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You can drop your lowest quiz grade. 

The nurse is caring for a primiparous client and her neonate immediately after birth. The neonate was born at 41 weeks’ gestation and weighs 9 lb (4,082 g). Assessing for signs and symptoms of which condition should be a priority in this neonate?

After explaining to a primiparous client about the causes of her neonate’s cranial molding, which statement by the mother indicates the need for further instruction?

The nurse has completed discharge teaching with new parents who will be bottlefeeding their normal term newborn. Which statement by the parents reflects the need for more teaching?

My lowest test score can be dropped and replaced by my final exam grade, if this helps my overall average in the class. I can also do this if I miss or forget to take an exam. 

A nurse is assessing a newborn 2 hours after a vacuum-assisted delivery. The nurse notes a fluctuant, diffuse swelling of the scalp that seems to be increasing in size, crossing suture lines. The newborn is pale and tachycardic. Which action is the priority?

Doctoral Qualifying Examination Cydney Williams (U58635017) Summer 2026 Day 3 (Research) Suppose that you are part of a research group that has interest in the effects of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) on the well-being of parents and their children. You have been asked to plan a study that fits within the general interests of the group. Your response to this item should be a draft proposal for the study.  Please make sure you explain the rationale for your decisions and the limitations of your proposal.  Within the draft you should address the following issues:   Formulate a specific research question (or questions) that would be addressed through the research.  Discuss the significance of the question(s) from a theoretical, practical, and/or policy point of view. Describe who will participate in your study. What are your inclusion/exclusion criteria? How will you select participants? How many participants will participate? What research design will you use? What are the advantages and limitations of this choice? Describe the procedures you will use. What data will be collected? How will reliability, validity, and/or credibility be documented? Describe the procedures for data analysis that you will use.  What assumptions underly these methods and how will you evaluate the tenability of these assumptions? Identify and discuss limitations to your research, ethical considerations, and challenges that may arise in the conduct of the study. Discuss any other issues that you think are relevant to the conduct of this study.    

Doctoral Qualifying Examination Cydney Williams (U58635017) Summer 2026 Day 2 (School Psychology Specialization Area) Please read the following scenario and respond to each of the questions below it.    Camila is a 16 year-old 11th grade student at Tampa High School (THS), a public school with about 2500 students.  THS is a Title 1 school, and serves a rural community. Camila was referred to the student assistance team (SAT) by two teachers who were concerned with her lack of concentration in class, irritability, occasional tearfulness, social isolation, and failing grades. They also noted poor attendance particularly on days assignments are due or group presentations are scheduled to occur.   When you review Camila’s cumulative file, you see legal documentation stating that her mother (Ms. Da Silva) has had full custody since her parents divorced in early 2018. A report from the FL Department of Children and Families (DCF) specifies that the father is not permitted to see Camila without supervision, due to prior substantiated reports of physical and sexual abuse. Camila is described in school records as multiracial and Portuguese; Camila and Ms. Da Silva relocated from São Paulo, Brazil to Tampa, FL in 2019, and moved in with Ms. Da Silva’s boyfriend. You also learn that Camila has a long history of attendance problems— she usually misses about 8-10 school days per quarter. No history of assessment, diagnosis, or treatment of emotional or behavior problems is contained in the file, although the custody report noted Camila’s mother has a history of anxiety and depression. Other information from the records review includes that Camila currently has a 1.5 GPA and is in danger of not earning enough credits to advance to 11th grade. She earned grades of mostly “C” and some “D”s in 9th grade.   In your first meeting with Camila, she was not surprised her teachers had concerns. She explains that she is struggling to make it to school, and really dislikes having to talk to others in class. When asked about concerns, Camila noted that she is “not really smart” but is a hard worker, which is why she gets some C grades in classes like math and art where she can work alone. She notes she feels sick and stays home from school when she is worried about doing well on an assignment or has a presentation; she said, however, that she doesn’t have alternative ways to handle the stress. She took dance classes in elementary school, but stopped because Ms. Da Silva didn’t seem able to get her to dance class after the divorce due to her busy work schedule.  Camila shared that even with two jobs (Ms. Da Silva cleans houses during the day and works at a restaurant in the evenings), her mother struggles to pay all of the bills on time. Camila said her mother seems to be trying hard to be a good parent and seems very focused on keeping her and the family safe, but doesn’t seem to know how to help her emotionally.  She reported minimal communication with her father, and said there is a lot of tension and anger at home about her father’s abusive behavior and her parents’ divorce, and no one talks about it.   Camila seems receptive to getting help to address some difficulties with her schoolwork, relationships, and physical functioning.  Regarding friendships, she reported that her closest relationship in high school so far was with a boyfriend she really liked, but they broke up after he pressured her to have sex. She reported she doesn’t know how to go about meeting new people, has not developed any close friends at THS, and spends her lunch time alone redoing assignments. At school, she has difficulty speaking to teachers or other students, and prefers to write in her journal.  She doesn’t turn in assignments until she feels they are as close to perfect as possible, and tries to avoid group work.  Regarding her family, she reported persistent negative feelings and thoughts about her biological father, and said she was glad he stayed behind in Brazil. Ms. Da Silva doesn’t seem too concerned with Camila’s academic and attendance problems, and noted she appreciates Camila’s help cleaning houses on the days she stays home. Regarding physical functioning, Camila said “It’s hard to get out of bed in the mornings—I’m just so tired, my stomach hurts a lot. But also, I can’t fall asleep…at night, I can’t stop thinking about my schoolwork, and how mad I am at my dad for hurting me and my family, and how bad my ex-boyfriend made me feel. I feel like I can never relax.” When asked about positive affective experiences, Camila noted she does not laugh or smile often, but did used to feel energized during dance. Feelings of pride about accomplishments in art and math occur less often than feelings of nervousness and fear of failure or embarrassment.     —– Day #2 (School Psychology Specialization Area) —-   In your role at Tampa High School, you have the opportunity to support Camila, her teaching staff, and her family. Your response today should consider the affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of behavior relevant to conceptualizing Camila’s current behavior (hypotheses developed in Day 1), and ultimately supporting Camila directly through clinical services. Today, you need to decide how to treat Camila through comprehensive school-based psychotherapy. Please cite empirical literature (author only, no date needed) to support your response.   What data would you collect in a clinical intake, using which methods? What is your preliminary case conceptualization (including working diagnosis)?  What treatment approach(s) would you use with Camila?  Why? What would you include in the treatment plan with regard to structure and content? Who besides Camila will you include in the treatment plan (e.g., family, community, peer group, school staff) and in what ways? What ethical issues and/or barriers do you anticipate could potentially arise in this case? How would you monitor response to therapy and treatment outcomes, including her quality of life?  

