Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bacterial Contamination Of White Coats Among Medical Students And Interns, Sheetal Vasundara Mathai

Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Aminoglycoside Resistance In Clinical Isolates Of Pseudomonas Species, Mithileshkumar Jha

Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Potential Role Of Vitamin C As An Antioxidant On Bisphenol(Bpa) Induced Oxidative Stress In Wistar Rats, Sumeeth S

Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

To Study The Antidepressant And Anxiolytic Effect Of Cod Liver Oil On Distinct Brain Tissues In Wistar Rat Model Of Comorbid Depression, Dimple Shet

Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

"Effect Of Virgin Coconut Oil On Behavioral And Biochemical Parameters In Albino Rats Exposed To Chronic Unpredictable Stress", Chitra Pai Kulyadi

Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adolescents And E-Cigarette Use: Long-Term Effects, Behaviors And Lung Injury, Sarah Congdon

PCOM Capstone Projects

The use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, has become a deadly habit among adolescents across the nation. These devices are attractive with their sleek design, fun flavors, and youthful advertisements. E-Cigarettes entered the marketplace around 2007, and since 2014, they have been the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth. In 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. youth, including 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students, currently use e-cigarettes. There have been increasing lung infections and chronic lung diseases rising in the younger community. The strong adolescent …

Development Of The Steppin' Up For Success Program, Darlene F. Guckenberger

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

School transitions can be challenging for students, especially when students enter junior high school. Junior high school students experience significant developmental growth in the areas of autonomy, relationships, acceptance, cognitive skills, as well as physical differences associated with hormonal changes. When a student transitions into junior high school, evidence indicates possible declines in motivation, school interest, and academic achievement. Personal relationships, self-worth, and coping skills are essential for a successful transition between schools. Adolescents engage in the occupations of education, leisure, social participation, and activities of daily living. Occupational therapy is perfectly positioned as a support service within the school …

Investigation Of The Prevalence Of Receded Near Point Of Convergence In School-Aged Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Lorig Sildiryan

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

PURPOSE: The intention of this study was to determine if there was an association between receded near point ofconvergence (NPC) and diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in school-agedchildren as compared to neuro-normal children. Differences in accommodative amplitude were investigated as well.

METHODS: This retrospective study was done by analyzing the data from examination records of fifty school-agedchildren between the ages of seven and seventeen. Twenty-five children in the experimental group withADHD were age and gender matched to twenty-five neuro-normal children in the control group. The average of each patient’s NPC break and accommodative amplitude values were used to conduct a …

Healthcare Utilization And Expenditure Of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Associated With Epilepsy In The United States, Esther Nkrumah

Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is characterized as a rare hereditary disorder impacting an estimated 25,000-40,000 persons in the United States and 1-2 million persons worldwide (Song et al., 2017). Individuals with TSC have extensive comorbidities that affect their health-related quality of life, healthcareutilization, and expenditure. The current literature lacks documentation on the impact of the various comorbidities and their association with healthcare utilization and expenditures among individuals withTSC. The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine the trends in healthcare utilization(emergency department and inpatient admission) and expenditures that can be identified among individuals diagnosed with TSC, with and without …

Implementation Of An Anxiety Screening And Treatment Protocol In Primary Care, Danielle E. Garcia

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Anxiety is a prevalent problem frequently presenting in the primary care setting in the United States. The lack of routine anxiety screening and evidence-based treatment protocols in the adult primary care setting causes physical, social, and economic consequences.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) evidence-based practice (EBP) quality improvement project was to implement an EBP anxiety screening and treatment protocol for adults in a primary care clinic to increase early identification and improve management of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Theoretical Framework: W. Edwards Deming’s Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle framework was utilized for this project. The PDSA …

