Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Educational Program For Nursing Home Nurses On Sepsis In Older Adults, Wendy Belden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elderly nursing home patients’ high rates of hospitalization due to sepsis impact their morbidity and mortality and significantly cost the U.S. healthcare system. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) nurses who have the knowledge to assess older adults for signs and symptoms of sepsis and communicate findings to providers are instrumental in providing improved care for patients. The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide a group evidence-based educational intervention on sepsis care of older adults geared toward nurses working in SNFs. The practice-focused question asked whether an educational intervention focused on the signs and symptoms of sepsis in the elderly …

Effect Of Human-Animal Interactions On Retail Employees’ Job Satisfaction And Job Performance, Michelle Elizabeth Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that companion animals can have a positive effect on people who suffer from mental and physical illnesses; however, few studies have considered the impact of human-animal interactions (HAIs) on employees in the work environment. This quantitative study investigated the effect of HAIs on 146 employees’ job satisfaction and job performance in three retail environments with a range of potential animal interactions: retail store with no animal presence (none), retail store with occasional animal presence (occasional), and retail store with persistent animal presence (constant). Retail employees’ job satisfaction and performance in each retail setting were assessed using the …

African American Mothers’ Experience In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Lauren Magruder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black/African American (B/AA) mothers struggle disproportionately with problems related to childbirth. B/AA mothers have higher rates of premature births, infant death prior to age one, and death during childbirth. The purpose of this research was to add to present knowledge regarding B/AA mothers who have had a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Womanist theory was selected as a framework for the study because it focuses on the intersection of gender and race in relation to B/AA women. The experience of B/AA women in U.S. society is unique, in that it involves several pervasive stereotypes and controlling images. …

Perceptions Of Caregivers Of Parkinson's Patients Regarding Using Advance Directives, Meghan Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing focus on end-of-life (EOL) care is influencing the role of advance directive (AD) documents. Difficult conversations among family caregivers and their loved ones are becoming more and more critical. Considering the value of communicating EOL wishes, family caregivers’ perceptions about ADs for their loved ones with Parkinson’s disease (PD) must be examined. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a foundation, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand family caregivers of PD patients and their perceptions and experiences relating to AD documents. This study involved using purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews with 11 family …

Workplace Psychosocial Factors, Perception Of Organizational Support, And Congregate Workers’ Quality Of Life, Claudine Alicia Cousins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congregate care organizations employ workers across various environments from shelters, group homes, long-term care homes, and correctional facilities. Congregate care workers in the developmental services sector face numerous risks that affect their quality of life due to workplace stress from daily interactions with individuals with intellectual disabilities and organizational demands. Workers’ perception of the support received from their organization may further impact their quality of life. The purpose of this quantitative study, guided by organizational support theory, was to examine the relationship among the independent variables of workplace psychosocial factors (defined as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, mental stress, or burnout), …

Missionary Kids And Trauma, Lindsay Elizabeth Stone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMissionary Kids and Trauma by Lindsay E. Stone

MA, Walden University, 2019MA, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2010 BS, Charleston Southern University, 2006

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human and Social Services

Walden University February 2021 Abstract Missionary kids (MKs) around the world are more exposed to trauma than non-MKs. MKs often struggle with grief, loss, and stressors of cross-cultural living. Childhood trauma leads to short-and long-term effects of trauma, often into adulthood. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore adult, Christian MKs’ perceptions of external trauma on …

Exploring Barriers To Care: Provider Efforts To Improve Retention In Urban-Rural Clusters, Kenyata M. Fletcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the years, the infection rates for HIV in the United States has changed partly due to lack of engagement and medication adherence which can lead to substantial declines in individual health. Factors that contribute to the individual’s adherence can include transportation cost, childcare, and lack of finances to name a few. These barriers can often be decreased with the help of supportive service providers and improvement in the patient-provider relationship. Currently, there is limited research that explores how to reduce patient barriers to care, specifically in rural areas. This qualitative study examines how Illinois health care providers help HIV-positive …

Teacher Perception On Integrating School Psychology In The Developing Nation Of Grenada, Carla Erica Maria St. Louis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractInternationally, formalized school psychology and related services strive to address the academic and mental health of students in schools. In developing nations, teachers are the primary professionals to address students’ needs in schools. Little research has focused on teachers’ perceptions of students’ needs, available services’ quality, and how formalized structures with qualified certified professionals can further address students’ needs. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems and Nastasi’s participatory culture-specific intervention model are the theoretical underpinnings of this qualitative study and focus group interviews were used to investigate special education needs (SEN) teachers’ perceptions. Data were collected using open ended questions and probes with …

