Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Leisure And Recreation Programming Within A Transitional Living Community, Alexandra Joynes

OTD Capstone Projects

Dismas House is an approved Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), 501(c)(3) non-profit residential re-entry program serving men who are returning to the community from state and county jails and prisons. The purpose of this capstone experience is to collaborate with Dismas House staff and residents to create sustainable resources for community dinner and programming engagement through a recreation and leisure lens. At Dismas House, the goal is to support these men as they navigate a variety of challenges that come with transition from prison back into society, whether this is through providing basic needs, focusing on health & well-being, employing …

Auditory Feedback Decreases Timing Variability For Discontinuous And Continuous Motor Tasks In Autistic Adults, Nicole M. Richard Williams, Luc Tremblay, Corene Hurt-Thaut, Jessica Brian, Julia Kowaleski, Kathrin Mertel, Sebastian Schlüter, Michael Thaut

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Autistic individuals demonstrate greater variability and timing error in their motor performance than neurotypical individuals, likely due at least in part to atypical cerebellar characteristics and connectivity. These motor difficulties may differentially affect discrete as opposed to continuous movements in autistic individuals. Augmented auditory feedback has the potential to aid motor timing and variability due to intact auditory-motor pathways in autism and high sensitivity in autistic individuals to auditory stimuli. Methods: This experiment investigated whether there were differences in timing accuracy and variability in autistic adults as a function of task (discontinuous vs. continuous movements) and condition (augmented auditory …

Best Screening: Introducing The Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid To Nicus In Tennessee, Gabrielle Sledge

OTD Capstone Projects

Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST) is an early intervention agency that serves children ages 0-5 with visual impairments across Tennessee. BEST serves over 200 children and families across the state offering early intervention (BEST Start), parent empowerment (BEST Advocate), and family support (BEST Together) programming. The purpose of this project was to assist in the implementation of an early identification initiative (BEST Screening) using the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG). The NAVEG is a newborn vision screening shown to identify neurological risk for visual impairments. The long-term goal of this program is to promote the screening and early identification …

Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Navigating A New Normal In Middle Tennessee, Karli M. Beaumont

OTD Capstone Projects

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in partnership with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center offers REACH for Cancer Survivorship, a pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. REACH provides a full range of follow-up care designed to meet the physical, emotional, and practical needs of survivors and continuous surveillance of deleterious effects of cancer and its treatments. The purpose of this project was to meet population and agency needs through research of long- and late-term sequela while advocating for occupational therapy’s role in the oncology population through the proactive therapy and prospective surveillance models. The process of creating this project included synthesizing the literature, …

Health And Healthcare: Designing For The Social Determinants Of Health And Blue Zones In North Nashville, Rebecca Tonguis, Honor Thomas, Olivia Hobbs

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Owned by North Nashville’s First Community Church, a now empty site in the Osage-North Fisk neighborhood of North Nashville has been identified as a potential site for a new location of The Store, in addition to a community-centric architectural development based on the social determinants of health and informed by the principles behind Blue Zones, the locations with the highest lifespans in the world. Opened by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, The Store is a free grocery store that “allow[s] people to shop for their basic needs in a way that protects dignity and fosters hope”, for which North Nashville …

Taking Songs To Heart: An Investigation Into Musical Appreciation, Anna Kate Lockhart, Eric A. Febles, Valeria Draine, Kaitlin Pendasulo

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Abstract

Music cross-culturally occupies a central part of day-to-day living (Trehub et al., 2015). Research has demonstrated music’s consistent ability to modulate emotional states, through the investigation of properties like tempo and key (Res, 2011; Bella, 2001; Jongwan,, 2018; Schellenberg, 2010). Heartbeat is a steady rhythm that each human alive and well experiences daily, and heart rate, specifically the resting heart rate, has been suggested to set a baseline rhythm that may influence perception of musical valence (Koelsch & Jancke, 2015). The current study aims to investigate this hypothesis by establishing a resting heart rate level and modulating the speed …

Progress Reimagined: A Generation Z Perspective On Belfast In Relation To The Unsdgs., Lucy Love Haman, Rebecca F. Macleod, Emilee E. Ernster, Camryn Moore, Erin Miller, Daron Baltazar, Ricardo Jackson

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This research explores a contemporary outsider view of Belfast, through the eyes of Generation Z visiting college students, in relation to how three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are carried out (Good Health and Well-Being, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). To learn through firsthand accounts, the researchers utilized ethnographic and phenomenological methods, as interacting with locals to gather community inputs, surveying different groups in the city, Abstract: recording quotes said by citizens and displayed at billboards, and For Peer Review applying personal sensory experiences. It was found that a political deadlock plays a major role in the …

Exploring Hapi Incidence In Patients Admitted Through The Ed: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Alexa L. Tietgens

