2021 Theses and Dissertations

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The impact of climate change on African American communities
(1/12/2021) Diggs, Mallaya J; Hoye, Timothy
African American communities are experiencing the serious effects of climate change on a nationwide level. The researcher examines in detail the hardships which have been endured by the African American community, including the degradation of their environment, health, economic stability, and general well-being. These concerns remain an ongoing issue because African Americans are without a voice on the national stage. This study aims to verify that climate change, whether caused by natural or human means, has had a significant impact on African American communities. Change is required to promote environmental equality for all who have suffered from, and continue to be affected by, the aftermath of natural disasters. This thesis will identify what climate change is and how it originated in order to understand the effects it has had on society, particularly African Americans. This study will identify the criticism of climate change that disregard climate change is part of the problem. The study will research other global experiences with addressing climate change of regions that have similar problems to those of African American communities in the United States. The purpose of the researcher’s stance is to understand what the United States can extract, gain, and lose. The study will argue that the focus of the United States government is not on climate change or its effects on minority communities. On the contrary, the effects of climate change in the community are downplayed by the media, not taken seriously, or not addressed to the extent they should be. At present, the struggle for addressing this problem remains the responsibility of local communities that still need more political and governmental support. To test this hypothesis, due to the COVID-19 quarantine, an online survey was taken from a national poll of one thousand African Americans to capture their responses regarding the effects of climate change. The researcher also used graphs and research studies conducted by other institutes to support the hypothesis that African American communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. These results suggest that climate change does impact the African American community, and that without the U.S. government enacting effective climate change policy, the problems are likely to persist. African American communities can only rely on non-profit organizations to help their communities deal with the consequences of climate change and to promote change and equality when disaster strikes.
Prekindergarten teachers’ perspectives on decision-making regarding initial set up of classroom environments, modifications during the academic school year, and barriers associated with creating optimal physical environments
(1/13/2021) Stankovic-Ramirez, Zlata; Vittrup, Brigitte
The purpose of this study was to examine how prekindergarten teachers in various settings make decisions about physical classroom environments. This qualitative study composed of 22 participants who all participated in a one-hour interview revealing how they make initial decisions regarding classroom environments at the start of the school year, how they go about making decisions about when and if to modify physical environments during the school year, and finally what some of the barriers they face in creating optimal physical environments for prekindergarten age children. The main themes regarding initial decisions about classroom environments were that prekindergarten teachers decide on the initial classroom layout at the start of the school year based on curriculum or approach their school uses, the fact that a new school year is starting, and based on their total work experience. During the school year, prekindergarten teachers make modifications based on communication with other teachers and children, observation of the children and their needs, and finally needs of a center or an area to be modified based on observations or professional development. Finally, prekindergarten teachers face the barriers of space, budget, and time when it comes to creating optimal physical classroom environments. The stakeholders in the field of early childhood education must work hard in order to remove the barriers of space, budget, and time for prekindergarten teachers because children spend a considerable amount of time in build environments (home or classrooms) and it’s imperative that physical classroom environments are funded, intentional, provide adequate spacing, and overall high quality.
Texas early childhood educators' self-efficacy
(1/19/2021) Andrews, Amanda; Rose, Katherine K.
The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the influence of environmental and personal characteristics on the self-efficacy of child care teachers in Texas. Using the self-reported Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) in a convenience sample population from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services child care licensing list, a multiple linear regression and ANOVA sought to examine group differences of teacher self-efficacy based on their years of experience, highest level of education, whether the center where they were employed was accredited and depending on the type of child care center. During participant recruitment and data collection the historic global pandemic, COVID-19 led to child care center closures, unemployment, and a multitude of emotional and physical tolls on the target population, challenging the internal validity of the study. Due to an underpowered sample, no significant differences were found in either of the analyses, but the lack of significance should be interpreted with caution. Replication of this study in another time is warranted.