Poststroke Depression And The Lived Experiences Of The Family Caregiver And Care Recipient Dyad, Tiffany Chere' Gurley-Nettles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPoststroke depression in stroke survivors is a more common occurrence than once believed as the survivor of stroke must contend with the loss of their former self and with residual physical, communicative, cognitive, and/or psychological changes. Family members who become informal caregivers, with minimal to no training in some cases, may experience stress from having to adjust to new family roles and responsibilities. Limited information is available on the lived experiences of the family caregiver and the survivor of stroke. The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the survivor or stroke with poststroke depression and …

The Political Astuteness Of The New Mexico Registered Nurse, Gloria Sue Doherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States spends the most per capita of all the developed countries on healthcare but demonstrates the worst healthcare outcomes. National agencies have turned to Registered Nurses (RNs) to improve healthcare outcomes through participation in healthcare policy development. Although the recommendation for participation in policy development exists, RNs, including those in the U.S. state of New Mexico have not participated at high levels. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to measure the political astuteness of RNs in New Mexico and to determine to what extent nursing leaders have been successful in diffusing Institute of Medicine recommendations. Rogers’s …

Competition And Technical Efficiency For General Medical And Surgical Hospitals In Georgia, Nathan Ekow Davies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The primary aim of this study was to enhance understanding of the fundamental socioeconomic problem associated with inefficient hospital competition in the United States in terms of demand and supply of services as well as the efficiency of hospitals. The relationship between market competition and hospital efficiency was investigated among general medical and surgical hospitals in Georgia. The X-efficiency theory was used which defines efficiency as the degree of effectiveness that an organization can maintain while operating in imperfect competition. The theory is most applicable in terms of addressing imperfect market characteristics of the healthcare industry. Correlations between efficiency and …

Cell Phone Use And Adolescent Weight Problems, Florence Kenkor Njang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOverweightinadolescenceincreasestheriskofobesityandmanyadversehealthoutcomeslaterinlife.The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectionalstudy was to investigatetheassociationbetweencell phoneuseandweightstatusinadolescents,ages14 17yearsold,livingintheUnitedStates.Thesocio-ecologicalmodel(SEM)wasusedtoexplainthelinkbetweencellphoneuseandoverweightamongadolescents.Threeresearchquestionswere used to explore(a)therelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentweightstatusaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace;(b)the effectofcellphoneuseonoverweightandnormalweightstatusesamongadolescentsaged 14 17yearsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity;and(c)themodifyingeffectofraceontherelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentoverweightaftercontrollingforageandgender.Secondary data from the2017YouthRiskBehavioralSurveillanceSystemwere analyzed usingbinarylogisticregressiontoanswer theresearchquestions.Highcellphoneusesignificantlyandpositivelypredictedoverweightinadolescentsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace(p<0.001).Afteraccountingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity,highcellphoneusewasasignificantpredictorofoverweight(p<0.001).Similarly,racehadasignificantmodifyingeffectonthepositiveassociationbetweenhighcelluseandoverweightamongadolescents(p<0.001).Thekeypositivesocialchange implication of this studyis the potentialtointegratehealthycellphoneusewithexistingobesitypublichealthinterventionsthatcanreduceoverweightandpositivelyimpactindividuals,families,andcommunities.

Mental Health Disparities In Social Work Practice Of Minority Youth Offenders, Beverly Ann Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA large number of minority youths placed in the juvenile justice system across the United States have mental health disorders. Most of these youths do not receive mental health services or support within the system, which increases risk factors such as undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and adverse outcomes such as recidivism. This action research sought to uncover whether mental health disparities in social work practice in the juvenile justice system were due to race and ethnicity and asked social workers to recommend strategies to improve mental health availability, access, and provision. Participants in the study were social workers who …

Social Support Experiences Of Stably Housed Emancipated Foster Youth, Camron L. Whitacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth emancipating from foster care are at increased risk of housing instability and homelessness and have reduced access to needed social supports to aid in the difficult transition to independent living. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived formal social support experiences of stably housed emancipated foster youth. Purposive sampling techniques and inclusion criteria guided the recruitment of nine study participants from a state-administered postemancipation services program to take part in semistructured interviews. A conceptual framework, including social convoy and attachment theories, informed inquiry, and interpretation of findings. Participant lived experiences illuminated the importance of …