DNP Scholarly Projects

Each year in the U.S., pressure injuries, or PIs, are responsible for more than 60,000 patient deaths and billions of dollars’ worth of treatment costs. Research shows that roughly 95% of all PIs are preventable by following evidence-based practice guidelines which include early identification of patients at risk, frequent skin assessments, and implementation of prevention strategies. However, the ED environment creates unique risks for PI development due to the routine use of hard surfaces (i.e., stretchers, backboards, exam tables) and frequent hospital overcrowding. Although nurses play a pivotal role in PI prevention, frequent staffing shortages, high patient acuity levels, and …

Extending Immunity For Drug Overdoses, Dixie R. Tabet, Maggie G. Spadaro, Kaylie E. Moss

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The Tennessee Code 63-1-156 provides immunity to those who suffer from a drug overdose that seek medical assistance, only for the first overdose. After the first overdose, individuals who seek medical assistance do not receive immunity and are subject to criminal charges. Over the past 5 years, drug overdose deaths have increased significantly and in 2021 3,814 Tennesseans died from a drug overdose. In addition, individuals incarcerated for drug-related offenses make up about 20% of the state’s prison population. The state of Tennessee has had a significant increase in drug abuse rates, leading to a rise in overdose deaths and …

Awareness Of Racial Disparities In Healthcare: An Analysis Of Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions, Liz Bleyer

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

General and systemic racial inequalities, including slavery, mass incarceration, and health disparities, have existed throughout the history of the United States. Recent public health issues, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, have shed light on enduring health disparities, including the disproportionate impact on black communities and other racial minorities. A crucial first step towards a more equitable healthcare system is increasing general awareness of the presence and effects of racial disparities. Previous research has quantified and described the awareness of racial disparities in healthcare practitioners, including medical students and practicing physicians, but little research has been dedicated to understanding the perspectives of …

Coaching For Independent Living Skills In Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities At Friends Life Community, Ashley G. Raby

OTD Capstone Projects

Friends Life Community is an organization that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Nashville, TN. They provide a day program, drama therapy, social clubs, career coaching, and life coaching. The life coaching program is an individualized service provided to clients who are striving to become more independent in life skills. This project focused on creating resources and assessments to aid in the coaching process. Resources were created in the following categories: activities, cleaning, hygiene and routines, nutrition and exercise, and budgeting.

Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among College Students, Erin Hoening, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Krystal Huesmann

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Public health strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among college students living in residential communities varied, some universities opted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines while other universities opted to promote and influence the choice for vaccination.

Purpose: This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined the voluntary uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among residential students on a college campus in the southeastern U.S. that elected an evidence-driven health promotion strategy that included strong health promotion messaging coupled with coordinated efforts to make the vaccine accessible and appealing to students on campus.

Methods: Analysis of vaccine uptake was derived from campus electronic health records during …

Awareness Of Racial Disparities In Healthcare: An Analysis Of Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions, Liz Bleyer

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

General and systemic racial inequalities, including slavery, mass incarceration, and health disparities, have existed throughout the history of the United States. Recent public health issues, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, have shed light on enduring health disparities, including the disproportionate impact on black communities and other racial minorities. A crucial first step towards a more equitable healthcare system is increasing general awareness of the presence and effects of racial disparities. Previous research has quantified and described the awareness of racial disparities in healthcare practitioners, including medical students and practicing physicians, but little research has been dedicated to understanding the perspectives of …

Cognitive Load Effect On Moral Decision Making, Elise Crause, Liz Eisenga, Caroline Hopper, Merry Bailey

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Cognitive Load Effect on Moral Decision Making

Elise Crause, Merry Bailey, Liz Eisenga, Caroline Hopper

Choices are made each day to determine the outcome of our lives. To better understand the human process of decision making, philosophers and psychologists have examined moral dilemmas. Cognitive load is a type of stress that alters decision-making and the likelihood of choosing a self-motivated behavior over a behavior that benefits another person or group. For this study, moral dilemmas were given in sets of two before and after a cognitive-load-inducing task. The cognitive-load-inducing task required participants to verbally answer subtraction problems until the answer …

A Call To Create: Poetry As Healing And One Nurse’S Self-Discovery, Kim Cornett Henry, Kim Cornett Henry

English Theses

Florence Nightingale’s vision for nursing has changed greatly in the past one hundred and fifty years, with nursing’s identity replaced with an emphasis on science over caring. The fast-paced, technologically sophisticated environments, designed to meet the declining health of an American public, have resulted in nurses who are being pulled away from nurse-to-patient caring acts and the reasons they felt called to become nurses. These changes have had detrimental psychological and emotional effects on nurses and are especially evident in Intensive Care nurses. Expressive writing as poetry, autoethnography, and participation in vibrant writing communities offer nurses experiences for healing, voice, …

Self-Reliance And Self-Efficacy As Determinants Of Mental Health Treatment Seeking Intention In A Sample Of Student Service Members/Veterans, Leigh Holdsambeck

