Spring Colloquium 2023

Dr. Oladeji Egwaoje

Aspen University, School of Education

1:00 pm Pacific

"Impact of the Mother Tongue of Rural Nigeria on Student Achievement in English-Speaking Schools"

Many secondary school students in Nigeria fail English in the West African school certificate examination and miss attending college because they fail to meet the mandatory passing grade in English required for students wishing to study at the university. Most students who fail in English are from rural area schools. This qualitative study utilized the historical research methodology to examine facets of Nigerian social and cultural life, including the mother tongue, possibly impacting student achievement in English in rural and urban schools. Documents from the Nigerian national archives, the West African Examination Council (WAEC), and semi-structured interviews of teachers across two southern states of Nigeria provided data for analysis. Relying on Chomsky’s theory of language acquisition as a framework, the study found that past colonial policy delayed the exposure of village school children to English, creating an age-long proficiency gap and presenting contemporary educators with the challenge of finding the appropriate remedy.

Recording Link 

Dr. Tim Honadel

College of the Canyons, International Services & Programs

3:00 pm Pacific

"Why Students Chose a Community College to Begin their Academic Journey in the USA"

Politics, places, and pandemics have potentially changed the selection process for thousands of prospective international students. This is a replication study, conducted seven years after the original study. It identifies factors used by international students when selecting a community college 2+2 program as their entrance point into the U.S. higher education system. A review of literature from 1987 - 2021 revealed that little is known about international students’ college choice. Hermeneutical phenomenological techniques were used including surveys and interviews of international students that applied to College of the Canyons from 2017 to 2022. Fifty five of 965 applicants successfully completed the survey and nine of ten completed the triangulation interview. Transcription and coding were used to identify key factors from the interviews. The results were found to be in alignment with the replicated study and showed that students relied on word of mouth from trusted sources to select an institution and that low barriers to entry and low cost were strong motivators for following the recommendation. Findings also indicated that future study would benefit from modernized survey techniques and a vast broadening of the studied population to include students that applied but failed to enroll.

Recording Link 

Dr. Catherine S. Smith

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

9:00 am Pacific

"Improving Primary Care Referrals to Psychiatry for Patients Living with Major Depressive Disorder"

This presentation explores if primary care provider rates of referral to psychiatry can be improved for adult patients living with major depressive disorder through the implementation of an evidence-based practice referral guide. Major depressive disorder was estimated to affect more than 21 million Americans in 2020. Access to behavioral health services and psychiatric providers is limited, complicating the management of this diagnosis. This quality improvement project introduces an evidence-based practice referral guide for primary care providers to use to more effectively manage depression and to help determine when referral to psychiatry is appropriate. The project was grounded in the Collaborative Care Model, a theoretical model suggesting mental illness can be more effectively managed using a comprehensive care team with robust skills and tools.

Recording Link 

Dr. Kristine Blood

Aspen University, School of Education

1:00 pm Pacific

"Discussing the Relationship Between Leadership Styles and Employee Job Satisfaction"

Various leadership theories in this study were examined, for instance, transformational or authoritative leadership. Other studies uncovered the leadership styles in their organizations and academic importance in pharmacies, but none specified corporate pharmacy leadership. This study utilized a grounded theory qualitative research design showing that there are certain benefits to having servants, coaching, and democratic leadership to improve employee job satisfaction. Leaders everywhere can build their skills by providing regular feedback, recognizing their team members for their hard work, effectively communicating, and challenging their team members.

Recording Link

Dr. Michael Gyekye

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

3:00 pm Pacific

"Nursing Leadership and Management of Nursing Staff Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic" 

The research presentation assesses nurse leadership and staff nurse burnout effects during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand if there is a correlation between effective nursing leadership and nursing staff burnout during the crisis situation of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The problem of nursing burnout if unmanaged can be traumatic to the nurse at the bedside. It can lead to many problems that can destabilize how nurses and other clinicians work. Cross-sectional Survey design was used to gather data and to assess the level of burnout among nurses and nursing leadership influence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five hundred (N = 500) nurses from a population of 1500 nurses who worked during the pandemic in the Upper Bronx of New York City responded to an invitation to participate in this study. Using descriptive statistics, comparisons of means, and correlations among the study variables, it was revealed that nearly all respondents experienced burnout and needed the support of nursing leadership and management. There was a correlation between effective nursing management and reduction in nursing burnout. The effect of nursing burnout can be managed or prevented by nursing leadership most especially during crises and pandemics. In this study, the effects of lack of leadership in reducing nurse burnout are discussed. Implications of the findings are presented with ideas about how nursing leadership can be more effective in creating a sustainable system to help reduce burnout during crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recording Link 

Dr. Courtney Grant

Aspen University, School of Education

9:00 am Pacific

"College Faculty Perceptions of Their Role In Student Persistence"

Research into community college (CC) education shows low percentages of student persistence in many CCs in the United States. The problem I addressed in this study is the low rate of students completing CC in a southeastern state and across the United States. Many CC organizations are not meeting graduation standards set forth by accrediting bodies. The purpose of this study was to explore CC faculty’s (CCF) perceptions regarding their role in CC student persistence to complete the CC program. Findings revealed that participants felt that support of students was seen as an overarching role of the CCF. Additional themes developed were an under-preparedness by the organization of both CCF and student, negative student response to extrinsic factors usually resulting in withdrawal from the CC, and the noted importance of interpersonal interactions in the CC classroom. The findings of this study may be used by CCs to better prepare CCF to support greater student persistence and to improve graduation rates. Both of these can lead to positive social change by both providing a better prepared and qualified workforce as well as affording career and steady income opportunities to our community members.

