Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Saying No To Vaping: What You Should Know About The Dangers Of E-Cigarettes, David Prudovsky

HCAS Student Articles

No abstract provided.

“Build A Bridge So You Can Cross It:” A Photo-Elicitation Study Of Health And Wellness Among Homeless And Marginally Housed Veterans, Keri L. Rodriguez, Lauren M. Broyles, Michael A. Mitchell, Melissa E. Wieland, Gala True, Adam J. Gordon

The Qualitative Report

As part of a photo-elicitation interview study, we aimed to describe homeless and marginally housed Veterans’ experiences with health and wellness, health decisions, and health-related behaviors. Twenty Veterans receiving Veterans Affairs Homeless Patient-Aligned Care Team care took photographs depicting health and wellness, then used their photographs to discuss the same topics in 30-60 minute audio-recorded, semi-structured photo-elicitation interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using template analysis. Veterans described eight dimensions related to their health and wellness; physical, social, and environmental were most commonly discussed, followed by emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, and financial wellness. Photographs contained literal and metaphorical depictions that were positively-oriented, …

The Nights Of Our Lives: Why We Sleep & Dream, Jaime L. Tartar Phd

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

Explore the most recent theories and evidence of why we sleep, and what happens in the brain during sleep and the consequences of sleep loss and sleep disorders.

Health Literacy And Type 2 Diabetes In Barbados, Coralene Quimby-Worrell

The Qualitative Report

In this qualitative instrumental single case study, I explored how patients living with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Barbados manage the disease and what role health literacy might play. Purposeful sampling aided in selecting the sample for the study. The sample was 23 participants who were 40 years and older, diagnosed with T2D, living in Barbados, and attending the Endocrine Center for treatment. Participants responded to 13 open ended questions used to answer the research questions. Information was coded using NVivo 10 software and the software provided the themes based on the participants’ responses to the interview questions. The themes …

A Qualitative Metasynthesis Of Published Research Exploring The Pregnancy And Resettlement Experience Among Refugee Women, Diana M. Kingsbury, Sheryl L. Chatfield

The Qualitative Report

The number of refugees and asylum seekers throughout the world continues to increase, leading to increasing challenges in meeting healthcare needs of these individuals. Women’s antenatal health is of particular concern due to their vulnerability to sexual violence and the substantial proportion of refugees consisting of women and girls of or nearing reproductive age. The purpose of this qualitative metasynthesis was to integrate and interpret findings from previously published research reports in which authors explored aspects of pregnancy among resettled refugee women. Following a systematic search process, we used Dedoose qualitative data analysis software to manage the process of extracting …

Estradiol Modulation Of The Renin-Angiotensin System And The Regulation Of Fear Extinction, Jenna N Parrish, Megan L Bertholomey, Hong W Pang, Robert Charles Speth, Mary M Torregrossa

Faculty Articles

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more prevalent in women than men, yet much remains to be determined regarding the mechanism underlying this sex difference. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown that low estradiol levels during extinction of fear conditioning in rodents (i.e., cue exposure therapy in humans) leads to poor extinction consolidation and increased fear during extinction recall. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is also associated with stress-related pathologies, and RAS antagonists can enhance extinction consolidation in males. However, less is known about how estradiol and the RAS converge to alter fear extinction consolidation in females. Since estradiol downregulates the RAS, …

Cancer Blog Narratives: The Experience Of Under-Fifty Women With Breast Cancer During Different Times After Diagnosis, Maria Luisa Martino, Anna Gargiulo, Daniela Lemmo, Giorgia Margherita

The Qualitative Report

The recent literature shows an increase of breast cancer in women under 50, however still few are the studies which analyse the impact of the disease in this specific target age. This study aims at exploring the most prevalent topics in Italian cancer blogs of women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis before the age of 50, in order to understand their experience of illness and the characteristics of women’s narrations at different times after diagnosis (1 year, 2 years, 3 years). We collected the textual corpus of 4 Italian breast cancer blogs and performed a thematic analysis. Five …

Online Blaming And Intimate Partner Violence: A Content Analysis Of Social Media Comments, Jason Whiting, Rachael Dansby Olufowote, Jaclyn D. Cravens-Pickens, Alyssa Banford Witting

The Qualitative Report

Social media has become a ubiquitous form of interacting and sharing information. However, comments on social media sites are often aggressive and contemptuous, especially when topics are controversial or politically charged. For example, discussion of intimate partner violence (IPV) tends to provoke strong reactions from outsiders, who make angry or blaming remarks about those involved. Although IPV is common, it has not been widely discussed in popular media until recent years when high-profile cases of abuse have come to light. In 2016, a celebrity accusation of domestic violence led to thousands of comments on social media, with outsiders weighing in …