Depression Screening In Outpatient Neurology, Lakicia Foster

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Depression is the preeminent cause of disability internationally. Support-based depression screening is a nationally recommended means of detecting and treating patients with this disabling illness. The purpose of the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) practice change project was to implement an outpatient neurology depression screening protocol so that depressed patients were identified and received intervention. The project answered whether implementation of an 8- to 12-week systematic depression screening protocol in a neurology practice increased the incidence of accurate depression identification and treatment in this patient population as compared to the 3-month prior baseline. The DNP depression screening project was based …

Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions Of Safety Related To Using Complex Medical Devices In Daily Nursing Practice, Violet Rhagnanan-Kramer

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. Over 10,000 medical errors occur daily, with an estimated financial impact of preventable mistakes is 20 billion dollars annually. Increasing the use of multifarious sophisticated medical technologies in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) poses a risk of medical errors and unintentional harm to patients. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding ICU nurses’ perspectives.

Purpose: This study aimed to elucidate ICU nurses’ perceptions of their use of complex medical devices.

Framework: The Conceptual Model for Technology, Nursing, and Patient Safety provide the framework for this study.

Sample: Using purposive, …

The Lived Experience Of Novice Senior Nurse Leaders During Organizational Role Transitions, Sharon Kauffman

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The qualitative interpretive phenomenological study investigates the lived experiences of novice senior nurse leaders, who have transitioned to new organizational roles within a single healthcare organization in the Southeast United States. Senior nurse leaders have complex responsibilities but may not have training adequate to lead masterfully at new organizational levels. This phenomenon is poorly understood. Senior nurse leaders who do not develop the appropriate interpersonal skills and systems thinking may experience a sense of role insufficiency. Yet, strong leadership among senior nurses is vital to the successful performance of healthcare organizations, given the current landscape of change and the rapidity …

Decreasing Nurses’ Stress In The Emergency Room Utilizing Mindfulness Meditation, Andrea L. Entus

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Emergency Room (ER) nurses are challenged both physically and emotionally, and are repeatedly exposed to severe occupational stress (d'Ettorre & Greco, 2016; Duffy et al., 2015). For example, some stressors are demands from patients and physicians, long hours, complex diagnoses, and a fast pace (Hunsaker et al., 2015). A considerable number of nurses experience work-related interpersonal conflict, secondary traumatic stress, and other stress disorders, which negatively affects the quality of patient care they deliver (Westphal et al., 2015). Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to implement a mindfulness meditation intervention to decrease emergency room nurses’ stress. …

Enacting Narrative Pedagogy: The Lived Experience Of Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Faculty, Suzanne Wurster

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background. Prelicensure baccalaureate nursing faculty manage up to five generations in the classroom. Each generation has its own unique educational needs and learning styles, which present pedagogical challenges for nursing faculty. Students need to be prepared to provide care for complex patients in a changing healthcare environment. Research-based pedagogies, such as narrative pedagogy, enable faculty to use teaching and learning approaches in which students can translate knowledge acquired in the classroom to their clinical practice. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of prelicensure nursing faculty as they implemented narrative pedagogy in the classroom or …

Examining Factors Associated With Failure To Fail In The Clinical Setting, Dee A. Adkins

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Clinical nursing faculties struggle to assign failing grades to underperforming students in the clinical setting; this is known as failure to fail. Qualitative literature has revealed common factors for failure to fail; however, quantitative studies are required to determine the extent to which those factors affect the faculty’s decision-making process. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between face-implicating factors and the faculty’s likelihood of failing students in the clinical setting who do not meet the passing criteria. What is the relationship between face-implicating factors and the nursing faculty’s likelihood of passing students in the clinical setting …

The Lived Experiences Of Thriving Nursing Students, Nicole M. Mentag

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As the demand for qualified nurses increases, nursing education is responsible for preparing students for healthcare challenges. Nursing education focuses on academic success measures, including licensure examination passage, graduation rates, and grade point average. Though these outcomes are important, they fail to capture the complexities of student success. Thriving, the conceptual framework for this study, is a phenomenon within higher education that expands on the traditional measures of success and integrates cognitive and psychological aspects of the college experience. This study utilized interpretive phenomenology to understand the meanings of the lived experiences of thriving undergraduate nursing students. Semi-structured interviews were …