Employee's experiences of work: Emotional, cognitive, social, and personality factors
(1/19/2021) Kosak, Kortney; Scott, Shannon
Often affective influences in organizational research link to workplace behaviors. In this study, we examine several relationships between critical variables that have been missing within workplace literature. The current study examined how dispositional factors (i.e., susceptibility to EC and personality), affective (emotional) factors, and workplace performance factors (i.e., in-role and extra-role) predicted organizational outcomes (i.e., affective commitment AC and task effectiveness TE). All of these factors predicted positive workplace outcomes. However, workplace changes in the early stages of COVID-19 did not add any additional predictive ability.
Diet quality, inflammation and affective reactivity in mental health
(1/20/2021) Obrien, Amber Elizabeth; Scott, Shannon
There is growing evidence for the influence of diet, inflammation and affective reactivity on mental health. It is important to consider whether diet quality impacts expression of anxiety and depression symptoms. Inflammation has been linked to mental health, yet the relationship is ambiguous. For example, the link between inflammation and depression only appears to exist for a subset of individuals. Differences in affective reactivity are also linked to anxiety and depression, however the role affective reactivity plays is unclear. Although anxiety and depression are often co-occurring conditions, they may have distinct relationships with diet, inflammation and affective reactivity. To distinguish whether anxiety and depression have different biopsychosocial influencers, we separate them into two regression models. We seek to clarify whether diet, inflammation and affective reactivity are determinants of anxiety and depression symptoms. Methods Using data from the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS), including two sample groups representing a predominantly European American sample (Sample 1; S1) and a predominantly African American sample (Sample 2; S2), we perform multiple regression analyses to examine the biopsychosocial influences of diet, inflammation and affective reactivity on anxiety and depression. Overall diet quality is scored using an adaptation of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), on self-report of average intake of fruits and vegetables, fish, non-meat protein, high fat meat and sugar sweetened beverages. An inflammation summary score is calculated including C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, E-selectin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-⍺), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8). Affective reactivity is measured from corrugator supercilii activity (COR) in response to pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). A recovery residual is calculated to specifically highlight COR after picture presentation, controlling for initial response differences during picture display. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Mood and Symptom Questionnaire Short Form (MASQ-SF). Results. Multiple regression analyses for S1 and S2 were conducted separately. Multiple regression results for S1 indicated that neither diet, nor affective reactivity were able to predict depression or anxiety. However, age was a significant predictor of depression and anxiety for S1, with younger age predicting more depression and anxiety. While controlling for age and income, inflammation was also a significant predictor of anxiety for S1. Affective reactivity was able to predict depression and anxiety for S2, showing an inverse relationship. Also, better diet quality predicted more anxiety for S2. Conclusion. Results from this study suggest that anxiety and depression should be considered separately when examining their biopsychosocial influences. A key finding in this study is that biopsychosocial factors predicting depression and anxiety may differ for individuals of different race groups. S1 is a predominantly European American sample group with higher income, while S2 is a predominantly African-American group with lower income. For S1, younger age and higher inflammation were significant predictors of anxiety. However for S2, better quality diet and lower affective reactivity were significant predictors of anxiety. Concerning depression, younger age was the only significant predictor for S1, and lower affective reactivity was the only significant predictor for S2. These results have implications for understanding the unique biopsychosocial influences on depression and anxiety for individuals from different race groups.
