social work contributions and current training for supporting this population. Finally, the authors outline actions to 1) adopt national practice guidelines that formally acknowledge injustices, including anti-oppressive practice guidelines that are inclusive of lived experience, and 2) revitalize social work’s contributions to models of …

The Divided Self: Gothic Duality In Literature, Sarah Anna Meeks

Masters Theses

Gothic literature of the nineteenth century is haunting due to its frequent use of ghosts and monsters. However, the true terror lies in a deeper horror, one that is more intimate and destabilizing– a fright that leaps out of the text, looking into the heart of the reader: the fractured mind of the self torn between reality and repression, haunted by its own, newly manifested internal disunity rather than external monsters. The characters of Gothic fiction are typically caught in a psychological turmoil. They battle with split morals between duty and desire, morality and madness, and science and spirituality. Specifically, …

The Differential Effects Of Fast Walking Speed On Muscle Coactivation In The Paretic And Non-Paretic Extremities Post-Stroke, Natalia Sánchez, Andrian Kuch, Samantha N. Jeffcoat, Andrew Hooyman, Aria Haver-Hill, Christina K. Holl, Kristan A. Leech

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Clinical practice guidelines for walking recovery post-stroke recommend high aerobic intensity training, which usually involves walking at fast speeds. However, the acute effect of fast speeds on the neuromuscular control of walking is unclear.

Objectives:

(1) Assess the criterion validity of the Dynamic Motor Control Index (WalkDMC) as a measure of coactivation post-stroke. (2) Assess acute speed-dependent coactivation post-stroke. (3) Assess how clinical characteristics shape the speed-dependent coactivation response. (4) Assess the relationship between heart rate and coactivation post-stroke. We hypothesized that WalkDMC is correlated with function and impairment measures. We also hypothesize that coactivation measured via the WalkDMC …

Overcoming Fragmented Implementation: Leadership Insights Toward A Standardized Framework For Generative Ai Adoption In Enterprises, Chelle M. Meadows

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This convergent-parallel mixed-methods study examined how the absence of a standardized framework for integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) affected leadership alignment, organizational consistency, and ethical governance within enterprises. Grounded in the pragmatic research paradigm, the study combined quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate factors that shaped AI framework effectiveness and to identify insights that could guide future framework development. Quantitative data were collected from 137 full-time professionals representing executive, technology, employee, and regulatory roles across industries. Using validated constructs derived from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST), statistical analyses including ANOVA, chi-square, and regression were conducted …

Faith Versus Safety: Exploring How Black Churches Navigate Through Intersections Of Faith, Culture, Safety, And Social Work When Dealing With Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Wanda Rw Mckinley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quality improvement study was to understand the cultural and structural barriers that hinder “Blessings and Grace Church,” a Black faith-based institution, from effectively addressing intimate partner violence (IPV). The study identified context-specific strategies to improve survivor support, enhance safety measures, and strengthen resource accessibility within the church. The goal was to inform culturally responsive and theologically sensitive improvements tailored to the needs of this specific faith-based community. The setting for the study was an urban Black church in southern Texas. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory was the theoretical framework guiding this study. According to this theory, a …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Affective Organizational Commitment And Their Effect On Turnover Intentions, David Dix Tomblison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationships among emotional intelligence, affective organizational commitment, and turnover intentions among millennial employees in Washington State’s technology sector. A fixed, cross-sectional quantitative design was used with data from 459 participants collected through the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Meyer and Allen Affective Commitment Scale, and the Cohen Turnover Intention Scale. Statistical analyses were conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 30; IBM Corp, 2023) for simple regression analysis and the PROCESS Macro (Version 5.0, Model 1) for moderation analysis. Findings showed that emotional intelligence was positively associated with affective organizational commitment and negatively associated with …

