Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

2025 North Texas Gme Research Forum Program, Hca Healthcare

North Texas Research Forum 2025

No abstract provided.

Critical Time Intervention For People Experiencing Homelessness At Room In The Inn, Kristen N. Hocklander

OTD Capstone Projects

Room In The Inn is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization serving people experiencing homelessness in Nashville, Tennessee. Their services include a day center where participants have access to essential needs, classes through Hope University, the lunch program, transitional and permanent housing, the winter shelter program, and guest house and recuperative care beds. The purpose of this capstone experience was to collaborate with Room In The Inn staff and participants to increase efficiency from intake into the guest house to housing readiness. Room In The Inn’s services were presented in a flow chart and prioritized based on participants’ levels of …

Psychopathy And The Media: A Dangerous False Perception, Ashton L. Brophy

Harding Undergraduate Research Conference

Characterized by a lack of remorse or empathy, psychopaths– sufferers of Antisocial Personality Disorder– view the world far differently than the average person. This makes psychopathy an intriguing topic of study. However, many members of the general public lack understanding about the complexities of this disorder due to the false media depictions that make it difficult to accurately identify true psychopaths. By correcting the inaccurate narrative of psychopathy fed to the public through the media, it becomes possible to recognize the responsibility that is to be laid at the feet of the psychopathic offenders who chose violence.

Quality Improvement Project New And Novice Nurse Faculty: Orientation Bootcamp, Megan Titus

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The ongoing shortage of nurse educators across the United States has led to a critical need among nursing programs, particularly in rural areas. A quality improvement project was developed in response to literature regarding the need for new and novice nurse educator orientation programs and limited structured onboarding at the implementation site. The quality improvement project implemented an orientation boot camp for new and novice nurse educators. Guided by Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory (Benner, 2023) and Lippitt’s Phases of Change Theory (Barrow, 2022), the project aimed to enhance faculty preparedness through educational support related to seventeen key nursing education …

Improving Access To Same-Day Insertion Of Subdermal Implantable Long-Acting Reversible Contraception In Primary Care, Katherine Alwes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Unplanned pregnancies are a significant public health problem in the United States. Timely access to reliable contraception can decrease the incidence of unplanned pregnancies and their detrimental health impacts. This evidence-based practice project aimed to improve access to subdermal implantable long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) in the primary care setting by implementing a technology platform that enables in-office stocking of LARC devices, allowing for same-day access to LARC options. Data were collected over a 12-week period before and after implementation. The results revealed that in-office LARC stocking increased subdermal implantable LARC placements, reduced patient wait times, improved patient satisfaction, and optimized …

Examining The Effects Of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Pain On Healthcare And Allied Health Professionals' Quality Of Life, Nicole Simone Richmond

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the effects work-related musculoskeletal disorder pain has on the quality of life of high body mass indexed healthcare and allied health professional women. This qualitative research incorporated virtual semi-structured interviews, via zoom, of 10 clinically obese female healthcare and allied health workers employed at a hospital, clinic, or private health practice; and have been diagnosed by a medical doctor with a case of chronic work-related musculoskeletal disorder pain within the past six months. The study utilized a virtual setting of participants who reside and work within the United States. Data collection …

Changes Of Eeg Beta Band Power And Functional Connectivity During Spaceflight: A Retrospective Study, Adrián Quivira-Lopesino, María Sevilla-García, Pablo Cuesta, Sandra Pusil, Ricardo Bruña, Patrique Fiedler, Ana Maria Cebolla, Guy Cheron, Michael Funke, Fernando Maestu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spaceflight exposes astronauts to unique conditions like microgravity, which may affect brain function, though it remains underexplored compared to other physiological systems. Astronauts often report temporary neurological symptoms, such as disorientation, visual disturbances, and motor issues, potentially linked to structural and electrophysiological brain changes. To investigate this, electroencephalography (EEG) is a reliable tool to study brain activity in space, measuring oscillatory activity and functional connectivity (FC). This study analyzed EEG data from five male astronauts during three stages: pre-flight, during low Earth orbit (LEO), and post-flight in a 2-min task-free eyes-closed (EC) condition followed by another 2-min of eyes-open (EO) …

Adjuvant Radiotherapy In Pt3-4n0m0 Major Salivary Gland Cancer Without Other Adverse Features, Aman M. Patel, Afash Haleem, Praneet C. Kaki, Jake J. Lee, Russell Maxwell, Jason A. Brant, Robert M. Brody, Ryan M. Carey

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

OBJECTIVE: To investigate adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT) utilization and associated differences in overall survival (OS) in pT3-4N0M0 major salivary gland cancer (MSGC) without evidence of other adverse pathologic features.

