Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

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 …

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 …

Coping Strategies And Stress Of The Undergraduate Nursing Student In The Clinical Setting: An Evidence Based Practice Quantitative Study, Ashley Calverley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The assessment of perceived stress and coping behaviors related to first-semester clinical might benefit students in nursing education. The assessment of most common coping behaviors and perceived stress related to the clinical setting is essential due to difference in personalities, learning abilities, and coping behaviors among nursing students today. Previous research has suggested the initial clinical period results in adverse outcomes, such as poor academic performance, elevated burnout levels, and diminished personal well-being. These factors are detrimental to academic success in nursing programs. Evidence supports that helping students develop positive stress/coping abilities will aid in adapting in both the academic …

Effects Of Compassion Fatigue On Surgical Staff Productivity, Marcy I. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Compassion fatigue is a psychological phenomenon affecting many healthcare professionals; however, many professionals are unaware of compassion fatigue or its signs and symptoms. Individuals suffering from compassion fatigue may experience mental and physical side effects and a decline in their work productivity. This quality improvement project was aimed at determining if implementing Vintapatr’s compassion fatigue education and management program would improve perceived levels of compassion fatigue and reduce operating room turnover time. The researcher utilized a descriptive correlational design to identify the relationship between compassion fatigue levels and operating room turnover times. This quality improvement project was implemented at a …

Life After The Pandemic: Use Of An Educational Coping Strategy Tool Kit For Healthcare Professionals, Christine Thorpe-Gilpin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has proven that acute care healthcare professionals (i.e., nurses, certified nursing assistants, and respiratory therapists have been experiencing ongoing challenges and ineffective coping mechanisms. The Toolkit for Emotional Coping for Healthcare Staff (TECHS) educational toolkit has introduced practical coping skills that could benefit healthcare workers. Using the TECHS has effectively inspired the development and usage of practical coping skills among healthcare workers. There were three tools included in the TECHS educational material to understand and manage adversity, which can be repeated for new or recurring stressful situations in a personal or team-based approach. These tools were based on cognitive-behavioral …

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 …

Effectiveness Of Antibiotic Stewardship For Healthcare Providers At Urgent Care Clinics, Helen T. Adewole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics have revolutionized modern medicine; however, the overuse in urgent care and primary care significantly contributes to the global burden of infections resistant to available antimicrobial medicines. Approximately 30% of the antimicrobials prescribed in acute care settings are unnecessary. Patient demand for antibiotics has seemingly skyrocketed following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioners must be knowledgeable about antibiotic stewardship initiatives, such as the wait-and-see approach, to reduce antibiotic overuse and improve the trajectory of antibiotic resistance and patient health outcomes. The gap in practice was the limited awareness of scientific evidence-based tools to partner with patients and improve antibiotic prescription patterns. …

Delivery Of Gemcitabine, Stearoyl Gemcitabine And Paclitaxel Through Plga Nanoparticles And Its Effect On The Desmoplasia Of Pancreatic Cancer Spheroids, Rishabh Bahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers to treat. The primary cause for the drug resistance is the dense extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds the tumor and restricts blood supply. Gemcitabine (GEM) and paclitaxel (PTX) are drugs that are clinically used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. GEM, however, is rapidly metabolized by cytidine deaminase (CDA) and eliminated from the body, and paclitaxel is a substrate for P- glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux receptors. Drug delivery using nanoparticles has been reported to help improve drug half-lives and bypass efflux receptors. This thesis aims to encapsulate PTX in PLGA nanoparticles (PTX-NP) and …

Isolation, Molecular Characterization, And Epidemiological Analysis Of An Emerging Avian Metapneumovirus Subgroup B In Us Poultry, Sumit Jangra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is one the most economically important poultry respiratory pathogens belonging to the family Pneumoviridae and genus Metapneumovirus, which can affect both domestic and wild birds. aMPVs are classified into four subgroups (A, B, C, and D) based on the level of genetic variations and antigenic differences. aMPV causes turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) and swollen head syndrome (SHS) in turkeys and chickens respectively. Recently, outbreaks of respiratory disease in meat-type birds and a significant decline in egg production with respiratory signs in breeders were reported from different states in the USA. Isolating aMPV is challenging as it is a …

