Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Cumulative And Acute Loading On Achilles Tendon Health, Performance, And Reported Pain In Collegiate Gymnasts, Julio Serrano Samayoa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gymnasts are at a high risk of Achilles tendon (AT) injuries due to intense loads during takeoffs and landings. To better understand better the relationship between impact loading and its effects on tendon adaptation and athletic performance, this study uses Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to track AT loading across a collegiate gymnastics season. This data were compared against physiological and athletic performance metrics, obtained through force plates and ultrasound imaging, to explore how mechanical load influences reported pain and athletic performance. Results varied, with cumulative impacts being correlated with improved jump height (Spearman 0.362, Pearson 0.348), while peak power and …

Executive Summary: Staff Education Project Staff Education To Enhance Nursing Competency Through Simulation Technology, Mollie Mae Ellington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Simulation-based training is a key component of nursing education, providing immersive, hands-on experiences that enhance clinical skills in a controlled environment. In the local organization, leadership determined there was an underutilization of advanced simulation equipment stemming from a lack of standardized training among staff. Thus, the purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to determine whether an educational intervention focused on simulation improved competency among nurses at a local health care organization. To measure competency, 15 items from the Nurse Professional Competence Scale were used. Fifty-eight individuals were invited to participate in the educational intervention, and a …

Executive Summary: Staff Education Project Staff Education Regarding Menopause Hormonal Use In A Women's Clinic, Patricia Leal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This DNP project entails staff education regarding menopause hormonal use in a women's clinic. The practice problem was the lack of staff confidence regarding hormone use in menopausal women. It is essential to address the practice problem within the context of nursing practice because it can potentially enhance positive social change by addressing the healthcare needs of an underserved demographic. The project aimed to develop and deliver an education program regarding the care of menopausal women for staff members in the women's clinic. The project question was whether staff education regarding menopause hormonal use could increase confidence among staff in …

Hurricane Evacuation: Navigating Uncertainty During Covid 19 And With Existing Communication Scales, And Considering Public And Expert Perception Of Alternative Scales, Leilani D. Paxton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of current hurricane warning products and communication strategies, exploring factors influencing public perception of risk and decision-making during evacuations. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data, focus group discussions, and interviews with meteorologists and emergency managers. The first paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hurricane risk perception and evacuation decisions. Findings indicate that while COVID-19 concerns played a role in some individuals' decisions, particularly those with pets or concerns about shelter conditions, the majority of participants evacuated for Hurricane Ian. The study highlights the importance of providing clear, consistent, and …

Implementing Motivational Interviewing And Psycho-Education To Improve Medication Adherence Among Patients With Schizophrenia, Francis Ihejirika

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quality improvement staff education Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) project was implemented to address the quality issue related to medication nonadherence in patients with schizophrenia. Medication nonadherence is a major health issue facing psychiatric patients, with studies showing high rates of nonadherence among patients with schizophrenia. Nonadherence to treatment heightens the risk of relapse, rehospitalization, suicide, and early death. This staff education project focused on increasing the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals about evidence-based strategies to improve medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia. Five nurses participated in the education program. The participants completed the pretest prior to participating …

Applications Of Computer Vision In Biomechanics And Orthopaedics, William Stewart Burton Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning has emerged as a key technology for enabling advanced computer vision systems. These systems now permeate many industries, and have enhanced traditional processes through autonomous interpretation of visual data. In the field of orthopaedics, the increasing prevalence of imaging highlights a need for similar tools. In many cases, however, direct translation of available frameworks fails to resolve the complex problems currently facing this field. Stringent performance requirements, complex visual environments, data scarcity, and implications for patient safety represent domain-specific factors which pose unique challenges to proven techniques. Novel approaches are needed to realize the full benefits of visual …

The Role Of Uncertainty In Illness: Insights Into Psychological Adjustment In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Theresa A. Skojec

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

There are currently few studies that directly explore the relationship between uncertainty in illness and psychological adjustment to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), highlighting a critical gap in understanding how patients cope with and adjust to the emotional and mental challenges posed by this chronic condition. This dissertation comprises three manuscripts focused on filling this knowledge gap. The first is an integrative review guided by Mishel’s Uncertainty in Illness Theory, which examines how uncertainty affects patients' psychological and emotional well-being during illness and explores strategies to manage or reduce this uncertainty. The integrative review included 27 publications that examined uncertainty in …