Doctoral Qualifying Examination Niara Savage (U85709542) Summer 2026 Day 1 (Cognate in Psychology) Please read the following scenario and respond to each of the questions below it.    William is a 5-year-old Black student in kindergarten at Tampa Elementary School. He has recently been referred to the school psychologist (you) by his classroom teacher, who has reported that William’s behaviors and academic skill development are a significant concern. Specifically, William’s teacher reported that he is often off task, out of his seat/assigned area (sometimes also disrupting other children from doing their work), and generally struggles with classroom routines and expectations (e.g., sitting on the carpet for a mini-lesson, talks when he is supposed to be quiet). Academically, his teacher is concerned about his early literacy and math skill development. His teacher believes William would be best served in a more restrictive, individualized setting.   A review of William’s student file reveals he has missed 10% of school days and is late to school 2-3 times per week. William did not attend PreK or VPK. His fall kindergarten screening results indicates that he was below benchmark (10th percentile) in literacy and math. William does not have an individualized education program (IEP) and there is no record of any office discipline referrals or medical issues. You interview William’s kindergarten teacher who reiterated concerns about his behavior and academic skills. She also has questions about his social-emotional development given that he does not seem to talk much to his peers and generally stays to himself. She has tried to provide additional academic supports but has a hard time getting him to sit down and focus on the task at hand.   In an interview with William’s mother, she shared that she kept him at home until kindergarten because she has a flexible remote work schedule and did not need childcare. During this time, he often was at home playing with toys or playing with educational games on his iPad. His mom reported that she also sometimes took him to parks and playgrounds where he had the opportunity to play with other children. She reported that sometimes he played with other children, and sometimes by himself. She reported that he when he is absent from school or late, it is because he does not want to go. Before school and after school, he typically plays with the iPad. He typically goes to bed around 9 or 10pm. William has one sibling, age three, with whom he plays with at home. Mom reported no concerns with their interactions. William’s mom is surprised that he is having difficulty academically at school, because he seems to be good at the educational games he plays on his iPad. With William’s dad gone often and her being busy with his younger sibling, mom finds it easier to avoid setting schedules and go with the flow. She expresses concern that he does not seem to enjoy school and wants to know how she can help.   —– Day #1 (Cognate in Psychology) —-   In your role at Tampa Elementary School, you have the opportunity to support William, his teacher, and his family. Your response today should demonstrate your understanding of the affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of behavior relevant to conceptualizing William’s current behavior, and ultimately supporting William indirectly through consultation with school staff. Please cite empirical literature (author only, no date needed) to support your responses.   Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of theories of affective aspects of behavior, describe examples of developmental pathways that may relate to William’s current behavioral and academic challenges. Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of theories of biological aspects of behavior, describe examples of neural, physiological, and/or genetic influences that may relate to William’s current behavioral and academic challenges; what risk factors are present? Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of cognitive aspects of behavior, describe theories of learning, memory, thought processes and/or decision-making that may relate to William’s current behavioral and academic challenges; what instructional content would be relevant for William? Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of developmental aspects of behavior, describe theories and concepts related to transitions, growth, and development across an individual’s life that may help to better understand Williams current behavioral and academic challenges? Based on the case study presented and your knowledge of social aspects of behavior, describe theories and concepts related to group processes, attitudes, attributions, cultural diversity, and/or discrimination that may help to better understand William’s current behavioral and academic challenges? Based on the case study, provide two examples of how his current behavioral and academic challenges likely result from the interplay of different bases of behavior referenced in parts 1-5 above (e.g., concepts that are particularly salient to his developmental stage)? Based on your responses from 1-6 above, how would you consult with William’s teacher?    

Doctoral Qualifying Examination Yolanda Rotzinger Ballesteros (U73997798) Summer 2026 Day 3 (Research) Suppose that you are part of a research group that has interest in developing and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions designed to help middle school student-athletes strengthen their self-advocacy skills. You have been asked to plan a study that fits within the general interests of the group. Your response to this item should be a draft proposal for the study.  Please make sure you explain the rationale for your decisions and the limitations of your proposal.  Within the draft you should address the following issues:   Formulate a specific research question (or questions) that would be addressed through the research.  Discuss the significance of the question(s) from a theoretical, practical, and/or policy point of view. Describe who will participate in your study. What are your inclusion/exclusion criteria? How will you select participants? How many participants will participate? What research design will you use? What are the advantages and limitations of this choice? Describe the procedures you will use. What data will be collected? How will reliability, validity, and/or credibility be documented? Describe the procedures for data analysis that you will use.  What assumptions underly these methods and how will you evaluate the tenability of these assumptions? Identify and discuss limitations to your research, ethical considerations, and challenges that may arise in the conduct of the study. Discuss any other issues that you think are relevant to the conduct of this study.