Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Predicting Desired Outcomes From Applicants’ Medical School Admission Data, Mark D. Linville Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medical schools in the United States serve to train the next generation of physicians, admitting students who will continue to advance each school’s mission. Admission committees are tasked with identifying those candidates who will be successful academically and who promote the objectives of the school with respect to mission. The Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in northeast Tennessee seeks to attract and retain physicians with an interest in rural and primary care medicine. A total of 630 students were included in this study representing classes from 2001 to 2011. This study examined admissions data including MCAT …

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Self As Role Models Of Health, Shelia Hurley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the sad state of obesity and lifestyle-related illnesses in the US, nurses, as the largest and most trusted health profession, must take the cause of health promotion seriously and personally. This study seeks to close the gap in knowledge of nurses’ perception of self as a role model of health and personal healthy lifestyle behaviors. This study focuses on four specific behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle: limit alcohol, avoid tobacco, improve nutrition, and engage in physical activity. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between nurses’ health practices and their perceptions of self as …

Nurse Educators' Transition To Flipped Classroom: An Interpretive Description Study, Jean S. Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To meet learning needs of current undergraduate nursing students, and respond to mandates for bettered prepared graduates, nurse educators must restructure curricula and teaching strategies. One strategy garnering increased attention is the flipped classroom model (FCM). This form of instruction requires students to have access to and be accountable for lecture material on their own time, and then use face-to-face classroom time for interactive learning that can include discussion, case study analysis, or application of pre-class lecture content. Although the FCM has gained popularity, few researchers have fully studied this strategy or considered experiences of faculty who implement the model. …

Medical Assisting Credentialing, Karmon L. Kingsley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hiring practices of physicians’ offices as they relate to medical assistants and to gain insight into their hiring preferences. Knowing how physicians and medical office managers view the profession of medical assisting may help medical assisting professionals improve the standing of the profession and provide a consistent foundation for education programs.

I surveyed 15 physicians’ practices in eight states across the country to obtain a cross-country perspective and found that many practices hire credentialed or non-credentialed individuals for clinical positions for various reasons. The reasons were minimally due to the lack …

Patients' Perception Of The Use Of Motivational Interviewing For Childhood Obesity Treatment: A Qualitative Study, Penelope L. Neal Dr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive descriptive study was to better understand children’s perceptions of the use of motivational interviewing (MI) as a communication style for childhood obesity treatment. Childhood obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions and much research effort has been dedicated to reversing this trend. One approach that has demonstrated positive outcomes in the clinical setting is MI. Leading organizations in pediatric healthcare now recommend MI as a communication style to be used for childhood obesity-related behavior change. Although empiric studies have demonstrated improvement in outcomes when this communication style is used with patients and …

A Comparative Analysis Of Data Collection Systems Used In Radiography Educational Programs And The Role Mobile Electronic Devices Play, Robin S. Garner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each radiography program has a system to collect important data from didactic and clinical settings in order to accurately assess the progress and success of students, provide the needed student intervention, and provide accreditation agencies with appropriate documentation that demonstrates student success in reaching program learning outcomes. The purpose of this research study was to determine the method of data collection and documentation used by radiography programs to evaluate student progress and to examine if MEDs play a role in evaluating and documenting student skills at the point of care.

The majority of radiography programs in this study were using …

The Relationship Between Pass Completion Percentage And Perceived Player Workload In Ncaa Division I Women's Soccer, Alexa L. Passingham

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In an attempt to demonstrate the interconnecting nature of the pillars of sport (Hacker, 2000) this thesis explores the relationship between physical, psychological and technical variables. Five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Women’s Soccer players were analyzed in four conference matches. The athlete's rate of perceived exertion (RPE) values were correlated to pass completion percentages (PC%) to investigate the potential effect that psychological satisfaction or dissatisfaction of technical performance has on perceived exertion ratings. PlayerLoad^TM (PL) values, gathered through the utilization of a Catapult Minimax S4 GPS device (miniMax-10 Hz, Catapult Innovations, Melbourne, Australia), were used as …

Radiography Clinical Instructors' Perceptions Of The Transition From Technologist To Educator, Christina G. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Radiologic technologists who transition into the role of clinical instructor are usually expert practitioners but may lack knowledge of best practices regarding student instruction and evaluation. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate how CIs experience the transition from practitioner to educator and what knowledge or education of best practices of instruction and evaluation they bring to the position. This study consisted of interviews with radiography CIs from one associate degree radiography program in the southeastern part of the United States. While some CIs felt prepared to transition into the CI role, none of them had previously …

Teaching The Spiritual Dimension Of Nursing Care: A Survey Of Associate Degree Nursing Programs In The Southeast United States, Nancy L. Labine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spirituality is a subject which is often neglected in nursing education. The purpose of this study was to determine associate degree nursing faculty’s perception of their ability to teach the spiritual dimension in the delivery of nursing care. The study explored whether faculty have received training related to spiritual care, how and where nursing programs integrate spirituality education into the curriculum, nursing faculty’s understanding of the terms spirituality and spiritual care, and faculty members perception of whether they receive sufficient support and guidance in teaching related to spirituality and spiritual care.