Comparison Of Pre-Licensure Bsn Student Outcomes Between Team-Based And Traditional Learning Methods, Tressa Jane Pedroff

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: The increased complexity of healthcare systems requires nurses to have a different skillset, largely not provided in today’s nursing curricula. Team-based learning is one possible teaching strategy believed to increase nurses’ critical thinking and teamwork self-efficacy. Currently, there is insufficient objective data available that demonstrates improved academic performance and perceptions of teamwork skills in pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of team-based learning and traditional lecture-format teaching strategies among pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students in a Foundations of Nursing Practice course. Theoretical Framework: Vygotsky’s social …

Com Outlook_Winter_2020, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Dental Probiotic Use On The Inhibition Of Streptococcus Mutans: A Clinical Study, Halah Thanoon

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Brief Background: Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans) is the pioneering pathogenic bacteria responsible for the initiation of dental caries. Controlling S.mutans activity using dental probiotics may have an impact on caries incidence and oral health in general. Objective: To evaluate the effects of commercially available dental probiotics (PRO-Dental, Hyperbiotics Inc.) usage for 60 days in a row on the cariogenic bacterium S.mutans in high caries risk patients with high or low S.mutans counts at baseline and 30 days after the discontinuation of use. Methodology: A total of 30 consenting adult patients with high caries risk (according to NSU CAMBRA protocol) without any …

Are Finger Width Palpation, Tape Measure, And Caliper Reliable, Valid, And Accurate To Diagnose Diastasis Recti Abdominis (Dra)?, Tamara L. Roehling

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is a condition where the medial rectus bellies separate at the linea alba. A DRA can negatively impact posture, trunk and pelvic stability, pelvic floor muscular control, respiration, trunk movement, and abdominal viscera support. The purpose of this research is to determine whether tools used in the clinic effectively screen for DRA. Specifically, this study compared the reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy of finger width, tape measure, and calipermeasurements to the clinical best standard, ultrasound imaging. Additionally, the study investigates whether there is a correlation between DRA and low back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. …

Impact Of Psychological Factors On Adolescents With Anterior Knee Pain, Mitchell Selhorst

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Problem and purpose: Psychological factors impact self-report measures of pain and function among adults with anteriorknee pain (AKP), but we do not know (1) if psychological factors also impact pain, self-reported function, and objective measures of function among adolescents with AKP and (2) if a psychological intervention would affect function. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the impact of psychological factors on pain, self-reported function, and objective measures of function in adolescents with AKP.

Methods: This dissertation was prospective, with three separate studies. Two were cross-sectional observational studies, and the third was a randomized-controlled trial. Patient questionnaires were …

Development And Validation Of The Self-Management Assessment For The Residuum And Prosthesis (S.M.A.R.T.), Daniel Joseph Lee

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Self-management is the process of preventing complications through meticulous self-care and vigilant self-inspection. Persons with long-term impairments or diseases must follow an effective self-management routine as part of their care regimen to reduce the risk of injury. Assessment of knowledge as it relates to self-management is standard care forpersons with chronic disease and long-term impairments. Identifying knowledge gaps allows for patient-centered educational interventions to be targeted to the person’s area of deficit. Despite the importance of self-management in persons with limb loss, there is currently no valid and reliable way to objectively assess knowledge specific to this population.

