Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Correlational Effects Of Academic And Demographic Factors On Nursing Students’ Attrition, Progression, And Completion At A University College Of Nursing, Adebusola A. Obafemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High United States nursing student attrition rates have attracted political, organizational, and social interest for numerous reasons. This attrition places financial burdens on the students, results in revenue loss for the college, and exacerbates the existing nursing shortage. Students' success in a nursing program is crucial for nurses to practice nursing. The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the effects of academic performance and demographic/categorical factors on nursing students' progression and completion at a University College of Nursing in the Southern United States. The target population consisted of students enrolled at the University College of Nursing from January …

Balancing Wellness And Leadership: Exploring Black Women Administrators’ Subjective Well-Being, Resilience, And Radical Self-Care In Higher Education, Lashae Grottis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leaders in higher education experience high and unrealistic demands for their skills, time, and energy, causing stress, competing priorities, burnout, compromised health, and attrition. However, unlike other racial and gender groups, Black women higher education administrators experienced these challenges more intensely. As a result of chronic stress associated with being undervalued and overworked, discriminatory and unwelcoming workplaces, and intersectional biases, Black women leaders are leaving higher education workplaces. Despite the link between gendered racism and unwellness, little is known about the problem from a positive leadership perspective. This study addressed the lack of knowledge of the wellness strategies Black women …

Improving Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Education In Undergraduate Nursing Programs, Robin E. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ongoing competency validation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills is not a routine practice in nursing school. Basic Life Support training and certification is obtained before or during nursing school with little opportunity for practice. Poor quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills can affect the confidence level of the performer and the patient outcome. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of training nursing faculty on the adoption of cardiopulmonary resuscitation technology into nursing school curriculum to provide improved cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills to nursing students. Using a pretest-posttest, this study followed the Kirkpatrick model of evaluation of continuing education, which …

"Shut Down And Closed Off": A Routine Activity Approach To Investigating The Relationship Between Covid-19 School Closures And Child Sexual Abuse Report Characteristics In Georgia, Spencer E. Riner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 created a public health crisis that led to an unprecedented number of school closures. A major concern raised by child advocates, law enforcement, and social service providers was the possible increase in undetected child abuse and maltreatment. Undergirding this concern was the belief that this mitigation effort might place child abuse victims and offenders within proximity for extended periods of time. While this was a significant concern, it has rarely been analyzed empirically. To address this gap in the literature, this thesis investigates how school closures impacted the characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) reports …

Minoritized Medical Students' Integration Of Professional Identities: A Phenomenological Study, Travis Erickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study fills a gap in the extant literature by exploring how medical students with minoritized identities make meaning about sense of self-definition and emerging professional identities while enrolled in medical school. More specifically, the focus of this study explored how minoritized medical students perceived their sense of self and dimensions of identity were shaped during their medical education, and what perceptions these medical students had about how they manage their professional identity development. Emergent themes included: (a) making connections between self-definition and professional identities, (b) past experience of difference shaping identities, (c) self-definition with complexity, (d) fluidity as …

Psychological Safety And Conflict Management Among Nurse Practitioners In Interprofessional Teams, Scott Faust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative correlational study explored the relationships between perceived psychological safety, conflict management styles, and perceived conflict management success among nurse practitioners (NPs) operating in interprofessional acute or critical care teams in the United States. Despite existing literature on conflict management and psychological safety, there is a noticeable gap concerning the interplay of these factors, specifically among NPs. A multi-item survey was developed from validated measures to assess psychological safety, conflict management success, and conflict management style. The final sample included 944 NPs. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the scores of perceived psychological safety, depending on the …

Exploring The Experiences Of Underrepresented Students Pursuing Health-Related Graduate Or Professional Programs, Alison Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many years graduate and professional education programs for the health professions have sought to increase the diversity of their student body to include students from a wider variety of backgrounds. Increasing the diversity of healthcare providers is an essential component of addressing inequities in healthcare. However, despite initiatives to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the health professions, these professions remain largely White and female. Previous researchers have sought to identify the reasons that racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in healthcare, and the barriers to persistence and success. Little research exists explaining why men are underrepresented in the …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Healthcare Professionals Who Are Experts In Cannabinoid Therapy And The Endocannabinoid System (Ecs), Courtney Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis is a prevalent alternative treatment for many symptoms and conditions given its medicinal qualities and few side effects. As legalization for both medical and recreational purposes continue to develop quickly across the United States of America, there is serious discrepancy between legalization and clinical research. Clinical data is difficult since the U.S. federal government still classifies cannabis as a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule I drug with no clearly established medical value. This lag in evidence-base data has affected cannabinoid therapy and endocannabinoid system education (ECS) for healthcare professionals. There are gaps in medical school and continuing medical education …

