Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Merit Of Inclusion: A Policy Review Examining The Convergence Of Special Education And Inclusions Policies With Compensatory Medicaid Policies In The Wake Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Corbyn Baggett

Capstone Experience

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as a global pandemic. This global issue compelled governments to announce careful virus containing policies in order to prevent further spread and control of the disease. Although it has been proven that measures like social isolation could aid in scaling the spread of illness, the resulting extended school closures that occurred in response to an increased number of COVID-19 outbreaks posed significant challenges for all students, but especially those students with special needs. The unpredictable nature of COVID-19 at the outset of the pandemic …

Hispanic/Latino Mothers Of Children With Developmental Disabilities: Identifying Factors Associated With Practicing Self-Care And Mental Health Outcomes, Jessica Gutierrez

Capstone Experience

Caring for a child with developmental disabilities can be challenging, exhausting, and overwhelming for many parents. The level of care that a child with disabilities requires can be intense, resulting in stress and negatively impacting caregivers' mental health. Many Hispanic/Latino mothers of children with developmental disabilities are not practicing self-care or using support services; thus, the mothers may experience high stress, depression, and anxiety. Previous research studies have found adverse psychological effects such as high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. This quantitative study sought to identify the gaps and barriers Hispanic/Latino mothers of children with developmental disabilities encounter when …

The Differences In Mental Well-Being For Individuals With And Without Service Dogs, Katelyn Morales

Capstone Experience

Trained service dogs can be used for many tasks, but the growing literature focuses on the benefits of the psychosocial health and well-being of individuals experiencing depression or anxiety. This study analyzes the effects of service dogs on the mental well-being of individuals with a diagnosed disability who have depression or anxiety. This quasi-experimental design assesses the mental well-being of individuals who have a service dog compared to those who do not have a service dog. Mental well-being was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and focused on individuals with a service dog and diagnosed depression or anxiety …

Analysis Of The Utilization Of Nebraska Medicine's Price Transparency Tool, Ingrid A. Olson

Capstone Experience

Healthcare costs have become a significant concern for patients, healthcare facilities, economists, and politicians within the United States. In an effort to understand and reduce health-related costs, price transparency laws were enacted at the beginning of 2021. Because of these new laws, hospitals must provide a price transparency tool for their patients. “Price transparency in healthcare makes pricing information more readily available, defines the value of services, and enables patients and other care purchasers to identify, compare, and choose providers that offer the desired level of value” (AAMC, 2022). However, research results on price transparency tools use and efficacy is …

Interrogating Race And Place-Based Inequities In Hiv And Covid-19, Rohan Khazanchi

MD Honors Theses

Over the last four years, I have developed a research focus examining the intersections of race, place, and health. My M.D. Honors Thesis reflects a snapshot of these efforts. In this collection of brief research reports, I leverage area-based measures to investigate structural inequities in three contexts: the HIV epidemic in our hyperlocal community, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and clinical trials for novel COVID-19 therapeutics. I apply novel social epidemiologic tools to measure and explore disparate outcomes. And, in reflecting upon my findings, I discuss concrete implications for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers alike.

Chapter 1: Neighborhood-Level Deprivation …

Psychological Trauma Alters T-Lymphocyte Inflammation And Redox Through Sympathetic Mechanisms, Safwan K. Elkhatib

Theses & Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder characterized by distinctive symptom clusters, including intrusive memories (i.e., flashbacks), avoidance of related stimuli, affective changes, and hyperarousal. Strikingly, patients with PTSD face a significantly increased risk for a number of inflammation-driven pathologies, ranging from cardiovascular to autoimmune disease. Yet, the exact etiology of this increased risk remains unknown. The immune system is known to be strongly influenced by the sympathetic nervous system, and sympathetic overactivity is a hallmark of PTSD. Lymphoid organs, such as the spleen, are richly innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers which terminate near adaptive immune …

Reflective Journaling Intervention To Impact Self-Awareness, Professional Health, And Overall Well-Being In Nurses, Brittany M. Langan, Katherine Keppen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background. Burnout among nurses has been on the rise and was exacerbated with the pandemic. Reflective journaling after work may be a strategy to decrease feelings of burnout. Reflective journaling, as an intervention, has been shown to improve self-awareness, compassion fatigue, and burnout among nurses. The purpose of this study was to pilot a 4-week reflective journaling intervention in hospital-based nurses and describe participant professional quality of life, self-awareness, and overall well-being.

Theoretical Framework. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was chosen as the theoretical framework because it identifies the belief that performing a particular behavior will lead to a …

Helping Our Heroes: An Evaluation Of Mental Health And Organizational Policies Surrounding Suicide Prevention And Postvention Strategies For Nebraska First Responders, Maria S. Mickles

Capstone Experience

Suicide is ranked as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Over 40,000 individuals die by suicide each year (Stanley, Hom, & Joiner, 2016; Vigil et al, 2021), and, in 2020, it was ranked in the top 9 causes of death for all ages (10-64), and second for those 10-14 and 25-34 years of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). These statistics disproportionately reflect first responders (i.e., firefighters, dispatchers, law enforcement, EMS, paramedics, etc.), as they die by suicide more than the general public (National EMS Management Association, 2016). Within their line of work …