METHODS: The 2006 to 2018 National Cancer Database was queried for patients with MSGC classified as pT3-4N0M0. Patients with evidence of lymphovascular invasion or positive surgical margins were excluded. Multivariable binary logistic and Cox regression models adjusting for patient demographics, pathologic features including histology, and treatment were implemented.

RESULTS: Of 897 patients satisfying inclusion criteria, 368 (41.0 %) underwent aRT. Compared with those not undergoing aRT, patients undergoing aRT were younger (median …

After-School Program For Teens With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Hayden E. Davis

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Introduction: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 36 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (CDC, 2023) with 31% of children with ASD having an Intellectual Disability (ID) (Autism Speaks, 2023), and 1 in every 700 babies are born with Down Syndrome (CDC, 2023b). According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (Shattuck et al, 2011) nearly 40% of individuals with ASD after exiting high school were not receiving any services, such as occupational therapy, case management, medical assessments, etc. The purpose of this capstone is to implement an after-school program for teens with Intellectual and Developmental …

Exploring How The Affordable Housing Market In Charleston County, South Carolina Impacts The Retention And Recruitment Of Healthcare Workers, Roger Aaron Williams

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the impact of the affordable housing market in Charleston County, South Carolina, on the retention and recruitment of healthcare workers. The study addresses the critical shortage of affordable housing and its implications for healthcare institutions, focusing on support staff such as medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, and other essential roles. Through a comprehensive survey of healthcare workers, the research identifies the extent of housing challenges, including financial strain, long commutes, and job dissatisfaction. The findings highlight the significant correlation between housing affordability and workforce stability, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted housing solutions. The dissertation reviews current …

Raising Awareness Of Visual Impairments And The Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (Naveg), Molli Wilkins

OTD Capstone Projects

Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST) is a nonprofit organization providing early intervention services to children with visual impairments and their families. Through a partnership with BEST, this doctoral capstone project aimed to raise awareness of visual impairments and promote the use of the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG). The NAVEG is a validated, non-invasive screening tool designed to identify neurological risk for Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) in infants. The project aimed to educate healthcare providers and establish partnerships with Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), to ultimately increase early referrals to ophthalmology and early intervention services. A secondary focus of …

Promoting Safe Caregiving For Parents With Cognitive And Intellectual Challenges At Nurses For Newborns, Jaimie Thomison

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nurses for Newborns of Tennessee. Nurses for Newborns is a nonprofit organization that provides critical healthcare services to infants, new mothers, and expecting mothers who experience a wide range of medical, economic, environmental, and social risks. Registered nurses serve families using an evidence-informed, home visiting model. The aim of this project was to increase support for new mothers who have cognitive or intellectual challenges by providing resources and training staff on how to best serve these clients. The resources included customizable visual schedules, a safe sleep checklist, sensory modifications for …

The Center For Courageous Kids Universally Designed Pre-Recorded Dance Program, Amanda L. Parsley

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was created to serve the children, families, and volunteers at The Center of Courageous Kids in Scottsville, KY. The Center for Courageous Kids (CCK) is an accessible medical camp that provides children with serious illnesses the opportunity to attend camp at no cost. This allows the campers to have fun, create community and escape their everyday challenges. The camp hosts weekend retreats for families throughout the school year and offers population-specific week-long independent camps during the summer. Due to the structure of the camp, it relies heavily on volunteers to operate. With that in mind, this …

The Effectiveness Of A Race-Based Stress Reduction Intervention On Improving Stress-Related Symptoms And Inflammation In African American Women At Risk For Cardiometabolic Disease: Protocol For Recruitment And Intervention For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Karen L. Saban, Cara Joyce, Alexandria Nyembwe, Linda Janusek, Dina Tell, Paula De La Pena, Darnell Motley, Lamise Shawahin, Laura Prescott, Stephanie Potts-Thompson, Jacquelyn Y. Taylor

Biostatistics Collaborative Core: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Background: In recent years, the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) in African American women has risen; the risk also increases with age, in comparison to men. Evidence demonstrates that stressful life events, including experiences of racism and perceived discrimination, contribute substantially to inflammatory diseases, such as CMD. Despite this evidence, few evidence-based interventions are available to assist individuals from minoritized communities in coping with the chronic stress related to their racial or ethnic identity.

Objective: Our proposed randomized controlled trial will test a novel, race-based intervention tailored to African American women, called Resilience, Stress, and Ethnicity (RiSE).