Developing An Educational Program To Educate Nurses About Sickle Cell Disease And Vaso-Occlusive Episodic Pain, Margaret Sih Buo-Frundi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

N/A

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Implementation Of A New Workflow Process On The Incidence Of High Blood Culture Contamination (Bcc) Rates In The Emergency Department, Angelita Rodgers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice Project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) initiative to reduce blood culture contamination (BCC) rates in the emergency department (ED) of a large healthcare organization in the southeastern United States. Evidence-base sources indicated that high blood culture contamination (BCC) rates compromised diagnostic accuracy, leading to unnecessary treatments, increased hospital stays, and elevated healthcare costs. The project was guided by the evidence-based practice question: “How does the implementation of a new workflow process influence the incidence of high blood culture contamination (BCC) rates in the emergency department?” To address …

Improving Care For Dementia Patients: Music Therapy As An Alternative To Medication, Kristy Haschke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence of dementia in long-term care facilities has been increasing due to early identification and screening. This staff education topic was brought to further attention due to a trend in requests for chemical restraints in the dementia/cognitive impaired patient population by staff had increased. This staff education project was presented to the rehab center based on evidence-based practice to offer training on music therapy as an alternative therapy to medication in dementia patients. The practice-focused question identified was, “Will a staff education module on an evidence-based alternative treatment, music therapy, for dementia patients versus chemical or physical restraints increase …

Disruptive Clinician Behavior: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Non-Native English-Speaking Nurses, Seyoung Baik

Dissertations

Background: Disruptive clinician behaviors among healthcare staff are an increasing concern, negatively affecting patient safety. In 2015, 16% of nurses in the U.S. were foreign-born (Shaffer et al., 2022), and 25% of New York and California nurses were immigrants (Shaffer et al., 2021). Nurses' migration to the U.S. has been exploding. Non-native English-speaking nurses experience complications, problems, and discord in their workplace with coworkers.

Aim: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore and understand non-native English-speaking nurses’ experiences with disruptive clinician behaviors in the U.S.

Specific aims were to 1) create a comprehensive description of the experiences …

Executive Summary: Staff Education Project, Jacquelynn Hays

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective communication in health care can lead to negative outcomes for patients, including medication errors; delayed or missed treatments; delayed or missed testing; poorer health outcomes, including death; and poor patient satisfaction. The project site, a hospital-based outpatient oncology clinic located in the Midwest, had an identified practice gap in the staff’s current perceptions of effective intradisciplinary communication. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate an education program on effective communication. The practice-focused question centered on whether health care staff demonstrated a change in their perceptions of effective intradisciplinary communication. Twelve registered nurses on staff voluntarily …

Mitigating Compassion Fatigue, Sylvia Lee Christian-James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue is the physical, emotional, and spiritual result of chronic self-sacrifice and/or prolonged exposure to difficult situations that renders a person unable to love, nurture, care for, or empathize with another’s suffering. The attributes that led nursing leadership to believe compassion fatigue (CF) was an issue for registered nurses (RN) at the project site facility included increased RN turnover, vacancy rates, absenteeism, and dissatisfaction. The project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the RN staff of an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The practice question was as follows: Does the evidence support usability of a standardized practice guideline …

Focused Education On The Roles And Responsibilities Of The New Nurse During A Patient Emergency, Jeanette Canderozzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Staff Education Project aimed to measure the knowledge and self-efficacy gained from a comprehensive telemetry educational program as part of the onboarding process for nurses. Purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the focused training for the novice nurse as it relates to their knowledge and confidence of their roles and responsibilities in a clinical emergency by using the pre-and postsurvey.

Molecular Mechanisms Governing Osteosarcoma Pulmonary Metastasis, Niveditha Nerlakanti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a bone cancer that commonly metastasizes to the lung. Despite advances in the development of targeted therapies for treating solid malignancies, broad-acting chemotherapies remain the first line of treatment for OS. In assaying the efficacy of approved therapeutics for non-OS malignancies, we identified the histone deacetylase 1 and 2 (HDAC1 and 2) inhibitor, romidepsin, as effective for treating established lung metastatic OS. However, romidepsin has noted toxicities in humans, thus we aimed to define the primary mechanisms through which HDAC1/2 mediates OS progression to identify more selective druggable targets/pathways. Microarray and proteomic analyses of romidepsin-treated OS cells …