Functional analysis of M139, a pathogenesis factor of mouse cytomegalovirus
(1/28/2021) Pathak, Sushila; Hanson, Laura K.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common herpes virus that infects almost 60% of the adult population in the United States. It is transmitted via body fluids: saliva, tears, urine, stool, semen, and breast milk. Once a person is infected, it can be retained in the body for life with rarely any symptoms. CMV may cause several complications like retinitis or hepatitis in immunocompromised people and hearing loss or mental retardation in neonates. CMV is host specific meaning that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can only infect humans. For this reason, mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is often studied in the mouse model for understanding the function of conserved and pathogenically important gene families. The M139, M140 and M141 genes in MCMV belong to the US22 gene family, members of which play important roles in pathogenesis. It has been shown that the deletion of any one of the M139, M140, and M141 genes leads to replication impairment of MCMV in macrophages. While the M140 protein is required for stable viral gene encapsidation in macrophages, the role of the M139 protein in virus replication is still unknown. Dr. Clive Sweet’s lab showed that a mutant virus with a C-terminal truncation of 79 amino acids in M139 replicates normally at 37°C in both fibroblasts and macrophages but the replication is impaired at 40°C in fibroblasts. We have determined that this mutant virus is also temperature sensitive in a neuroblastoma cells indicating that this defect is not restricted to fibroblast cells. The combination of lack of a temperature sensitive defect in ΔM140 and ΔM141, the coprecipitation of pM140 with the pM139trun, and that the defect occurs after capsid assembly, unlike ΔM140, supports that the pM139 has a function separable from the complex with pM140-pM141. Although the stability of the MutM139 infectious particle is not altered, higher number of non-infectious MutM139 particles are produced from infected cells at 40˚C than at 37˚C. The most likely possibility for the production of large number of non-infectious MutM139 particles would be a defect in the incorporation of one or more tegument proteins, possibly including pM139, into the virus particles.
Exploring hematology/oncology nurses’ recognition of patients at risk of sepsis
(1/7/2021) Brydges, Ninotchka; McFarlane, Judith
This descriptive exploratory study, guided by Carper’s (1978) patterns of knowing, explored hematology/oncology nurses’ recognition of patients at risk of sepsis. Semi-structured open-ended interview questions (with additional prompts as necessary) were used during individual face-to-face interviews of 14 clinical nurses to understand their experience when caring for hematologic/oncologic patients at risk of sepsis and how they differentiate between sepsis and other treatment-related complications such as those related to chemotherapy. Interviews were digitally recorded and subsequently were carefully analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) method of analysis. The primary finding of this analysis was the overarching theme of Act Quickly and Decisively. This study, regarding the recognition and differentiation of sepsis, may enhance understanding of the experiences and tools used by clinical nurses in hematologic/oncologic settings. Recommendations for further research include the development of an evidence-based educational training module focused on early assessment and intervention, including differentiation alert tools. Improved understanding resulting from the development of such a training module would subsequently improve patient outcomes.
Caribbean immigrant parents' cultural perspectives on preparing their children for kindergarten
(1/7/2021) South, Suzan Antanya; Snider, Sharla
ABSTRACT SUZAN A SOUTH CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANT PARENTS’ CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON PREPARING THEIR CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN DECEMBER 2020 Early learning and transition into kindergarten are paramount to children’s development. Parent involvement also plays a crucial role in the experience. Parents being the first teachers for their children, develop and acquire expectations essential to developmental domains, and education. A transcendental phenomenological study explored Caribbean immigrant parents’ cultural perspectives on preparing their children for kindergarten. Parents shared experiences that reflected their prior and current knowledge about preparation process, learning, and the school system in general. The experiences created a balance in the changes and transitions that occurred during the preparation. The study focused on understanding and describing cultural perspectives critical to Caribbean immigrant parents’ lived experiences in the United States. Data collected through in-depth interviews captured parents’ experiences. Data analysis used the four steps of philosophical phenomenological method (a) Epoche, (b) Phenomenology Reduction, (c) Imaginative Variation, and (d) Synthesis. Four major themes emerged from the participant’s representation of their cultural perspectives. The four themes include: (a) balancing expectations, (b) developing relationships, (c) investing in your child’s education, and (d) creating lifelong critical thinkers. These findings demonstrate that parents’ cultural differences, values, and perspectives play a crucial role in preparing, developing, and promoting children’s early learning. Overall, being knowledgeable about Caribbean immigrant parents’ preparation process is instrumental in shaping future research in this area.