Methods: In this …

Nursing Faculty Perspectives On Students With Learning Disabilities: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Marlies Aanensen Hébert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to record the lived experiences of nursing faculty perspectives of students with learning disabilities in all learning environments. The theories that provide the framework for the study are John Dewey’s theory of education and Malcolm Knowles’ theory of adult learning. Both theories establish a foundation for understanding the challenges faced by adult learners with learning disabilities and how to offer effective support. The research question is: What are the lived experiences of nurse educators working with students with learning disabilities in all learning environments? The study employed a snowball sampling method to …

Optimizing Ehr Utilization: Implementing An Educational Program To Improve Template Use, Knowledge, And Satisfaction Among Primary Care Providers And Staff, Danielle Alley Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Electronic health record utilization is essential for improving clinical documentation, enhancing patient care, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Despite the benefits, provider reluctance and inconsistent utilization of electronic health records remain significant challenges in many primary care settings. This scholarly project aimed to implement an educational program to increase provider and staff knowledge, satisfaction, and utilization of electronic health record tools and templates within a small primary care office. The project addressed an identified gap in electronic health record adoption where providers continued to rely on paper documentation despite the availability of a fully functional electronic health record system. This inefficiency …

Impact Of Hiv/Aids Stigma On University Students' Education: A Phenomenological Investigation, Ralph Ayuk Etchu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of 10-12 university students living with HIV/AIDS in the cities of Ndekville, Tontoh, and Kenyang of Southwest Ekong. Goffman’s social stigma theory guided this study and helped operationalize the research questions. The central research question was: What is the impact of HIV/AIDS stigma on the educational journey of university students in Ndekville, Tontoh, and Kenyang of Southwest Ekong? Sub-questions explored categorizing and characterizing participants' experiences and challenges of stigma and discrimination as per sex, gender, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. The researcher collected data through participant interviews, focus …

English As A Second Language Nurse Experiences With Collaborative Learning During Pre-Licensure, Baccalaureate Nursing Education: A Phenomenological Study, Candice Tart Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand how ESL nurses experienced collaborative learning with their native English-speaking peers in traditional baccalaureate-accredited nursing programs across the United States. The theories guiding this study were the Social Learning Theory (SLT) of Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE) by Albert Bandura and the Sociocultural Theory of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) by Lev Vygotsky. The central investigative research question was: What are the lived experiences of novice ESL nurses who participated in collaborative learning with their native English-speaking peers during baccalaureate nursing education? Sampling methods used included a purposive and a snowball sample …

The Ability Of Algebra Final Grades And Teas Scores To Predict Undergraduate Nursing Student Grade Point Averages: A Quantitative, Non-Experimental, Predictive Correlational Study, Jeanna L. Kerchner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A major concern for many nursing programs is student completion rates. This is due in large part to the demands and rigor of curriculum in accredited nursing programs. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, predictive correlational study was to determine if final nursing program GPA can be predicted by the linear combination of college algebra final grades and TEAS scores in an undergraduate nursing program at a private university. A quantitative, non-experimental research design was used to address the proposed study’s purpose. The study’s sample of participants was purposive and convenient in nature, and was accessed using an existing, archival …

Palliative And End-Of-Life Care Education In Undergraduate, Pre-Licensure Nursing Program Curriculums: The Lived Experience Of Students, Whitney Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study with a transcendental phenomenological approach is to investigate and describe nursing students’ experience with palliative and end-of-life care education within their undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing program curriculum. The study utilizes Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory as its theoretical framework to answer the central research question and three sub-questions. The central research question is: what are nursing students' lived experiences with palliative and end-of-life care education within their undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing program curriculum? Twelve senior level nursing students participated in the study. The data collection methods included one-on-one interviews, observations, and journal entries. Data was analyzed using …

Pharmacogenomics-Guided Treatment Of Depression Evidence-Based Practice Scholarly Project, Richard A. Sonnier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pharmacogenomics is a popular topic in psychiatry today that is poised to replace the outdated trial-and-error paradigm of prescribing psychotropic medications. For patients suffering from a myriad of psychiatric disorders, it has been a frustrating period for those who have struggled with multiple failed trials of medications before finding relief from debilitating depression, anxiety, and many other mood-dysregulating disorders. Often, patients are forced to endure several weeks or months of trying psychotropic agents with poor responses and intolerable side effects before finally finding a medication that yields a desired outcome. In some cases, no therapeutic response is ever achieved. With …

Meanings And Understandings Of Racial-Ethnic Minority Prelicensure Associate Degree In Nursing And Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students Who Experience Uncivil Faculty Behaviors In United States Nursing Programs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Inquiry, Lenora Valdez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the meanings and understandings of racial-ethnic minority (REM) prelicensure Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students who experience uncivil faculty behaviors in United States nursing programs. The literature points to a wide range of faculty behaviors that nursing students experience as incivility. However, little data was found in the literature regarding REM prelicensure ADN or BSN students’ experiences with nurse faculty incivility. Purposive snowball sampling was used to recruit 10 REM currently enrolled junior and senior prelicensure ADN and BSN students who experience …