Lay-Led Crisis Intervention Strategies In The Adult 3 Ministry Of First Baptist Dallas, Jeffrey Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN action research project focused on the care, counsel, and advocacy lay leaders can provide to church members who experience a crisis. Due to the growing member-to-minister ratio at First Baptist Dallas, lay leaders can supplement the work of the ministers by providing frontline support. The problem is that most lay leaders within the church have limited training in crisis management outside their own life experiences. If lay leaders are equipped in biblical crisis management and intervention responses, then they will be able to provide guidance to church members in crisis. The qualitative research for this project was completed …

Headwater Drainage Evolution In A Foreland Basin System Usingsurfaces And Topographic Metrics (Zadorra River, Upper Ebro,Spain), Ivan Martin-Martin, Pablo G. Silva, Martin Stokes, Antonio Tarriño, Benito Abalos, Fernando Sarrionandia

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Foreland basins are elongate depressions that develop around the flanks of collisional mountain ranges. Rivers are key agents that shape their landscape geomorphology and evolution. Their upstream headwater areas are geomorphologically dynamic locations prone to drainage network reorganisations via headward erosion by the foreland axial river. They are complex areas to investigate due to geological complexity, the absence of fluvial deposits and long timescales over which drainage evolution occurs. In this study, we examined the Zadorra River, a headwater tributary to the Ebro River that preserves a diverse number of different geomorphological features that record long-term drainage evolution. Four key …

Pronunciación, Repetición E Identificación De Los Sonidos Del Español Por Aprendices Qataríes De E/Le En Su Primer Semestre, Ramsés Ortín, Javier Sánchez-Mesas

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Este estudio explora las dificultades en pronunciación y percepción de sonidos del español por un grupo de estudiantes qataríes en su primer semestre. Las participantes completaron tres actividades (lectura, repetición de palabras, identificación de palabras) que requieren diferentes tipos de conocimiento (producción de sonidos con y sin presencia de ortografíae identificación de sonidos) al inicio y final de su primer curso. Los resultados revelan que esta población presenta dificultades con los contrastes de vocales medias y altas, la nasal palatal, las consonantes oclusivas bilabiales y las vibrantes. Estas dificultades no aparecen de igual manera en actividades con y sin presencia …

Primary Care Provider Communication Barriers With College-Aged Students, Mckenna Mahakian, Sharon Schaeffer, Rachel Immel

Honors Projects

As both a researcher and a college student, I’ve noticed that my peers and I share a common negative sentiment toward scheduling and attending routine doctor’s appointments. There are unique barriers in place for the age demographic; college students encountering the medical system and Primary Care Providers (PCPs) seem to have unique challenges in communication. I released a qualitative, anonymous survey to Bowling Green State University students to gauge opinionated responses on sentiments regarding how they felt about the level of communication between themselves and their provider, how the pediatric switch to a regular doctor impacted their inpatient care, how …

Discovery Of A Small Molecule Tlr3 Agonist Adjuvant, Branden Lee, Danica Dong, Etsuro Nanishi, John Mark Awad, Kimia Abedi, Yoshine Saito, Francesco Borriello, Soumik Barman, Byron Brook, Aisling Kelly, Manisha Menon, Constance Marques-Mourlet, Maansi Gupta, Ida Lister, Chiwoo Oh, Kevin Lyskawa, Morgan Goetz, Kristina Walker, Wing Ki Cheng, Spencer Brightman, Pankaj Sharma, Timothy O'Meara, Katherine Chew, Daniel Vieira, Kevin Ryff, Cali Sweitzer, Sanya Thomas, Simon Van Haren, Matthew Pettengill, Hyuk-Soo Seo, Sirano Dhe-Paganon, Wei Zhang, Ofer Levy, David Dowling