An in-depth analysis of beer flavor and its impact on consumer refreshing perception
(1/8/2021) Hampton, Amy; Broughton, K. Shane
Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage worldwide and a known source of refreshment. Refreshment is defined as an emotional response to a food consumption experience; nevertheless, there is a very limited understanding of beer refreshment and its impact factors. The objective of this study was to determine how sensory attributes, specifically flavor and alcohol-related, impacted refreshment post-beer consumption using a survey, consumer study, and volatile analysis. A preliminary beer survey (n = 1,050) indicated that consumers believed beer was highly refreshing (≥8 out of 10). Flavor and temperature were major impactful factors for refreshment, along with a “clean and crisp” flavor profile. According to survey results, a consumer study was conducted to test how flavor types and alcohol levels impacted beer refreshment. Participants (n = 322) rated 13 beer samples (three flavor types: citrus, cucumber, or lime x 4 alcohol levels: 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% abv., plus the control: non-alcoholic beer base- Heineken 0.0) for liking and intensity of refreshment as well as six sensory attributes. The consumer study elucidated that alcohol levels and flavor types significantly affected consumer's perceived refreshment based on ANOVA, MANOVA, and partial least squares (PLS), p < 0.01. A majority of consumers preferred a citrus-flavored beer and an alcohol level of 2.5% abv. Volatile profiles of three pilsners (Carlsberg, Heineken 0.0, and Michelob Ultra) were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Volatile analysis indicated specific esters (ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate), terpenes (D-limonene and linalool), and aldehydes (acetaldehyde, isovaleric aldehyde, hexanal, nonanal) were common volatiles in three beers, which might associate with acceptance and preference by consumers. The significance derived from this thesis research revealed that flavor type and alcohol level significantly impact perceived refreshment. The addition of citrus flavor to the beer base with a 2.5% abv. created an ideal experience of sensory attributes and the highest overall acceptance. In the development of new and existing beers, a balance of flavor, alcohol, and volatiles are imperative for the refreshing perception.
Towards a post-oppositional womanist pedagogy
(10/25/2021) Martin, Jennifer V; Keating, AnaLouise
Building on the definitions and work of womanist scholars such as Alice Walker, Layli Maparyan, and AnaLouise Keating, this dissertation explores the possibility of a post-oppositional womanist pedagogy that can serve as a potential solution to the oppositional pedagogies and hyper individualistic cultures in Western education systems. This research discusses the following themes that emerged from interviews: (1) womanism draws people in/feels welcoming because of the spiritual component; (2) spirituality is an important aspect of personal choices, pedagogical choices, and worldviews; (3) self-care and community care are deeply connected; and (4) dialogue and an understanding of interconnectedness/interrelatedness are components of post-oppositional pedagogies. This dissertation offers a more expanded definitions of womanism and explores some possible ways of shifting teaching practices to a more post-oppositional approach.
A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an online educational intervention on interprofessional team collaboration
(10/28/2021) Garey, Amanda Kay; Landrum, Peggy
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an online interprofessional education competency (IPEC) online educational module intervention on the level of interprofessional team collaboration (ITC) on three subscales, as measured with the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS-II) in interprofessional healthcare providers. A two-group randomized controlled trial, with repeated measures design was used for this study. This study was conducted from October 2020 to June 2021. A computer-based randomized generator assigned 161 subjects to the intervention (n = 75) or control group (n = 86). The intervention group participated in an IPEC focused module and the control group participated in a routine family-centered care module. Data collection for both the intervention group and control group occurred at three time points: at baseline, immediately after completion, and at 1 month after completion of the module. The intervention group had statistically significant differences in all three subscales of the validated AITCS-II tool immediate post-intervention in partnership (p < .001), coordination (p < .001), and cooperation (p < .001) in comparison to the control group. The control group was not statistically significant at any time period. The intervention module was effective in increasing the level of collaboration within healthcare teams. This study supports assessing teams for their level v of interprofessional collaboration, providing insight into strengths and weaknesses of interprofessional teams, and integrating Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) related education is impactful. Study outcomes can assist organizations in building strategic plans to meet professional development goals and quality outcomes. The study findings have the potential to motivate healthcare leaders and researchers to replicate similar studies and seek further evidence to translate research into practice.
