Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Teaching Social Determinants Of Health In Physical Therapist Professional Education Programs: Exploring Curricular Approaches And Examining An Assessment Tool, Emily Jordan Hawkins

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

There is a growing emphasis and need for physical therapists (PTs) to serve not only as clinicians but also as advocates to pursue health equity. Clinical practice for preventing and rehabilitating injuries and promoting physical activity will not eliminate health disparities resulting from the social determinants of health (SDH). Leaders in the field of physical therapy have charged physical therapist professional education programs to teach future PTs to address SDH, however, as of August 2023, the Standards and Required Elements for Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education Programs does not specifically require curricular content regarding SDH. The purposes of this dissertation …

The Assessment Of Clinical Reasoning In Preceptors Across The Athletic Training Profession, Gary Wayne Cohen Jr.

Health Services Research Dissertations

Clinical reasoning (CR) is defined as a complex multi-factorial metacognitive process for diagnosis formulation. Clinical reasoning begins as a student and develops over a career. Students are typically taught an analytical approach defined as hypothetico-deductive reasoning (HDR). Expert clinicians use a non-analytical approach defined as the Knowledge Based Model (KBM) of CR. It is accepted that clinicians use the KBM with cases that they have more experience to streamline the evaluation process. Unfortunately, because of the nuance of CR there have been limited investigations within athletic training to evaluate CR outside of the student population.

The overarching purpose of this …

Patient-Perspective Task Performance: Creating Contextually Relevant Student Clinical Training Through The Use Of Patient Experience, Candice L. Freeman

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Patient-centered and patient-focused care purports that patients are at the center of all clinical decisions made for optimal medical outcomes. Optimal medical outcomes originate from accurately and reliably executed task performance by healthcare professionals trained to administer highly specific care for each patient condition. Many of these executed tasks are performed in the presence of the patient; this is defined as direct patient care. However, there are equally important tasks executed that are not performed in the presence of the patient; the performance of diagnostic laboratory testing is an example of such tasks.

Clinical training of healthcare laboratory professionals begins …

Nursing Students’ Knowledge And Attitudes About Pain Management And Opioids, Hedieh Hatami Sirjani

Health Services Research Dissertations

Statement of the problem: healthcare professionals’ knowledge of using opioids for pain management safely is critical in preventing opioid abuse and overdose. Undergraduate curricula of health professional schools, including undergraduate nursing programs, need to improve and adopt a comprehensive education regarding this issue.

Method: the first project was a systematic analysis of the literature regarding the educational interventions’ impact on healthcare professional knowledge and practice behavior regarding prescription opioids. The second project was a qualitative study of nursing students to explore their experience, self-efficacy, and knowledge of prescription opioid use for pain management and whether they feel the need for …

Measuring Outcomes In Competence And Confidence In Clinical Skills Through The Use Of Standardized Patients, Jennifer W. Cuchna

Health Services Research Dissertations

Limited literature is available concerning the use of standardized patients (SPs) in physical therapy education related to outcomes which are assessed. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects SP implementation had on first year, doctor of physical therapy (DPT) student’s communication and patient interviewing skills and their confidence in those skills.

Our study utilized a comparison group, repeated measures design with the collection of four survey instruments at pre-test and two posttest time points. The instruments for our study measured general self-efficacy (GSE), task-specific self-efficacy (Self-Perceived Communication Competence (SPCC) and Froehlich Communication Competence (FroCom) and confidence (Standardized …

An Evaluation Of Pathways To Community College Student Success In Anatomy And Physiology I, Staci Brooke Forgey

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The demand for healthcare workers is increasing nationwide. Higher education is responding by examining various interventions designed to increase completion (Abele, Penprase, & Ternes, 2011). Anatomy and Physiology is often identified as a gatekeeper course for students, since many withdraw or fail this course (Hopper, 2011). Within the VCCS, two colleges have implemented a prerequisite course, NAS 2, for Anatomy and Physiology. This study analyzed student data from before and after NAS 2 implementation, and examined General Biology to determine if it was a predictor of success in Anatomy and Physiology.