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) agonists are valuable agents across multiple medical applications, from vaccinology to immune-oncology. However, well-defined and potent small molecule agonists for many PRRs still await discovery and development. Screening of chemical libraries of ~200,000 small molecules for maturation of human monocytic cells by quantifying NF-κB activation and cell adherence was completed. From this screen, we selected a thiazole benzamide derivative, PVP-057, for its robust immunomodulatory properties, low toxicity profile, and concentration-dependent activity. In vitro investigation of pathway and receptor activation reveals that PVP-057 is a Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist. As a single-component adjuvant, administered intramuscularly or intradermally …

Methylene Blue Associated Retinal Toxicity, Sidra Zafar, Martin Calotti, Timothy T. Xu, Justin Muste, Theodore Bowe, Luis Acaba-Berrocal, Brian Cheng, Samir Patel, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Jose S. Pulido, Jordan D. Deaner

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: To describe a case of inadvertent methylene blue use during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for an epiretinal membrane (ERM).

CASE: A 69-year-old man presented with 1 day of severe vision loss in his left eye. Two days prior to presentation, he had undergone PPV that was complicated by accidental methylene blue use. Visual acuity (VA) at presentation to our institution was CF from his baseline VA of 20/60. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated diffuse hyperreflectivity and thickening of the inner retinal layers. The patient was started on oral prednisone with no improvement. On postoperative month 1, VA was HM. …

Clinical Practice Guideline On Reducing Catheter -Associated Urinary Tract Infections (Cautis), Nkechi Christiana Udah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The project was a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for early catheter removal to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). At the project site, the practice gap was the surgical nurses’ nonadherence to clinical guidelines for reducing CAUTIs. This gap resulted in inconsistent catheter care practices and delays in catheter removal. The purpose of this CPG was to enhance surgical nurses’ knowledge and adherence to clinical guidelines for reducing CAUTI rates. The following practice-focused question guided the project: In hospitalized patients in acute care settings, does early removal of the urinary catheter compared to leaving the catheter until discharge reduce the …

Strategies Used By Psychiatric Hospital Directors To Reduce Readmission Rates, Increase Revenue And Improve Patient Outcomes, K'Chinwe Blanche Marie Ezeokoli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High psychiatric hospital readmission rates threaten patient stability, strain hospital finances, and reduce community wellbeing. Psychiatric hospital leaders need effective strategies to lower readmissions. Grounded in complex adaptive systems theory and the balanced scorecard framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore effective strategies used by psychiatric hospital directors to reduce readmission rates, increase revenue, and improve patient outcomes. The participants were seven psychiatric hospital directors who had implemented strategies for reduced readmission rates. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and relevant public documents. Using thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (a) establish a …

Effective Strategies Hawaiian Food Truck Owners Use To Sustain Their Businesses, Eric J. Harring

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Food trucks are popular choices for consumers seeking diverse cuisines and unique dining experiences, but running a successful food truck business presents significant challenges, including fluctuating customer preferences, regulatory hurdles, and intense competition. Addressing these obstacles is crucial for food truck owners to ensure the long-term viability of their enterprises. Grounded in contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to explore the strategies employed by food truck owners to overcome these challenges and foster sustainable growth. The participants were six business owners of Hawaiian food trucks who sustained their businesses for at least three years. …

Staff Education For Enhancing Providers’ Knowledge Of Long Acting Injectables (Lais) Antipsychotics In The Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Belinda Okoruwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral study is a quality-improvement educational program in an outpatient mental health clinic designed to address the underutilization of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics due to gaps in providers’ knowledge. The project question centered on whether structured education on LAIs antipsychotics increases providers’ knowledge in an outpatient mental health setting. The purpose of this project is to increase LAI antipsychotic utilization by educating providers about the advantages, safety, and appropriate administration to promote consistent implementation. In this project, I used a single-group pre/post design including six participants, incorporating a 12-item questionnaire and 5-point Likert scale questions (Not at all/Somewhat/Very Much). …

Navigating Legal Labyrinths: Health Communication And The Experiences Of Immigrant Healthcare Professionals In The Us Healthcare System, Sabahat Moughal, Sarah Price