Care Transition Assessment Redesign In The Acute Care Setting, Darla M. Johnston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a gap in case management professional practice with a lack of consistent, research-based transition evaluation (TE) tools available and used in practice. An evidence-based case management TE is necessary to develop a holistic and comprehensive discharge plan for hospitalized patients. Updating and implementing an evidence-based case management TE would positively impact the transition of care and promote improved health outcomes including a reduction in readmissions. This quality improvement project used a quantitative nonexperimental, interventional pretest-posttest design. Kirkpatrick’s multidimensional knowledge attitudes assessment (KAP) education evaluation model was used to assess (1) the influence an educational offering on evidence-based assessment …

On-Campus Mental Health Service Use Among College Students With Autism: A Case Study Applying The Andersen Behavioral Model Of Health Services Use, Estella C. Lilyquist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The unique set of impairments and limitations presented by students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make the accessing of campus-based nonacademic resources more difficult and complicated than their typically developed peers. Each year, the rate of students entering college with disabilities continues to grow, but their mental well-being is relatively poor. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to apply the conceptual framework of the Andersen behavioral model of health services use (ABMHSU) to the experiences of college students with ASD to understand and predict their utilization of campus-provided mental health resources. The participants were seven college students with …

School Psychologists’ Knowledge And Perceived Competence Regarding Concussion Management In Schools, Braelyn Tracy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can have a serious effect on a young, developing brain. Following a concussion, it is common for children and adolescents to experience difficulties in the school setting. Schools may be the ideal setting to address some of the problems children experience as schools employ some personnel with expertise and experience in assessment and intervention. If return to learn is put to the side, students experiencing concussion signs and symptoms could potentially have long-term cognitive problems. School psychologists play a key role in the prevention and assessment of, and intervention for …

The Effects Of Peers For Young Adults On Anxiety And Quality Of Life For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alysha Cecile Dagg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social skills deficits as well as comorbid anxiety are two characteristics commonly experienced by people with Autism Spectrum Disorder - Level 1 (ASD-1; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These characteristics are also both contributors to a lower quality of life for young adults (Smith et al., 2019). The current study aimed to identify how the quality of life and anxiety are affected by social skills intervention, specifically the PEERS® for Young Adults program (Laugeson, 2017). PEERS® for Young Adults is an evidence-based social skills intervention intended to support individuals with ASD-1 (Laugeson, 2017). Prior research has demonstrated its success in both …

Parents' Perception Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Secondary Transition, Madelyn Hunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Speech-Language Pathologists provide services to youth with Down syndrome. The purpose of this study was to (a) determine if parents are aware that speech-language pathologists can provide services to prepare their children for secondary transition; (b) identify the parents’ perceptions of the services provided by speech-language pathologists; and (c) determine if in the parents’ opinion, the speech-language pathologist provided a vital role in preparing their child for transition. Using nonprobability snowball sampling, this cross-sectional mixed-method survey study included 85 parents of youth (ages 14-22) with Down syndrome across the United States. Parents rated their experiences and described their beliefs and …

Impact Of Personalized Interactive Storytelling On Suspension Of Disbelief In Clinical Simulation, Audra Renee-Smith Xenakis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature review found suspension of disbelief (SOD) in clinical simulation heavily weighted on educators alone within high-fidelity environments. The project examined a co-created narrative background story applied to a simulated patient’s clinical profile to determine achieving an improved connectedness toward the simulated patient leading to enhanced SOD and enhanced levels of learning and reaction. The studied population was third-semester associate degree nursing students over 18 years of age with prior clinical simulation experience who were not repeating the semester. The research methodology used a quantitative experimental design with cluster sampling, randomization, and post-Likert-scored questionnaires. The intervention group co-created personalized …

Using The Cipp Model Of Evaluation On A Health Disparities Curriculum Delivered To Medical Residents In 12 Residency Programs, Gauri K. Shevatekar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has provided educational directives on health disparities education during residency program for the medical residents, there is paucity of curricula focused on disparities education within the graduate medical education.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Health Disparities Curriculum (HDC) that was delivered to twelve residency programs at a College of Medicine.

Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional study design. Stufflebeam’s Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model was utilized as theoretical framework to assess whether the curriculum achieved its stated goals and objectives, the teaching and learning processes, and the …

Supports And Services To Improve Academic Success Of High School Student Athletes, Samuel G. Nichols

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether supports and services offered in various study hall programs (Traditional, Objective Based, and/or Objective Based +) at the high school level to help student athletes be academically successful in terms of achieving a minimum GPA of 2.0 or above. Basketball programs were used for this study because it is a major sport in the school district in which the data were collected. Data were sought via questionnaires of chosen participants via convenience sampling from eight eligible high school athletic directors in one school district in Georgia. This study called for the …

Understanding The Role Of Faculty Advising In Graduate Allied Healthcare Profession Programs As Practitioners Transition To Professor, Lillie Marie Barnett Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals in allied healthcare professions continue to see growth in all areas, including clinical practice and higher education. Leaders at the university level, alongside leadership within allied healthcare accreditation bodies for disciplines like athletic training, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology, maintain the need to grow the professions through master’s and doctoral degree programs. With the growth, many working practitioners move from clinical practice to academia with little to no experience or understanding of higher education and all the responsibilities of the job. This quantitative research study used a purposive sampling of allied healthcare professionals across the United States …

Analyzing Concept Mapping Integration Into A Bsn Curriculum Using The H-Pepss Survey, Tina Michelle Mathers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: This project’s foundational focus was on improving nursing students’ preparedness for their profession and patient care. Data supports that nursing graduates face challenges at the patient bedside, which often cause injury or harm. These deficits are known as preparation-to-practice, failure-to-rescue, and transition-to-practice gaps that occur despite the integration of preceptorship and residency programs. Through the integration of concept mapping into an established curriculum, an analysis of student patient safety perceptions in a pre- and postsurvey was completed. Method: This quality improvement project received approval from the institutional review board. The project was a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized, single-blinded design measuring first-semester …

Addressing Stress In Graduate Nurse Practitioner Nursing Students, Shandria K. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project was developed to address the issue of high stress levels among graduate nursing students, which is a common phenomenon that increases the risks of mental health disorders, professional burnout, and poor-quality patient care among students and professional nurses after earning their degrees. This project sought to utilize a simple educational intervention delivered online to impart coping skills to graduate nursing students to assist them in reducing their stress levels. The intervention was a brief, single-session, self-guided educational module featuring informational and participative elements related to stress causes, the impacts of stress, and stress reduction techniques. In total, 11 …

Early Detection Of Atypical Motor And Neurobehavior Of Infants At Risk Secondary To Opioid Exposure: A Prospective Study, Kara Boynewicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prenatal opioid exposure has been studied in relation to infants' medical outcomes. However, large gaps exist in the literature supporting early identification of atypical neurobehavior and motor development of infants with prenatal opioid exposure. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether prenatal opioid exposure has a negative influence on a newborn infant’s neurobehavior and motor development to aid in the early identification of potential delays. Using a prospective quasi experimental design, infants motor development using the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and neurobehavior using the NICU Neonatal Network Scale (NNNS) was assessed on 58 infants in a …

Motivations Of Division I Student-Athletes To Participate In Strength And Conditioning Programs., Liza Reader

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the motivations of Division I collegiate athletes to participate in strength and conditioning programs as a part of their sports performance program. Specifically, this study examined what the motivations were and whether there were any differences between the athlete subpopulations of age group, gender, sport played, sport type, and injury status. In contrast to existing sport participation motivation research, this study focused on the participation of strength and conditioning as a part of sport participation, an area barren of motivational understanding and literature. This study utilized Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Achievement Goal …

Critical Thinking Or Critical Creativity: Applying De Bono's Six Thinking Hats To Speech-Language Pathology Education And Practice., Samantha Hahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decision-making is a fundamental skill that health care professionals use daily which involves the interaction of many cognitive systems. Critical and lateral thinking are two approaches to decision-making often cited in literature. Critical thinking emphasizes reasoning and systematic analyzation, while lateral thinking encompasses imagination and creativity. Speech-language pathology (SLP) is a prime example of a profession that amalgamates creative processes with organized methodologies. Edward de Bono described six styles of lateral thinking – each style is equated to a colored “hat”. This study sought to determine if an association exists between a given SLP student’s level of clinical experience and …