Teaching Motivational Interviewing To Staff In A Mental Health Clinic To Improve Retention Rates Among The Homeless, Barry Godwin, Chinemerem Uzoechi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary Poor treatment retention rates are significant problems in mental health, with adverse outcomes being more profound for vulnerable populations, such as individuals experiencing homelessness. The current project was vital because the lack of engaging strategies in working with individuals experiencing homelessness contributes to high rates of treatment dropout. The purpose of the project was to equip mental health clinical staff with knowledge and skills in motivational interviewing (MI) to use MI in clinical settings to improve treatment retention for homeless populations. The practice-focused question that guided the project was: For staff in a mental health clinic, will training on …

African American Children’S Risk Of Long Covid-19 Syndrome Based On Daily Intake Of Fruits And Vegetables, Christopher Joseph Waskewich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, limited information about how the virus affects adolescents regarding long-term health risks is available. This quantitative study focused on the effect of U.S. adolescents' daily diet, race/ethnicity, levels of income, access to health care, age, and comorbidities on the risks of long Covid-19 syndrome. The constructs of the health belief model were used to understand the impact of those variables. The results of the online survey (n=298) with the parents of adolescent children (ages 11-17) from New York City found that adolescents whose daily vegetable consumption was more than the daily recommendations had …

Technology And Aging: Maintaining, Improving And Understanding Health And Wellness, Mitchell Roberts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three academic papers followed by a chapter discussing the implications of the findings. This dissertation aims to better understand how technologies can promote older adults' (55 years or age or and older) desires to maintain, improve, and understand their health and wellness. The primary objective is to examine how three different technological modalities can inform proactive interventions at various life stages, aiming to promote healthy aging and alleviate age-related health issues by integrating disease prevention strategies within the Lifespan Theory of Aging.

Each academic paper came from an independent data source. The first paper used audio …

Clinical Practice Guidelines For Fall Prevention In The Neurology Unit, Jorge Martin Fernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This clinical practice guideline (CPG) initiative addressed the rising patient fall rates at an inpatient general care neurology unit (GCNU) in North Carolina. Falls are a leading cause of preventable injury, yet the facility lacked evidence-based (EB) fall prevention practices. This doctoral project developed a CPG for GCNU fall prevention, which was evaluated by an expert panel using the AGREE II instrument. A literature review identified 20 studies assessed via the Johns Hopkins model, which informed the CPG. Expert review scored the CPG at 100% in all domains, leading to its approval for clinical use. Key recommendations include CPG expansion, …

Natural Language Processing For Precise Identification Of Primary Tumor Histology And Radiation Necrosis In Stereotactic Radiosurgery Patients, Mario Fugal

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The management of brain metastases and their associated complications, such as radiation necrosis, has long posed significant challenges in radiation oncology. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a key treatment modality for patients with brain metastases, yet the complexity of metastatic disease and limitations in diagnostic coding systems, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), often obstruct the accurate extraction of critical information from electronic health records (EHRs). This difficulty especially impacts the identification of primary tumor histology and the detection of post-treatment complications like radiation necrosis (RN), both of which are crucial for improving clinical outcomes and conducting robust observational …

Life History Of Men Who Experienced Childhood Maternal Absence, Renice Obure

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project explored the impact of childhood maternal absence on the life history outcomes of adult men. An integrated theoretical model of developmental-evolutionary framework was developed to guide research design and conduct. This model combined sex-differentiated life history framework and fathering resource theory. The study consisted of three components: a scoping review of 29 relevant studies conducted in the United States between 1990-2023, a quantitative analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health) waves I and IV (n=6932), and a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with a sample of 22 fathers who experienced childhood …

Effect Of Telehealth Interventions On Hypertension Management In A Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (Cboc), Cherilyn Schumacher

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Per U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2020), hypertension (HTN) is prevalent in active and retired military personnel with 13% of those in active duty and in “more than one in three Veterans…making it the most common chronic condition for Veterans” (p. 1). Per the Electronic Quality Measure (eQM) portal, a PACT clinic in a CBOC is scoring well below the national and facility benchmarks, showing a need for an intervention that will improve HTN management.

