Ed.D., Antioch University, 2025, Education

The persistent health disparities faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States are deeply rooted in systemic racism embedded within medical education and clinical practice. Historical acceptance of racial supremacy in the United States has shaped both the foundations and continued practices of medical education, leading to entrenched biases that affect healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This dissertation critically examines the intersection of race, education, and health by analyzing how historical and contemporary understandings of race and ethnicity shape medical curricula, healthcare practices, and patient care. Through the integration of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and ScT, this study deconstructs racialized knowledge systems in medicine and examines their impact on health equity. CRT provides a lens to analyze how systemic racism is embedded within medical education and practice, illuminating the ways racial bias is institutionalized and perpetuated in healthcare structures. SCT contributes by exploring how individuals internalize societal norms and beliefs, which influence the attitudes and behaviors of both medical practitioners and patients. Finally, ScT emphasizes the role of social networks and relationships, highlighting how disparities in access to healthcare resources and support systems affect health outcomes in marginalized communities. Together, these theories offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the layered and interconnected influences of race, education, and healthcare, guiding the study's aim to challenge and dismantle biased practices within medical training and clinical care. Chapters I and II introduce the research problem and establish a comprehensive foundation, outlining key theoretical frameworks—CRT, SCT, and ScT—while exploring the historical roots of racialized practices in medicine, including the legacy of unethical experimentation and the Flexner Report (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

Each year in the United States, an estimated 57.8 million adults and 7.7 million children experience mental health issues with far-reaching implications (National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI], 2023). Despite our increased awareness in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which both exposed and exacerbated the problem, access to services remains severely limited for 163 million Americans living in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (NAMI, 2023). There is an insufficient supply of mental health providers in America, and an additional 8,251 practitioners are needed immediately to adequately meet the needs of the people (Health Resource & Services Administration [HRSA], 2023b). However, this deficit will not be resolved soon, as nearly half of mental health practitioners currently report intentions to leave their employment (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2023). Furthermore, resolving the shortage will require more than hiring additional mental health professionals (HRSA, 2023b). Compared to the larger workforce, mental health providers have a higher risk of experiencing detrimental occupational outcomes (Cocker & Joss, 2016; Ledoux, 2015; Ondrejkova & Halamova, 2022; Sinclair et al., 2017; Sorenson et al., 2016). Burnout, one of the occupational harms associated with the unique demands of care work, is a driving force in the provider retention problem (CDC, 2023; Hoge et al., 2007; Morse et al., 2012). Although there is a direct link between burnout and a lack of organizational support (Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001), there is a lack of research examining systemic causal factors. Most existing studies neglect to explore links between work characteristics and employee well-being and are restricted to investigating individual traits as contributors (CDC, 2023). The present study confronts the gap in the literature through a systemic exploratory analysis. This quantitative study examined the link between workplace environments and mental health (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Bioethics

From Aristotle to Engelhardt, philosophers and ethicists have struggled to find epistemic justification for a single set of provable and canonical content-full ethics to guide the moral decision making of the individual and nation-state alike. Where those such as Beauchamp and Childress in their account of Principlism presume something of a Rawlsian ‘common morality,' others such as H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr. argue that we may not take for granted even the simplest of presumptions regarding good and right moral action without either begging the question, arbitrarily affirming a particular point of departure, or invoking an infinite regress (Engelhardt ix, Beauchamp and Childress 3-5, 444-457). Herein, I aim to accomplish two purposes. First, I mean to call out the elephant in the room: If there is no God; if there is no creator or creators; if there is no higher transcendent purpose or meaning behind existence or ultimate judgement for our actions, then truly there is no absolute right or wrong. The Enlightenment Project has failed, and will necessarily fail to find a single set of provable canonical content-full ethics (Engelhardt vii). Second, I will propose a conceptual conjecture to assist with the consideration of this dilemma which I call A Priori's Wager. I propose that the human person is necessarily either the product of a creator or creators, and therefore possessing of a priori pre-existent purpose and meaning; or that the human person is the product of mere time and chance, and therefore possessing of only the post hoc purposes and meanings which we arbitrarily apply to ourselves. I argue that either of these premises may be true, but that the current scientific and philosophical methodologies available to us may neither prove nor disprove either premise. Given these competing premises of which one is necessarily true, but neither may be proven, I argue that we find ourselves fixed in something of a superposition of both transcendent obligati (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Higher Education (Education)