Survey research was used in this study. The participants …

Rural Opioid And Other Drug Use Disorder Diagnosis: Assessing Measurement Invariance And Latent Classification Of Dsm-Iv Abuse And Dependence Criteria, Billy Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rates of non-medical prescription drug use in the United States (U.S.) have increased dramatically in the last two decades, leading to a more than 300% increase in deaths from overdose, surpassing motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury deaths. In rural areas, deaths from unintentional overdose have increased by more than 250% since 1999 while urban deaths have increased at a fraction of this rate. The objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that cultural, economic, and environmental factors prevalent in rural America affect the rate of substance use disorder (SUD) in that population, and …

Analysis Of Countermovement Vertical Jump Force-Time Curve Phase Characteristics In Athletes, Christopher J. Sole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine the phase characteristics of the countermovement jump force-time curve between athletes based on jumping ability, examine the influence of maximal muscular strength on the countermovement jump force-time curve phase characteristics of athletes, and to examine the behavior of the countermovement jump force-time curve phase characteristics over the course of a training process in athletes of varying strength levels. The following are the major findings of these dissertations. The analysis of athletes by jumping ability suggested that proficient jumpers are associated with greater relative phase magnitude and phase impulse throughout the phases contained …

Minority College Students’ Attitudes And Beliefs Regarding The Profession Of Dental Hygiene In Comparison To Their Oral Health And Dental Knowledge, Trina J. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes and beliefs of minority college students enrolled at Missouri College in Brentwood, Missouri in reference to the dental hygiene profession. In particular, does their oral health and dental knowledge relate to their knowledge of profession of dental hygiene? One hundred and six students gave their consent to participate in the study via Survey Monkey. The study was conducted in May 2015 for a period of four weeks. Four statements were designed to gauge minority students’ knowledge of dental hygiene as a career. No differences were found based on gender, …

The Acute Effects Of Ballistic And Non-Ballistic Concentric-Only Half-Squats On Squat Jump Performance, Timothy J. Suchomel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine bilateral asymmetry as a factor of postactivation potentiation, examine and compare the acute effects of ballistic and non-ballistic concentric-only half-squats on squat jump performance, and compare the potentiation and temporal profiles of strong and weak subjects following potentiation protocols that included ballistic and non-ballistic concentric-only half-squats. The following are major findings of the dissertation. Squat jump performance may be acutely enhanced following ballistic concentriconly half-squats; however the changes in performance do not appear to be related to bilateral symmetry. Ballistic concentric-only half-squats acutely improve various squat jump performance variables at various time …

Stability Of Isometric Strength Asymmetry And Its Relationship To Sprint And Change-Of-Direction Performance Asymmetry In Division-I Collegiate Athletes, Benjamin H. Gleason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the stability of strength asymmetry over a long-term period (1 year) and investigate the relationship of strength asymmetry to field test performance asymmetry in NCAA division-1 athletes. Isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) peak force asymmetry, ground contact time and finish time asymmetries on 10m sprint and 505 agility test performances were also observed. The impact of strength was also investigated in these studies to determine its effect on the magnitude of asymmetry.

In the second study, peak force asymmetry over a one-year period was observed to be a rather volatile quality, with ranges …

The Impact Of Training Loads On In-Match Soccer Performance Variables: A Position-Based Case Report, Garett Bingham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is critical to maintain multiple fitness characteristics during the soccer season through the use of training, but also to ensure that the training loads do not hinder subsequent match performance. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the impact of the training load on key physical performance variables in the subsequent match. Five Division I female soccer players were analyzed across six weeks of training and matches. Training loads in the forms of odometer, high intensity odometer, estimated odometer and sRPE were accumulated at time points from one to five days prior to a match. The accumulated training …

Do Stress Levels Differ Between First Semester Nursing Student Early In The Semester Vs. The End Of The Semester?, Alissy Heisey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study intends to determine how stress levels change over time in nursing students in the Baccalaureate program at East Tennessee State University. The instrument utilized for this survey was the Perceived Stress Scale by Mind Garden, Inc. This survey was passed at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. There was no-significant difference found between the two time spots, leading us to conclude that the level of stress perceived by nursing students is a steady factor during their school semester.