PICOT: For current veteran patients ages 18-85 assigned to a PACT (P), what is the effect of nurse-led telehealth blood pressure …

Identifying The Risk Of Violence In The Inpatient Setting, Megan Julian

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Workplace violence directly contributes to the development of psychological conditions in nurses and reduces nurses’ level of job satisfaction as well as organizational commitment (ANA, 2018). Additionally, the occurrence of workplace violence events impacts patient and organizational outcomes.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was, in acute-care medical-surgical nurses (P), does the use of a structured risk of violence screening tool (I), compared to current practice (C), improve the nurses’ perceived ability to identify patients who are at risk for becoming violent (O) over eight weeks (T)? Evidence: Evidence that was reviewed supported the implementation of …

Are College Students' Grocery Shopping Habits Consistent With The Mediterranean Diet Guidelines? A Preliminary Report, Montana Grace Ayala

Master's Theses

The number of people diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus continues to grow. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risks of developing heart disease. Fruit and vegetable consumption is low across the country. Improving fruit and vegetable consumption for adults might start with improving intake earlier in life because it can influence better food habits. Following the Mediterranean diet at a young age can prevent chronic diseases from developing. It is well known that college students have diets that are not consistent with healthy eating habits and can be influenced by the need for …

Enhancing Emergency Department Efficiency: Utilization Of Streamlined Triage System To Reduce Waiting Times, Sunah Kim

Student Scholarly Projects

Emergency departments (EDs) often experience prolonged waiting times, leading to patient dissatisfaction and potential negative health outcomes. This project addresses the need for improved triage processes to enhance patient flow and reduce delays in care.

PICOT

In adult patients presenting to the emergency department (P), how does the implementation of a streamlined triage process (I) compared to standard emergency department protocols (C) lead to a reduction in waiting times (O) within a twelve-week period (T)?

Evidence

A review of current literature indicated that streamlined triage systems can significantly decrease patient wait times and improve overall ED efficiency by incorporating colors …

Attachment Styles As Moderators Of Loneliness In Remote Work, Brody Tj Loughlin

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of attachment styles in moderating the relationship between remote work and loneliness. Drawing on attachment theory, which posits that early life experiences shape attachment styles and influence social interactions, the study examines whether attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, and secure) moderate the association between remote work and feelings of loneliness. The research targets 394 remote workers, using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design with proportional stratified sampling to reflect the distribution of hybrid and fully remote work arrangements in the U.S. workforce. The Extent of RemoteWork measure, the Three-Item Loneliness Scale, and the Adult Attachment Scale assess …

Examining Mentoring As A Catalyst For Nurse Work Engagement And Professional Development, Cherryl A Rainey

Dissertations

Abstract

Research literature has identified mentoring as a strategic intervention for employee professional development. The Business and Psychology disciplines have used mentoring widely for employee development, but it has not been used extensively in nursing.

Nursing has unique challenges and is constantly changing with a need to meet some of those needs by advancing the development of nurses to serve as leaders and fill positions due to nurse shortages and high turnover rates. Mentoring has also been identified as a vehicle to promote work engagement.

The purpose of this study was to examine mentoring as a catalyst for nurses’ professional …

Gastrointestinal Ischemia In The Horse: Preoperative Detection And Surgical Intervention, Michael P. St. Blanc

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of calprotectin, a protein released by activated leukocytes during inflammation, in the detection of gastrointestinal ischemia in horses with signs of abdominal pain (colic). Additionally, one-layer end-to-end anastomoses of the descending colon were critically evaluated in comparison to two-layer closures. For the calprotectin portion of the study, samples were obtained from ten control horses and nineteen clinical cases assigned to three treatment groups (non-strangulating, strangulating small intestinal, or strangulating large intestinal lesions). Objective data was collected from each patient, and calprotectin concentration in serum and peritoneal fluid was determined using …

Teaching Sbirt To Nurses In A Mental Health Setting For Improved Assessment And Management Of Patients With Substance Use Disorders, Kifle Gashie Jikamo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Addressing the knowledge gap is essential in nursing practice, as RNs are the first point of contact for patients in mental health settings where substance use significantly influences overall health and recovery. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project focused on the need for staff education in an inpatient mental health unit regarding the assessment and triage of patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). The guiding question for this project was: “In nurses working within an inpatient mental health setting, does the implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training improve knowledge in assessing, managing, and providing care …

Executive Summary: Staff Education Project Staff Education On Early Screening For Diabetes Among Young Black Adults, Frantz Jacob

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are healthcare disparities associated with Type 2 diabetes management in youths, and the condition disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minorities. The gap in practice at the practice site was inconsistent integration of diabetes screening and prevention strategies. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a staff education program on early screening and prevention of Type 2 diabetes in the young Black community. The practice-focused question centered on whether healthcare staff demonstrated increased knowledge about early screening and prevention for Type 2 diabetes in the young black community. The project occurred at a large family practice clinic in …