Attitude change on the death penalty is a highly relevant issue to both legal and public policy actors. The current study adopted a novel approach to student attitude change with exposure to first-person narratives through community engaged learning. Senior capstone students (n = 28) completed projects on the death penalty. Students submitted four…

The responsibility for educating U.S. nursing students on end-of-life (EOL) care concepts lies with prelicensure nursing programs; however, the majority of all prelicensure nursing programs offer only a few lectures, and only a small percentage offer EOL and palliative care courses. The lack of education on EOL care results in greater stress for…

This dissertation adds to the economic study of gun and marijuana laws. Chapter 1 studies the impact of stand your ground laws (SYGs) on traffic fatalities. Chapter 2 investigates the effects of campus concealed carry laws (CCCs) on higher education outcomes. Chapter 3 looks at the impact of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on youth crimes. The first…

Physician burnout and empathy erosion are common during training and clinical practice. Museums can effectively partner with health professional schools and hospitals to address these challenges through reflective practice and a focus on physician wellness. We describe a partnership between the Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Medicine…

I present empirical research considering the response of health and educational outcomes to alcohol consumption, drug abuse, and collegiate athletics. Chapter II considers the effect of legal access to alcohol on student achievement. The empirical approach identifies the effect through changes in students' performance after gaining legal access to…

An educational program was developed to train practitioners to provide care for patients and families that are responsive to cultural concerns. The aim was to increase knowledge and improve attitudes toward providing culturally proficient and culturally sensitive care for patients and families facing life-threatening illnesses. The program…

President Obama has proposed creation of up to 20 "Promise Neighborhoods" in communities experiencing poverty, crime, and low student achievement. Promise Neighborhoods would engage children and parents within a defined geographic area in a multifaceted strategy to meet several goals: good physical and mental health for every child, enrollment in…