Publications and Research

This study examines how immigrant healthcare professionals experience immigration-related stress, cultural tension, and communication demands within U.S. clinical environments. A survey of 55 clinicians at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center showed varied levels of cultural conflict and socioeconomic worry, as well as frequent adjustments to communication styles. While many participants reported feeling culturally stable, a significant portion experienced tension or uncertainty tied to immigration status. These findings highlight the wide range of adaptation experiences among immigrant clinicians, supporting the need for institutional awareness and targeted support. IRB Protocol #: 20251023-12, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

Grapes Cure Cancer: My First Molecular Docking Analysis Of Resveratrol Binding To Anti-Apoptotic Protein Bcl-2: In Silico, Sydni Ann Kolokoltsev, Vishwas Joshi

Publications and Research

B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) is an anti-apoptotic protein frequently overexpressed in cancer, enabling tumor cells to evade programmed death. Resveratrol, a grape-derived polyphenol, has reported anticancer properties. Here we performed in silico docking of resveratrol to human BCL-2 using AutoDock Vina. The best-ranked pose exhibited a predicted binding free energy of 8.0 kcal/mol and formed at least one short hydrogen bond (~1.8 Å) with pocket residues. These results support further evaluation of resveratrol as a potential modulator of BCL-2-mediated apoptosis.

Evaluating How New York City’S Recycling And Organic Waste Systems Reduce Resource Waste And Methane Emissions, Zihan Cao

Publications and Research

This study analyzes New York City’s waste management systems, with a focus on food waste diversion, composting, and renewable energy initiatives, to assess their role in methane emission reduction and resource efficiency. The analysis highlights the relative effectiveness of different waste management pathways and suggests that community-scale composting and decentralized anaerobic digestion are associated with substantial methane reductions relative to cost.

Learning To Play Drums: Rote Learning Versus Note Approach, Jacob R. Brumback

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative historical study is to determine whether rote-learned drummers perform better than formally trained drummers. The issue is that some drummers may excel by watching and developing aural skills exclusively, while others perform well by only reading sheet music. The goal is to decide if drummers with strong aural skills or those who rely on note-reading performed better. The rationale explained how the applicability of rudiments, complex timing, creative fills, and improvisational soloing skills influences the performances of both rote-learned and note-approach drummers. Data collection methods for this research included oral history traditions and analyzing secondary …

Design With A Purpose: An Introductory Faith-Integrated Graphic Design Textbook For Christian Higher Education, Rosealine Lemette

Masters Theses

This thesis project addresses the absence of faith-informed graphic design curriculum available to Christian higher education programs creating a curricular gap that limits students’ ability to draw meaningful connections between their profession and Christian identity. The proposed solution in this project is an introductory graphic design textbook that combines foundational design theory, historical context, and hands-on skill building from a Christian worldview. This educational resource will guide students and faculty to view their profession as a divine calling, engaging in the creative process as an act of worship while developing an ethical and spiritually grounded design process. The comprehensive literature …

Mistake: A Toolkit For Combating Maladaptive Perfectionism In Creatives, Sean D. Silva

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the potential use of a tabletop game as an approach for creatives to address their maladaptive perfectionism. Through my research, perfectionism has been identified as a pervasive barrier to creative flow, emotional well-being, and artistic growth. Motivated by my observations of increasing mental health challenges among my students, I explore how adaptive, visually engaging, and interactive analog systems might help to foster resilience and reframe failure as a necessary part of the creative process. Through a review of existing literature on perfectionism and creativity, analysis of successful tabletop and digital interventions, and cognitive-behavioral strategies, this research will …

Ezer Kenegdo: Reviving The Stories Of Our Christian Matriarchs In The American Evangelical Church, Kayleigh Funk

Masters Theses

The silencing of women’s experiences throughout history has caused a general lack of familiarity with the contributions of Christian matriarchs in most modern church congregations. This absence of historical precedent has led to ongoing issues of identity and belonging in the body of Christ among the Christian women of today. The primary goal of this thesis is to bring attention to the erasure of women in the faith throughout history and shed new light on their individual narratives.