When NAS 2 was a significant predictor of grade …

A Study Of Visible Tattoos In Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Education Programs, Kathryn R. Search

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to survey entry-level dental hygiene program directors in the United States to assess their perceptions of dental hygienists with visible tattoos as well as their satisfaction with current program tattoo polices. Methods: After IRB approval, a 14-item survey was administered online to 340 entry-level dental hygiene programs. Participants used a seven-point Likert type scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7), to indicate their opinions of visible tattoos on the basis of professionalism, concern within the school, dress code policy satisfaction, tolerance toward visible tattoos, whether tattoos needed to be covered, …

Student Retention In Bsn Programs, Katherine Pittman Hensley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study examined, by use of a researcher-developed survey instrument, perceptions between three groups on reasons why students drop out of nursing programs. Also examined are recommendations from the three groups on how to try to avoid nursing student attrition. Specific groups surveyed included native BSN students, RNB students, and a mixed group of nursing faculty. Survey items were divided into two general groups: student-related issues, and institutional issues. Since RNB students (which include a larger number of non-traditional students) and BSN students (which include more of the native university population of traditional students) have many differences, the author attempted …

Effects Of An Interprofessional Simulation Activity To Improve Students' Perceptions Of Other Healthcare Professions, Chase Raymond Poulsen

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Healthcare professionals have historically been educated and trained by members of their own profession within a curriculum that reinforces their individual discipline-specific strengths. This differentiation has contributed to students having little interaction with other professionals until after they have entered the workforce and consequently little formal education in collaboration or integration. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to evaluate the impact of an interprofessional (IP) collaborative activity on student's perceptions of the others discipline for the improvement in care of medical patients.

The sample population consisted of students from two programs, nursing (n=40) and respiratory therapy (n=33). Students were …

The Socialization Of Bullying Through Community College Nursing Education: A Multiple Case Study, Margaret M. O'Conner Machon

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Many recent studies propose that bullying in the workplace is prevalent and is a phenomenon which occurs in the nursing workplace as well as in nursing education. This qualitative study examined the effects of vertical bullying upon community college nursing students and graduates, and the effect of this behavior upon the socialization of those learning the nursing profession. The study is based on a theoretical framework based on the findings of Salin (2003) and Twale and De Luca (2008) adapting their theory of bullying in academia which incorporated enabling, motivating and precipitating factors leading to intensified bullying. The study investigated …

General Education Requirements In A Community College Baccalaureate Rn-To-Bsn Program, Jason Bentley Krupp

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Increasing demand for nurses with bachelor degrees, the growing culture of accountability in higher education, and the community college baccalaureate phenomena provided the impetus for this study. This ex-post facto quantitative study examined the graduation rates and time to degree of 240 students who were enrolled in a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program at a community college in Florida between Fall of 2002 and Spring of 2004. The general education course enrollment patterns of the students were analyzed to determine if they impacted student graduation rates and time to degree. Graduation rates and time to degree of students …

Transition From High School To Associate Degree Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study, Kathy Jessee Mitchell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Nursing is facing a critical shortage and retention of nursing students is of paramount importance. Much research has been completed related to retention in nursing education and student success, but there is very little in current literature related to issues associated with the transition from high school to associate degree nursing (ADN) education. The purpose of this study was to explore this phenomenon through qualitative research involving ADN students who entered the nursing programs immediately after graduation from high school. This qualitative study involved students from a rural associate degree program. The intent was to provide a better understanding of …

Community College Student Learning In Phlebotomy Preceptor-Led Clinical Internship, Susan E. Phelan

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to describe how allied health preceptor-led clinical internship improves or expands community college student learning. There is a significant gap of information in the literature related to the importance of this clinical internship experience for the learning, socialization, and professional development of allied health students in general and community college students in particular. The absence of relevant data for these internships as a situated learning experience is evident in the literature review. The majority of the allied health work force is prepared by community colleges. Therefore, community college leaders need data to make data-driven …

Magnification Loupes In U.S. Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Programs, Leslie Mchaney Congdon

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine policies and practices regarding magnification loupes among accredited dental hygiene programs as measured by a 31- item, self-designed questionnaire titled Magnifying Loupes in U.S. Entry Level Dental Hygiene Programs. In addition, the study compared policies among dental hygiene programs in two year versus four year programs in terms of requirements for the use of magnification loupes.

Methods: After institutional review board approval, the questionnaire was emailed via Survey Monkey to 303 entry-level dental hygiene programs. An overall response rate of 75% was obtained. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and …

Persistence To An Associate Of Applied Science Registered Nurse Degree: The Impact Of Placing Into Developmental Education Courses On Student Success, Caroline Clark Rivera

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Student retention and success in nursing school has gained favor in educational research due to an increasing shortage of Registered Nurses. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of student placement recommendation into developmental education courses on persistence to an Associate of Applied Science Registered Nurse degree. Using ex post facto research methodology rooted in the retention theories of Tinto, Bean and Metzner, and Jeffreys, this study aims to measure the effect of high school diploma type, age, race/ethnicity, and pre-requisite courses on student placement recommendation in developmental education and persistence to an Associate of Applied Science …

Persistence Of Community College Transfer Students In A Private Liberal Arts University Nursing Program, Rita M. Amerio