The changes in medical education have not kept pace with societal expectations and the rapidly evolving business model for healthcare delivery. Meanwhile, the socialization process in medical education has remained relatively unchanged. This has resulted in physicians with a high level of technical competence but lacking a comprehensive understanding of the ethical pitfalls of being a physician. It is crucial for medical school leaders to develop proactive strategies that are coherent, coordinated, and explicit in training physicians capable of navigating conflicting values and managing transient stressors. The findings in this study challenge the fundamental premise that it is enough for medical school leaders to simply view professionalism as an array of behaviors expected of others who offer services according to a social contract. Nor is it sufficient to promote teaching professionalism guided by directives of prescribed and prohibited activities or by guidance from aspirational goals. Moreover, the means of assessing any behaviors deemed problematic or unprofessional are varied and imprecise, and they do not account for those behaviors that are hidden or unobservable. This study examined two relevant theoretical frameworks within moral psychology and social learning theory. Specifically, they include professional identity formation and communities of practice. These frameworks present different facets for viewing the fostering of professionalism in medical education through the lens of moral psychology and social learning theory. They provide greater detail, build upon, and occasionally challenge established theories based on cognitive theory and moral development. They may also serve as a beacon to higher education leaders by influencing support efforts to form the students' professional identity and identify communities of practice in the professional journey of medical students.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one killer of women in America, yet barriers to lifesaving healthcare increase (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Incidence of sexism in medicine proves to be a leading cause of these barriers including underrepresentation of female patients in crucial research studies, lack of understanding and education of female specific cardiac symptoms, and the underutilization of advanced diagnostic imaging tests for female patients who could produce suboptimal results in lesser diagnostic testing causing misdiagnosis. Feminist critical theories were used to challenge the gender gap within the medical field and research along with the communities of practice theory, showing how embedded sexism to the medical field creates an unconscious social learning upholding norms. Practical action research was used to conduct this study due to the direct connection between testing and diagnosis of patients, having the potential to make an impact on patient care on a larger scale. Research was conducted utilizing HIPAA compliant cardiology patient data obtained to observe the ordering patterns of physicians within cardiology practices. An anonymous Physicians' Knowledge of PET Eligibility and Symptoms for Female Patients scale survey was used to collect data from practicing cardiologists to view opinions, attitudes, and education around female specific cardiac symptoms. This data was analyzed using Chi-square tests to understand the relationship between various factors such as qualifying ICD-10 (diagnosis) codes, sex of the patient, and qualification for a cardiac PET scan. The results show that there was no significant relationship between sex and if the patient qualified for a cardiac PET scan, showing that physicians have a lack of understanding of the incredible benefits of cardiac PET for female patients, who are exceptional candidates for PET due to attenuation artifacts. Results also show a positive statistical rela (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2024, History

This thesis argues for an interdisciplinary examination of the origins and subsequent appearance of the Wassermann blood test, the first test developed for detecting syphilis, in eugenics initiatives and medicolegal mandates. When this seemingly impartial medical tool intersected with preexisting social and cultural biases regarding syphilis its story became one of blood purity initiatives for the preservation and proliferation of white normativity. Reframing the Wassermann as more than a passive medical tool highlights how ostensibly impartial medical processes can produce institutional violence in masculinized spaces of control. While the Wassermann offered a source of hope for protecting against syphilitic infection, in application, the serodiagnostic tool served as a source of scientific validation when misapplied as a quantifiable method for justifying medicolegal interventions in the 20th century US. This examination traces the bioethical legacy of the Wassermann from its 1906 development in Berlin to its appearance in eugenics-based legal mandates in the US. Through an analysis of scientific publications and court records at archives across the East Coast this paper centers those who didn't benefit from the Wassermann and investigates how scientific authority derived from an imperfect diagnostic test was harnessed to reproduce and reinforce the sociocultural biases that linger today.