The relationship between the self-efficacy of school counselors and the use of family systems approaches in the school setting
(11/1/2021) Morrow, Ebony; Vittrup, Brigitte
The purpose of this study was to examine if school counselors’ level of self-efficacy could be predicted from the use of family systems approaches in the school setting, and to determine if self-efficacy could be predicted from perceived importance and preparedness of using a family systems approach. In addition, this study explored personal and professional factors of school counselors that could be used to predict school counselors’ self-efficacy. A total of 120 practicing school counselors completed a 53-item online questionnaire for a response rate of 60%. The results of this study can be beneficial in determining how to better train and prepare school counselors to be effective advocates. Results of this study can also be used to inform training, workshops, or professional development opportunities directly related to the use of family systems approaches in school counseling. Results of the current study indicate participants generally felt somewhat competent to deliver school counseling through use of a family systems approach. Findings resulted in recommendation for training considerations in family systems approaches for school counselor educators.
The perceived impact of African American fathers’ involved presence on their adult children
(11/1/2021) Dardar, Kristopher K; Hwang, Shann Hwa
The African American family can be viewed as a dynamic enterprise of tenacity, resilience, and flexibility. Throughout the African Americans’ history in America, the African American family has lived within contexts that have, in many instances, been divisively constructed for their demise. Duly noted, African American families have been and continues to be more likely to live in poverty, live in at-risk communities, undereducated, experience early, pre-martial pregnancies, die of disease and other unhealthy aliments such as high blood pressure and obesity, operate in social and systematic racism, and experience familial breakdown than any other racial group in America (Miller, 2018). With these adversities daily besetting the African American family, including in many instances the absence, displacement, and disengagement of the “father role,” I am seeking to explore the lived experiences of African American adult children who self-report the involved presence of their father during childhood through a phenomenological approach. Four major domains will be explored for African American fathers’ effect: (1) gender role development, (2) romantic attachment, (3) self-concept, and (4) future parenting styles. These father-adult child dyads will be explored through three theoretical lenses: (1) family systems theory, (2) resilience, and (3) Afrocentricity. The overarching purpose of this research project is to explore, through a phenomenological approach, the effects of the involved presence of African American fathers on their adult children. With this information, I wish to add to the body of knowledge the lived experiences of such families and add positive outcomes and elements to the literature concerning African American families, fathers and men in particular. The principal purpose is to share such results with everyday fathers in the community who may be statically and/or realistically absent, disengaged, invisible, or displaced. Such illuminating evidence would become vital for all to comprehend the important role constructive, fatherly engagement plays in the development and positive outcome of their children.
“Are we in or out?” Inclusion of stepparents within a co-parenting system: A phenomenological study
(11/15/2021) Papa, Kristina; LeBlanc Gillum, Nerissa
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn about the lived experiences of stepparents within a co-parenting system. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory was used to understand stepparent inclusion within a co-parenting system. One research question was developed for this study: What are the lived experiences of stepparents within a co-parenting system? Eleven stepparents completed a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Interviews were conducted virtually and data were analyzed to develop themes. Bracketing and analyst triangulation were used to help contribute to trustworthiness of the data. Six themes emerged from the data: (1) I do not want to replace your mom or dad, (2) My spouse and I work together to parent the kids, (3) My relationship with the biological parent is not the best, (4) Over time I have been accepted more, (5) I have a good relationship with my stepchildren, and (6) I have someone to depend on. The results of the study were compared to the existing literature and conclusions were drawn. Study strengths and limitations and recommendations for practice and future research were presented.