Haitian Immigrant Parents’ Perceptions On Acculturation And High-Risk Behaviors Among Their Children, Weiselande Cesar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrant Haitian parents experience acculturative stress when adjusting to the norms and expectations of a new country. Acculturative stress may be exacerbated if their adolescent children display unfamiliar behaviors, which may result in a greater need for psychological assessments and education programs to mitigate the instances of family breakdown. Following Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, there has been an increase in high-risk behaviors among Haitian adolescents. To date, there is limited research on acculturative stress in immigrant Haitian parents and how this stress may relate to their actions and perceptions of high-risk behaviors in their adolescent children. In this case study date …

Working With Sexually Violent Persons: Grit, The Supervisory Working Alliance, And Burnout, Stalina Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinicians who work with sexually violent persons (SVPs) are faced with various problems related to the nature of their job duties, job settings, and the specificity of the population they serve. Although researchers have investigated the phenomenon of burnout extensively over the last decade, research focusing on burnout among counselors who work with SVPs is insufficient. The purpose of this quantitative comparative survey study was to investigate differences in burnout among clinicians working with SVPs by examining their grit, the supervisory working alliance, and job settings. The Grit Short Scale (Grit-S), the Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory—Trainee version (SWAI-T), and the …

Sociodemographic And Psychosocial Factors And Wellbeing Among Adults 65 And Older In England, Dainelle Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased number of older adults living longer parallels with the growth of public health concerns regarding the impact of sociodemographic and psychosocial factors (e.g., loneliness and social isolation) on older adults' wellbeing. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between loneliness, social isolation, the combined model of loneliness, and social isolation on wellbeing among older adults when accounting for age, gender, ethnicity, and social support. The socioecological model (SEM) was used to evaluate the multiple levels of environmental determinants for loneliness, social isolation, and wellbeing. The target population included older adults 65 years and older …

Resilience As A Moderator Between Food And Housing Insecurity And Mental Distress, Denise Mchugh Loggie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of food insecurity (FI) and housing insecurity (HI) in college students has increased over the last decade along with an associated increase in mental health problems. Studies show significant increases in many markers for mental distress in this population including a higher prevalence of mood disorders, non-lethal self-harm, and attempted and completed suicides, particularly over the last decade. Compounding these challenges is the low level of resilience found in college-age young adults, potentially limiting their ability to cope with and recover from the hardship of FI and HI. This quantitative study, guided by resilience theory and Maslow’s hierarchy …

Medical Brain Drain And Its Effect On The Nigerian Healthcare Sector, Oluwakemi Osigbesan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria suffers from a huge brain drain issue across different sectors, particularly in the healthcare sector. The WHO assessed that there is a current shortage of 2.8 million physicians in the world A heuristic phenomenological method was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of 12 Nigerian healthcare practitioners that migrated to the United States. The push-pull theory served as the theoretical framework that grounded this study. The central research questions for this study focused primarily on the reasons healthcare practitioners are leaving Nigeria and what the impact of those decisions have on the Nigerian healthcare sector. Qualitative …

Black Mothers’ Birthing Center Experiences And Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices, Natashia King-Conner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The persistence of racial disparities in breastfeeding is associated with a range of interconnected factors, such as historical, cultural, social, social, and psychological. The current gap in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among Black mothers and White mothers has led to rising concerns in the United States. A basic qualitative approach was used to conceptualize the multidimensional constructs of the social–ecological model to investigate the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and community-level structures and existing policies in birthing centers that inadvertently harbor biases that impede care for Black mothers. Data were gathered through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews with 10 Black mothers …

The Role Of Psychological Distress In Maintaining Exercise After Cancer Diagnosis, Patrick Tertulien

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCancer affects the lives of thousands of people every day and is a leading cause of death. Exercise has been shown to yield mental and physical benefits for patients and survivors, but the experiences of cancer patients who face a multiplicity of psychological stressors have not been clearly described. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the psychological factors that are associated with continuing to exercise after cancer diagnosis, during and/or following their treatment. The focus was on how cancer survivors maintained a regular routine of exercise while experiencing psychological distress associated with cancer diagnosis, treatment, and concerns …

Understanding Female Somali Noncollege Graduate Immigrant’S Experiences With Cervical Cancer Screening Services, Rachel Anyu Anyu-Lainjo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHealthcare disparities exist in cervical cancer screening worldwide particularly in women of East African descent compared to non-African women. Previous research has investigated the reasons for low participation in cervical cancer screening among Blacks, minorities, and immigrant populations. Limited research has focused on immigrant women in the United States of America, specifically immigrants from Somalia who currently live in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perception of Somali immigrant women ages 25 - 45 years who have not earned a college degree and their lived experiences with cervical cancer screening. Two conceptual frameworks …