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.), Franklin University, 2024, Health Programs

The United States pediatric population is unique in that the epidemiological trends differ from those seen in the adult population. When discussing the pediatric emergency department (ED), this is typically a setting with high patient flow which requires swift diagnoses and treatment. Ideally, all patients should have equal opportunity to receive their highest possible level of quality healthcare, regardless of social determinants of health (SDOH) such as patient race/ethnic background, preferred spoken language, socioeconomic status, and insurance status. This is essentially the concept of health equity. The goal is to provide responsible and ethical healthcare to patients. If healthcare delivery is disproportionate, this may result in the overcrowding of EDs, delays in patient care, economic burden on the healthcare system, and increased morbidity and mortality. Some scholars have claimed that both individual and systemic biases have resulted in inequitable healthcare delivery. The following research study investigated health equity in the United States pediatric ED via the following question: What government and organizational policy changes can be made to enhance ED pediatric patient equity by utilizing first-hand information from ED physicians? The selected methodology for this research was qualitative and utilized in-depth semi-structured interviews of 15 pediatric ED physicians via Franklin University's Zoom platform. ATLAS.ti software was used to assist in identifying key themes and sub-themes from the code transcriptions.

DNP, Kent State University, 2024, College of Nursing

The management of dementia is a difficult task in all healthcare settings. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) affect 90% of individuals with dementia. One-third of older individuals living with dementia are regularly prescribed antipsychotic medications to handle dementia-related behaviors. For six decades the FDA has been aware that antipsychotics were being used in nursing homes to sedate residents for BPSD, without dementia being an approved diagnosis. The serious side effects and increased risk of death have led to changes in nursing home policy and regulation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) teamed up with Federal and State agencies and proposed dementia care planning that involves assessing BPSD and utilizing non-pharmacologic interventions. The primary objective of this project is to determine if educating staff in non-pharmacological management of BPSD will reduce antipsychotic medication use. Method This evidence-based quality improvement (QI) project is based on Lewin's Change Theory of unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. Using the PDSA method to move the process forward, a team was established, and a plan of action was developed to reduce the administration of antipsychotics by educating staff in non-pharmacological interventions. Sixteen nursing staff (n-16) were trained over four days in nonpharmacologic dementia care management. A pre-and-post-assessment questionnaire was conducted. Twenty-two resident participant's medications were reviewed by the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), and gradual drug reductions (GDRs) were ordered. GDRs are a CMS compliance requirement for nursing homes conducted as standard practice based on the pharmacist recommendations and an important recommendation by CMS in antipsychotic reduction are conducted and documented by the consulting PMHNP. Nursing responses to patients with GDRs who presented with behaviors and antipsychotic dose reduction (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Humanities, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 2024, College of Graduate Studies

This thesis explores the transformative roles of pathologists within modern healthcare. As healthcare evolves with innovations in digital pathology, artificial intelligence (AI), and precision medicine, pathologists are poised to assume enhanced clinical roles that extend beyond traditional laboratory diagnostics to direct patient care and multidisciplinary team collaborations. Centered around W.D. Ross's prima facie ethical principles, it delves into the ethical challenges introduced by emerging technologies, underscoring the necessity for robust ethical frameworks to maintain patient trust and safeguard data integrity. The research advocates for significant educational reforms to equip pathologists with the skills needed for their expanded roles, emphasizing the integration of technological proficiency with ethical decision-making. It calls for continuous adaptation and strategic policymaking to enhance patient outcomes amidst rapid medical innovation. By synthesizing ethical practices with cutting-edge technological advancements, this thesis outlines a future where pathologists not only enhance healthcare delivery but also ensure that these innovations are applied judiciously and ethically, thereby positioning pathologists at the forefront of patient care and medical research in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

This dissertation project is focused on a narrative medicine approach to the comics written during the pre-vaccine period of COVID-19. By analyzing these texts from a narratological perspective, informed also by various approaches in comics studies, its aim is to identify the affordances of the comic medium in order to understand its efficacy when artists choose to utilize it. The selected narratives range from fictional narratives, autobiographical accounts from “frontline workers” at the height of the pandemic, and comics utilizing reportage and informative style of writing. The goal for this project is to learn as much from the selected stories as possible in order to identify its applications towards COVID-19 and pandemic discourse, potentially contributing insight into surviving a pandemic.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Bioethics