Scaffold Hopping For The Lead Optimization Of The Orally Active Antileishmanial Pyrrolo-Quinazoline Alkaloid Natural Product Peganine, Sunitha Jada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease caused by the species Leishmania that affects millions of people around the world. It is a serious public health concern in the developing world with about 1 million cases and 70,000 fatalities occurring each year. It has several forms with visceral, and cutaneous leishmaniasis being the most common forms of the disease. Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by the Leishmania donovani occurs mainly in Brazil, Eastern Africa, and India, and is fatal if left untreated. The current treatments for leishmaniasis such as pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, pentamidine, and some azoles suffer from serious drawbacks. …

Breast Tissue As A Local Drug Reservoir For Anticancer Therapy In Breast Cancer, Saniia Shchinar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer, particularly the estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) subtype, remains a formidable challenge in oncology. Traditional oral therapies for ER-positive breast cancer, such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like Tamoxifen (TAM) and Toremifene (TOR), often encounter issues related to limited bioavailability, metabolic complications, and significant systemic side effects. These side effects include the risk of blood clots, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, menstrual cycle disruptions, and uterus cancer, which can hinder long-term adherence to preventive therapy. The exploration of local drug delivery into breast tissue presents a promising alternative to tackle these challenges. In this study, we explored the feasibility of …

Abelson (Abl) Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Reduce Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) Replication In Vitro, Jenna Parliament

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus from the Arteriviridae family. PRRSV causes respiratory illness and reproductive failure in infected pigs. Outbreaks occurring in the United States and worldwide cause significant economic losses annually. Abelson (Abl) tyrosine kinase is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, which plays a central role in regulating many cellular processes such as actin reorganization, cell proliferation and differentiation by transducing extracellular and intracellular signals. Abl inhibitors have been shown to restrict the entry of membrane fusion of enveloped viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome …

2,3,4 Trihydroxybenzoic Acid, A Plant Secondary Metabolite Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth, Mina Akter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nature offers many sources such as fruits, beverage crops, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine, that are rich in hydroxybenzoic acids (HBAs). They are a prominent phenolic acids with excellent biochemical and antioxidant properties. Due to the vast dietary health benefits of HBAs such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, immunoregulatory, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, antidiabetic, anticancer properties and cardioprotective capabilities, they are attracting the attention of physicians and researchers alike to understand their mechanisms of action. It is anticipated that the understanding of the role of HBAs for their greater use in diet/supplements is beneficial to reverse common illnesses such as inflammation, …

The Impact Of Sitting And Crawling On The Acquisition Of Object Permanence In Infants With Motor Delays And Infants With Typical Development, Karl Jancart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Object permanence (OP) is the ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be perceived. During play, infants with an understanding of OP will continue searching for toys when the toys have been obscured by other items. Searching requires movement. The theory of embodied cognition maintains that the form and function of an organism’s body influence how the organism learns; Therefore, if a child has difficulties with movement, as demonstrated by children with motor delays, they will likely have difficulty engaging in play, the modality by which children learn about their world. The current research is …

Air-Jet Bioprinting Of Stem Cell-Encapsulated Alginate Micro-Droplets For Organoid Biomanufacturing, Mirabella B. Stump

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomanufactured 3D-organoids show promise for modeling and treating various conditions, particularly insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type-1 diabetes). Pancreatic islet organoids serve as sustainable sources of insulin-producing β-cells, potentially restoring insulin regulation in patients and providing a long-term solution for diabetes. Hydrogel droplet printing is an emerging technique in regenerative medicine due to its advantageous tunability and biocompatibility; however, challenges of consistency, quality control, and scalability persist. To address these issues, we developed a novel air-jetting based droplet bioprinting system for the generation of monodispersed alginate micro-droplets. The objective of this project was to incorporate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into …

The Contribution Of Principlism To Foster Ethical And Clinical Reciprocity In Resolving Healthcare Dilemmas, Dominic Glorioso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principlism is an ethical method that uses an analytical framework based on a set of principles that can function as guidelines for healthcare professionals. The term was made

famous by the work of two bioethicists, Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. Their book, Principles of Biomedical Ethics and its multiple editions described a set of norms that are basic

for biomedical ethics. The first edition of their book was published in 1979, and the ninth edition in 2019. Its persistence and durability speak for themselves. In addition, their writings made

famous the four bioethical principles of respect for Autonomy, …

The Implications Of The Halogen Atom On The Physical Stability Of Amorphous Solid Dispersions, Mustafa Bookwala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASD), although a promising formulation strategy for poorly water-soluble drugs, are susceptible to rapid, spontaneous recrystallization owing to their metastable nature. Non-covalent interactions (NCI) between the drug and polymer are known to help prevent ASD physical destabilization. Conventionally, hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) is considered important for ASD formation and persistence. However, carbon-bound halogen atoms, which are frequently present on drug molecules and can form specific halogen-bonds (X-bond) with the polymer, remain relatively unexplored with respect to their ability to stabilize ASDs. It was, therefore, hypothesized that the presence of a peripheral Br on bromopropamide, and Cl on chlorpropamide will …