Developing A Biased Unmatched Bivalent Ligand (Bumbl) Design Strategy To Target The Gpcr Homodimer Allosteric Signaling (Camp Over Β-Arrestin 2 Recruitment) Within The Melanocortin Receptors., Cody J Lensing, Katie T Freeman, Sathya M Schnell, Robert Charles Speth, Adam T Zarth, Carrie Haskell-Luevano

Faculty Articles

Understanding the functional relevance of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) homodimerization has been limited by the insufficient tools to assess asymmetric signaling occurring within dimers comprised of the same receptor type. We present unmatched bivalent ligands (UmBLs) to study the asymmetric function of melanocortin homodimers. UmBLs contain one agonist and one antagonist pharmacophore designed to target a melanocortin homodimer such that one receptor is occupied by an agonist and the other receptor by an antagonist pharmacophore. First-in-class biased UmBLs (BUmBLs) targeting the human melanocortin-4 receptor (hMC4R) were discovered. The BUmBLs displayed biased agonism by potently stimulating cAMP signaling (EC

The Fall Of The Gladiators: Wives’ Tales Of Concussion Reporting And (Possible) Progressive Neurodegenerative Disease In Nfl Players, Caroline E. Faure Edd; Atc, Madeline P. Casanova Mpe

The Qualitative Report

This study aims to uncover and describe stories of progressive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral decline in NFL players, as told by those who may know them best: their wives. The goal of the study was to simply explore and understand this new phenomenon with a group of individuals who had not yet been asked to voice their experiences. For this qualitative study, we conducted interviews with 20 wives of current and retired NFL players. Through thematic analysis of the wives’ narratives, we identified four themes that help to describe the wives’ attitudes and experiences. These were (a) Husbands’ Willingness to …

Community-Based Occupational Therapy Practice Among Older Adults: A Delphi Study, Kristin Domville

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This capstone project explores the socio-political environment of current and potential community-based occupational therapy (OT) services among community-dwelling older adults, including the current state of community-based OT practice and the current awareness of OT’s potential impact on health and wellness among community-dwelling older adults. The goal is to identify how to increase the presence of OT in community settings to decrease the occupational injustice among the older adult population. The research method used is the Delphi Method, an anonymous structured communication between experts in the field of community-based OT practice and the older adult population. Experts, provided real-world knowledge and …

Occupation-Based Practice In Occupational Therapy, Sarah Psillas

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The positive impact of occupation and well-being has been documented throughout the literature, however, the direct link of using occupation-based practice (OBP) and improvement of client outcomes has not been well established. This research study considered what OBP is, what the constructs are that comprise it, and how facilitators and barriers impact its use. Results: Results of this grounded theory study included four main constructs of occupation-based practice (actual occupation, meaningful and purposeful value, therapeutic intent, and engaged participation) as well as the theory of OccupationalTherapist’s Dynamic Use of Occupation-Based Practice. This theory explains the dynamic process that a …

Creating Confident And Connected Families: A Program To Improve Parental Self-Efficacy In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kelly Simpson

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) require life sustaining intervention for weeks to months after birth. This intervention is remarkably stressful for both the infant, who is ill-equipped to handle life outside the womb, and for the parents who are filled with fear and stress due to the illness of their son or daughter. The experience of hospitalization can lead to stress, shame, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder for families of NICU infants. Knowledge about the unique stressors, challenges, and needs for support of preterm infants has proven helpful to boost confidence and feelings of wellbeing within …

Effect Of Aflibercept On Macular Retinal Layers And Peripheral Non Perfusion In Subjects With Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, Swetha Bindu Velaga

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The relation between UWF fluorescein angiography (FA) and retinal non-perfusion were studied previously. The relationship between retinal thickness and retinal non-perfusion in subjects with diabetic retinopathy has not been studied using SD-OCT and UWF. Thus, in this current study we used SD-OCT to visualize the individual layers of retina and to evaluate whether the extent of non-perfusion is correlated with macular retinal layer thickness in subjects with PDR with no diabetic macular edema.