Clinical ethicists have become increasingly integrated at hospitals across the United States since the 1980s, prompting sustained efforts to professionalize the field of clinical ethics including the introduction of core competencies, a professional code of ethics, and a certification program. Despite these important milestones, the field still lacks a clear, unified scope of practice and discussions about the roles clinical ethicists ought to assume in health care are ongoing. Up until now, discourse has largely focused on what clinical ethicists can contribute to the health care environment; such a utility-based orientation to the efforts of clinical ethicists has resulted in the emotional impact of clinical ethics work on clinical ethicists going largely unrecognized. This dissertation establishes a foundational understanding of the emotional experiences of clinical ethicists, drawing on qualitative interviews with 34 clinical ethicists in the United States conducted between May and September of 2023 as well as a detailed conceptual analysis of burnout, moral injury, and moral distress as studied in other health professions. Results from this research suggest that clinical ethicists are assuming a significant emotional burden as a result of their clinical ethics work stemming from a variety of factors, including their regular exposure to ethically challenging situations, the variety of expectations placed on them by others, the diversity of the roles that they are playing in decisions regarding patient care, and the increasingly therapeutic nature of their work. Furthermore, the experiences of clinical ethicists are not sufficiently captured by existing terminology; this dissertation introduces the concept of secondary moral distress to describe the negative emotional impact that results from assuming a therapeutic role in a morally distressing situation. This work ultimately suggests that the burden assumed by these professionals is reason for significant concer (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Bioethics

As technologies are developed and implemented at increasingly faster rates, an ethical assessment of human enhancement theory is warranted for the creation and efficacy of public health policy and medical practices. I will begin this assessment with a critique of one popular approach to ethical enhancement through the work of Allen Buchanan, who advocates for an ethics of development based on distributive justice, then I offer an ecofeminist ethics of care as an alternative way forward for the field of healthcare. At the root of an ethics of care is the concept of the human as a socially and ecologically embedded being, with shared dependencies and vulnerabilities. I will explore the implications of such a framing of humanity for the enhancement debate through the works of Chris J. Cuomo and Val Plumwood, then examine in vitro fertilization as a case study for the applicability of ecofeminist theory. In the end, I argue for a collaborative pursuit, despite the differences between these ethical methods, and call for further research in applying an ethics of care in the clinical enhancement setting.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Bioethics and Medical Humanities

Family caregivers are influential in medical decision-making for cancer patients, yet little is known regarding how they are included in clinical trial decisions. Clinical trial staff are responsible for informed consent in oncology trials and maintain ongoing contact with patients and caregivers, yet they are also overlooked in clinical trial decision-making research. This study fills this knowledge gap by eliciting perspectives from family caregivers and clinical trial staff, key stakeholders in clinical trial decision-making. The specific aims were: (1) to understand how family caregivers of patients with cancer conceptualize their role in clinical trial decision making, (2) to determine factors influential to family caregivers of patients with cancer during the clinical trial decision-making process, and (3) to identify attitudes, beliefs, and approaches used by clinical trial staff to navigate family caregiver involvement in the informed consent process for clinical trials. I conducted focus groups with 10 clinical trial staff and 9 caregivers of patients with cancer, then 15 caregivers participated in semi-structured interviews. Focus group data were used to refine interview guides for subsequent semi-structured interviews with caregivers. Transcripts were coded, then analyzed with NVivo using content analysis. Caregiver themes included promoting patient autonomy, influential factors, and burdens of trial participation. Trial staff themes were approaches to caregiver inclusion, caregiver utility for consent and adherence, and the need for training. Caregivers viewed their role as supporting patient understanding and deferring to the patient as final decision-maker. Hope for therapeutic benefit, oncologist endorsement, and practical barriers (e.g. cost, distance) were influential. Trial staff viewed caregivers as highly influential and relied on them to enhance patient understanding and adherence to the trial protocol. Staff experienced occasional challenges (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