This study will assess how Scripture originally set up leadership dynamics, encouraged women into those roles, and allowed them to teach in …

Perceptions Of Stress And Coping Strategies Of Generation Z Nursing Students In The Clinical Setting, Elizabeth Hammond-Ritschard

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The clinical learning environment is very stressful for student nurses, especially among undergraduate Generation Z nursing students. Faced with higher expectations, and perfectionism, Generation Z has been labeled the Anxious Generation. There are mounting concerns with nursing students’ ability to cope and handle stressful situations in the clinical setting. Stress negatively impacts student nurses in the clinical environment. Students often experience anxiety, fear, and an inability to effectively appraise and apply effective coping strategies. The inability to cope with stressors in the clinical setting may lead to inadequate problem-solving, resulting in poor student performance and possible harm to the patient. …

A Hospital Based Residency Program For Newly Arrived Internationally Educated Nurses To The Usa, Jaclynn Morgan, Torri Nicole Trojand

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: The purpose of this abstract and research is to establish the efficacy of a hospital-based nurse residency program for newly arrived internationally educated nurses to the United States.

Background: Healthcare institutions are recruiting Internationally educated nurses (IEN) to fill gaps in staffing (Spetz et al., 2013). Internationally educated nurses are coming from an entirely different country and healthcare system and are then placed into foreign clinical settings amongst a foreign culture and having to find their place within the culture at the same time (Rosenkoetter et al., 2017). Literature delineates that an approach to support IENs is needed to …

Creating A Standardized Intraoperative Handoff Report, Mary Hippchen, Melinda Ward, Jacqueline Reyes, Amiya Boyd, Rebecca Akande, Kanita Wilson

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose: Effective communication during nurse-to-nurse relief is vital for patient safety, especially in complex surgeries. In the Operating Room (OR), inconsistencies in handoffs arise due to lack of structure, information gaps and time constraints. This project evaluates the impact of implementing a structured SWITCH (Surgical Procedure, Wet, Instruments, Tissue, Counts, and Have Questions) protocol for nurse-to-nurse handoff reports during breaks and permanent relief, aiming to improve continuity of care, reduce errors, and enhance patient safety.

Relevance: The SWITCH handoff model ensures all relevant surgical information is clearly communicated, reducing the risk of incomplete or unclear handoffs that can compromise patient …

Developing A Waste-To-Energy Assessment Framework Integrating Engineering And Policy Dimensions Using A Triple Bottom Line Approach, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities has emerged as a critical concern in both energy and governance. Dependence on landfills is approaching critical thresholds as disposal sites near saturation, transportation costs escalate, and host communities increasingly resist garbage transfers. In response, this study proposes a comprehensive Waste-to-Energy (WtE) assessment framework that integrates engineering evaluation with policy and stakeholder analysis to support sustainable decision- making.

Using Baguio City as a case study, the framework applies a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach to evaluate three waste management scenarios: (1) current landfill-dominated practices, (2) engineered landfill with …

Use Of The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric To Self-Identify Gaps In Clinical Judgment Competencies, Bev A. Wilgenbusch, Victoria Jurevic, Britt Cole Archibald, Alexis Zehler, Caitlin Jeanmougin, Katy Gilb

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Providing safe patient care requires strong clinical judgement skills (American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 2021); however, developing and assessing clinical judgement in undergraduate students has been difficult (Dickison et al., 2019). The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) has been found to be valid and reliable in assessing clinical judgment development over time (Adamson et al., 2012), but at present has not been adapted as a self-evaluation tool. The LCJR was originally intended to define clinical judgment with consistent terms and monitor student performance over time (Lasater & Nielsen, 2024).

Method: With the permission of Dr. Kathie Lasater, …