Effect Of Multiple Simulation Exposures On Nursing Students' Critical Thinking In First Direct Patient Care Practice, Dawn Veltre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Critical thinking is a core competency essential for nursing practice, and nursing students must develop these skills to become competent nurses. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design is to determine the effect of multiple simulation exposures on nursing students' critical thinking during their first direct patient care practice. A convenience sample of 39 first-year nursing students enrolled in an associate degree nursing program in the western United States participated in this study. Participants completed a demographic survey and the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) to measure critical thinking skills before multiple simulation exposures, two exposures, or four exposures …

Incident Hearing Loss And Subsequent Risk Of Dementia: The Health And Retirement Study 2010-2018, Jingkai Wei, Youngran Kim, Yike Li, Donglan Zhang, Casey Crump

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and Objectives

Research Design and Methods

Short Report: The Variants In Chek2 In Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Mizue Terai, Rino S. Seedor, Usman Ashraf, Gretchen Hubbard, Sergei A. Koshkin, Marlana Orloff, Takami Sato

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Correction: Toward Personalized Digital Experiences To Promote Diabetes Self-Management: Mixed Methods Social Computing Approach, Tavleen Singh, Kirk Roberts, Kayo Fujimoto, Jing Wang, Constance Johnson, Sahiti Myneni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Renal Social Workers' Perspective: Attitude, Behaviors, And Barriers To Sexual Health Inclusion, Sapphira L. Blount Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual health, an important factor of perceived wellness and quality of life, is adversely impacted by renal disease and treatment. The social worker is uniquely positioned on the renal clinical care team to address sexual health. There is a dearth of literature on renal care and sexual health, and no national study on whether or how sexual health is being addressed in renal care planning by the social worker. This qualitative case study was aimed at exploring the attitudes, behaviors, and perceived barriers based on the lived experiences of renal social workers in incorporating sexual health assessments into routine renal …

Rnase1-Driven Alk-Activation Is An Oncogenic Driver And Therapeutic Target In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Zhengyu Zha, Chunxiao Liu, Meisi Yan, Cong Chen, Cheng Yu, Yaohui Chen, Chenhao Zhou, Lu Li, Yi-Chuan Li, Hiro Yamaguchi, Leiguang Ye, Tong Liu, Ying-Nai Wang, Heng-Huan Lee, Wen-Hao Yang, Li-Chuan Chan, Baozhen Ke, Jennifer L Hsu, Lieming Ding, Dong Ji, Peng Pan, Yiran Meng, Yue Pu, Lunxu Liu, Mien-Chie Hung

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Targeted therapy has achieved significant success in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in patients harboring common oncogenic driver mutations such as EGFR, KRAS, and ALK rearrangement. However, ~35-50% of NSCLC patients without tyrosine kinase mutation or rearrangement (non-mutated) cannot benefit from these targeted treatments, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies for this patient population. In this study, we report a non-canonical role of human secretory ribonuclease 1 (RNase1), which binds to and activates wild-type ALK in lung cancer cells, thereby triggering its downstream signaling pathway. RNase1-driven ALK-activation (RDAA) cells exhibit enhanced cell proliferation, migration, …

Association Between B-Cell Marker Expression And Runx1 Lesions In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Beyond Runx1::Runx1t1 Fusion: Diagnostic Pitfalls With Mixed-Phenotype Acute Leukemia—B/Myeloid, Giby V George, Malgorzata Kajstura, Audrey N Jajosky, Hong Fang, Fatima Zahra Jelloul, Andrew G Evans, W Richard Burack, John M Bennett, L Jeffrey Medeiros, Wei Wang, Siba El Hussein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1::RUNX1T1 fusion is well known to often demonstrate aberrant upregulation of CD19 expression. We studied the clinicopathologic and genetic features of 16 cases of AML with various RUNX1 lesions, including mutations, copy number gains, and translocations other than fusions with RUNX1T1. Most of these cases were classified as AML-myelodysplasia-related or AML-post-cytotoxic therapy based on the cytogenetic and molecular work-up. These neoplasms showed partial expression of one or more B-cell antigens by flow cytometry and/or immunohistochemistry, fulfilling the criteria for mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL)-B/myeloid (i.e., ≥20% blasts expressing B and myeloid lineage antigens) …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Implicit Bias Teaching Using High-Fidelity Simulation, Eva Wangia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nursing education lacks explicit, effective teaching methods for recognizing and managing student biases, which could potentially impact patient outcomes and perpetuate health disparities. This study may influence changes in the associate degree nursing program curricula to include implicit bias teaching, which in turn helps nurses understand the concepts associated with health equity, such as health disparities. This quasi-quantitative experimental study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of implicit bias teaching using high-fidelity simulation to nursing students at a community college in the Pacific Northwest. A convenience sample of first-year nursing students was utilized in the study. Participants completed demographic surveys and …