Purposes: …

Impact Of Physical Therapist Attitudes And Beliefs On The Outcomes Of Patients With Low Back Pain, Adam P. Rufa

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Physical therapist attitudes and beliefs about low back pain (LBP) have been shown to influence patientbeliefs and affect clinician behavior. The purpose of this project was to investigate physical therapist attitudes and beliefsabout LBP, identify factors that influence those beliefs, and determine if attitudes and beliefs have an impact on patientoutcomes. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort design that included a survey of physical therapists and thecollection of patient outcomes from Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc. (FOTO). Attitudes and beliefs were measured using the Health Care Providers’ Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) and the Pain Attitudes and …

Impact Of Strength And Range Of Motion On Loss Of Ambulation And Functional Change Measures In Boys With Dmd, Tina Duong

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an x-linked lethal progressive disorder affecting boys who are typically diagnosed due to motor delays or weakness. Key features include loss of motor function throughout the lifetime resulting in early mortality from cardiopulmonary complications in the late 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Rates of progression are variable yet sequential due to a typical pattern of motor weakness that occurs from proximal to distal muscle groups. Current standards of care include contracture management and Glucocorticosteroids (GC). Timed function tests have been used to understand and predict loss offunctional milestones such as walking, getting off the …

Effects Of Cueing On Sit To Stand Transfers In Parkinson Disease, Rebecca Ann Martin

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Problem Statement: Individuals with Parkinson Disease (PD) often experience difficulty transferring from sit to stand (STS). Current evidence suggests cues which promote an external attentional focus improve gait and transfers for individuals with PD. However, this research utilizes cues which are difficult to replicate in clinical or natural environments making the findings difficult to generalize or implement. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to determine the effect of 3 different explicit cues on STS for individuals with PD. Additionally we sought to determine if, in this population, a relationship exists between latency of movement initiation and postural sway …

Financial Impact Associated With Implementation Of The Low Back Pain Clinical Practice Guideline In Outpatient Physical Therapist Practice, Heidi Kosakowski

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Dysfunction and disability arising from low back pain (LBP) affects more people than any other condition globally, and results in changes to the quality of life for many individuals. The financial burden of managing low back pain is among the highest both in the United States and globally. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) provide recommendations on patient management strategies and have the potential to simultaneously improve patient outcomes and lower health care costs. Limited evidence exists on the impact of CPG implementation on downstream medical costs that are incurred after physical therapist care. A retrospective observational study was conducted that examined …

Neurophysiological Effects Of Dry Needling To The Thoracolumbar Junction Multifidi In Subjects With Low Back Pain And Decreased Hamstring Length, Nicole Ginette Clark

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Dry needling is becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. The neurophysiological effect of treatment, specifically those related to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is considered a relevant physiological mechanism contributing to a patient’s rehabilitation. The primary purpose of this study was toinvestigate the neurophysiological effects of dry needling, as measured by sympathetic outflow and muscular flexibility. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine if changes in SNS activity correlate with clinically meaningful improvements in pain and disability. Design: This was a prospective, double-blind randomized clinical trial. Subjects: The study sample consisted of …

Correlation Of Trust And Outcomes Following Physical Therapy For Chronic Low Back Pain, Kory J. Zimney

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Trust is a key component for developing therapeutic alliance. Improvements in trust have been found to improve outcomes forpatients receiving psychiatric and medical physician care. Current trust measurement scales have not been utilized in a physical therapy setting and no studies have explored the relation of trust in provider to physical therapy outcomes.

Purpose: The primary goal was to explore the correlation of patient trust measured at various points within the therapeutic encounter to the change in outcome measurements after receiving physical therapy care.

Research Design and Methods: Non-experimental correlational quantitative analysis of patient trust in their physical therapist …

Does The Range Of Walking Speeds Produced By Community-Dwelling Older Adults Relate To Or Predict Function, Disability, And Community Mobility?, Michelle Germaine Criss

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Self-selected (SSWS) and maximum walking speeds (MWS) are frequently studied and related to multiple body systems, function, falls, and mortality. Walking at a slow speed voluntarily or measuring a range of walking speeds (WS), however, has rarely been investigated. Purpose: The aims ofthis project were to explore a proposed measure of WS adaptability called total walking speed range(TWSR), to assess the reliability and validity of slow walking speed (slowWS) as a component of TWSR, to assess if TWSR could predict function, disability or community mobility, and finally, to compare thepredictive ability of TWSR to single walking speeds. Methods: This …