This dissertation probes into three contemporary fictional stories about dementia, two of which are not traditionally seen as examples of the genre of “illness narratives.” The first of these two (Edwidge Danticat's “Sunrise/Sunset”) is an intergenerational story about a mother and daughter pair, and the second (Alice Munro's “The Bear Came over the Mountain) is a redemption story of a husband whose wife becomes afflicted with dementia. The third story, Lisa Genova's Still Alice is a proper “dementia narrative,” but previous discussions of it have focused on its representation of the progress of Alice's dementia rather than on her exercise of agency. By analyzing the three primary texts in a fashion of literary analysis, I not only contend that narrative resources of focalization, progression, and intersubjectivity can be employed to make moving stories about illnesses such as dementia but demonstrate they can also serve as resources for dementia narrative identities' (re)formation during the illness's progress, with or without the help of other agents. By highlighting the insights into dementia identity offered by these stories—and by literary fiction more generally—this study can benefit specific groups of actual audiences such as professional and family caregivers, patient advocates, and narrative medicine scholars. In this way, the study can enrich critical conversations about dementia within the medical humanities, whether those conversations focus on its nature, its treatment, or its effects on caregivers and loved ones.

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2023, Education

Many forms of oppression create barriers for health care, further health disparities, and impact the wellness of physicians. As health disparities, caused by the social determinants of health, complicate the practice of medicine, physicians' risk of burnout increases. The practice of Physician Cultural Responsibility provides a means to overcome health disparities and support physicians while embracing the intersectionality of the populations they serve. Incorporation of Physician Cultural Responsibility into physician professional identity is essential for the practice to be life-long. As there is no standardized curriculum to address teaching the practice of Physician Cultural Responsibility, this study aims to evaluate a proposed curriculum for the adoption of Physician Cultural Responsibility into students' physician professional identity, student experience, and knowledge transfer. Through the transformative research paradigm and transformative learning theory, a mixed-methods study of deidentified qualitative and quantitative data was performed using MaxQDA and SPSS (α = 0.05) analytical software. Results suggest successful adoption of Physician Cultural Responsibility in physician identity development, successful knowledge transfer, as well as improvements in collaboration, belonging, and support in student experiences with within in first year medical students. This curriculum offers best practices for a methodology to address the inequities of practice in cultural competency education requirements within medical education. This includes inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy aimed at supporting the students' development of skills that improve the patient-physician connection with all patients, limit the impact of personal biases on medical practice, and dismantle the social categorization of medicine. The practice of Physician Cultural Responsibility and it's adoption in physician professional identity yields an opportunity to cre (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2023, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic created massive amounts of stress for frontline healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives of respiratory therapists, student respiratory therapists, and respiratory therapy managers on trust in leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States' healthcare and government systems were not prepared for the burden caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. High levels of prolonged stress, along with significant amounts of death, can cause burnout and moral injury for frontline healthcare providers. Healthcare leaders must provide effective communication, support, and proper amounts of personal protective equipment to help diminish the effects of burnout and moral injury. This study used Q-methodology, which is a mixed-methods research design, that included 203 staff respiratory therapists, student respiratory therapists, and respiratory therapy managers in the state of Ohio who worked the frontlines, or managed respiratory therapists working the frontlines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five distinct groups emerged from perspectives of participants: I'll be There for You, Won't You Please, Please Help Me?, I'll Get You There, What's Going On?, and Show Must Go On. The quality of the leader has profound effect on participants' perspective of how their institution handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The more daily contact and communication with their leaders, the less guilt the participants felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harold Kelley's covariation model conceptualizes the entity and circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing perceptions of frontline respiratory therapists. Though the United States government considers the COVID-19 pandemic over, frontline respiratory therapists will endure the effects of the COVID-19 virus for years to come.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Bioethics