How Early Education And Pet Therapy May Help Nurses With Compassion Fatigue, Katie E. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Although there is a great deal of research on the causes of compassion fatigue, there is little research on prevention techniques or ways to combat compassion fatigue. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover if nurses are prepared to cope with occupational stress and compassion fatigue. A secondary purpose was to examine the perceived benefit that pet therapy can have as a possible stress reduction technique to decrease the effects of compassion fatigue. This research was conducted by gathering data via semistructured interviews. The researcher interviewed nurses who were currently practicing patient care and scored as …

Improving The Competency Of Nurse Educators In The Use Of Simulation, Pricilla H. Wyatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation in nursing education programs is widely used as an active clinical learning strategy. This teaching methodology is a standard supplement to clinical experiences for nursing students to meet the requirements of clinical components within their degree program; however, the faculty of a small liberal arts-based Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was not using simulation to its fullest potential. Therefore, the purpose of this DNP project was to introduce the use of evidence-based practice simulation guidelines recommended by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The study sample of 16 included 10 full-time faculty, five part-time adjunct faculty, …

Well-Being Development: Parents’ Perceptions Of Gifted Adolescents, Barbara Moncure Washington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ perceptions of well-being development in their gifted adolescents. This was a qualitative study that used Narrative Inquiry as a research approach. Cloninger’s (1993) Psychobiological Model of Temperament and Character the (TCI) and Clandinin and Connelley’s (2000) Three-Dimensional Narrative Inquiry Space were utilized to address the research questions: What are parents’ perceptions of temperament in their gifted adolescent? What are parents’ perceptions of character in their gifted adolescent? What are the parents’ perceptions of well-being development? Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) provided an analysis lens for the study.

The framework for …

Stress And Anxiety Experience Of Dental Hygiene Students, Kristen Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ETSU dental hygiene program is very competitive and rigorous for those admitted. Student dental hygienists may experience higher levels of anxiety and more stressors while completing their course work and clinical hours than they have previously experienced in general education and prerequisite courses. These increased number of stressors and higher levels of anxiety may have negative impacts on students’ academic performance and success in clinical learning environments. A better understanding of the actual need for a stress reduction and anxiety management curriculum will facilitate creating and implementing this type of curriculum. A total of 44 current ETSU dental hygiene …

Opioid Use Disorder: A Crisis Of Concern, Evangella Harville

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to a statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2000 and 2017, approximately 700,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States. Approximately 128 persons lose their life each day from an opioid overdose. The data for this study were collected by the vice president of operations at the study site from a preexisting database for 2019 and 2020. The participants were inpatient patients, 18 and older, both male and female, and were from all ethnicities. The study facility was located in Western New York and offered a 30-bed inpatient treatment center with 24-hour …

The Effect Of Postpartum Depression Screening Education For Postpartum Nurses, Shecarra S. Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression affects about 13% of pregnant women and about 10% of women after childbirth. Some cases are so severe, the mother may even commit suicide. If left untreated, postpartum depression (PPD) affects both the mother’s and the infant’s health as well as their quality of life. The gap in clinical practice is that currently, patients only complete a postpartum depression screening tool during their 6-week follow-up appointment with their OB/GYN, leaving a gap in PPD detection and care during the immediate postpartum period. Postpartum nurses are not usually given specialized training in postpartum depression. The purpose of this study was …

Empathic Instruction Through Literary Narratives: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of An Occupational Therapy Course, Cavenaugh P. Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines concerns within the field of occupational therapy on the growing disconnect between the profession’s roots and espoused beliefs in empathic-centered care, and the modern realities of health care. In particular, the study examined whether the empathy levels of occupational therapy students would change after a course involving the close reading of literary narratives. Close reading of literary narratives has correlated with improved levels of empathy. Empathy is defined as a four-step dynamic process involving Theory of Mind (ToM), emotional resonance, emotional regulation, and empathy as a willful act. Initial study of the proposed curriculum found improved scores …

Exploring Online Mental Health Services: A Qualitative Study For First-Year College Students, Leandrian J. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American first-year college students are faced with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, which can have a negative impact on their academic performance. Research shows that students who suffer from mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, fear their condition will be perceived negatively by their peers and professors. The literature also suggests that U.S. colleges and universities can be more proactive in offering students resources for their mental health concerns to decrease anxiety and depression. It appears that absent or limited mental health resources have failed to address rising cases of student mental illness, and more specifically, …