The Relationships Of Physiological And Strength Variables To Run Performances, Jana Hollins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring progress of athletes is an essential component of the training process. Collegiate distance running coaches often use field tests to assess progress because of a lack of time and resources to do laboratory testing. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relationships between physiological and strength variables measured in a laboratory and field testing measures in collegiate distance runners. Collegiate distance runners completed a series of tests in the Sport Science laboratory at East Tennessee State University to obtain physiological and strength parameters, such as V̇ O2max and vertical jump height. The athletes then completed one of …

Comparison Of External Kinetic And Kinematic Variables Between High Barbell Back Squats And Low Barbell Back Squats Across A Range Of Loads, Jacob Goodin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study compared peak force, peak power, peak velocity, impulse, work, and vertical displacement between the high bar back squat (HBBS) and low bar back squat (LBBS). Six trained males performed each using 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% of their recent training 1 repetition maximum. Dual force plates recorded force-time curve characteristics of ground reaction forces and four potentiometers tracked vertical and horizontal barbell displacement. Repeated–measures analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for load (p<0.01) across all variables, but no significant effects for condition or interaction. The HBBS generated higher peak force in loads 20%–80%, higher peak power in loads 20%–60% and 80%–90%, higher peak velocity at every load, and greater vertical displacement at every load. The LBBS generated a larger impulse at loads 30%-90% and the HBBS generated more work at loads 20%, 40%, and 60%–90%.

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between A Static Jump Protocol And Squat Strength: A Potential Protocol For Collegiate Strength And Explosive Athlete Monitoring, Cody Haun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between estimated absolute and relative squat strength and a static jump protocol with potential to provide desirable training adaptation data to practitioners in the field of collegiate strength and conditioning. Forty-one young (20.80 ± 2.44 years), healthy volunteers reported estimated back squat 1RM’s based on the most recent training block and completed a static jump protocol. Males (n=19, est. 1RM 141.29 ± 32.02kg) and female (n=22, est. 1RM 71.56 ± 19.64kg) jump data revealed large to very large correlations between squat strength, mean jump heights of jumps and other calculated …

Relationship Between Concentric Velocity At Varying Intensity In The Back Squat Using Wireless Inertia Sensor, Kevin M. Carroll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the Minimal Velocity Threshold (MVT) of 1RM and repetitions until failure testing conditions using the back squat exercise. Fourteen injury-free males with experience in the back squat volunteered to perform a 1RM and a submaximal (70% 1RM) repetitions until failure test, each during different testing sessions. Mean Concentric Velocity (MCV) was collected using a wireless inertia-measuring device. The last successful repetition in either condition was considered the MVT. A very small relationship between 1RM and repetitions until failure MVT was found (r=-0.135). There were no significant differences …

Executive Function Predictors Of Children's Talk, Jacqlyne D. Weber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Relatively few studies have investigated the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and language development, and even fewer have researched hot and cool EF as a predictor language development. This study is an investigation into the relationship between EF and language development in preschool aged children. More specifically, the ability for hot or cool EF to predict language, this will be the focus of the study. It was found that hot EF was a better predictor of language development in preschool aged children.

Training Clinical Judgment Skills For Interpreting Feeding Behavior In Preterm Infants: A Comparison Of Video And In Vivo Simulation, Jamesa R. Ewing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Health and feeding outcomes for preterm infants depend upon healthcare providers’ ability to recognize non-verbal signs of distress during bottle-feeding. Methods of training future providers’ to interpret feeding behavior in preterm infants are unclear. This study used a pre-test/post-test design to compare the effects of in- vivo simulation and video-simulation training on students’ knowledge of feeding abnormalities, clinical judgment, and documentation accuracy. Fifty-two graduate level speech-language pathology students were assigned to the in-vivo (N= 27) or video-simulation (N= 25) group. Results revealed that both methods proved beneficial for increasing knowledge and clinical judgment skills. Participants trained using video-simulation training documented …

Productions Of Metalinguistic Awareness By Young Children With Sli And Typical Language, Lucy E. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to: (1) determine if differences exist between children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) compared to age-matched (AM) and language- matched (LM) children with typical language development (TL) in rates and proportions of five types of metalinguistic productions and (2) test theories of metalinguistic production. Forty-five children, 24 with TL and 21 with SLI, paired for age or language level, formed two groups. Previously collected data from two studies of verb learning (Proctor-Williams & Fey, 2007; Proctor- Williams, unpublished) were analyzed for rates and types of metalinguistic productions. Results yielded no within or between group significant differences in …

Formulation And Optimization Of Aliskiren Loaded Poly(Lactide-Co-Glycolide) Nanoparticles, Jessica M. Coleman Ms.