Biomedical progress raises ethical questions concerning the prolongation of life at any cost. This thesis focuses on Orthodox Christian perspectives on hastening patient death in . However, neither scriptures nor Orthodox Church tradition provides clear answers on when and how it is ethically permissible to discontinue medical procedures. Nor do local Orthodox churches' statements clarify these issues definitively. With the application of Orthodox teaching to medicine, life, and death, this study provides an ethical framework for resolving end-of-life issues. The overarching purpose of life according to Orthodoxy is to draw nearer to God and His kingdom, while the significance of physical ailment is the purification of one's heart for spiritual benefit. Moreover, in Orthodoxy, medicine should ultimately be targeted toward helping patients prepare spiritually for eternity, especially near the end of life. To apply such general Christian considerations to specific medical procedures, this thesis analyzes issues of hastening a patient's death through philosophical reflection. It argues that 1) if a health care professional initiates a new pathological path that causes a patient's death, he has killed the patient by active euthanasia; 2) if he refrains from saving a patient's life (by withholding or withdrawing available treatment) with the intention to kill, he kills the patient through passive euthanasia; 3) if he foregoes medically futile and burdensome treatment from a patient whom he judges to be dying, he merely removes a medical obstacle hindering that natural dying process. The crucial difference between forgoing treatment and passive euthanasia is the physician's intention, which may disclose itself via disappointment or relief because of the patient's unexpected survival after discontinuation of treatment. Thus, the general provisions of Orthodox bioethics concerning the hastening of a patient's death include 1) The prohibition against actively causing de (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Humanities, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 2023, College of Graduate Studies

Advancements in medicine have created opportunities for ethical dilemmas to occur, and in these situations, it is important to have quality guidance. Ethical dilemmas can be extremely complex, leading to harmful consequences for patients and others, and having experts in ethics can help rectify and resolve these dilemmas, and prevent future harms. Historical legal cases will be utilized to highlight the need for ethics consultation with diverse theories. Once establishing the need for ethics consultation services, this paper will then look at how the field has shifted through the years to become increasingly person-centered. As the field grows, there are many professionals that seek to legitimize the field through a credentialing service. The many theories that can be employed by ethics consultants become undermined when the new proposed credentialing program focuses primarily on the Beauchamp and Childress Principles of Bioethics. A select number of sample questions were examined to highlight the shortcomings of a multiple-choice exam. Alternate programs that can be utilized to increase skill level and competency of those in the field include simulation, apprenticeship, or a mentoring program with experienced professionals. Research for this paper was conducted primarily on search engines such as PubMed and Google Scholar. This critique of the proposed credentialing is important to consider in order to maintain the diverse perspectives involved with high quality consultations.

Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Humanities, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 2023, College of Graduate Studies

My thesis explores the concept of dual loyalties among military physicians and proposes a more thorough integration of virtue ethics in the military. The ethical principles and values embodied in virtue ethics theory align with the foundational mission and purpose of the military, but their implementation of the theory remains incomplete. The proposed framework for military medical ethics combines both virtue theory and duty-based ethics, with an emphasis on the former. While duty-based ethics are important, this framework recognizes the importance of virtuous character traits to help military physicians navigate dual loyalties. The aim is to ensure that duties are nested in a way that enables the actualization of moral virtues. By prioritizing the development of virtuous character traits, military physicians can better fulfill their duties in a manner that aligns with virtuous character. The military and medical profession share a commitment to ensuring that military physicians uphold high moral standards by being people of good character. Despite the military's appreciation for virtue ethics, there are instances where its application falls short which may be due to various factors like a lack of emphasis on character development in training or a focus on rules and regulations over virtuous conduct. My thesis seeks to create a more robust ethical framework for military medical ethics that combines duties, rules, and regulations with the development of virtuous character to prevent misconduct and distress among military physicians. By incorporating a more comprehensive virtue ethics theory into military medical ethics education and development, military physicians can develop a deeper understanding of how to act virtuously in challenging situations, even when the duties, rules, and regulations may not explicitly guide their behavior.

Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Humanities, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 2023, College of Graduate Studies

Narrative medicine is a quickly growing field that is founded in the value obtained from understanding the importance of the incorporation of patient's unique life story into their medical care. While there is an abundance of evidence supporting the use of narrative medicine in clinical practice, there is no literature detailing how narrative medicine may be applied to individuals with communication barriers, including children who are developmentally non-verbal. Through a consideration of fundamental aspects of narrative medicine, pediatric narrative medicine, and disability studies, this paper details the value and feasibility of utilizing narrative medicine among children who are non-verbal. Given the importance of further research on the utility of narrative medicine in the pediatric non-verbal population, this paper concludes with an example research study proposal, detailing how one may conduct research within this discipline. Ultimately, advocating for the utilization of narrative medicine among children who are non-verbal will best ensure that pediatric non-verbal patients' needs and values are incorporated into their medical care.