Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students.
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- Creators: Gur-Arie, Rachel
Description
Vaccinations are important for preventing influenza infection. Maximizing vaccination uptake rates (80-90%) is crucial in generating herd immunity and preventing infection incidence. Vaccination of healthcare professionals (HCP) against influenza is vital to infection control in healthcare settings, given their consistent exposure to high-risk patients like: those with compromised immune systems, children, and the elderly (Johnson & Talbot, 2011). Though vaccination is vital in disease prevention, influenza vaccination uptake among HCP is low overall (50% on average) (Pearson et al., 2006). Mandatory vaccination policies result in HCP influenza vaccination uptake rates substantially higher than opt-in influenza vaccination campaigns (90% vs. 60%). Therefore, influenza vaccination should be mandatory for HCP in order to best prevent influenza infection in healthcare settings. Many HCP cite individual objections to influenza vaccination rooted in personal doubts and ethical concerns, not best available scientific evidence. Nevertheless, HCP ethical responsibility to their patients and work environments to prevent and lower influenza infection incidence overrules such individual objections. Additionally, mandatory HCP influenza vaccination policies respect HCP autonomy via including medical and religious exemption clauses. While vaccination as a prevention method for influenza is logically sound, individuals’ actions are not always rooted in logic. Therefore, I analyze HCP perceptions and actions toward influenza vaccination in an effort to better explain low HCP uptake rates of the influenza vaccine and individual objections to influenza vaccination. Such analysis can aid in gaining HCP trust when implementing mandatory HCP influenza vaccination policies. In summary, mandatory HCP influenza vaccination policies are ethically justified, effective, scientifically-supported method of maximizing HCP influenza vaccine uptake and minimizing the spread of the influenza virus within healthcare settlings.
ContributorsGur-Arie, Rachel (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis advisor) / Hurlbut, Ben (Thesis advisor) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
For my graduate thesis, I present an annotated bibliography that evaluates and summarizes a list of resources available for use in future research. The resources focus on
how pectus excavatum, a congenital birth anomaly affecting the thoracic wall, may
impact identity formation and subsequent behavior during a period characterized by
significant physical and psychological development, from the ages 12 to 18, known as
adolescence. I examine resources that specifically look at congenital birth anomalies,
pectus excavatum, developmental psychology, psychoanalysis, and identity crises. The
following provides background and an annotated bibliography to establish whether there
is a causal relationship between individuals born with congenital birth anomalies,
specifically pectus excavatum (PE), and the impact it has to identity development during
adolescence. This work is important to me because I was born with pectus excavatum,
and I believe a causal relationship does exist. While I claim the causal relationship does
exist, I should note this is conjecture and anecdotally based on 7 years of interacting with
patients in both a clinical and personal setting. The conversations are reflective of
discussions that have taken place about having been born with pectus excavatum and how
the condition has impacted our lives.
ContributorsMihuc, Michael (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis advisor) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Gur-Arie, Rachel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023