Formalizing The Faustian Bargain Within The Healthcare Domain: An End-Of-Life Approach., Rachel Appel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Faustian Bargain refers to an individual making a “deal with the devil,” exchanging something moral or sacred for an unattainable earthly good. The Faustian Bargain has been used to describe a ubiquitous social dilemma inherent to human civilization: exchanging individual liberty for public goods (e.g., security) provided by societal leaders and governments (Ostrom, 1980). Research on Faustian Bargains often examines tradeoffs between outcome utility (i.e., value derived from the outcomes of a decision) and procedural utility (i.e., value derived from being involved in the decision process (e.g., Frey et al., 2004). Much of the research on Faustian Bargains has …

Transformational Leadership Training For Leaders, Kristie M. Gilliland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of transformational leadership training on improving a leader’s skills and knowledge in performing daily operations and interacting with frontline staff, decreasing attrition. Ineffective leadership contributes to staff dissatisfaction, poor performance, and attrition. The literature supports transformational leadership is effective in leading teams of nurses and contributes to staff autonomy, staff satisfaction, decreased attrition, and improved patient outcomes. A quasi-experimental research study was completed on a leadership team in a managed care organization. Fourteen leaders with anywhere from 1 to more than 6 years of leadership experience were evaluated. Lewin’s change …

A Case Study Of The Political Determinant Of Health On The Public Health Crisis Of Malaria In Nigeria, Bisola M. Olumegbon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Globally, there were about 229 million cases of malaria in 2022. The sub-Saharan African region accounted for 92% of the reported cases and 94% of deaths. Nigeria had the highest number of malaria cases and deaths, representing 27% of global cases. This scholarly project was a case study guided by the political determinants of health. Triangulation of data using thematic analysis was used to identify the political determinants of malaria in Nigeria and to understand how the concept of interaction contributes to the persistence of the disease. The analysis involved a deductive and inductive approach based on the literature …

Project: Mhealth Applications For Educating Community Nurses, Nkemdilim Stacy Egbo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension is a chronic health condition linked to high morbidity and mortality rates in America and around the world. Hypertension care in developing and underdeveloped countries requires quick intervention. The proliferation of smart technologies and mobile health applications offer some leverage for the alternative management of hypertension, but evidence related to effectiveness in Nigeria are limited. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of m-Health apps on hypertension self-management through nurses’ education in Southern region of Nigeria, as well as their self-confidence or efficacy using the Hypertension Evaluation of Lifestyle Management assessment. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was …

Evaluation Of Cardiovascular Risk Compliance For Primary Prevention: A Quality Improvement Project, Rachelle S. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association clinical practice guidelines recommend a cardiovascular risk assessment every 4–6 years in ages 40–75 to prevent cardiovascular disease. This DNP project aimed to improve awareness, compliance with cardiac risk assessments, and stratification of high and low-risk patients. This quality improvement project utilized the Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based model to create the inquiry question and foundational plan for implementing the clinical practice guideline, calculating the cardiac risk score, and creating a clinical workflow process. A retrospective chart audit was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method to collect pre- and postintervention data on …

The Relationship Between Job Challenge And Leadership Aspiration From The Perspective Of The Entry Level Nurse Leader, Rose M. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the nurse leader plays an important and integral role in the success of healthcare organizations, the nurse leader pipeline has experienced a troubling and downward trajectory for several years. The lack of leadership aspiration among direct care nurses has been noted as one of several reasons for the downward trajectory. In addition, researchers identified the lack of understanding of perspectives of the various nurse leader roles and the lack of understanding of the effectiveness of experiential learning in the nurse leader role as potential contributions to the problem. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to examine the …