Usability and effectiveness of a self-care mobile health app in individuals with heart failure
(11/15/2021) Ababneh, Anas; Jackson, Elaine
Re-hospitalization is one of the challenges that the medical community encounters when treating individuals with heart failure (HF). The hospitalization is an independent risk factor of mortality in this population. Patients often describe the HF symptoms as minor deviations in their health, neglect them, and delay in seeking early medical care. Therefore, establishing a novel self-care strategy to monitor symptoms is important, which may subsequently reduce hospital readmission and minimize negative consequences of hospitalization. Mobile health (mHealth) apps have features to actively engage individuals, such as real-time adjustments, graphic feedback, and social interaction functionalities, which may make the apps a convenient tool for promoting self-care management and improving health outcomes. The Heart Failure Health Storylines (HFHS), a mHealth app, is created specifically for people with HF for self-care management. However, its clinical effectiveness on people with HF has not been reported yet. Purposes. This study will assess the usability and the effectiveness of HFHS app on self-care management and physical activity promotion in people with HF. Participants. A total of 60 ambulatory participants with stable HF will be enrolled. Methods. In terms of studying the usability of the HFHS app, the study will provide a description of the frequency of tracking health habits by participants and their responses toward alert messages sent. The other part of this study will be a randomized controlled trial in which participants will be randomized into a self-care intervention group (App group) and control group (No App group). All participants will complete the SF-36 Quality of Life survey and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) before and after 4 weeks of intervention. All participants will learn how to monitor their daily physical activity with a pedometer and receive weekly follow up phone calls from the research team. The App group will also be trained to use the HFHS app to track their resting heart rate and resting blood pressure in the morning, medication schedule, body weight, and physical activity over 4 weeks, and to complete the Quality of Experience (QoE) survey about the app after 4 weeks. The research team will monitor participants’ data entry on the HFHS app over 4 weeks. Clinical Relevance. The experience of this study may provide us a better understanding on the usability and the effectiveness of the HFHS app on self-care management and physical activity promotion in people with HF at a community setting. Results of this study can provide preliminary data for future larger interventional studies with a longer duration on the effects of self-care management apps in decreasing hospitalization rate among people with HF.
Exploring perceptions of violence and factors that impact help-seeking
(11/15/2021) Olguin-Aguirre, Rosario; Pyland, Claudia
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious problem that has impacted the lives of many individuals in a variety of ways. While we have a general definition of abuse, the behaviors that constitute abuse vary from person to person and it can be presumed that gender and gender stereotypes may influence perceptions of what abuse. For this reason, the current study examined the way that men and women perceive abuse. Additionally, help-seeking behaviors for survivors of IPV have been found to be impacted by various factors, and can be a difficult step for victims to make. Therefore, the present study also analyzed how various factors such as shame and guilt, gender, and gender stereotypes impact help-seeking behaviors in victims of IPV. While gender was not a significant predictor of how individuals perceive abuse or of their help-seeking behaviors, gender stereotypes were found to be a significant predictor of perceptions of abuse and help-seeking behaviors. Further, gender stereotypes, and shame and guilt predicted help-seeking behaviors for individuals in same-sex and different sex relationships. Results from this study will be valuable for mental health professionals to consider when working with IPV survivors. Implications of the findings for mental health professions will be explored and suggestions for practice will be discussed.
Interaction of disgust sensitivity and type of nature exposure on mood and anxiety
(11/15/2021) Alonso, Alyssa; Porras Pyland, Claudia
E.O. Wilson (1984) asserted human beings have an innate tendency to be drawn into an emotional relationship with nature based on our evolutionary history. This relationship with nature has been shown to impact several aspects of psychological well-being, and also be impacted by situational and personality factors. The current study investigates the relationship between someone’s connection to nature, their sensitivity to disgust, and the way they are exposed to nature, either using technology or physical exposure. This study used a video of a natural area as a technological means of exposing people to nature. Disgust sensitivity, connection to nature and mood were measured using different previously validated scales. Results showed that exposure to nature, regardless of type of exposure, decreased anxiety and negative affect. Technology nature exposure decreased positive affect while physical nature exposure increased positive affect. Disgust and connectedness to nature were not significant predictors of anxiety or mood regardless of exposure type. This research provides future directions for investigating how nature impacts mood.