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aliskiren is a non-peptide, orally active renin inhibitor with poor absorption and low bioavailability (~2.6%). In order to improve the current drug delivery system, a commercially available, biodegradable copolymer, poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), was employed for a nanoparticle (NP) reformulation of aliskiren. An emulsion-diffusion-evaporation technique was implemented where aliskiren and PLGA were dissolved in dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, or ethyl acetate/acetone. To an aqueous phase containing 0.25% w/v didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DMAB) as stabilizer, the previously prepared organic phase was added drop-wise. Following sonication, NP diffusion was expedited with the addition of water, and the organic phase was evaporated to form a …

Nurse’S Perceptions Of Visitor’S Adherence To Transmission-Based Precautions, Jocelyn K. Spenillo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Transmissions based precautions are measures implemented in various clinical health care settings as a means to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases and decrease instances of healthcare acquired infections (HAI). HAI’s result in increased cost to hospitals, longer hospitalization for patients, increased patient suffering, and fatal patient outcomes. While staff member adherence to transmissions based precautions are mandated through various organizations and hospital policies, a review of literature indicates little research has been conducted regarding visitor compliance with transmission-based precautions. The potential implications in healthcare from visitor non-adherence acquired infections are unknown; revealing a gap in literature and supporting the …

The Influence Of Race And Gender On Hiv Risk Behaviors In High School Students In The Southern States Of The United States, Malendie T. Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is highest in the southern states of the United States (US), with adolescents in this region being one of the most affected populations in the country. A limited amount of information is available on adolescent HIV risk behaviors in the southern states, specifically focusing on race and gender. The purpose of this study was to use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Youth Risk Behaviors Survey (YRBS) for high school students in the southern states for 2011 and 2013 to examine the influence of race and gender on 1) early …

Role Of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Kinase In The Healing Process Of The Heart Following Myocardial Infarction, Laura L. Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ataxia telangiectasia (AT), caused by mutations in the gene encoding ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM), is a rare autosomal recessive disorder. AT individuals exhibit neuronal degeneration and are predisposed to cancer. Carriers of this disorder are predisposed to cancer and ischemic heart disease. Heart disease, mostly due to myocardial infarction (MI), is a leading cause of death in the US. Following MI, release of catecholamines in the heart stimulates β- adrenergic receptors (β-AR). Our lab has shown that β-AR stimulation increases ATM expression in the heart and myocytes, and ATM plays an important role in β-AR-stimulated myocardial remodeling with effects …

The Perception Of Latino Mothers’ Experience With The Healthcare System In East Tennessee, Christopher G. Bush

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the Hispanic population continues to grow in the United States, especially in the South, it is critical for healthcare workers to provide culturally competent care as required by certain laws. The Latina experience is of significant importance due to the role Latina mothers play in their families and communities. It is necessary to understand the perspective of this population and the experience of the Latina mother in regards to healthcare; specifically, how have language barriers hindered care, what perceptions of bias or discrimination have been encountered, and how do these factors influence their healthcare decisions and outcomes. Research has …

Potential Role Of Rta3 And Gnp3 Transport Genes In The Quorum Sensing Response Of Candida Albicans, John G. Magnuson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism of communication between cells to coordinate biological activities. In the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans, QS is important for regulating the organism’s ability to change morphology from a yeast form to a hyphal form. Previously, our laboratory identified several genes involved in polymicrobial communication between C. albicans and three bacterial species. We hypothesize that interspecies communication and QS utilize the same genetic pathways to control C. albicans morphological behavior. In this study, two transport genes, RTA3 and GNP3, and their involvement in QS were examined. To test whether these two genes participate in QS, …

Identification Of Transcription Factors Gzf3, Rfx1, Orf19.3928 As Being Implicated In Candida-Bacterial Interactions., Joni Watson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that is present in the normal flora in a majority of individuals. One key factor in C. albicans virulence is the ability to change its morphology from yeast to an elongated or hyphal form. The regulation of this morphogenesis relies in part upon quorum sensing (QS) molecules. C. albicans often exists as part of a mixed culture alongside other microbes and is influenced by their presence as well as the presence of QS molecules that they produce. In this study, a library of diploid homozygous transcriptional regulator knockout (TRKO) mutants were screened to identify …