Intestinal Microbiome, Fecal Fermentation Profile, And Health Indices In Hiv Infected Men Versus Non-Infected Controls, Mary Andreae, Mary C. Andreae Mrs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many HIV-positive (HIV+) males on Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) experience metabolic abnormalities, including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and lipodystrophy. The intestinal microbiota and short chain fatty acids (SCFA), participate in bidirectional communication with their host. Dysbiosis in HIV+ males on HAART demonstrate a Prevotella-rich enterotype shaped by multiple factors including, medications, adiposity, diet, intestinal permeability, and lifestyle; our objective was to investigate these factors. 19 HIV+ and 21 HIV- males were enrolled. BMI and hip-to-waist ratio (H:W) were obtained, and FibroScan for liver health. Intestinal permeability markers Claudin-21, flagellin, and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) in …

School Nurses And The Sexual Health And Education Of Public-School Students In Tennessee, Amy Wake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tennesseans have been experiencing increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases since the year 2000. Those rates are highest among those 15- to 24-year-olds. At the same time, Tennessee policy requires the teaching of abstinence as the primary form of sexual health education and emphasized the use of abstinence-only curriculum. The school nurse represents an available resource in the Tennessee public schools. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore, describe, and interpret the perceptions and experiences of public-school nurses from rural, suburban, and urban areas of Tennessee related to the sexual health and sexual health education of students. School …

Assessing Virtual Versus In-Person Experiential Learning And Medical High-Fidelity Simulation In Medical Student Pediatric Clerkship Training, Andrew Mitchell Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation and experiential training have been incorporated into medical school training for decades. The utilization of medical simulations has become an invaluable tool in healthcare education and training. However, circumstances such as limited resources, geographical constraints, or global health crises may hinder the feasibility of conducting in-person medical simulations. In these scenarios, virtual medical simulations emerge as a compelling alternative. While there are many ways to accomplish experiential-based learning, many faculty and students feel Socratic learning styles provide the best learning experience.

As medical students had just finished a predominantly virtual preclinical year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the research …

Ethanol Dysregulates Sirt1-Mediated Lipogenic Signaling Pathways Through Α4*-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Hepatocytes., Caitlin Christina Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from steatosis to severe hepatic cirrhosis, none of which have any FDA approved therapies. Downregulation of hepatic Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) activity by ethanol has been shown to lead to an upregulation of the pro-lipogenic gene targets under its jurisdiction, resulting in increased lipogenesis and triglyceride accumulation. It was hypothesized that ethanol acts on α4*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4*-nAChRs) in hepatocytes to decrease Sirt1 expression, which ultimately dysregulates lipid metabolic homeostasis. Ethanol’s effects were investigated in cultured AML12 hepatocytes and in WT primary mouse hepatocytes acutely exposed to ethanol. Consistent with …

Environmental Exposures And Aging., Daniel Chris Gomes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research into air pollution has shown that exposure to certain components in air pollution, primarily PM2.5 can accelerate biological aging and thereby lead to increased susceptibility to multiple diseases. We hypothesize that prolonged exposure to air pollutants can result in premature aging leading to extensive tissue dysfunction and susceptibility to diseases. To examine this, we exposed mice to PM2.5 for 9, 15, and 21 days, then measured the telomere lengths, cellular senescence, and histone methylation patterns of multiple cell types. We found consistently increased telomere attrition, cellular senescence and advanced age-consistent histone methylation patterns in groups exposed …

Genetically Engineering Gingipains For High Yield Large Scale Purification., Andrew E. Fuchs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone oral pathogen in the progression of periodontal disease and has been implicated in the etiology of many other systemic human diseases. P. gingivalis produces primary virulence factors termed the gingipains, a group of cysteine proteases. There is a high demand for high purity gingipains for downstream in vitro studies where P.g. is implicated, both oral and systemic. Gingipain production candidate mutant P.g. strains were generated to isolate each gingipain for large scale purification and the purified gingipains characterized. Two mutants were determined not to be viable for large scale purification of gingipains, each for different …

Genetic Risk Scores For Hypertension And Chronic Kidney Disease In African Americans., Aastha Kakar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension (HT) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) are complex conditions, disproportionally prevalent among African Americans (AA) and are influenced by multiple genetic as well as environmental factors. Genetic risk scores (GRS) enable the analysis of the combined effects of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study investigates the association of blood pressure (BP) and CKD GRS with BP, hypertension (HT) and CKD; early-onset HT and CKD; and investigates interactions of the GRSs with environmental measures in AA. We observed a significant association between the BP-GRS with HT, SBP and DBP. The odds of HT for one standard deviation (s.d.) increase …