DNP Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: High rates of mental illness and poor treatment seeking have plagued the military for decades. As an organization that demands resilience, sacrifice, strength, and courage from its members, many servicemembers develop deep-seated self-reliance and self-efficacy. Though essential in many critical situations, these traits often complicate a servicemember's willingness to seek care for a mental health concern. Student servicemembers/veterans (SSM/Vs) are at an increased risk for poor mental health outcomes owing to the compounded stressors of military service and academia. Purpose: To measure the impact of elements of military service, namely self-reliance and self-efficacy, on mental health …

The Health Impact Of Intensive Case Management On Women With Oud And Their Infants, Shannon Rappe

DNP Scholarly Projects

Postpartum women with an opioid use disorder (OUD) are at high risk for treatment disengagement, leaving them vulnerable to overdose and death between seven and twelve months postpartum. Intensive case management programs have been proposed as an effective strategy to reduce barriers and increase treatment engagement among postpartum women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate program outcomes of postpartum women with OUD and the health outcomes of their infants when engaged in an intensive case management program postpartum. The study was a retrospective review of secondary data collected on 221 postpartum mothers and 225 infants of mothers who …

Developing Power Skills And Effective Partnerships With Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Madison Mclean

OTD Capstone Projects

This project partnered with Friends Life Community of Nashville, TN, in effort to advocate for, increase meaningful participation in, and promote independence in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the implementation of several training tools. Staff and families at Friends Life expressed a need for more classes in a virtual capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to tools to guide Friends Life staff from an occupational therapy perspective. An occupational therapy-based training module was introduced to promote inclusion and teach activity analysis, goal-setting, and how to adapt tasks and the environment to maximize engagement and independence in …

The Effects Of Language Barriers With Hispanic Patients In The Nashville, Rachel Poston

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The existence of language barriers in the health care setting is a vital topic of study. This study assesses language barriers from the perspective of nurse-patient relationships, focusing on the Hispanic patient population in the Nashville, Tennessee area. A survey was designed using the Theory of Bureaucratic Caring by Marilyn Ray (2006) to investigate the current success, according to nursing perspectives, of healthcare facilities support of Hispanic patients to ensure quality outcomes and comprehension of care. The research design for this study was a non-experimental, descriptive study using a cross-sectional survey. The researcher used themes from the Theory of Bureaucratic …

Sleep Deprivation And High-Fat Diet During Adolescence Protect Stress Effects On Object Memory During Adulthood, Karina Glushchak

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

No abstract provided.

Increasing Employment Success: Helping Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities At Friends Life Improve Job Readiness Skills, Madeleine Ruff

OTD Capstone Projects

This poster discusses a class developed for adults with developmental disabilities that focuses on job readiness skills and successful employment within the community. The class focuses on three different sections including job exploration, preparing to get a job and maintaining employment. Each section includes resources such as worksheets, visuals & activities that are appropriate for varying cognitive levels of the friends to facilitate participation in each section. At the end of the class, the adults at Friends Life will have identified job interests, developed personal resume/vision statements and learned about appropriate behaviors to display at both interviews and employment site.

Searching For A Common Thread: A Retrospective Chart Review Of Child And Adolescent Restraints And Seclusions, Mary Koziura

DNP Scholarly Projects

Child and Adolescent psychiatry is an increasingly frequented area of research. The project leader believes violence in an inpatient psychiatry setting is an underrepresented topic of research and discussion. Close quarters among patients of varying diagnoses and backgrounds, coupled with varying culture and attitudes of staff make for a teetering point—a fine line—between therapeutic interaction and safety concerns. Particularly, in the case of patients under 18, one hopes to establish an environment of nurturing, as opposed to a police state. With the fact established that children and their parents should always come first, many of the staff are often exposed …

Barriers To Health Care Among Laotian Americans In Middle Tennessee, Xaiyavong Saenphansiri

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background. Laotian Americans have unique heath beliefs and practices. The cultural differences between Laotian American patients and American health care providers can create challenges in achieving not only evidence-based, but also culturally sensitive care. Although the current literature addresses barriers to health care for Asian Americans, there are few studies related to the Laotian-American minority.

Aim. Describing the particular barriers to preventive and curative care in the Laotian-American population in Middle Tennessee would inform strategies for successful prevention and early treatment programs for this population. The purpose of the study is to describe the health beliefs and barriers to …

Medication Adherence And Intervention To Create Success In Hypertensive African Americans In A Rural Setting, Laneita Davis

DNP Scholarly Projects

Hypertension is a chronic disease that has been a major problem in the African American community for decades. Although numerous research studies have examined interventions to combat this disease, there has been very little research published that focused on African Americans with hypertension in a rural setting. Rural residents experience many difficulties in accessing healthcare services. This difficult access is a disadvantage that results in higher morbidity and mortality rates compared to those of their urban counterparts. Being from a small town in Mississippi, I have witnessed first hand the many barriers that are encountered. Individuals who live in a …