Methods: In this prospective longitudinal multicenter, randomized study a total of 36 eyes of thirty six subjects were included in final analysis. Subjects with any history …

Practice Makes The Deficiency Of Global Motion Detection In People With Pattern-Related Visual Stress More Apparent, Jana Wegrzyn

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pattern-related visual stress (PRVS) refers to the perceptual difficulties experienced by some individuals when exposed to high contrast striped patterns. People with PRVS were reported to have reduced sensitivity to global motion at baseline testing and the difference disappears at a second estimate. The present study was to investigate the effect of practice on global motion threshold in adults with and without PRVS. Methods: A total of 101 subjects were recruited and the Wilkins & Evans Pattern Glare Test was used to determine if a subject had PRVS. The threshold to detect global motion was measured with a random dot …

Long Term Efficacy Of A Supraciliary Micro-Stent Combined With Cataract Surgery In The Treatment Of Glaucoma, Michael Robert Mcfarland

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term efficacy of supraciliary micro-stent implantation in combination with phacoemulsification in the treatment of mild-moderate primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: Retrospective data of patients previously enrolled in the “Study of an Implantable Device for Lowering Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery” (COMPASS trial), in which patients with mild-moderate POAG had undergone either cataract surgery alone or cataract surgery combined with implantation of a supraciliary micro-stent, were collected. Eligible patients had since exited the trial and had 5-8 years of postoperative data available. The primary outcome measure was …

A Clinical Documentation Practice Improvement To Increase Insurance Reimbursement, Allison R. Hamilton

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The National Institute Mental Health (2015) estimated there were about 44.7 million people diagnosed with a serious mental illness and 62.9% of those diagnosed were without mental health services. The loss of services was due to unemployment, reoccurring hospitalization, inabilities to care for themselves, and lack of participation in societal norms (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). According to Insel (2011/2015), the U.S. cost of mental healthcare was an estimated $57.5 billion in 2006. This cost was not due to actual care but associated with the economic burden of job loss and the excessive use of community resources. The Affordable …

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Resilience Among Newly Licensed Registered Nurses Transitioning To The Professional Role, Lee Fong-Hong

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: With the current nursing shortage there are fewer experienced nurses and more newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) in the workplace. This shortage may be due in part to inconsistencies between role expectations learned in school and the practice environment. These inconsistencies may make it challenging to transition from nursing school into professional healthcare organizations. Nurses with certain person-level traits, including resilience and emotional intelligence, may be more likely to make a successful transition into practice. Findings may improve our understanding of what person-level traits are important for making the successful transition to the workforce. Purpose: The current study explored …

Improved Use Of Interact To Decrease 30-Day Readmissions From A Skilled Nursing Facility, Folasade Omobowale Adewunmi

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The rising cost of health care in relation to rehospitalizations continues to be a challenge. Medicare 30-day readmissions have an annual estimated cost of $17.4 billion. Irrespective of these costs and the continued improvement in the quality of care, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) still face high readmission rates. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to enhance SNF care processes by improving the utilization of the electronic medical record software program “INTERACT” to increase early identification and treatments of patients to minimize 30-day hospital readmissions. Theoretical Framework: The theory of planned behavior by Icek Azjen was used. …

Implementing A Culturally Sensitive Intervention For Haitian Patients Non-Adhering To Hypertensive Medications, Guilaine Gabriel-Percinthe

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The pervasiveness of hypertension (HTN), morbidity, and mortality in Haitians immigrants are frightening. Nonadherence with hypertensive medications, disease management, lifestyle modifications, and cultural and spiritual beliefs, including prayer; faith healing; use of herbal teas; and a diet that is deficient in potassium, rich in sodium, high in fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates result in increased prevalence of HTN and disability in the Haitian community. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine the existing system for adherence to hypertensive medications, standardized clinical practice guidelines, identify patients at risk for nonadherence to hypertensive medications, disease management, medical follow-up, …

Lived Experience Of Post-Licensure Nurses In A Perioperative Clinical Rotation, Amy Stahley

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A projected deficit in the perioperative workforce of 32,000 perioperative nurses retiring by 2024, creates an inability to meet the nursing needs of the United States population. The need for experienced perioperative nurses has been increasing while the availability of nurses with perioperative education has been decreasing. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of post-licensure nurses who participated in a perioperative clinical rotation within their baccalaureate nursing program and did that experiential experience affect the recruitment and employment for perioperative nursing to halt the impending shortage. The integrations of Kolb’s experiential learning theory and …

An Educational Initiative To Promote Self-Care Practices In Hispanic Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Geralde S. Bridges

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has become pandemic and is predicted to increase among Americans. Hispanic Americans are at high risk for the disease. T2D is a causative factor in many chronic illnesses among adults in the United States. A major contributing factor to poor adherence to diabetes treatment plans is knowledge deficit related to the disease, its management, and its complications. Therefore, education in self-care practices is critical in diabetes management.