Recording Link 

Dr. Yuliya Summers

United States University, College of Education

1:00 pm Pacific

"Ph.D. Pursuit: A Doctoral Mother’s Journey to Graduation"

While earning a Ph.D. degree is arduous for all students, mother scholars face significant additional barriers to graduation. They often juggle work, family, and school duties while trying to maintain some semblance of a personal life (Castelló et al., 2017). In this presentation, I will present research on the many challenges experienced by mothers pursuing a PhD, including time management, lack of faculty support, and family-work-education conflicts. This presentation comes from a recently published book chapter where I share a personal narrative written to describe my experiences as a mother, wife, doctoral student, and academic working in Texas, U.S.A.

Recording Link

Dr. Nina Beaman

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

9:00 am Pacific

"Danger: Men Not Working" 

Concerned about the declining rate of men attending college, while concurrent rising rates of male suicide, mental illness, unemployment, and social isolation, I researched data on male education, career trajectory, mental health, health, and life outcomes. The picture the data draw is stark, especially for Black males. This interactive session will propose some educational, medical, academic, cultural, and business solutions to what has become a crisis in masculinity! Participants will be encouraged to make other suggestions to make positive change to improve the lives of men and boys.

Recording Link 

Dr.  Mary Dereshiwsky 

United States University, College of Education

&

Dr. Scott Carnz 

City University of Seattle, Provost

1:00 pm Pacific

"Ready, Set, Learn: Faculty and Administrator Perceptions of Student Readiness  for Successful Online Learning"

Student success in learning online is vitally dependent on their readiness. Online adjunct faculty expressed concerns regarding lack of student online learning readiness in a sequential mixed methods study consisting of interviews and an online rating survey (Dereshiwsky, Babb, & Minarcine, 2022). This follow-up study was conducted with online faculty and administrators at a Pacific Northwestern University to identify more specific concerns about student readiness for online learning. Subjects rated 20 items in the areas of student technology navigation skills, student communication, and student engagement in their online course. Respondents also answered two open-ended survey questions regarding biggest perceived challenges related to student readiness, as well as what can be done to better prepare students for online learning. Benefits of this study include heightened faculty awareness of student readiness concerns so that they can be more quickly remediated to ensure a maximally successful learning experience for students.

Recording Link 

Dr. Shannon Walter

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

3:00 pm Pacific

"The Educational Intervention of Educating on Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bathing (CHG) in Critically-Ill Patients: Reducing Barriers and Increasing Compliance"

Critically ill patients at an academic medical center in an urban area of New York required usage of central venous catheters (CVCs) in order to provide lifesaving healthcare medications and management. Unfortunately, CVCs placed patients at higher risk for central line associated blood infections (CLABSIs) that result in patient harm and even death. Central line care has been studied closely for over a decade and it has been proven in numerous research studies that chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing wipes result in decreased CLABSIs and improved patient care. This best practice was in the policy for daily use of CHG wipes on all adult inpatients with CVCs. However, lapses in care and decreased nursing education interventions had occurred, resulting in decreased usage and documentation compliance for CHG use on required adult patients. 

Research had shown that best practice, including the usage of CHG bathing, requiring ongoing surveillance and education. The electronic health record (EHR) tracked CHG bathing compliance and it had decreased over the last several months resulting in increased central line infections. This study examined if increased education over a four-week education and in-service timeline on CHG bathing did result in increased CHG documentation compliance with the hopes of improved patient care. The education took place during a four interval in Spring of 2022 and 180 registered nurses (RNs) and 85 nursing assistive staff (NAS) participated in this quality improvement initiative. After the four-week intervention period, the compliance rates went from 71.6% to 82.8%. The number of central line infections lapsed and remained at zero. The results were discussed in further detail in the methods and results sections.

Recording Link 

Dr. Wendy Foss

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

9:00 am Pacific

"Implementation of an In-Patient Audio-Visual (Video) Education Method for the Stroke/TIA Patient Based on One's Personal Learning Preference  for Improved Learning"

After an individual experiences a stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), they and their caregivers require effective education in medication and lifestyle management. If this education could be presented before a stroke occurs, reaching those with the highest risk factors, a stroke could be avoided. Education delivery systems are increasingly being offered in different formats. Considering how a person learns best could improve their processing and retention of the information. For example, when acquiring new information, one may prefer visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic or a combination in learning options. In addition, a stroke patient may experience new deficits that decrease their understanding of information and require alternative learning methods. Using the VARK learning preference tool provides an opportunity to capture those determined to be a visual and/or audio learner. Once discovered, a video education format can be offered. Offering an additional format to receive and process stroke education fills an education gap with a vulnerable population, increases an opportunity to modify lifestyle decisions for better outcomes, and increases prevention of not only secondary episodes but initial ones as well.

Recording Link

Stephen Molchan

Aspen University, School of Business & Technology

3:00 pm Pacific

"The Financial Illiteracy Problem in the United States"

Financial literacy has been an issue for decades in the United States; however, the COVID-19 pandemic put financial illiteracy in the spotlight. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educators have the ability to influence the financial literacy rates among individuals, families, and communities. Despite Hogarth’s 2002 call to action for FCS educators to promote fiscal education, this has not happened. FCS educators must now respond to this call. This presentation addresses the financial illiteracy problem in the United States, the importance of financial literacy, financial literacy in the FCS National Standards, and the actions FCS educators can take to improve financial literacy. 

Recording Link