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The United States is bracing for the largest shortage of registered nurses that the United States health care system has ever experienced. As the population of "baby boomers," those born between 1946 and 1960, turns 65 beginning in 2011, the nation will be faced with providing health care services to the largest group of elderly Americans in history. Unlike previous generations, this group has had the advantage of advanced medical care that will allow them to live well into their 80s and even 90s.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation to identify predictor variables that …

Improving Oral Health In Pakistan Using Dental Hygienists, Musarrat Anjum Shah

Dental Hygiene Master's Papers and Projects

This document presents a review of the literature addressing education, healthcare, healthcare delivery and finance in Pakistan and the oral health status of the Pakistani people. Considering the enormous unmet oral health needs, the insufficient supply of dental professionals and the current unstructured dental hygiene curriculum in Pakistan, this document offers a mission, vision, and goals for the new dental hygiene theoretical framework for Pakistan. Moreover, it offers recommendations for competency-based dental hygiene education and practice, professional licensing, a practice act, and a dental hygiene scope of practice to help protect the welfare of the Pakistani public, i.e., increasing the …

Real-Time Ultrasound Simulation For Medical Training And Standardized Patient Assessment, Bo Sun

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With the increasing role played by ultrasound in clinical diagnostics, ultrasound training in medical education has become more and more important. The clinical routine for ultrasound training is on real patients; therefore monitored and guided examinations involving medical students are quite time-constrained. Furthermore, standardized patients (SPs), who are increasingly used in medical school for teaching and assessing medical students, need to be augmented. These SPs are typically healthy individuals who can not accurately portray the variety of abnormalities that are needed for training especially when medical examinations involve instrument interactions. To augment SPs in a realistically effective way and also …

Application Of The Interactional Model Of Cultural Diversity To Identify Diversity Climate Factors Associated With Organizational Effectiveness In Accredited U.S. Physical Therapist Education Programs, Elizabeth Francis Giles

Health Services Research Dissertations

Accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs are responsible for the preparation of its graduates to provide culturally sensitive care to meet the physical therapy needs of an increasingly diverse population. While the importance of workforce diversity has been articulated, the effect of diversity climate on organizational effectiveness within accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs has not been described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity (IMCD, Cox, 1993) as a theoretical framework to identify diversity climate factors associated with organizational effectiveness in accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs. A descriptive, …

Effects Of Five Different Finger Rest Positions On Arm Muscle Activity During Scaling By Dental Hygiene Students, Mary Elizabeth Cosaboom

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the effects of five different finger rest positions, (fulcrums: opposite arch, standard intra-oral, basic extra-oral, cross arch and finger on finger) on the muscle activity of four forearm muscles, (extensor carpi radialis longus, flexor carpi ulnar is, biceps brachii and pronator teres) during a simulated periodontal scaling experience. A convenience sample of 32 consenting right handed senior dental hygiene students who met inclusion criteria participated. The 32 students had no history of injuries or disabilities to the right arm, wrist, or hand. Pre-test maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) scores were obtained prior …

Predictors Of Student Success In An Entry-Level Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Program, Mohammad J. Alzahrani

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the utility of a variety of predictors that have been used by the Old Dominion University, Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene and other baccalaureate dental hygiene programs in selecting dental hygiene students who are most likely to graduate and be successful in passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). Specifically this study attempted to determine whether or not the following factors are reliable predictors of success in a an entry-level baccalaureate dental hygiene program as evidenced by graduation and successful entry into the profession as evidenced by passing the …

Cultural Adaptability Of Students Attending Culturally Diverse And Non-Culturally Diverse Dental Hygiene Programs, Katrina White Magee

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive investigation was to determine the cultural adaptability of students attending culturally diverse and nonculturally diverse dental hygiene programs throughout the U.S. The dental hygiene schools were identified according to their ethnic diversity as reported by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation in the 1996-1997 Survey of Dental Hygiene Education Programs. Once the programs were identified, a random sample was taken from the diverse and non-diverse dental hygiene programs. A 50-item inventory, the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI), was mailed to the participating dental hygiene programs. One-hundred eighty-eight students represented U.S. dental hygiene programs in the …

A Needs Assessment For A Distance Education Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program For Associate Degree Level Dental Hygienist, Joan Gugino Ellison

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive research was to determine the need for a distance education program for geographically dispersed dental hygienists to complete a baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. The sample consisted of randomly selected licensed dental hygienists in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A self-designed instrument, titled The Distance Education for a Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program Questionnaire, was mailed to the study participants after establishing validity and reliability. The questionnaire asked participants to provide information concerning personal demographics, educational background, and interest in completing a dental hygiene baccalaureate degree via distance education. Frequencies, percentages, crosstabulations, chi-square test …

Course Selection Factors Deemed Important By Dental Hygienists Prior To And After The Initiation Of Mandatory Continuing Education In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Melissa Lynn Sainsbury

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the factors deemed important by dental hygienists in their selection of continuing education courses prior to and after the initiation of mandatory continuing education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Under mandatory continuing education, dental hygiene educators must be able to plan continuing education courses that meet the needs of potential participants.