Caring in nursing education: The role of the educator
(11/18/2021) Gillson, Suzanne M; Freysteinson, Wyona
The purpose of this study was to discover the perception and demonstrating of caring by nurse educators towards nursing students in the classroom setting. A phenomenological hermeneutic design was used to elicit and express this experience. The questions guiding the study were: 1.) What is the perception of caring by the nurse educator in the nurse educator to nursing student relationship? 2.) How is caring demonstrated in the nurse educator to nursing student relationship? Thirteen experienced nurse educators teaching both undergraduate and graduate-level students discussed their perceptions of caring for students in the classroom. A classroom was defined as a face-to-face modality in a synchronous format during a set time of instruction. The philosophical underpinning was based on the work of Paul Ricoeur and included both structural analysis and phenomenological interpretation. The structural analysis unearthed three salient elements within the nurse educator’s world: the students’ nature, the context of the classroom, and the degree of support from the university. The phenomenological interpretation revealed the following themes: embodied caring, why we care, developing a rhythm of caring, influences on caring, and caring communication. Implications for nurse educators is the discovery that caring is based in a shared humanity. Caring for students is a decisive action that also models desired behaviors. Nurse educators can create safe and optimal learning environments that are relational, professional, and able to uphold the standards of the nursing profession.
In-school and out-of-school adolescent identities in high school English Language Arts classrooms
(11/18/2021) Thaggard, Kimberly; Anderson, Nancy
ABSTRACT KIMBERLY VILLARREAL THAGGARD IN-SCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL ADOLESCENT IDENTITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOMS DECEMBER 2021 Adolescents’ in-school- identities, out-of-school identities, and literacy practices are intertwined and connected. This research project aimed to explore the development of adolescent identities and out-of-school literacy practices in students’ English Language Arts classes. As a high school teacher and administrator, the researcher adopted a constructivist approach and conducted a cross-case analysis of six ninth-grade students from classroom observations, interviews, and an identity-centered word sort activity created for the study. The researcher’s analyses revealed the students’ out-of-school identities, preferred literacy practices, and personal affinities were underrepresented in their English Language Arts class. The key findings in the study support a multi-faceted definition of literacy for adolescents and that identity-centered approaches in classrooms may be conducive to increasing their interest in English Language Arts skills and content. These findings support the argument that adolescents’ in-school- identities and out-of-school identities need to be incorporated into classroom literacy practices.
An integrated model of functional status and socioeconomic factors affecting hospital length of stay and 30-day readmission risk in individuals with heart failure
(11/22/2021) Tran, Vinh Q; Lin, Suh-Jen
Background: Acute management of heart failure (HF) is a high-cost enterprise. Cost-effective management of acute HF hinges upon hospital outcomes such as length of stay (LOS) and 30-day readmission (30dRA) rate. Literature has produced regression models that predict these hospital outcomes; however, existing models use a limited scope of traditional medical predictors resulting in weak predictive ability. Functional status (FS) and socioeconomic factors (SEFs) have been found to predict various hospital outcomes in patients with HF; however, existing model performance is limited in its scope. Therefore, a modernized, holistic approach through the integration of FS and SEFs into existing medical predictor based regression models may better predict LOS and 30dRA rate in HF. Purpose: To determine the predictive utility of a model utilizing FS, SEFs, and traditional medical variables on hospital LOS and 30-day re-admission rate (30dRA) in individuals with HF. Methods: Secondary data for 2016 to 2020 calendar years was gathered from a Trauma Level I, safety-net hospital. Hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of HF were included. Subjects under 18 years old at admission and death during hospitalization were excluded. A total of 2204 medical records were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression on log-transformed LOS data and 1953 records were analyzed using logistic regression on 30dRA data. Results: A LOS model utilizing FS, SEFs, and traditional medical factors was found to be significant (r2 = .207, adjusted r2 = .204, F(8, 2195) = 71.579, p < .001). A 30dRA model utilizing SEFs and traditional medical factors was found to be significant (χ2(10) = 43.185, df = 10, p < .001). Within the 30dRA model, FS was found to be not statistically significant (OR: .996, 95% CI [.985 to 1.007], p = .449). Conclusion: A model utilizing FS, SEFs, and traditional medical factors can predict hospital LOS. FS appears to be less contributory to a 30dRA model compared to SEFs and traditional medical factors.

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