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement project (QIP) was to promote self-care practices among T2D Hispanic patients through a diabetes self-management education (DSME) program. The project …

Use Of Evidence-Based Test Development In Pre-Licensure Nursing Programs: A Descriptive Study Of Faculty Beliefs, Attitudes And Values, Richild Berrick

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Effective testing in pre-licensure nursing programs is a challenge in nursing education. Implementing evidence-based test development is essential to successful assessment of students’ competence and preparation for licensure. Purpose: Identifying the beliefs, attitudes and values of nursing faculty will contribute to the use of best practices in student assessments, ultimately contributing to increased retention of competent students and increasing the workforce within the healthcare industry. Theoretical Framework: This study is based on Rokeach’s theory of beliefs, attitudes and values. Methods: A quantitative descriptive research methodology was used in this study using survey data collection. A purposive, non-probability, convenience sample …

Emergency Department Nurses: Post Code Pause, Lynn Alice Hauck

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The consistent witnessing of death and critical incidents takes an emotional toll on the emergency department (ED) nurses. In addressing critical incident events, research has shown us that debriefing nurses after a traumatic event helped reduce stress and, in turn, decreased staff turnover in the ED at an acute care facility (Hirschinger, Scott, & Hahn-Cover, 2015). Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to implement a Post Code Pause (PCP) debriefing tool in conjunction with the hospital’s Unit Practice Council (UPC) members and the ED direct patient care nurses for use after adult and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), …

Baccalaureate Nurses’ Experiences And Understanding Of Adults Living With Sickle Cell Disease, Shelia Ann Reid

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic, genetic blood disorder with most treatment interventions geared toward the acute phase of the disease, which often leads to fragmented care. In Canada, the teaching of SCD occurs without a genetic competency, resulting in miscommunication, misunderstanding, and inadequate nursing care. Purpose: This investigator examined baccalaureate nurses’ experiences and understanding of working with adults living with SCD. Methods: A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore baccalaureate nurses' experiences and understanding of working with young adults living with SCD. Results: Lindseth and Norbergs’ (2004) interpretation of Ricoeur’s hermeneutic interpretative phenomenological approach was used …

Factors Affecting The Outcome Of The National Council Licensure Examination Among Nontraditional Learners From Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Angela Cristina Gaud

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background. The composition of student population in higher education is a reflection of a globalized society and current socioeconomic conditions. Characteristics of nontraditional adult learners have a significant impact in the achievement of their academic goals. A more diverse composition of students enrolled in nursing programs poses an important challenge to NCLEX-RN pass/fail outcomes. Studies that explore or predict the factors associated with NCLEX-RN performance amongst nontraditional adult learners after graduation are limited.

Purpose. This study analyzed how the demographic, social, and psychological factors observed in the characteristic profile of the nontraditional adult learner are related to NCLEX-RN performance for …

Increasing Hospice Nurses’ Knowledge And Improving Attitudes On Pain Assessment In Dementia Patients, Lyn Marie Peugeot

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Patients with dementia have difficulty articulating pain due to cognitive deficits incommunication, sensation, and overall physical decline due to the aging and disease process. Patients who have dementia are considered at-risk for uncontrolled pain due to under-assessment, under-treatment, or untreated pain. Current research notes gaps exist in pain assessment among nurses’ due to knowledgedeficits and attitudes on pain assessment for dementia patients. Barriers regarding the utilization of evidence-based behavioral pain assessment tools are related to nurses’ knowledge deficit and skills competency.

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to increase hospice nurses’ knowledge and improve attitudes …

Handoff Communication Among Senior Nursing Students: A Phenomenological Study, Juanita Hanley-Gumbs

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Despite discussions in health care regarding poor communication and its link to patient safety, it was revealed in the literature that many student nurses are inadequately prepared to conduct handoff communication. Student nurses have difficulty in this area due to limited or no experience with the handoff process, which jeopardizes patient safety. The purpose of this research study was to understand how senior nursing students make meaning of their lived experiences with handoff communication. The guiding research question for this study is: How do senior nursing students make meaning of their lived experiences with handoff communication during the change-of-shift report …

Technostress In Nursing And The Big Five, Paula Hope Jackson

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Information about technostress is scant in the nursing literature even with the ubiquitous amount of technology used in thehospital setting as well as the Big Five personality traits. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of technostress among hospital nurses and to examine the relationship between technostress and nurses’ personality traits measured by the Big Five Inventory -- openness to experience, consciousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (OCEAN). The Technostress Creator instrument developed by Tarafdar, Tu, Ragu-Nathan, and Ragu-Nathan (2007) was utilized to identify the percentage of technostress in the five subscales of techno-overload, techno-invasion, techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, and …

Increasing Self-Efficacy And Bystander Cpr Rates: A Train-The-Trainer Program, Amanda Constantino

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The majority of cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital, yet a significant portion of the population are not trained to provide bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR). BCPR initiated during an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has numerous benefits and increases positive patient outcomes and survival rates. There is currently a lack of structured training programs that focus on increasing BCPR training rates for OHCA, therefore, the number of individuals trained in BCPR remains low within communities despite evidence showing the clear benefits.

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based project was threefold: (a) to increase the number of community members within …