Results indicate that relative to each other, the 15 factors within this study, ranked in a hierarchy of importance in continuing education course selection by dental hygienists. Mandatory requirement for relicensure and course time ranked higher and course presenter and cost …

Comparison Of Curriculum Content On Behavioral Strategies For Managing Anxious Clients In Associate And Baccalaureate Degree Dental Hygiene Programs In The United States, Darnyl Marie King

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Dental anxiety, a pervasive problem in the general population, is an important client management concern for dental hygienists. This study sought to determine the type and amount of instruction in United States dental hygiene programs in terms of behavioral strategies for the management of anxious clients, the difference in instruction between associate and baccalaureate degree dental hygiene programs, and the opinions of dental hygiene educators regarding these strategies. A self-designed, 19-item questionnaire entitled the King Behavioral Management Questionnaire was used to obtain data on a sample of 210 accredited dental hygiene programs. Part one of the questionnaire consisted of questions …

The Cultural Adaptability Of Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nursing And Physical Therapy Faculty, Irene Mary Connolly

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the cultural adaptability of full time faculty in the College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. The sample consisted of 40 health science faculty representing dental hygiene, medical laboratory sciences, nursing and physical therapy. The principal investigator personally administered the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI), a 50 item instrument, which contains questions to measure the construct cultural adaptability and its four dimensions: emotional resilience, flexibility/openness, perceptual acuity and personal autonomy. The CCAI is not targeted to one particular culture, but rather is designed to be culture general.

Analysis of …

An Assessment Of The Descriptors And Determinants Of Academic Success Of Selected Allied Health Students In Virginia, Theodora Christine Gordon

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study assessed the relationship of cognitive and noncognitive variables in relationship to academic success of students from selected allied health majors: respiratory therapist (RTT), radiologic technology (RT), surgical technology (ST) and medical records technician (MRT) from hospital based and community college programs in Virginia. Student academic success was defined as academic (classroom) grade point average, clinical grade point average, cumulative grade point average and passing status. The cognitive variables were preclinical (high school) grade point average, academic, clinical and cumulative grade point averages. The noncognitive variables were character type, temperament type/preference for learning style, and the Sedlacek Noncognitive Questionnaire …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Types Of Clinical Instruction On Selected Variables Among Urban Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Janice Parks Hylton

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide baseline data regarding student perceptions of bureaucratic, professional, and service values and of instructors/preceptors as role models for each model of clinical supervision, traditional versus preceptored. A non-probability, convenience sample included 113 baccalaureate nursing students from two accredited programs in an urban area. Two instruments were used to identify student perceptions of bureaucratic, professional, and service values and of instructors/preceptors as role models. The results of the questionnaires revealed no significant differences between the students' perceptions of bureaucratic and service values and perceptions of instructors/preceptors as role models, Students' perceptions of professional …

A Comparison Of Two Theories Of Resistance To Innovation In Medical Record Administration Baccalaureate Degree Programs, Joyce Brown-Harvey

Health Services Research Dissertations

Resistance to innovation is a major obstacle to the successful implementation of planned change in colleges and universities. The purpose of this study was to compare two explanations of resistance to innovation to determine which one best explains the variance in receptivity and proposed innovations among faculty members in medical record administration programs. One explanation holds that organizational members' receptivity to change is a function of their personalities. The second explanation holds that members respond to specific innovations and that they do so in terms of whether the innovation would increase or reduce their present status.

The faculty of baccalaureate …

Faculty Standardization Of Dental Hygiene Instrumentation Skill Evaluation: A Calibration Exercise, Diane-Marie Smela

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Faculty must be standardized so that student skills are assessed in an unbiased, equal fashion. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of calibration on dental hygiene faculty standardization. Examples of correct and incorrect instrumentation skill performance were demonstrated and discussed during the calibration exercise. Groups simultaneously viewed instrumentation skills while assessing correct or incorrect performance. Group standardization was determined through analysis of answer key agreement, intra-rater reliability, and inter-rater reliability. Data were statistically analyzed through the use of a z-test for both answer key agreement and inter-rater reliability, and chi-square (x²) for inter-rater reliability …